We all know what Julio Jones told Shannon Sharpe on Monday in regards to his future with the Falcons. Those comments led to a flurry of reaction from around the NFL world.
Many Falcons fans were upset for various reasons and one of those concerns is how he has impacted the leverage that GM Terry Fontenot might have had in regards to trade talks.
However, despite what many may think, the leverage the Falcons have in regards to Julio's hasn't been impacted at all for a few reasons.
The first aspect to take into account is that requesting a trade is still nothing but a request, the team has no obligation to move Julio.
While it seems incredibly likely at this time that they do move Julio, if they can't garner the value required to ship him to another team, they could end up keeping him (if they can find another way to fix their cap issues).
Secondly, Julio Jones remains one of the most durable and consistent WR's in the game. There will be no shortage of teams lining up to put in offers for him.
If the Falcons can start a bidding war for Julio amongst a few teams in win-now mode the price could go up, and not down, in the wake of his comments.
Perhaps the Ravens, who have been on the cusp of an AFC Title but need to get Lamar Jackson a true weapon, or the Titans or Packers who could both use a boost to their receiving corps all go in for Julio.
Imagine what the Falcons could get from Green Bay if adding Julio Jones is the key to the Packers keeping Aaron Rodgers.
It's understandable to see why some felt Julio's comments hurt the Falcons leverage in trade talks, but what leverage did they really have to begin with?
Julio has been the subject of trade rumors and articles about his most likely ending spot is since well before Monday's phone call. People have known about the likelihood Julio would be moved for months, not hours.
The final aspect of the leverage discussion is the Falcons salary cap issues.
It's not a hidden number, the entire NFL knows the struggles the team is having getting below the number, and that has a much bigger impact on any leverage the Falcons may have had than the comments made to Sharpe.
While the value Jones could bring in a deal is likely not going to be regarded as a win from Falcons fans, opinions do vary on what the team should accept for him.
