- Julio Jones has expressed a desire to leave the Atlanta Falcons.
- The Falcons have quietly shopped Jones, looking for a first round pick.
- The New England Patriots have -105 odds to receive Jones if he is traded.
LAS VEGAS - Julio Jones revealed live on air on Undisputed that he wished to be traded from the Atlanta Falcons.
This is huge: Shannon Sharpe called Julio Jones live on @undisputed: Julio said he's "out of there" when asked if he wants to stay in Atlanta. He also said he doesn't want to go to the Cowboys. "I want to win."
Holy cow. I don't think he knew he was live. pic.twitter.com/5D8cXjclQt
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) May 24, 2021
While it’s unclear whether Jones knew he was live on air as Shannon Sharpe called him out of the blue, his responses set off a firestorm of speculation as to whether or not he would be traded.
Of course, speculation means betting odds, and there are odds on the online sportsbooks as to where Jones’ next destination will be.
Julio Jones Next Team IF Traded
- Patriots -105
- Titans +275
- Ravens +300
- Dolphins +800
- 49ers +900
- Packers +1000
- Colts +1000
- Cowboys +1200
- Chargers +1400
- Raiders +1800
- Giants +2000
- Bills +2000
- Eagles +2200
Let’s go through some of the top contenders, and why they might make sense for a Julio Jones trade.
New England Patriots, -105
The New England Patriots are retooling around Cam Newton (and potentially Mac Jones) with their biggest free agency class ever.
The Patriots signed a ton of talent over the course of free agency, but none of it was as high profile as Jones.
Jones noted a desire to win in his comments to Sharpe, and the Patriots are known for winning, could always use an elite wideout, and have a QB that Jones is quite familiar with.
In fact, NBC Sports Boston’s Michael Holley reported that Jones wanted to play for the Patriots in order to partner up with Cam Newton.
This seems to give the Pats the edge in the potential Jones sweepstakes - which are not guaranteed to occur, as the Falcons could opt not to trade him.
Atlanta has asked teams that have inquired about Julio Jones for a first-round draft pick in return, per sources. Others around the league don’t believe the Falcons ultimately will get a first for the perennial Pro-Bowl wide receiver.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 24, 2021
Still, it seems that the Falcons are at the very least attempting to find a trade partner for a Jones trade, and the Patriots could be that partner.
Tennessee Titans, +275
The Tennessee Titans are a solid option to wager on, as a team that needs receiving help and could make a deep playoff run.
The downside of the Titans, from Julio’s perspective, would be the degree to which they run the ball - they’re Derrick Henry’s team, after all.
QB Ryan Tannehill was quite efficient when he was passing, and Jones would certainly be a high quality addition to that passing attack.
However, the volume might not be there for a guy who is one of the true number one receivers in the NFL.
Baltimore Ravens, +300
The Baltimore Ravens, intriguingly, are in a very similar spot to the Tennessee Titans, with very similar dynamics.
Both of them are playoff teams, both of them have a run-first identity, and both of them need receiving help to bolster the efficiency of their passing attack.
As with Tennessee, Jones might not get the volume he’s used to playing with Lamar Jackson instead of Matt Ryan.
However, the Ravens are a consistent playoff team, with upside that could take them farther than just making the playoffs.
The addition of Jones to the Ravens could really take them to the next level, assuming he’s healthy enough to play a full season.
The Patriots exist in a tier of their own in terms of the odds, but the Ravens and Titans are the next best bets for where Jones will end up.
Sports betting fans will have to figure out which destination makes the most sense - and remember that these odds are only for if Jones is traded.