Getty Former Falcons WR Julio Jones.
All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones has made it clear his days being an Atlanta Falcon are over.
And where he might end up next remains a big question mark. However, several players from several different teams have said they would welcome the seven-time Pro Bowler with open arms, including Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, Chase Claypool.
“I would love him in Pittsburgh!,” Claypool told TMZ this week.
Even though the Steelers already have a receiving depth chart that features JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington and Diontae Johnson, Claypool wouldn’t argue to keep Jones out of Steel City.
“We’re stacked,” Claypool said. “But, you can never get too many superstars.”
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What We Know About Julio Jones’ Trade Saga
Here are all the key factors taken from recent reports about the Julio Jones trade saga:
- Shannon Sharped on FOX’s Undisputed called Jones live, where Jones said he’s “out of there” and shut down the Dallas Cowboys trade rumors.
- Jones requested a trade prior to the 2021 NFL Draft, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Falcons began “listening” to trade offers but nothing came about it.
- The Falcons were originally asking for a future first-round pick in exchange for Jones, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. However, the Falcons were only getting second-round offers until Thursday, May 28th.
- Atlanta has received several offers, including a first-round pick offer, per ESPN’s Diana Russini. The pick is for next year’s 2022 NFL Draft.
- Schefter also reported that the Falcons prefer to send Jones to an AFC team but will look for “the best value in either conference.”
- Jones’ trade destinations wishlist includes two teams: the New England Patriots and Tennesee Titans, per NBA Sports’ Chris Simms.
Why Julio Jones to the Steelers Wouldn’t Work
Who wouldn’t love a future Hall of Famer on their roster? Unfortunately for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it would be too much of a long shot this offseason.
The first big disadvantage of taking on Jones is that he has a cap hit of $23 million this year, according to Over the Cap. With $7.75 million converted into a roster bonus, the Steelers would still have to hand over $15.3 million this year and next year.
If Pittsburgh wanted to make a financial move that big, they would have to make some cuts and restructure some contracts, which doesn’t seem like the best move for them, especially at the wide receiver position.
Claypool is entering his second year in the NFL and had an outstanding rookie season in Pittsburgh and the club also re-signed JuJu Smith-Schuster to a one-year deal. So, while adding Jones to the roster would make their wideout depth chart even more solid, it doesn’t actually make sense for a team that already has plenty of promising receivers and can’t afford the move.
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