Titans Trade for Wide Receiver Julio Jones

After what seemed like days upon days of rumors, speculation and a few timely social media campaigns , the Julio Jones trade drama has officially been settled. The Tennessee Titans have reportedly agreed to acquire the star wide receiver from the Atlanta Falcons for multiple draft picks.

ESPN’s Dianna Russinni first broke news that a deal was imminent late Sunday morning.

Both teams clearly wanted to get a deal done as things moved very quickly from there. Not even two hours later, the final details of the Julio Jones trade have reportedly been made official.

Titans Land Much-Needed WR Help in Julio Jones Trade

Many believed that Nashville could wind up being a landing spot in an eventual Julio Jones trade back when discussions regarding the wideout’s future first began. A trade to the Titans would allow Jones the opportunity to play for a team with championship aspirations. In addition, the Titans roster was starved for a difference-maker at the receiver position.

Well, both sides are making out good in the end. After spending 10 years as a Falcon, Jones will move on to Tennessee and step into a sturdy offense. He and A.J. Brown will team up as the primary weapons for quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Brown was very vocal on multiple social media outlets, including both Twitter and TikTok, about a Julio Jones trade to the Titans.

Along with free-agent signee Josh Reynolds and exciting rookie Dez Fitzpatrick, the Titans have done well to lessen the blow of multiple offseason departures. After wideout Corey Davis and tight end Jonnu Smith both left in free agency, Tennesse had work to do to field a passing attack anywhere close to the one they’ve had in the past few seasons.

Of course, with Derrick Henry lurking in the backfield, the Titans have a ground game that stacks up with any in the NFL. On paper, this offense certainly looks as talented as most in the league. It certainly stacks up well in the AFC South Division.

Falcons Receive Multiple Draft Picks in Julio Jones Trade

After initial reports indicated that the Titans and Falcons were still finalizing the full Julio Jones trade package, ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared the full details early Sunday afternoon.

It’s somewhat of a surprise to note that the Falcons failed to get a first-round pick in return for their all-pro receiver. Instead, Atlanta settled for a 2022 second-rounder and 2023 fourth-round pick as compensation in the Julio Jones trade. The Falcons are also sending a 2023 sixth-round selection to Tennessee in the deal.

Given the talent they already have in their receiving corps, the Falcons were very vocal in their desperation to trade Julio. Because of this, it drove down his price and there was no chance of them receiving a first-round pick, like they initially asked for.

Nonetheless, this does mark a changing of the guard in Atlanta. The Falcons will move on with Calvin Ridley as their clear top wideout. Joining him is rookie No. 4 overall draft pick Kyle Pitts. Matt Ryan still has plenty of weapons at his disposal, even if they aren’t the same ones he has thrown to for the majority of his career.