Falcons: Five trade packages for defensive players in a Julio Jones deal

With the news that Julio Jones requested a trade months ago, the Falcons appear to be exploring a deal out of respect for their superstar. I will miss Julio dearly, he is my favorite player of all time, but the Falcons should do right by him if a trade makes sense for the organization. There was also a report that the Falcons are seeking a first-round pick and salary relief, which I think would be perfectly acceptable. With that, I’ll be exploring trades that feature a player at a position of need to help Atlanta now. If you want to read my ranking of potential trade partners, you can find that here.

 

Tennessee Titans Trade: EDGE Harold Landry, 2022 2nd Round Pick

It has been reported that the Falcons and Titans have had trade talks, but they do not appear close to a deal. The Titans don’t have a ton of cap space, but I think this would be a fair return if they can make the money work. Pairing AJ Brown with Julio Jones would give Tennessee and elite combo at receiver, and Harold Landry gives the Falcons a presence on the edge that they desperately need. Landry has 19 career sacks over three seasons, and although he’s only 24 — he’ll be due for a new contract next offseason as a 2018 second round draft pick. The Falcons should be able to get something worked out with a substantial rise in the salary cap for 2022, and Landry should be excited to reunite with Dean Pees. With the Titans not having much cap space to work with, they throw in a better pick to sweeten the pot and convince Atlanta to eat some of Jones’ 2021 salary.

 

Washington Football Team Trades: EDGE Montez Sweat, 2022 3rd Round Pick

This one is probably my favorite trade, and it makes a lot of sense. Atlanta and Washington are logical trade partners, as the Football Team has a wealth of talent on defense — especially on the front seven. It appears that Taylor Heinicke or Ryan Fitzpatrick will be their signal caller in 2021, so adding Julio Jones to a talented skill group featuring Terry McLaurin and Antonio Gibson would go a long way to getting them to the playoffs in back to back seasons. For Atlanta, Montez Sweat gets overlooked a lot, but the 24 year old edge rusher is incredibly talented. He has 16 sacks over his first two seasons, and I could even be talked into Jones for Sweat straight-up. Any other salary absorption or draft capital is just icing.

 

Los Angeles Chargers Trade: EDGE Uchenna Nwosu, 2022 3rd Round Pick

Noticing a pattern here? Another 24 year old edge rusher and day two pick in exchange for Julio Jones. While the Chargers just lost Melvin Ingram (as of now, he remains unsigned), they still have a talented front featuring the likes of Joey Bosa. Nwosu had the second most sacks on the Chargers in 2020, albeit only 4.5. Julio Jones alongside Mike Williams and Kennan Allen will help Justin Herbert forget about the loss of Hunter Henry very quickly, and Brandon Staley gets one of the top five receiver groups in the league as he begins his career as an NFL head coach. Like Washington, the Chargers have plenty of cap space to make a Jones deal work. Nwosu, like Landry, was a 2018 second round pick that will need a new contract next offseason, but I think he would provide immediate impact without being too expensive next offseason.

 

Baltimore Ravens Trade: S DeShon Elliott, 2022 2nd Round Pick

The Ravens are reportedly the latest team to express interest in Jones, but they have a bit of a different makeup than the previous teams on this list. Baltimore consistently loses good pass rushers to free agency, so I don’t think they would be willing to part with Jaylon Ferguson after they lost Matthew Judon, who was playing on the franchise tag in 2020. In addition, the Ravens watched Yannick Ngakoue leave for Las Vegas this offseason. However, I think DeShon Elliott would be a solid trade piece. The Ravens don’t have a ton of cap space, and Elliott will need a new contract next offseason as a 2018 sixth-round pick. The former Longhorn enjoyed a breakout 2020 season in the absence of another Longhorn in Earl Thomas, posting four passes defended, two forced fumbles, and 2.5 sacks. Although he plays as more of a box safety, Elliott showed considerable development in pass coverage, and would slot nicely into Dean Pees’ defense. The Falcons get a better pick, as the Ravens don’t have as much cap space as the Falcons would prefer.

 

New England Patriots Trade: CB Jonathan Jones, 2022 2nd Round Pick

Dealing with the devil is never fun, but Jones has reportedly expressed interest in going to the Patriots. Like Baltimore and Tennessee, this is an organization that Dean Pees is familiar with. J.C. Jackson and Stephon Gilmore are popular names that have been floated, but I’d prefer one of the more underrated corners in the NFL in Jonathan Jones. While Jackson is younger, he will need a new contract next offseason. Stephon Gilmore is expensive, and on the wrong side of 30 after a down 2020 season. Jonathan Jones mostly plays in the slot, but he moved all over New England’s defense and was one of the best corners in coverage and against the run in the entire NFL. He would immediately improve this Falcons secondary. The Patriots still have a little money to spend after their record-breaking free agency spending spree, so this is a deal that could work. I’d be okay with Jackson coming over in a deal, but Gilmore’s salary may complicate matters. I think adding an elite specialist cornerback and a second round pick for next season makes the loss of an all-time great a bit more palatable.