After an underwhelming, injury-riddled stint with the Tennessee Titans, Julio Jones dipped into free agency for the first time in his career and, after a few months of soul-searching, signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If nothing else, It’s an opportunity for Jones to recapture his best form and possibly even win a Super Bowl ring.
Three years is a long time. As of this season, that’s how long it’s been since we saw a truly healthy Julio Jones streaking down the sideline and posterizing a poor would-be defender. The 2019 season wasn’t Jones’ best, but it was a stark reminder that, even at 30 years old, he was still one of the best receivers in the league, and maybe all-time.
To say that a season ending in 99 receptions, 1394 receiving yards, and 6 touchdowns wasn’t the Magnum Opus of Jones’ career is merely a testimony to his greatness. He averaged just over 95 receiving yards per game with the Falcons over a 10-season stretch and added 61 touchdowns during that time. He terrified NFL secondaries on a weekly basis for almost a decade but, as mentioned, it’s been almost three years since we’ve seen a healthy Julio Jones.
His final season with the Falcons in 2020 was cut short, totalling just 9 games due to a lingering hamstring issue. That same hamstring issue also plagued his short-lived season with the Titans. His 10-game spell in Tennessee saw him catch only 31 passes for 434 yards and a single touchdown. It was anything but quintessential Jones. As a result, the two sides parted ways in the offseason, both looking for a fresh start.
That gave Jones time to get healthy and hit the open market in search of a new team. In turn this led to Jones being linked to the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, and Indianapolis Colts. But eventually, he signed with the Buccaneers, joining Tom Brady and co. on a quest to win their second ring in three years.
It’s not crazy to say that this is the best position Jones has ever been in, team-wise. The Buccaneers have more talent across the board than the 2016 Atlanta Falcons. They also have Brady at quarterback. And no disrespect to Matt Ryan, but Jones has never played with a quarterback as good as Brady who, even at 45 years old, is still one of the five best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Unlike previous years, Jones isn’t going to see constant double-coverages or be shadowed by the opposing defense’s best corner all game. The Buccaneers have one of the best one-two receiving punches in the league with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin – and they added Russell Gage, a great slot receiver in the offseason. If anything, the Buccaneers have an embarrassment of offensive riches. Adding Jones to the mix is just the icing on the cake.
Some would argue it’s the perfect situation for him. Earlier in the week, Jones said that he’s healthy and ready to contribute. At 33 years old, there’s still reason to believe that a healthy Jones can make an impact not dissimilar to the one that Antonio Brown made during his two seasons with the Buccaneers.
Perhaps a return to the NFC South, and some offseason TB12 method training could prove to be just what Jones needs to kickstart the final act of his storied career.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: Lisa Ferdinando. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.