Julio Jones trade rumors: 49ers a possible favorite, Ravens could push

The possibility of a Julio Jones trade continues to hang over the league and it doesn’t appear that there is any shortage of suitors as June 1 quickly approaches. 

It appears to be a formality as to whether or not All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones will be traded from the Atlanta Falcons. There has been speculation throughout the entire NFL offseason but, as the franchise would need to wait until June 1 to make a trade that would save them a significant amount of salary cap space, things have heated up as the end of May has come upon us.

On Thursday, ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported that the Falcons have received extensive calls concerning Jones, including an offer for a “future first-round pick”. Russini also reported that a trade could happen within the week.

With that, more has started to come out about possible landing spots for Julio Jones and, in the same vein, which teams are interested. So as a likely trade closes in, let’s round up some of the latest rumors to try and paint a picture of where things currently stand with the Falcons and trading their 32-year-old superstar wide receiver.

The 49ers are consistently connected to Julio Jones

Appearing on SportsCenter on Saturday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported (h/t Al Sacco of 49ers Web Zone) that the San Francisco 49ers were the team consistently popping up in connection to a Jones trade. Given the connection with head coach Kyle Shanahan and, frankly, the lack of an elite pass-catcher of Jones’ caliber, that would make sense.

Fowler did note, however, that the 49ers are short on high-end draft capital after moving up in the draft for Trey Lance. With that said, they have ample cap space to take on Jones’ contract and could use him. Where there’s smoke in these situations, there’s normally some fire. And if the 49ers keep popping up around the league, then you have to believe they’re in play to land the wideout.

Could the Ravens make a late charge for a Julio Jones trade?

Fowler also noted in the segment on ESPN that the Ravens are a team that can’t be ruled out. As is the case with any team looking to make a blockbuster trade such as this, Baltimore’s interest is contingent upon the price being right. But it would make a ton of sense for John Harbaugh’s club to kick the tires on a deal.

Even after using a first-round pick on Rashod Bateman, the Ravens passing game has needed a boost to aid the development of Lamar Jackson. Sammy Watkins is not reliable in terms of health after they signed him in free agency and, while Jones has been sidelined a bit as of late, he’s a much more proven commodity overall.

All told, this is a sensible fit for a team that’s in win-now mode. That makes them dangerous as a possible contender to make this trade.

Julio Jones to the Titans is a ‘longshot’ but can’t be ruled out

Speaking of sensible fits, the Tennesee Titans are as ideal of a landing spot as you’ll find. With Corey Davis and tight end Jonnu Smith gone via free agency, A.J. Brown has little proven help around him in the pass-catching group. And he apparently knows that with how he’s been campaigning on social media for a trade.

With that said, Russini reported on Thursday that the Titans were a “longshot” to get Jones but are one of the teams that has definitively had discussions with Atlanta about a Jones trade.

It’s likely that the reason Tennessee is considered a longshot is that they have significantly less cap space to work with than many of the other suitors. With that said, they can make room with restructures and extensions, so it’s still hard to count the Titans out of the mix at the end of the day.

Are the Rams ready to make one more monster trade for Julio Jones?

Going back to Fowler’s reporting, the Los Angeles Rams have also been mentioned throughout the league as a possible landing spot and this would be a move that would fit their M.O. Whether it’s Matthew Stafford this offseason or the likes of Jalen Ramsey before him, Sean McVay’s club has been aggressive in their pursuit of stars.

Los Angeles will have significant obstacles to overcome to make a trade for Jones, both in terms of their lack of first-round picks and their cap situation. That has never stopped the Rams before, though, as they will undoubtedly pursue Jones to the utmost if they are indeed interested.