Picture this: Josh Allen under center with Stefon Diggs wide to his left and Julio Jones wide to his right.
Good luck to any NFL defense trying to stop that.
On ESPN’s “First Take” on Tuesday, Stephen A. Smith threw out the wild scenario of the Bills acquiring Jones from the Atlanta Falcons. ESPN Bills beat reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques brought attention to the scintillating speculation on Twitter.
Of course, multiple obstacles would make it difficult for the Bills to acquire Jones, beginning with the salary cap. The seven-time Pro Bowler is slated to command a $23 million cap hit this season and $19 million cap hits in 2022 and 2023.
With Allen in line for a nine-figure extension, it’s hard to see how the Bills could fit Jones, especially with Diggs commanding nearly $12 million annually.
Then again, maybe general manager Brandon Beane could work his magic and restructure Jones’ deal. At 32-years-old, Jones may want to sacrifice money to pursue another Super Bowl. (Frankly, probably any team interested in Jones’ services would want him to take some sort of pay cut.)
NBC Sports’ Peter King reported on Monday teams have contacted the Falcons about Jones. Last season, he caught 51 passes for 771 yards in nine games — his lowest totals since 2013. Jones had accumulated an average of 1,564 receiving yards per-season from 2014-19, leading the league in yards twice.
But with Calvin Ridley developing into a 1,000-yard threat and Russell Gage ascending, Jones and his large salary are now expendable. The Falcons own the No. 4 overall pick, where they could either pick a quarterback or pass-catcher such as Kyle Pitts or Ja’Marr Chase. Either way, Jones could be heading out the door.
The cost for Jones probably starts with, at least, a second round pick. One thing is for certain: He’s more tantalizing than anybody whom Buffalo could select with the No. 30 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.