The Baltimore Ravens watched over the weekend as Julio Jones was traded to the Tennessee Titans, and for some, that fact was probably disappointing. Rumors circulated that the team was involved in talks, and now, Jones is heading to an AFC rival.
But how close were the Ravens to getting the wideout? Not especially according to a report from Sports Illustrated and writer Albert Breer. After the trade was revealed, Breer wrote on others involved, and the Ravens apparently had backed off a trade since talking with the Atlanta Falcons before the draft.
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Hearing the Ravens potentially backed out makes sense given they have made a lot of additions to the roster at wideout spots. Fans might be disappointed that the team didn’t give up picks to nab Jones, but the Ravens seem to be confident in their players on the roster.
ESPN Predicted Ravens Leaving Deal
It might not be a shock at all to hear about the Ravens backing out. Recently, after the Ravens had been revealed to be keeping up with trade talks, a report from Kimberly Martin of the network seemed to indicate that the team was going to be out of the picture in terms of landing the wideout.
Martin made the report while on Get Up last Wednesday morning, also reporting that she believes the Los Angeles Rams were also out on Jones.
.@ByKimberleyA on Julio Jones 👀
“[The Titans are] the team that I’ve most heard people mention that he’ll probably end up [with]. … I know for a fact the Ravens and the Rams are done. They’re not in the Julio Jones market right now.”
She said:
“I know for a fact the Ravens and Rams are done. They’re not in the Julio Jones market right now. So, I’m looking at the (Tennessee) Titans.”
Obviously, Martin’s report ended up being spot on given Jones was landed by the Titans. Jones going to the Titans might not be great news for the Ravens, as the teams have shared a fierce on-field rivalry the last few season. The Titans knocked the heavily-favored Ravens out of the playoffs in 2020, while the Ravens returned the favor in 2021. The sides have had some fun battles, so with Jones ending up there, it would be even more spice between the teams.
Ravens Were Said to Have Interest in Jones
The Ravens seemed like they were finished adding players this offseason to the offense. That was, of course, until Julio Jones became available. After that was revealed to be the case, most assumed the Ravens would be interested given the potential need for another big play wideout, but nothing concrete surfaced as it related to their possible interest until now.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Ravens could be interested in a trade for Jones “at the right price” in the days ahead.
#Ravens have interest in Julio Jones “at the right price” according to Jeremy Fowler.
Should Baltimore be aggressive for the elite WR?
In the end, though, the Ravens did not managed to pull off a deal, nor were they particularly interested in doing so. The team is putting their eggs in the basket of Rashod Bateman, Tylan Wallace and Sammy Watkins in 2021, and betting on them in a big way.
Whether that pays off or not in the end will be something to watch now.
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Report Emerges on Reason Ravens Avoided Julio Jones Trade