Patriots: Possible trades Bill Belichick could make with leftover cap space
By Jerry Trotta
1. Trade for Julio Jones
The Patriots wide receiving corps underwent a facelift this offseason, but any sane fan would admit it still pales in comparison to some of the best the league has to offer.
As things stand, New England currently has a trio of possession-based WRs, including free agent acquisitions Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, as well as 2020 breakout star Jakobi Meyers, who led the team in every major category last season.
In other words, the Patriots need a clear-cut No. 1 option. Luckily for them, the Falcons are reportedly fielding offers for Julio Jones, who, despite entering his age-32 season, is still arguably the greatest single mismatch at the position.
The Patriots should inquire about a trade for Falcons star Julio Jones.
Jones would fit perfectly in New England for a myriad of reasons. Not only is he a soft-spoken superstar (meaning he’d embrace the culture) who would make their offense a legitimate juggernaut, but his contract wouldn’t cripple them financially, either.
Whether it be a hamstring, ankle or foot issue, the former No. 6 overall pick is seemingly always dealing with an annoying injury. However, despite being limited to just nine games last year, he’s appeared in at least 14 games in every seasons dating back to 2014.
The only financial hoop the Patriots would have to jump through to make his three-year, $66 million extension work is converting some of his $23 million salary into a signing bonus. As long as Belichick is cool with that, he shouldn’t think twice about pursuing Jones.
We haven’t addressed the impact he’d make on new England’s offense, but that kind of goes without saying at this point in his career, right?
