There was a wave of palpable online disappointment Sunday in Patriots Nation when word got out the Titans had traded for now former Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones, surrendering but a 2022 second-round pick and 2023 fourth round pick in the deal.
That price seemed more than affordable to all the armchair GMs out there who were hoping Bill Belichick’s uncharacteristically aggressive offseason would continue into a “going for broke” approach toward a talent like Jones. As it turns out the Patriots, according to reports, were never that interested. Why, you might ask? Well, as Nelly sang famously in “Ride Wit Me”, “Hey, must be the money," or so we’d have to imagine, as Jones is set to make a lot of it over the next few years, and the Patriots just spent a quarter billion overhauling both sides of the ball.
Now the Titans, who had a pretty rough offseason with significant attrition on both sides of the ball, have arguably the best one-two receiver tandem in the league with Jones and A.J. Brown to pair up with running back Derrick Henry. The numbers say Ryan Tannehill should be at the helm of a pretty dynamic offense this season. Many believe the Patriots are without a No. 1 option at receiver, hence the fanbase hoping Jones landed in Foxboro, not Nashville. And yet, there’s reason to be, dare I say, positive, even optimistic, about the offense now that Jones went elsewhere.
It means Belichick likes who he has on offense. And all of his receivers, new and old, should be excited that their ranks weren’t altered Sunday.
You might be thinking, “Hold tight, Mr. Hot Take! How is it the Patriots should be glad they didn’t land someone as talented as Julio Jones?” To which I offer back into the ether, “Any team would be lucky to have a talent like Jones, but whether it was money or something else, this non-move means Belichick is comfortable starting camp and heading into the season with this team. And that’s a good thing.” Yes, we’re always looking for Patriots positives here, and if I’m Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry, Jakobi Meyers, Damien Harris or any Patriots offensive skill player, I’m excited about coach’s faith in them as well as the opportunities they’ll be presented.
One needn’t be Captain Obvious to realize adding Jones, who has outrageous stats to this day, would have some immediate positive impact. There’s no denying his talent or how he upgrades any team’s offense. He’d command top coverage on almost every play, thereby potentially easing coverage and opening up options for other wide receivers, tight ends and backs. However, as a true No. 1 option, Jones would command a number of passes thrown his way, not necessarily a bad thing perhaps. Except the Patriots have already begun developing a versatile new offense that can attack from all over the field without a true alpha receiver. They invested in two top-flight tight ends in Smith and Henry, the former a mismatch candidate given his size and athleticism, the other a traditional tight end who’s already stood out at practice as a solid receiver. The Pats signed two versatile receivers in Agholor and Bourne, both of whom love the culture and are bringing new energy to the team, not to mention an emerging top talent in third-year receiver Meyers, who was Pro Football Focus’ 25th ranked WR in 2020. For what it’s worth, it’s not just local media that’s excited about the Patriots new receivers.
Lest we forget the Patriots also have an improved running game behind a revamped and likely improved offensive line (the Pats were fourth in rushing yards in 2020). Rhamondre Stevenson (Baby Blount) will join Sony Michel (5.7 YPC in 2020) and Harris, who is a star in the making, in the backfield. Harris was Pro Football Focus’ top ranked back of 2020 and Next Gen Stats had him as one of the 10 most explosive runners of 2020. Harris accomplished that with subpar QB play from Cam Newton and not many receiving threats beyond Meyers and Damiere Byrd at receiver or tight. Plus, third-down back James White has returned and running backs coach Ivan Fears is beyond excited about little J.J. Taylor. And who knows what we’ll see from second-year tight ends Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene this year under much less pressure with Smith and Henry in the room.
Should N’Keal Harry do anything it’ll be found money and a Christmas miracle.
All in all there’s reason to continue to be excited about the Patriots 2021 offense, Jones or not. Some believe in the team without Jones, others not so much. While it seems they will enter the 2021 season without a true No. 1 receiver, fans should take heart in the talent they’ve assembled. Plus, a gentle reminder that the Patriots had no true No. 1 wide receiver all six times they won the Super Bowl. Sure, the quarterback developed into the greatest of all-time, and he kinda helped. But this WR1-free approach is not unfamiliar for them, and hopefully fans are as comfortable and excited as the team and coaches are, too.