Why the Carolina Panthers should rejoice if Julio Jones is traded
By Dean Jones
Julio Jones might be moving on from the Atlanta Falcons this offseason, which should make the Carolina Panthers rejoice.
The Carolina Panthers haven’t found much of an answer for Julio Jones throughout his illustrious career. However, they might not have to deal with this problem for too much longer.
There has been some substantial trade speculation linking the player with a move away from the Atlanta Falcons this offseason and according to Jeff Schultz of The Athletic, this is something the organization is still keen to do at the right price. The former Alabama star has dealt with his fair share of injury struggles in recent seasons, but when he’s been on the field his talent is unquestioned.
Just why the Falcons would want to get rid of Jones is bemusing. They do have Calvin Ridley and first-round draft pick Kyle Pitts, but a three-headed monster had the potential to cause opposing defensive schemes an endless amount of problems.
Instead, Atlanta is trying to cut their losses and get some draft capital in return while they still can. There are some salary-cap complications to consider, with the Falcons on the hook for $7.75 million if they trade their best weapon in the passing game after June 1.
If this is an avenue they are really going to go down, then there will be a host of teams queuing up to acquire a player that has the sort of career stats most can only dream of. Jones has been a constant thorn in the Panthers‘ side from the moment he entered the league and not coming up against him twice a season would do wonders for their chances of progression in 2021.