“I’m out of there”. That is a direct quote from Julio Jones while on a phone call with Shannon Sharpe on the popular sports talk show Undisputed. Julio, in fact, was out of there, and it became official rather quickly as well. On Sunday, June 6th, the Falcons traded their prized receiver to the Tennessee Titans, an AFC playoff contender, for draft picks. Let us analyze the deeper details of this deal, look at the approach for both teams, and who won the trade.

Contract Details

The details of this trade are pretty detailed, but in basic terms, Jones was dealt to Tennessee, along with a 2023 sixth-round pick, for a 2022 second-round pick, and a 2023 fourth-round pick. Along with the acquisition, the Titans will be taking on Jones’ salary in 2021, which is $15.3M, along with the rest of his contract which extends through 2023. On the Falcons side, they will have to pay only $7.75M in dead money for the 2021 season, which is less than half of the salary Tennessee will be paying.

Atlanta Falcons

It was not a matter of if, but when the Atlanta Falcons were going to trade Julio Jones. Atlanta is moving towards a rebuilding phase and are in a rough spot from a cap space point of view. It has been reported that Atlanta is struggling to sign their rookies because of cap issues. Trading up Jones will easily free up cap space to sign these players, specifically first-round choice Kyle Pitts, TE out of Florida. The downfall to giving away Jones’ entire contract is that it likely cost them a first-round pick in return, which is mind-boggling figuring the caliber of player Julio Jones is. This trade shows how the Falcons see their future, but also holds the question, what is next for QB Matt Ryan?

Tennessee Titans

After making the playoffs for the second time in as many years during the Ryan Tannehill era, the Tennessee Titans are looking to get over the hump and bring a Super Bowl to Tennessee. Tennessee expects to be in the playoffs, making their draft choices a little more expendable, so the front office decided to make a splash and land WR Julio Jones. Tennessee is in win-now mode and has their star player locked up in Derrick Henry on a team-friendly deal, giving the Titans a little wiggle room to pay for Jones. Julio will join A.J. Brown, a rising receiver who is already considered a WR1, and will be catching passes from QB Ryan Tannehill, a proven starter in the NFL with plus arm talent. Jones makes this offense more versatile when Henry is not at his best, while also opening the field for the running game to be effective as well. This is an all-in move for Tennessee, who are likely now AFC South favorites with this move.

Who Won?

The winner of this trade is the Tennessee Titans because they are doing it to increase the chances of winning a Super Bowl. Atlanta, however, is moving away from that and will now enter the rebuilding phase, which is a painful phase to enter for a fanbase. Atlanta did not maximize Jones’ value by not getting a first-round draft pick back but will look to stockpile picks for the future. Also, the Titans won this deal because their future is clear. Atlanta, however, is not. Yes, you can say they are rebuilding because they traded Julio Jones, but why restructure Matt Ryan to free up cap space if he is not going to be your quarterback much longer. Atlanta is struggling with their identity as a team right now and needs to figure it out so they can make decisions based on that, rather than be stuck in the middle.

Contract details from spotrac.com

Julio Jones quote from Undisputed

Trade details from cbssports.com

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-By: Richie Dordas

The NFC South is one of the most competitive divisions in the entire league from top to bottom, year after year. Even in a year where the New Orleans Saints clinched the division, the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers saw a storybook streak in the playoffs to eventually win the Superbowl. The struggling Atlanta Falcons are looking to revamp their defense and the Carolina Panthers are attempting to create a complete identity. As the NFL offseason comes to a close, each team has to evaluate their drafted personnel to see if they were winners or losers in drafting. We will look into this year's NFL Draft and see how each team graded out and ranked them from best to worst. 

Carolina Panthers: A+

The Carolina Panthers have absolutely dominated the 2021 draft. Despite getting a cornerback in the top 10, the Panthers tightened up their entire team with this pick. Jaycee Horn is the essential defensive piece they needed to add to a very good Panthers secondary. By handling the key defensive piece, the rest of the Panthers draft went to adding value in nearly every position group. Terrace Marshall Jr. is a good receiver with very good experience that can play day one. Chubba Hubbard’s explosiveness and physicality will help for developing quarterback Sam Darnold by adding an extra security blanket in the run game. With Christian Mccaffrey battling with injury, the team will be smart to lean more on Hubbard in the run game. The Panthers even added an OT to protect Darnold with LT Brady Christensen. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: A

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers biggest hurdle will be to avoid a Superbowl hangover. With one of the most complete rosters in the NFL, they looked to fill their minor voids in this draft. By drafting Kyle Trask, they are preparing for the future with Tom Brady as a great model. With Linebacker Joe Tryon, the Buccaneers will have a competitive linebacker that can vie for the starting job and add another presence to the already young and explosive Buccaneers defense.

New Orleans Saints: B-

The New Orleans Saints are at a crossroads in their organization with Drew Brees’ retirement.  Jameis Winston’s ability to not turn the ball over will be the biggest offensive concern. For the first time in 3 years, the Saints drafted a receiver with their final pick. Although it was not a superstar pick, adding receiver depth will be good for the offense to take some load off of Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara. Defensively, the top two picks for the Saints came on the defensive line and linebacking core. The 6’6’’ 270 pound DE Peyton Tucker from Houston is a force and sure to bring depth to the experienced rotation. Linebacker Pete Werner and Defensive Back Paulson Adebo from Stanford are standout players that will be able to play immediately and add to the physical Saints defense. 

