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After almost two decades of dominance, it finally looked like Tom Brady was going to fall back to earth. Things didn’t end on a high note in New England and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been NFL bottom-dwellers over the last several years. Well, he proved everybody wrong once again and won another Super Bowl.
Pretty much anybody who isn’t a Patriots or Buccaneers fan is likely tired of seeing Brady winning Super Bowls. The Las Vegas Raiders aren’t a team that is legit Super Bowl contenders but that doesn’t mean they aren’t on their way.
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report believes the Raiders could make a trade to “prevent” a Brady Super Bowl repeat. He suggests the team should reach out to the Atlanta Falcons and offer a conditional 2022 first-round pick for Julio Jones:
The 32-year-old caught only 51 passes for 771 yards and three touchdowns in nine games last season, but a hamstring injury hampered him throughout the year. Atlanta also has a star-in-the-making replacement lined up in Calvin Ridley.
If the Raiders are willing to take on Jones’ three-year, $66 million contract, the Falcons should listen. A conditional-laden deal like the one Indianapolis made to bring in Carson Wentz from Philadelphia could suit both parties well, as a healthy Jones would vault the Raiders into playoff contention.
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Raiders Could Use Legit No.1 WR
Though Jones was banged up last season, he’s still one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. 2020 was the first time in seven years that he didn’t reach over 1,000 receiving yards. That said, he was still able to accumulate 771 receiving yards in just nine games. He’s an elite player when he’s on the field.
The biggest concern with Jones is that he’s now 32-years-old. Wide receivers don’t typically stay at the top of the NFL once they get into their 30s. Obviously, Jones is a special athlete so he could be a star for another few years. Also, the Raiders do have a need for a No.1 wide receiver. Even if Henry Ruggs turns into a stud, he’s still better suited to not be the top guy. Nelson Agholor showed No.1 potential this past season but he’s a free agent and hasn’t shown to be a consistent playmaker year over year.
Raiders Need Defense More Than Offense
Finding an elite No.1 wide receiver would certainly excite Jon Gruden. He’s been trying to put together an elite wide receiver corps since he came back to the Raiders. He’s spent big money and invested a lot of draft picks trying to get the position group set. It has yet to work out for the team.
While the Raiders could definitely use a star wide receiver, they have far bigger needs. They have problems on each level of the defense. Las Vegas’ offense was really good in 2020. Sure, they could’ve been better if they had a true No.1 wide receiver, but the team would’ve been in the playoffs if the defense was better. Gruden and company know this so they’ll be inclined to spend any money they have on playmakers on the defensive side of the ball.
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