The Atlanta Falcons aren’t only receiving calls regarding a trade for the 4th overall pick in this week’s NFL Draft, they are also receiving calls from team’s interested in their superstar wide receiver Julio Jones.
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Falcons have received interest from a number of teams interested in acquiring Jones, but a deal cannot come to fruition prior to June 1st due to salary cap reasons.
Here is more detail about a potential Jones trade from Peter King (h/t Pro Football Talk):
“Most notably, the Falcons putting the framework of a trade together for star wideout Julio Jones, and making the trade effective June 2. That way, Atlanta could split Jones’ cap charge between 2021 and 2022 instead of getting bashed with it all this year. So if such a trade happens, I expect it could involve a future pick or picks, nothing this year. (A future second-round pick as compensation seems fair to me.) Because such a trade wouldn’t be official till June, no picks in this draft could be involved.”
If the Falcons choose to move on from Jones, 30, and do so following the June 1st date, they can create around $15 million in cap space, saving the big dead cap hit for the 2022 season when the salary cap is expected to make a significant jump, making the hit much easier to digest.
