Getty Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons.
Was Darius Slay trying to recruit Julio Jones when he tagged the All-Pro receiver on Twitter? It was probably just a joke but that didn’t stop optimism from running high.
Jones is seeking a trade from the Atlanta Falcons after telling Shannon Sharpe “I’m outta there.” The seven-time Pro Bowler appears angry over the franchise taking Kyle Pitts in the first round. Or maybe he sees a rebuild on the horizon and doesn’t want to sit through it. Either way, Jones wants out and Slay would like to see him wearing a midnight green jersey in 2021.
Slay posted a “pair of eyes” emoji and wrote the word “Eagle” on a Darius Butler post asking to predict Jones’ next team. Second-year safety K’Von Wallace immediately re-tweeted it, too.
The move would be hard for Philly to finagle financially — Jones is due $15.3 million this year, plus $19.263 million in 2022 and 2023 — but the Eagles certainly have the draft assets to offer Atlanta in a trade. Remember, they stockpiled what could amount to three first-rounders next season. The Falcons are reportedly looking for multiple first-rounders and nothing less than a second-round pick.
Slay inked a $50 million contract with the Eagles last year and immediately morphed into a strong voice in the locker room. The three-time Pro Bowl cornerback mentored the younger guys in the secondary while ingratiating himself to the media with his affable personality. People tend to listen when the 30-year-old talks. He has 20 career interceptions and 110 pass deflections in eight NFL seasons.
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NFL Insider Puts Eagles in Mix for Jones
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports was one of the first national reporters to link Jones to Philadelphia. He put the Eagles among a “half-dozen teams or so as the favorites to land Jones,” although he prefaced the list by saying it was based on the current odds in Las Vegas. The other teams included the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans.
Here is what La Canfora wrote:
If you are looking for a dark horse outside of these teams, I have seen the Eagles around 10-1, and you can never count them out of this kind of a move. That division has no monster team, and while they are kinda retooling under a rookie head coach, they are always eager to make trades to add talent. Yes, they just drafted an Alabama WR in the first round, but the owner has traditionally been a big spender and they have a massive draft haul already assembled over the next few years, making it easier to part with in a situation like this.
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.
Jones is currently getting about 10-1 odds to land in Philly. It’s also important to note that the Eagles are the only team in rebuild mode listed.
Jones Eyeing Different NFC East Team?
Want more intrigue? Jones was spotted wearing a Dallas Cowboys hoodie after a fan snapped a photo with him at the airport. The Falcons receiver has been training with Tennessee Titans star Derrick Henry in the Dallas area.
Met Julio Jones in Dallas, wearing a cowboys jersey…wouldn’t be mad! @AdamSchefter
Don’t read too much into that picture, though. Jones can be heard denying he wants to be traded to Dallas in a recent phone conversation with Shannon Sharpe.
“I ain’t even coming back to visit”
– Julio Jones talking about the team he’s been at since 2011
“Oh, nah, nah. I ain’t goin to Dallas,” Jones seems to say, although it’s muffled. “Man, I never thought on going to Dallas.”
Jones did play his college ball at Alabama which has been the new recruiting ground for Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. His top two picks from this year’s draft — DeVonta Smith, Landon Dickerson — played for the Crimson Tide as well as starting quarterback Jalen Hurts. Call it the Nick Saban effect.
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