Just when you thought the , someone reaches into the pantry and slathers Tabasco all over it. The latest round of “Where Will Julio Land?” now includes the , a team Jones reportedly wants to join in playing for this coming season, per Michael Holley of , as the remain open to a potential split. Even if there wasn’t room on the roster for another receiver, Jones isn’t simply another receiver, and it would stand to reason the Patriots — or any team not enjoying a WR war chest equivalent to the — would find a way to make room for the star receiver.As it stands, the club is reportedly having internal discu sions about Jones, per Mike Giardi of , so the interest is seemingly mutual.The team didn’t draft a receiver until the seventh round this year, namely , and lost to retirement. The signing of both and in free agency help put them in a better position than they were in 2020 but, respectfully speaking, you can roll both of them into Nick Jensen Jersey one and to s in every other receiver on the Patriots roster and you’d still fall short of having created what makes Jones arguably the best wideout in the entire league. They pulled a similar move when they traded for Hall of Fame receiver Randy Mo s in 2007, and fell only one game short of delivering the league’s first-ever perfect 19-0 season, losing to Eli Manning and the New York Giants in the . Pick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day’s big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. I agree to receive the “Pick Six Newsletter” and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the and acknowledge Paramount’s . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Frans Nielsen Women Jersey Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error proce sing your subscription. That said, there’s another part of the equation that could complicate matters: money. At this point, it’s no secret the Falcons are taking offers to potentially trade their future first-ballot Hall of Fame receiver, with newly-installed general manager Terry Fontenot confirming the reports ahead of the 2021 . Although there was no blockbuster deal struck during the three-day event in Cleveland, the train toward a potential divorce continues barreling ahead — recent reports now stating definitively the Falcons are doing more than simply listening with an open ear. Instead, they’re allegedly trying to help facilitate one, with the hopes of shedding his coming cap hit linked to the three-year, $66 million extension signed in 2019 that includes $64 million guaranteed.The seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro is scheduled to hit the Falcons salary cap for a hefty $23.05 million, precluding any talk of him being a po sibility for outright release. The Falcons would suffer a ma sive dead money hit of $40.55 Danny DeKeyser Women Jersey million if they were to cut Jones, losing $17.5 million the cap in the proce s. Should they trade him post-June 1, however, the dead money hit would drop precipitously to just $7.75 million, and they’d garner $15.3 million in savings the cap. So expect trade discu sions to ramp up soon, be it with or without the Patriots, with June 1 only days away.As far as space to fit Jones in goes, the Patriots aren’t in a bad spot, currently owners of just over $15 million in room to begin absorbing his deal. Of his total $23.05 million cap hit for 2021, only $15.3 million is his guaranteed salary, with the remainder being his prorated signing bonus that’s already been paid out in Atlanta, which means the Patriots wouldn’t be on the hook for it. So, in e sence, the Patriots can easily take on Jones’ salary with very few tweaks — e.g. restructures, releases.It’s not a move former league MVP is onboard with, having made it clear the Falcons offense without Jones doesn’t have a face, given what he’s meant and continues to mean not only for the unit but for Ryan’s career up to this point ( Brett Hull Men Jersey and potentially beyond).”I don’t know,” Ryan said when asked what the Falcons offense might look like in a post-Jones world, via Michael Rothstein of . “He’s probably impacted my career more significantly than any other player.” In the end, it’s not his decision, but instead that of owner Arthur Blank and Fontenot. And while the former went out of his way to make sure Jones stayed put in 2019, that was with a Thomas Vanek Women Jersey different GM in tow, and the current one is now trying to get out from under the deal struck two years ago.”Our administration has done an excellent job to this point in getting us in position to be able to manage the cap,” said Fontenot . “Yet, we still have more work to do. So when teams call about any players, then we have to listen and we have to weigh it, and have to determine what’s best for the organization. We have to handle everything with cla s.”Obviously, that particular player we hold in high regard. He’s special — what he’s done and what he continues to do here. But we have to consider any players, if it’s right for the team, because we have to do what’s best for this organization.”Not many believe shipping Jones out of town would achieve that goal in Atlanta, but it certainly would for the Patriots if they’re the ones who pull the trigger. And if it’s true Jones is eyeing them, they have that much more motivation to give Newton — and ultimately, — a nuclear weapon going forward.
