Miami Dolphins: Trading for Julio Jones would be incredible
By Jeremy Klump
As we get closer to the 2021 NFL Draft, the biggest rumor swirling around the NFL isn’t about a potential draft pick or the Miami Dolphins. Instead, it’s regarding Atlanta Falcons star receiver Julio Jones.
UPDATE: The release of Ereck Flowers will save only $2 million as the Dolphins agreed to restructure the contract prior to the trade. Miami will carry six million in dead cap space.
Peter King of NBC Sports, and then the rest of the media world, said that the Falcons would be open to trading Jones with a post-June 1st designation. The move would save the Falcons over $15 million on the cap and give them some much-needed cap flexibility.
It seems like Jones is potentially traded each year, so usually, these rumors aren’t worth looking into. However, the way this rumor was flooded to the media world makes me believe it was done so by the Falcons, so I’m proceeding as if Jones is really available. And if Jones is available, the Dolphins should be all over the idea of trading for him, but for the right price.
Before we go any further: if the Falcons tell Miami they want a first round pick and are unwilling to take anything less, I would tell them I hope the kids and wife are doing well and say goodbye. I am not giving up a first-round pick for Jones, even though I think the world of him.
King suggested that a 2022 second-round pick may get the job done, and if that’s the case, sign me up and then some. That would be a no-brainer in my eyes, as Jones’ talent outweighs any potential talent in the 2nd round in 2022.
Yes, Jones is 32 years old, but he’s different. He’s built differently. And before you say then why does he miss so many games, know that is such a misconception and a Twitter trend that no one researches. Jones missed 7 games in 2020, which is obviously not ideal, but before that, over the last six seasons 2014-2019, Jones missed a total of four games. He played and started in 92 of 96 games, so if that’s injury prone and always missing time, almost the entire NFL is injury prone and misses time.
Jones’ contract will scare a lot of people away too, but that is just another misconception. If Miami were to trade for Jones, they would owe him a 3-year $38.326 million deal. The yearly breakdown would be $15.3 million in 2021, $11.513 million in 2022, and $11.513 million in 2023 (numbers according to ESPN’s Field Yates). That would put Jones’ average annual salary around $12.78 million per year, which would be 21st in the NFL at this time. There will be more wide receiver contracts that push that number even lower, so the contact is a value, in my opinion.
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Add in that Miami traded offensive guard Ereck Flowers to the Washington Football Team to clear $8 million in cap space, and you can see Jones’ contract wont be an issue.
Now that we have the two biggest worries out of the way let’s talk about the seven-time Pro Bowl and two-time All-Pro wide receiver. Jones has had seven 1,000 or more yard seasons in his career, with five of those seven being for more than 1,400 yards. That is an insane stat. Jones is fantastic, and he shows it every single time he is on the field.
Jones averages 95.5 receiving yards per game, which is currently the most in NFL history. He is 9.4 yards ahead of second place, which is Calvin Johnson.
The former Alabama star has 848 career catches, 12,896 yards, and 60 career touchdowns. The biggest knock on Jones’ game is his lack of touchdowns, but I think he makes up for it with his every-down dominance.
Jones would give the Dolphins what Randy Moss gave the New England Patriots when they traded for him in 2007. He would step in on Day 1 and give them a dominant, alpha-type No. 1 wide receiver.
He may be 32, two years older than Moss when he was traded, but I believe Jones would have just as big of an impact in Miami. The game is different, and like I said before, Jones is a different type of dude. I know Moss is one of the greatest wide receivers ever, but Jones will end his career as one of them too.
Adding Jones to Miami’s offense would be fun to watch. Will Fuller and Julio Jones would be an incredible combo, paired with whomever the Dolphins add in the 2021 NFL Draft. Miami also has tight end Mike Gesicki and wide receivers DeVante Parker and Preston Williams.
Miami would have surrounded starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with tons of weapons, and Miami would show fans that they are trying to win a Super Bowl within the next three seasons with this move.
There is no doubt in my mind that Miami will be trying to acquire Jones, and if they do trade for him, it will be an incredible move.