You’ve heard it by now! The Julio Jones rumors are going to rage on through Memorial Day weekend because the Atlanta Falcons won’t be trading him until after June 1 due to salary cap reasons.
Will the Indianapolis Colts be involved? We’re not so sure. Some reports suggest maybe. A Chris Ballard text suggests no. One sect of the fanbase suggests definitely. Another suggests absolutely not.
Whatever your perspective, great! You’re entitled to your opinion. But there are perhaps some misconceptions/disinformation floating around. So why don’t we clear that up? Maybe it’ll get more people on the same page.
This might sound like an article for the pro-Julio crowd, but everyone should be reading it because it puts some elements into context you may not be thinking of, at least on the surface.
Debunking all the reasons that suggest the Colts shouldn’t trade for Julio Jones.
3. “The Colts have enough wide receivers.”
Do they? Do you really have enough of any position in today’s NFL when players are dropping like flies? Even if Indy did have “enough” wide receivers, they certainly don’t have a guy like Jones, who’s a bonafide No. 1 option that would change the complexion of almost any other offense in the NFL.
And when you look ahead to 2022, the Colts will have even more of a need for such a player. TY Hilton will be a free agent (and he’s no longer as effective as he once was). This is a make-or-break year for Parris Campbell. If he flops or gets injured, it’s over for him. Michael Pittman Jr. is clearly the future, but this will be a crucial campaign with a new quarterback.
The rest? Dezmon Patmon hasn’t played a single down. JJ Nelson? Ashton Dulin? Come on guys, what are we doing here.
Plus, if the Colts have proven ANYTHING this past season, it’s that they spread the wealth and get the ball in as many hands as possible. This roster does not have too many wide receivers. Half of them could be cut tomorrow and you wouldn’t even realize.
2. “It’s not worth surrendering draft capital for a 32-year-old.”
Don’t get us wrong, we LOVE draft picks — especially when general manager Chris Ballard gets to use them. And generally, the above sentiment would ring true most of the time. But not in the case of Julio Jones.
Similar to the DeForest Buckner deal (the Colts traded their 2020 first-round pick for the star defensive lineman), Jones brings a similar impact. Before being shut down for the remainder of the 2020 season, the two-time All-Pro hauled in 51 passes for 771 yards across nine games. He achieved that while battling hip and hamstring injuries at different points of the year.
And it’s not like the Falcons, at least according to reports, are looking for multiple top draft selections in return for Jones. It could be as high as a first-rounder, which isn’t exactly ideal, but many feel it could be a second-rounder. Is that really a prohibitive amount? How many second-round picks for the rest of time will live up to Jones’ potential? How many first-rounders will?!
He might be 32 years old, but he still has speed, physicality, and talent to be among the top receivers in the game. The last four years, the leading receiver on the Colts had a combined 3,605 yards. Jones has 3,842 yards over his last 40 games (his age-29 to -31 seasons).
Most draft capital is worth giving up for someone who’s probably going to give you an automatic 1,000-yard season for the next three years assuming he’s healthy.
1. “The Colts don’t have the cap space to make a deal.”
Please. PLEASE. Just stop. The salary cap is never a reason to not put your team over the edge. It’s merely an excuse. Look at the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints. They’re pressed up against the cap every single year. They manage to make it work, don’t they? They’ve been perennial contenders for a while, right?
Convert salaries into signing bonuses. Restructure contracts. Backload deals. There are endless possibilities. That’s proven to us each and every offseason, yet fans still make the cap space argument. “Oh, we’re going to use ALL our cap space on this guy? Get out of here. No chance.”
Jim Irsay is the Colts owner. He’s worth $3 billion. You don’t think he’ll dish out the dough to make this happen? Cool, make $10 million of Jones’ $15.3 million base salary and the Colts can still have almost $10 million in cap space for the 2021 season. Why not? Restructure Jones’ contract and back load it. What will it matter paying him $20-plus million in 2023 when more money will probably be coming off the books and the cap will be even higher?
It’s money. The NFL is the most profitable sports league. Throw around duffle bags. The owners can afford it.
Colts better hope Patriots trade for Julio Jones or else Indy will be in trouble
The Colts better hope the Patriots end up trading for Julio Jones, because the Titans are emerging as a real destination for the star receiver.