The calendar has turned to June, which means the Atlanta Falcons, retooling and cost-cutting, can now shop veteran star receiver Julio Jones knowing that a trade would grant them relief against the salary cap this season.
Since the 32-year-old Jones has reportedly been on the trading block for several weeks, a blockbuster move seems inevitable. And Falcons fans are prepared to hear disappointing news soon, according to former NFL player and current Atlanta radio host Hugh Douglas.
"We're bracing for it, because today is the day. Today is the day, potentially, that Julio Jones gets traded," Douglas told After Hours with Amy Lawrence on Tuesday. "I think that Atlanta Falcons fans, for the most part, they know that this is going to happen, so they're bracing themselves. But to be honest, everybody was envisioning [first-round pick] Kyle Pitts and Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley, trying to see who was going to get the football... We've been in this offense with Julio Jones and those guys a part of it, but now, with everything that's come out, with him wearing the Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt and everything, people are now just bracing to see where Julio Jones is going to end up."
Jones, the Falcons' all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards, has amassed at least 1,300 receiving yards in six consecutive seasons, and across 135 career games, he's tallied 848 receptions and 60 touchdowns. Last season, Jones played just nine games due to a lingering hamstring injury.
According to multiple reports, Atlanta has asked teams that have inquired about Jones for a first-round draft pick in return. Although it's unclear how many NFL teams consider the Falcons' asking price as steep, Douglas believes a first-round trade package is wishful thinking.
"I've said a No. 2 or No. 3 round pick would be good for Jones," Douglas said. "Because last year was the year where he was hurt quite a bit, and he's a little bit older. And even though he has some good, quality years left in him, he's an older receiver. So, I feel a second-round pick [in return]... I think that he's a phenomenal talent. I think he has about two or three years left..."
At the moment, Jones is due to make $15.3 million, fully guaranteed in 2021, and he's scheduled to cost the Falcons $23 million against the cap. He also has cap hits of $19.2 million in 2022 and 2023.
The entire conversation between Douglas and Lawrence can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow After Hours With Amy Lawrence on Twitter @ALawRadio and @AfterHoursCBS, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.