New England Patriots: Julio Jones trade is exactly what the doctor ordered

The New England Patriots have reportedly discussed a Julio Jones trade and, if the price is right, the move would be exactly what the offense still needs.

With June 1 approaching, Julio Jones trade rumors have heated up around the NFL once again. The Atlanta Falcons reportedly want to deal the All-Pro wide receiver due to their strained salary cap situation and the 32-year-old’s massive salary. And among the six teams mentioned by Jeff Schultz of The Athletic (subscription required) as possible suitors was the New England Patriots.

Bill Belichick has been aggressive in upgrading the Patriots roster this offseason and it’s hard to argue with that approach, even if it’s a diversion from the norm in Foxborough. They spent big on Matthew Judon, Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry, Nelson Agholor and several others on the market in hopes to avoid repeating their paltry 2020 performance.

There’s no arguing that these moves, especially when you include using the No. 15 pick on Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, have improved the offense. But with Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers and (maybe) N’Keal Harry comprising the top of the wide receiver depth chart, there is still plenty of room for improvement in that position group.

Julio Jones represents the perfect opportunity to change that. While he’s on the wrong side of 30 and has dealt with injuries of late, his performance on the field has been among the best wide receivers in the NFL. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Patriots, per Michael Giardi of NFL Network, have discussed a trade internally.

And really, whether or not they can make the trade — assuming Atlanta is willing to deal with New England — should ultimately come down to getting the right price to do business.

A Julio Jones trade would be perfect as long as the New England Patriots can get the deal they want.

On Monday in his MMQB column, Albert Breer reported that the Falcons were testing the waters for a Jones trade prior to the draft and were asking for a first-round pick as return compensation. Moreover, Breer speculated that a second-round pick at this point in the offseason might get it done while also opining about the possibility of Atlanta hanging on to Jones.

The Patriots, though they should be somewhat aggressive in pursuing a Julio Jones trade, can’t overspend. This is a roster that, though talented, has some aging pieces that will need to be replaced. Having enough draft capital to do that is important for the future viability of New England.

With that said, this is the same franchise that made a desperation trade, with Atlanta no less, for Mohamed Sanu that cost them a second-round pick. If they could trade the same and get Jones, that would have to be a deal worth taking for the Patriots.

There is obviously more that goes into an NFL trade than Team A needing a player at a position, Team B having a player available to help them and Team A being willing to pay a certain price. Having said that, if it is reasonable and feasible for the Patriots to get Julio Jones, how could they not go after the All-Pro?