Getty Julio Jones
Former Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Ravens great Deion Sanders chimed in on the Julio Jones trade talk via Twitter.
The New England Patriots have emerged as the betting favorites to land Jones, per PointsBet in a trade, and it seems as if Sanders believes there is a match.
However, his take was a little confusing.
The Hall-of-Famer dropped some advice for Jones, but it might be a little contradictory. Sanders tweeted the is at Jones on Friday.
If I’m @juliojones_11. I’ve got to go to a winner which means a playoff team or a team that traditionally wins like @Patriots. I would be careful of going to a cold climate city when you’ve always played in a dome. That matters tremendously. I’m helping u narrow it down. #Truth
Is New England the right place for Jones?
Jones Would Make the Patriots Super Bowl Contenders
Bill Belichick has had a busy offseason. He made moves to upgrade his passing game by signing tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry and wide receivers Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholar.
The Patriots’ offensive line got a boost from the return of Trent Brown and Ted Karras, in addition to the return of David Andrews. The running backs remain strong, and the Patriots’ defense again looks poised to be one of the best in the NFL.
Cam Newton is seemingly set to start, but rookie Mac Jones is being prepared to step up if the 2015 MVP suffers a setback. As it is, the Patriots look like a playoff team.
If they add Jones to the mix, the Patriots become a team capable of playing for a Super Bowl. Jones’ elite route running, hands, and speed would provide New England an element to their offense they don’t have on the roster.
If Jones could be acquired for a couple of draft picks, and his presence could push New England to the point of contention, isn’t it worth it?
It Would Be Worth it, Even if it Fails
No team wants to give up a draft pick that turns into a great player. However, because Jones would give the Patriots a legitimate chance to win it all, risking a second and even an additional third or fourth-round pick would be worth it.
When you look back on this trade in a few years, even if Jones is injured or underwhelming and the picks the Patriots traded turn out to be great players, New England will have still made the right decision.
Belichick is 69 years old, and he may already be grooming his successors in the front office and on the sideline. You can tell from the moves he completed this offseason that he’s in win-now mode. No potential move better aligns with this philosophy than going all-in for Jones.
By June 2, Jones ought to be a Patriot.