Atlanta Falcons: C

The main point for this grade is that the Atlanta Falcons are NOT a tight end away from playoff contention. Although they addressed other positions in the draft their priority in drafting was a new offensive weapon, which does not heal their defensive woes. The Falcons defense ranked near the lowest in several major defensive categories including rushing defense. The defense allowed nearly 100 yards or more in 10 games during the 2020 season. This stat contributed to their 5 late-game collapses in which they could not hold on to their double-digit leads late in the game. Despite Kyle Pitts being the best available, the Atlanta Falcons desperately needed defensive star power and did not get it out of this draft. 

Writer

-By: LeMarkus D. Bailey

Green Bay, WI: The main Monday Night Football game served as a microcosm of how the 2020 season has gone for both the Atlanta Falcons and the Green Bay Packers, as the Cheese heads won got an easy 30-16 win. The Falcons sputtered and struggled to get any sort of momentum going on offense, while their secondary suffered four major injury blows, mainly with their safeties. The Packers, on the other hand, were their usual dominant selves; the man known as A-Rod came out and looked like his 2011 MVP self, Aaron Jones demanded respect in every facet of the game, Robert Tonyan has officially broken out, and the Packers defense essentially neutralized the Falcons’ loaded offense. 

Rodgers is the Quarterback Version of Frank Gore 

            As Jets running back Frank Gore is known as the ageless wonder (drafted by the 49ers in 2005, still playing at age 37), Aaron Rodgers might be vying to take that title. The 36-year-old signal-caller did everything a 36-year-old quarterback isn’t supposed to do; he was spry and fluid in the pocket, got yards with his feet on the rare occasion none of his receivers were open, and that arm; that rocket-powered catapult of an arm that Rodgers has on his right shoulder is still as powerful and sniper-accurate as it’s ever been. Rodgers completed 27/33 passes (82% completion) for 327 yards and four touchdowns. Three of those touchdowns went to break out 3rd-year tight end Robert Tonyan (6-98-3), who looked like George Kittle, according to the ESPN Broadcasting team (they weren’t wrong). Running back Aaron Jones collected 111 total yards from scrimmage off of 20 touches (15 carries, 5 catches), and scored his fifth total touchdown on the season. If he keeps this pace up, Jones could hit 20+ touchdowns for the second straight season, along with 2,036 total yards from scrimmage.  

            Over on defense, Linebacker Za’Darius Smith demanded the spotlight, and he was not denied. He abused Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews all night, notching three of Green Bay’s four sacks on the night, along with a tackle for loss against Todd Gurley II. Smith’s second sack on the night got the most attention, as afterward, he pulled his jersey up to show the words “Rest In Heaven, Breonna Taylor” printed on his undershirt, in tribute to the Louisville EMT worker that was fatally killed by police in her own home back in March of 2020. 

First was Bill O’Brien. Is Dan Quinn next? 

            Prior to the start of both Monday night games, it was announced that Texans head coach Bill O’Brien was going to control offensive play-calling duties going forward into the season. An hour later, ESPN’s Dan Graziano & Adam Schefter broke the news that O’Brien was fired (go figure). It took four weeks and a miserable 0-4 start for O’Brien to lose his job. Now the question lingers across the league; who’s next? 

            Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is now 24-28 in the regular season since his team blew a 28-3 lead to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI. The man brought in back 2015 to fortify Atlanta’s defense now has the 13thranked defense in total offensive yards allowed, and 31stranked in yards allowed per game. They’ve allowed two back-to-back comeback-from -behind wins to the Cowboys in week 2 (15 point lead) and the Bears in week 3 (16 point lead), the first team in NFL history to do so. The offense has done their best to try and keep pace, with Matt Ryan and Co. averaging 419 total offensive yards per game (fourth in the NFL), but it just hasn’t been enough. 

            And entering Monday night, the Packers defense proved to be the straw that broke Atlanta’s back. Ryan’s stats seem pretty on paper (28/39 [72% completion percentage] for 285 yards), but they’re supplemented by garbage time plays that meant nothing to the game overall. Todd Gurley had an ok outing, getting 16 carries for 57 yards. But in the RedZone, he sparked life to Atlanta’s offense, scoring twice in goal-line situations. Rising star wideout Calvin Ridley was kept on an island against Packers corner Jaire Alexander, registering zero catches on five targets. 

            As for the Falcons D, it was pretty much non-existent. Coming into the contest, Atlanta was without starting safeties Ricardo Allen (Elbow) and Keanu Neal (hamstring). The Falcons came in with four active safeties, and half of them left with an injury; Damontae Kazee and Jaylinn Hawkins (My Pre-draft Interview with Jaylinn Here), both left the game with lower-body injuries and never came back. They gave up 403 total offensive yards to the offense, including nearly 100 receiving yards and three touchdowns to third-year tight end in Robert Tonyan out of Indiana State, who had two career touchdowns in the last 27 games he’s played. 

“As far as an overall grade, it’s non-passing, it’s not above the bar,” Ryan said in his post-game presser. “It’s not where we need to be.” 

What’s next: 

            Green Bay enters their Week 5 bye week at the right time, as it gives Rodgers an extra week to heal up the knee he hyperextended at the end of the game. 

            As for the Falcons, they’re set to host a Panther’s team that’s riding a two-game win streak, having just taken down Kyler Murray’s Arizona Cardinals 21-31 at home. 

-By: Juan Guarin-Camargo

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