3 wild trade destinations for Julio Jones

Julio Jones is still playing like a superstar. Could he be one on a contending team?

The real question; what is the Falcons’ asking price for Julio Jones? Unlike other stars, the Atlanta Falcons’ top target hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down despite the team starting their embarrassing 2020 year off at 1-6.

Then again, the Falcons are two games away from finishing either at or below .500 for the year. Even though Jones signed a three-year, $66 million deal back in 2019, that production still should be extremely high when he becomes a free agent in 2024.

Of course, this isn’t meant to say Jones is going to get traded. The Falcons, if they’re smart, will keep as many of their top offensive weapons as possible to lure a top head coach in to turn things around fast. But where’s the fun in that?

Let’s just say, for the sake of argument, that Jones is on the market — who would be interested and could afford to bring him in?

Which team could add Julio Jones at the NFL trade deadline? 

Cam Newton and the Patriots need someone to help turn this season around.

Julian Edelman is the team’s leading pass-catcher with 21 receptions for 315 yards. He’ll be out this Sunday against the Bills and could miss more time if his lingering knee issue remains a problem. N’Keal Harry likely is nothing more than a No. 2 or 3 option if he can remain healthy, while Damiere Byrd is the only other receiver with over 10 catches.

New England likely would lose out a pair of first-round picks, but if Jones hits, they likely are sticking with Newton for the next few years. Calvin Ridley has shown his ability to be a No. 1 target and perhaps the Falcons add a receiver with one of its new draft picks to build with him as the new duo. It’s a high-risk high-reward, but if Bill Belichick isn’t looking to rebuild, one has to think he’d pull the trigger for the seven-time 1,000-yard receiver.