Green Bay Packers

The Packers Should Make A Bold Move and Sign Julio Jones

Photo credit: George Walker IV-The Tennessean via USA TODAY Sports

Julio Jones is not the kind of player the Green Bay Packers historically tend to sign. He’s 33, might be expensive, and has dealt with a series of injuries in the last couple of years. But signing him is the kind of move the Packers need to make if they want to change how they operate and go all-in, something they have been preaching since they extended Aaron Rodgers.

Considering that DeAndre Hopkins‘ contract was an outlier, Jones was the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL, with an average of $22 million per year. One year after being traded from the Atlanta Falcons to the Tennessee Titans for second- and fourth-round picks, the Titans released Julio, and he is free to sign with anyone.

The Packers will be pairing an all-time great with Davante Adams by signing Jones. Even though he was out 14 games in the last two years, Jones is still a productive receiver when he’s on the field.

Jones had 771 yards in 2020, his last season with the Falcons, much more than any Packers receiver besides Adams. And Green Bay’s playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers showed how important it is to have multiple options. The 49ers had a game plan to stop Adams, and Rodgers didn’t find another weapon. However, San Francisco couldn’t repeat the strategy against the Los Angeles Rams. Odell Beckham Jr. became the focal point of the passing offense when the Niners doubled or tripled Cooper Kupp.

Jones could be exactly that for the Packers. He’s 33 years old and can’t get open like he did in his prime, but he’s still a dangerous option and could garner attention from opposing defensive backs – or at least be productive if defenses focus on Adams.

The second aspect is the competition in the NFC. One of the reasons the Packers decided to keep the all-in approach and extend Aaron Rodgers was the significant quality decline of the conference from last year to 2022. The Seattle Seahawks traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, the 49ers will have a new starter in Trey Lance, and the Rams lost Von Miller and haven’t re-signed Odell Beckham. Tom Brady retired.

But now Brady came back, and the Bucs were able to keep most of their major free agents, Deshaun Watson is on his way to New Orleans or Atlanta, and the NFC looks much stronger. If the Packers won’t be better than they were in 2020 and 2021, it’s hard to think they’ll get better results. Jones would be a risky move, but with an upside to make the Packers much better.

The Packers tendered Allen Lazard, but he’s under contract for just one more year. Randall Cobb accepted a pay cut but is also a free agent in 2023. While Adams hasn’t come to a long-term extension, the only wide receiver under contract for next season is Amari Rodgers. Jones can sign a one-year contract, too, but it’s important to think beyond a single year and consider the possibilities.

Jones would probably love to play with Aaron Rodgers. He has received criticism throughout his career because of his low touchdown numbers. Jones only has one 10-TD season, in 2012. Pairing with Rodgers is a chance to be more effective in the red zone, especially because Adams demands so much attention from the defense. Although Jones played with Matt Ryan, a good quarterback and was the MVP in 2016, Rodgers is on another level.

Money

When we’re talking about possible additions to the Packers’ offense, the salary cap has been a frequent concern because the team has enormous financial commitments and has had to open $60 million since last season just to be cap compliant. But, as always, it’s feasible to make a Jones contract work for 2022.

Considering he had a $22 million average, we should expect that he will get significantly less than that now because of age, injuries, and underwhelming recent production. And it makes sense for him to take a little less and play for a contender rather than get a Christian Kirk kind of deal to play in Jacksonville. Therefore, a Packers offer could be in the $12 million range.

If that’s the case, Green Bay can structure it so that they pay $1.12 million in base salary (veteran minimum), and the remaining $10.88 million would be a signing bonus. Adding four void years, just $2.176 of the signing bonus would hit the 2022 cap, so the total cap hit would be $3.296 million. Who wouldn’t pay that for a guy like Julio Jones?

Yes, the dead money in 2023 is $8.704 in this case, but that’s what an all-in approach is about. The cap is rising, so teams have to be willing to take some risks. And having Julio Jones together with Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams is a worthwhile proposition.

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