Getty Former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver, Julio Jones.
Cowboys rookie cornerback Kelvin Joseph responded in kind to disparaging remarks made Monday by Julio Jones — remarks that have set the internet ablaze.
Joseph took to social media to subtweet the outgoing Atlanta Falcons wide receiver, who dismissed Dallas as a potential trade destination during a now-controversial interview on FS1’s Undisputed.
We winning in Dallas 🙄👀
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The Backstory
Whispers surrounding Jones’ future in Atlanta, having quieted down this offseason after the club retained quarterback Matt Ryan, were ratcheted back up on May 20 when The Athletic’s Jeff Schultz reported the Falcons “would like” to trade the 32-year-old before the 2021 season.
“Many teams would like Jones on their roster, but not many realistically can trade for him,” Schultz wrote. “The Falcons’ hope is that enough teams (think: three to five) express interest to create a market. Think of 1) teams with enough cap space to absorb Jones’ $15.3 million base salary; 2) contending teams that believe he would put them over the top; 3) young teams looking to take the next step. Among the teams that could fall into these categories: Ravens, 49ers, Patriots, Colts and Chargers. One league source said the Titans also may show interest, but they also are close to the cap ceiling.”
Jones since has been heavily connected to the Cowboys, who were installed among the betting favorites for his services, despite already boasting the NFL’s best WR corps comprised of Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup.
Then, on Saturday, a Twitter user shared a photo he took with Jones, who was clad in a Cowboys hoodie. The picture intensified rumors suggesting the seven-time Pro Bowler was bound for Big D, particularly after franchise legend Michael Irvin shared it with his 653,000-plus followers.
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Julio’s Insulting Sound Bite
It was a surreal moment amid Monday’s aforementioned episode of Undisputed, which features hot-take artists Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe. Rather than speculate on his next team, Sharpe decided to go straight to the source, calling Jones live on the air. Below is an excerpt from their conversation — unplanned, apparently.
Sharpe: “Look, do you want to go to the Cowboys, Julio, or do you want to stay in Atlanta?”
Jones: “I’m out of there, man.”
Sharpe: “Ideally, where would you like to go?”
Jones: “I want to win.”
Sharpe: “Don’t go to Dallas! You ain’t winning in Dallas, Julio!”
Jones: “Come on, man. You already know I know.”
…
Jones: “Nah, nah, I ain’t going to Dallas, man. I ain’t never thought about going to Dallas.”
This is huge: Shannon Sharpe called Julio Jones live on @undisputed: Julio said he’s “out of there” when asked if he wants to stay in Atlanta. He also said he doesn’t want to go to the Cowboys. “I want to win.”
Holy cow. I don’t think he knew he was live.
Cowboys Sign New Receiver
While Jones created not-so-flattering headlines, the Cowboys quietly announced the signing of WR Johnnie Dixon, who scored a contract after working out for Dallas (along with quarterback Brett Hundley, who wasn’t signed) last Friday.
Dixon, 26, entered the league in 2019 as an undrafted free agent. He was picked up by the Arizona Cardinals but never played a regular-season snap, and drew little interest this offseason save for a recent workout with the Cleveland Browns, before the Cowboys came calling.
Dixon was a standout talent at Ohio State, where he developed into a legitimate deep threat. Across five seasons with the Buckeyes, including a 2014 freshman redshirt, Dixon converted 67 receptions into 1,146 yards — 17.1 yards per catch — and 16 touchdowns.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL