Yesterday, the Titans unceremoniously released Julio Jones. And let’s face it, a “ceremonious” release would have been in bad taste. Now, Jones suddenly finds himself in free agency land, and the voices of his doubters keep growing louder. Can he find a landing spot this offseason that makes use of his remaining abilities? Here are our predictions for the teams that seem to make the most sense for one of the most successful and talented wideouts of this century.
Predictions for Julio Jones in 2022 NFL free agency
To understand where Jones might go, we have to understand his value. This is the part of the movie Jaws when Roy Scheider (as Brody) says, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” In other words, whatever Julio brought to the table in past years is moot. In the harshest terms, he’s perceived as washed up. In the most constructive terms, he’s viewed as post-prime. But he can still adapt and thrive (relatively speaking) in the right environment, just as a bigger boat matches up better against a killer shark.
By the way, some of you might not enjoy suspenseful films, or at least not the kinds involving bloody, shark-induced mayhem. So if Jaws isn’t your thing, then this is the part of the movie The English Patient when Caravaggio demands to know if Almásy killed the Cliftons. Got it? Good.
Now, before dismissing Julio, consider what he did in his last season in Atlanta, when the first barrage of naysayers showed up: a 51-771-3 receiving line in nine games. Across a 16-game season, that would translate to a 91-1,371-5 campaign. His 75.0% catch rate that season was 10 points higher than his career average. And he averaged only 7.6 targets per game — his lowest mark since his rookie year in 2011.
Let’s see 2021 for what it was — a struggling, injury-riddled Jones trying to adapt to a new offense, led by a middling quarterback trying to adapt to a new offensive coordinator. It was, in hindsight, a recipe for disaster. With that in mind, what are some realistic landing spots for Jones this offseason?
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo has reportedly been interested in signing Rob Gronkowski. But when Tom Brady ended his brief stint as an at-home tutor to rejoin the Bucs, the writing was on the wall: Gronk probably will remain in Tampa Bay. The Bills also have to prepare for Emmanuel Sanders’ departure. Meanwhile, Buffalo just cut Cole Beasley, who oscillated between being their No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 wideout last season.
Surely this franchise will do fine with an astoundingly elite defense (and that doesn’t even include new arrival Von Miller) and a formidable offense led by an elite QB (Josh Allen), a fantastic No. 1 wideout (Stefon Diggs), an up-and-coming No. 2 breakout candidate (Gabriel Davis), and a high-end TE (Dawson Knox).
But in a league where the rich keep getting richer, Buffalo has to keep pace. And taking a chance on Julio might be a terrific option. He could serve as a No. 3 or No. 4 receiver (depending on Knox’s continued development), and his veteran presence would be a boon to a fairly young (outside of Diggs) offensive nucleus.
Kansas Chiefs
This signing makes sense if Byron Pringle finds a new team. The reality is that the Chiefs are no longer a favorite to reach the Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill are unquestioned stars. Travis Kelce remains elite, but he might have peaked in 2020; we’ll probably know for sure in 2022. Mecole Hardman provides hit-or-miss production as a No. 3 or No. 4 target.
At this stage of his career, Julio doesn’t need to be the No. 1 or even the No. 2. He could play a Pringle-like role, but with more experience — and probably at a very reasonable price. To keep pace with the Broncos, Chargers, and Bills (among others), Kansas City needs to take some chances with their offense beyond their “big three” of Mahomes, Hill, and Kelce. And yes, the verdict is still out on a backfield led by Clyde Edwards-Helaire, particularly if Darrel Williams and Jerick McKinnon leave. Julio would be a little-to-lose addition.
New England Patriots
An aging, post-prime receiver paired with a young, up-and-coming quarterback? Yes, we’ve seen this work many times. In their first Super Bowl-winning season under head coach Bill Belichick 20 years ago, a 24-year-old Tom Brady came of age with veteran Troy Brown, who posted his most receptions and most yards that year in a career spanning 15 seasons.
The point is, Julio probably isn’t finished. Yes, after back-to-back injury-plagued campaigns, the 33-year-old can’t return to the six-year period when he was a perennial elite receiver. But he can still put up Troy Brown numbers, especially if the surrounding talent consists of Jakobi Meyers, Hunter Henry, and other good-not-elite options.
