The speculation regarding wide receiver Julio Jones‘ NFL future is now over.
Jones was traded to the Tennessee Titans along with a sixth-round pick in 2023.
In return, the Falcons received a second-round draft pick in 2022 and a fourth-round draft pick in 2023.
Official compensation update: Falcons will get a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round pick for Julio Jones and a sixth-round pick in 2023. Trade now official.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 6, 2021
Jones, 32, spent his entire 10 season career with the Falcons.
He leaves with almost 13,000 receiving yards and 60 touchdowns.
Jones is the all-time leader in receiving yards in Falcons franchise history.
What does the addition of Jones bring to the Titans offense?
Another Top-Tier Receiver
A.J. Brown led the Titans with 1,075 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in 2020.
Right behind him was Corey Davis, now a member of the New York Jets, with 984 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Obviously, the addition of Jones fills the gap left by Davis.
Jones only played nine games in 2020 so his stats were not as good as Davis’s.
He finished with 771 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
If Jones is back to his 2019 form, he can expect to have in excess of 1,300 yards and at least six touchdowns.
A.J. Brown has spent weeks strongly advocating for Jones to become a Titan.
He went so far as to share with the public a voice-mail message he left for Jones.
“If you want to carry the load, you can carry the load, but if you get tired you know I’ll carry you.”
Clearly, he is a fan of Jones and has previously worn his jersey in warmups.
I was the first player to ever to wear a current player jersey in warmups. I really manifest this before anyone knew 🤝 pic.twitter.com/C6G02F5HbK
— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) June 6, 2021
A Scarier Offense
Ryan Tannehill.
Derrick Henry.
AJ Brown.
Julio Jones.The Tennessee Titans’ offense is going to be a problem. pic.twitter.com/dgoZG66n0o
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) June 6, 2021
Let’s not forget the Titans have a massive running game spearheaded by Derrick Henry.
While no one would ever call the Titans offense one-dimensional, there was an element of success that opposing defenses had if they figured out how to shut down Henry.
The fact that they now have to contend with Henry, Brown, and Jones just makes the Titans a better offense immediately.
We have not even mentioned what having a savvy veteran like Jones does for quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
He knows what having Jones in the huddle does.
It means the playbook can be revamped to give Tannehill more options.
Return Trip To The Playoffs
Assuming Jones stays healthy and plays like he did in 2019, the Titans should make a repeat trip to the playoffs.
The roster boost Jones provides is considerable especially for a team that won its division last season and finished 11-5.
Tennessee’s playoff journey was short; the team lost in the wildcard round to the Baltimore Ravens.
The final score was 20-13.
Conclusion
This appears to be a win-win situation for all parties involved.
Jones wanted out of Atlanta and in a situation where he felt he had a chance to get to the Super Bowl.
Atlanta seemed at peace with moving on from one of the franchise’s all-time great players.
All that is left now is to get Jones acclimated to the AFC, Coach Vrabel, and the Titans.
It will be odd to see him in Tennessee blue in September, but he lands in a great situation where success is very likely.
NEXT: Ryan Tannehill Has Hilarious Take On Derrick Henry's Pushups