Miami Dolphins may watch as Julio Jones comes to AFC East
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins are not likely going to join in on the surge of teams looking to trade for Julio Jones, but he could still end up in the AFC East.
According to one report, we will get to that soon, the Falcons currently have an offer of a first-round draft pick for Jones. If that is the case, we can all but rule out the Dolphins because Miami isn’t going to send next year’s 4
9ers first and they won’t shed the extra pick in 2023.
"The Atlanta Falcons have discussed several offers for wide receiver Julio Jones, including an offer of a future first-round draft pick, sources told ESPN’s Dianna Russini. – ESPN"
The Tennessee Titans reportedly have had conversations with the Falcons about adding Jones via trade but according to that same ESPN article, they are likely not going to be able to swing it. Another report from NBC, however, has the Patriots dialed in as the favorites to land the star receiver.
There has not been much talk about the Bills, Jets, or Dolphins despite fan speculation but many have thought the Patriots could be a match for Jones. Jones has said he wants to join a team that will compete for a playoff spot and more and there were reports a month ago that he wanted to play with Cam Newton.
The addition of Jones would follow an off-season that says the Patriots add Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry to replenish their tight-end unit. If the Patriots are all-in on Jones, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Bill Belichick throw away a first-round pick next year as he would likely view it as a late first-rounder.
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The question is will Jones be enough to elevate the Patriots offense? Newton is still wildly inconsistent when it comes to passing the football and all three of the AFC East teams outside of New England have improved defenses that should be able to limit Newton’s running ability.
It is uncertain where Jones will end up but we should expect to see a deal finalized and announced sometime early next week or over the weekend. The Falcons can not officially trade him until June 1st due to salary cap implications.
For those Miami Dolphins fans who don’t want Jones, what is the opinion of him landing with New England? While he is older, he has still been one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL.