Julio Jones is one of the NFL's most productive wide receivers over the past decade-plus, but reportedly you wouldn't know it based on the apparent lack of interest in his services on the trade market.
According to NBC Sports NFL reporter Peter King, Jones, who was acquired by the Tennessee Titans on Sunday in a blockbuster trade with the Atlanta Falcons following weeks of speculation about his fate, didn't exactly have a long line of trade suitors.
The Titans, who had long been rumored to be among the frontrunners for Jones' services, were "the only team that was really serious" about acquiring the 32-year-old former Alabama standout, according to King. The lukewarm market for Jones caught the Falcons off-guard, according to King, as they expected greater interest.
The Ravens were interested prior to the draft but have since bolstered their receiving corps, King reported, while the Patriots and Seahawks were put off by the price tag. Jones is owed around $38M over the next three seasons, per Spotrac.
The two-time All-Pro was limited to only nine games in 2020, while the Falcons slumped to a 4-12 record and dismissed former head coach Dan Quinn and longtime general manager Thomas Dimitroff, a signal that significant roster changes could be in the offing.
Matt Ryan seems to be secure as the Falcons' franchise quarterback, as the team declined to draft his potential successor last month. But many had wondered whether Jones' days were numbered, given his down year in 2020.
The Titans ultimately surrendered a second-round draft pick in 2022 and a fourth-rounder in 2023, while the Falcons sent a 2023 sixth-rounder along with Jones. By waiting until after June 1 to trade Jones, the Falcons reportedly saved somewhere around $15M in cap space.
Jones was productive in limited action in 2020, and will lead Tennessee's receiving corps along with AJ Brown, a favorite of quarterback Ryan Tannehill a season ago. The Titans lost wide receiver Corey Davis to the New York Jets in free agency.
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