The Athletic’s Jeff Schultz provides an update on where things stand with the Falcons and a potential trade of WR Julio Jones.
Schultz confirms a trade is a very real possibility — as Falcons GM Terry Fontenot acknowledged publicly before the draft — as the Falcons need about $8 million to sign their rookie class and only have about half a million in cap space currently.
He adds Atlanta has just two avenues to create space short of cutting other starters, either restructuring or extending DT Grady Jarrett or restructuring or trading Jones.
The Falcons could restructure Jones to create space but that just kicks the problem to future years and the Falcons would rather avoid that, per Schultz. That leaves a trade as the most logical path.
Schultz lists the Ravens, 49ers, Patriots, Colts and Chargers as teams who have the cap space to absorb Jones’ contract and are contenders or hopeful contenders. Baltimore has already inquired with Atlanta about Jones.
He adds a league source told him not to count out the Titans even though their cap situation isn’t much better than the Falcons’.
Jones’ salary will be more difficult to take on this offseason given the lower salary cap but Schultz says Atlanta hopes three to five teams are interested enough to create a legit market for the veteran receiver.
Schultz goes on to say the Falcons will want draft compensation for Jones but probably won’t get a first-round pick. A second is more likely.
Two sources told Schultz other teams would try to get the Falcons to eat part of Jones’ deal, which is why Atlanta wants to create as much of a market for the receiver as possible to give themselves some leverage.
According to Over The Cap, the Falcons would incur a dead money hit of $23.25 million for trading Jones before June 1, but only $7.75 million in dead money for a trade after that date, as well as $15.3 million in cap savings.
That makes this a situation to watch as June draws closer
Jones, 32, is a former first-round pick of the Falcons back in 2011. He was in the fifth year of his six-year, $81.432 million contract that includes $47 million guaranteed when he agreed to a three-year, $66 million fully guaranteed contract extension in 2019.
In 2020, Jones appeared in nine games for the Falcons and caught 51 passes for 771 yards receiving and three touchdowns.
We’ll have more on Jones as the news is available.
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