5 Julio Jones trade candidates that would make major NFL waves

Julio Jones won’t be traded until after June 1 but, with rumors gaining steam that the Falcons might deal him, several NFL teams could make a huge splash by adding the wide receiver.

At the end of this past NFL season, buzz about the Atlanta Falcons potentially trading All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones started to pop up. However, that ultimately subsided and the belief soon became that the wideout would remain with the team that drafted him sixth overall in 2011. Now that the 2021 NFL Draft is upon us, though, the noise is getting loud again.

NBC Sports’ Peter King first posited on Monday that it “wouldn’t surprise” him if the Falcons started putting together the framework of a Julio Jones trade. He was clear to note he wasn’t reporting a deal getting done but, given the Falcons’ salary cap situation, working out a trade for the 32-year-old that would take effect post-June 1 would behoove Atlanta.

In the wake of King’s ponderings, the floodgates opened with talk about the possibility. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport later reported that the Falcons would be willing to trade Jones, even if it would be difficult to get the value they’d want in return.

At the end of the day, a post-June 1 trade could save the Falcons roughly $15 million on the cap in 2021 and around $4 million in 2022, per Tom Pelissero.

So while it wouldn’t be official until the early summer well after the draft, we could possibly see a Julio Jones trade take shape involving 2021 draft picks. Which NFL teams could make major waves by trading for the veteran All-Pro? All five of the following teams would make sense as eventual landing spot.

5. Jon Gruden and the Las Vegas Raiders could trade for Julio Jones

The Las Vegas Raiders were one of the teams King mentioned as a potential suitor for Jones in his column, noting that Jon Gruden was aggressive not long ago by trading for Antonio Brown to try and help jump-start the offense. That, of course, was ill-fated. But the need for a game-changing wide receiver is still present with the silver and black.

Quietly, quarterback Derek Carr has been playing some of the best football of his career, largely due to the emergence of tight end Darren Waller as a bonafide star. However, even after taking Henry Ruggs III as the first wide receiver in last year’s draft, the Raiders wide receiver group has not been able to find a consistent top target.

While adding Jones would ultimately relegate Ruggs from being the WR1 in the offense, his dominant presence has the opportunity to open up the field for everyone involved. Waller would have more room to dominate one-on-ones in the middle of the field, Ruggs and newcomer John Brown would be more open to attack deep, and role players like young Bryan Edwards and Hunter Renfrow would also have less attention paid to them.

If Las Vegas can find a cost in a trade that isn’t too detrimental to their future, this would be a move that would ultimately help push the Raiders to being more competitive in the tough, grueling AFC West.