It’s no secret at this point that Julio Jones wants out of Atlanta. As of now, it seems as if the Colts are one of the handfuls of teams that can afford to take on Julio’s contract. Additionally, they’re heavily rumored to be one of the favorites to land him due to cap space and the need for a receiver. It seems like the Falcons are willing to deal Julio for the right price. But the question at hand seems to be, “What is the right price to get a top wide receiver?”. To start gauging a price point for Julio Jones, let’s first take a look at some recent wide receiver trades over the last couple of years:
To MIN: 2020 1st round pick, 2020 5th round pick, 2020 6th round pick, 2021 4th round pick
To BUF: WR Stefon Diggs, 2020 7th round pick
To HOU: 2020 2nd round pick, 2021 4th round pick, RB David Johnson
To ARI: WR Deandre Hopkins, 2020 4th round pick
To ATL: 2020 2nd round pick
To NE: WR Mohamed Sanu
To DEN: 2020 3rd round pick, 2020 4th round pick
To SF: WR Emmanuel Sanders
To NYG: 2019 1st round pick, 2019 3rd round pick, S Jabrill Peppers, G Kevin Zeitler
To CLE: WR Odell Beckham Jr., EDGE Olivier Vernon
Now that we know what some of the other top wide receivers received (and even what Atlanta got in return for a player not nearly as good as Julio Jones), let’s keep in mind that other factors should play into this. Contract, age, ability, and production are all very important things to keep in mind when making a trade. In this specific situation, contract (due $15M this year and signed through 2023) and age (32, will be 35 when he becomes a free agent) are two negatives, whereas ability and production are two high positives that could potentially weigh those out. So let’s put on our best Chris Ballard impressions and put together a few trade packages to give Carson Wentz one of the top wide receivers in the league.
To ATL: 2022 3rd round pick, 2023 2nd round pick, RB Jordan Wilkins
To IND: WR Julio Jones
At the moment, the Colts don’t know what the first two rounds hold for them in 2022 because of the Carson Wentz conditional trade, but you have to assume that it will likely be a first-round pick. So one of the day 2 picks the Colts will have, paired with an early day two pick the following year, is decent draft compensation for an aging veteran. Throwing in Jordan Wilkins as a sweetener works for both sides as well. The Falcons need a running back, and the Colts’ RB room is very crowded at the moment. Wilkins had a decent season last year, despite being the RB3 for most games. A young, promising player averaging almost 5 yards per carry should end up as a key back in Atlanta.
To ATL: 2022 3rd round pick, 2023 5th round pick, WR Zach Pascal, EDGE Ben Banogu
To IND: WR Julio Jones, 2022 5th round pick
That 3rd round pick in 2022 seems almost guaranteed to go if Julio ends up in Indy; it’s more so the rest of the trade package that needs to be determined. Playing all 16 games in every season he’s been with the Colts, Zach Pascal would be a solid WR2 in Atlanta to pair with Calvin Ridley. He’s only 26 years old and has had 600 yards and 5 touchdowns the last two seasons. With Parris Campbell returning, Dezmon Patmon still on the team after being scratched every game his rookie year, and the Colts drafting another WR this year, Pascal is a luxury Indianapolis can afford to lose. The other piece of this trade is Ben Banogu. A former 2nd round pick in 2019 that was a healthy scratch for most of last season due to reasons unknown. Going to a team that desperately needs help on the edge could be the fresh start Banogu needs.
To ATL: 2022 4th round pick, 2023 1st round pick, 2023 5th round pick
To IND: WR Julio Jones, 2022 5th round pick
This trade is a bit more straightforward. With the rumors that a team has offered a future 1st round pick for Julio, the Colts almost certainly have to outbid that. Add to that a 2022 late-round pick swap, as well as a late-round pick in 2023 that should be a decent offer to send to Atlanta if Ballard would rather hold on to his players.
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