Should the Rams try to trade for Julio Jones? Peter Schrager thinks so.
If there’s one position the Los Angeles Rams absolutely do not need more help at, it’s wide receiver. But what if there were a way they could add arguably the best wideout in the NFL to an already-star-studded offense?
The Falcons are in a difficult situation cap-wise and Julio Jones has the second-biggest cap hit on the team at $23 million for 2021. Rumors about trading the two-time All-Pro have swirled all offseason, but Atlanta hasn’t yet made a move. Trading Jones after June 1 would save the Falcons $15.3 million, which is a significant amount for a team that’s right up against the limit.
So, could the Rams somehow make a trade work to acquire Jones? Peter Schrager of NFL Network thinks they should try to figure out a way to land the perennial Pro Bowler, reuniting Jones with his former wide receivers coach Raheem Morris.
He laid out the reasoning on “Good Morning Football” Wednesday during a segment where the hosts picked which teams should trade for Jones.
“Here’s the connection: Julio’s best seasons as a pro were in Atlanta, obviously in the middle of his career,” Schrager said. “His wide receivers coach during that time was Raheem Morris. Who’s the new defensive coordinator for the L.A. Rams? Raheem Morris. Raheem Morris has been with Julio all this time in Atlanta the past five seasons. He could be the guy that bangs on the table and tells McVay and Les Snead and Kevin Demoff and the guys, ‘Let’s go get him.’
“If I know anything about the Rams, it’s that they live life to the fullest and they are looking to make the best team possible and to win now always.”
"I don't know what the Rams could even give up–I don't think they have a draft pick for the next decade–or if they have cap space, but I know their approach to roster building. And Raheem Morris and Julio are very close. He's on the block? LA should go for it." — @PSchrags pic.twitter.com/QsHCRTiE07
— GMFB (@gmfb) May 19, 2021
Morris was the Falcons’ wide receivers coach from 2016-2019. In those four seasons, Jones made the Pro Bowl four times and was an All-Pro once, leading the NFL in receiving yards in 2018.
There’s likely a connection between the two, having spent several years together in Atlanta. And the Rams would love to have Jones in L.A. for Stafford. But A) They’re loaded at wide receiver and B) They don’t have the picks or cap space to make it a feasible acquisition.
Jones has a base salary of $15.3 million in 2021 and $11.5 million in 2022 and 2023. It’s not a bloated contract, but for the Rams, who are already paying Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp $15-plus million per year, adding another costly wideout to the mix isn’t reasonable.
The only way it would make sense is if Woods or Kupp was included in the deal. But after extending them and then restructuring their contracts, that’s not exactly logical. Not to mention, it would require at least a first-round pick to land Jones, which the Rams won’t have until 2024. Surely, the Falcons aren’t going to wait three years to reap the benefits of trading Jones.
It’s fun to think about, but the Rams aren’t going to trade for Jones. Not after extending Woods and Kupp, drafting Van Jefferson, signing DeSean Jackson and adding Tutu Atwell in the draft.
