Report: Falcons Shopping Julio Jones Due to Salary Cap Restraints

Atlanta's salary cap issues and Jones's age have sparked trade rumors once again as the Falcons rebuild.

The Falcons "would like to trade" star wide receiver Julio Jones, but it's not a done deal or guarantee, The Athletic's Jeff Schultz reported. 

Atlanta is still facing a salary cap problem, even after restructuring contracts of four key players (Matt Ryan, Jake Matthews, Deion Jones and Tyeler Davison). The former No. 6 overall pick is set to have a base salary of $15.3 million during the 2021 season, which makes for a short list of teams who can afford to absorb his salary. 

The Ravens, 49ers, Patriots, Colts and Chargers are among teams that could reportedly afford to take on Jones. 

Schultz reported that Jones's availability on the trade market "has been clear almost from the time new general manager Terry Fontenot and coach Arthur Smith landed in Atlanta and realized the extent of the team's salary cap problems."

Jones's age also could be an issue, even though the drops in his statistics aren't drastic. The 32-year-old wideout missed seven games last season, and averaged 15.5 yards per reception in his first seven years. That dropped to 14.6 yards over the past three seasons. From 2013 to 2018, Jones averaged 104.6 receiving yards per game, but that figure fell to 92.9 and 85.7 in 2019 and 2020, respectively. 

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