The Tennessee Titans made a somewhat surprising move on Wednesday by releasing wide receiver Julio Jones after just one season in Nashville.
Jones was originally acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons that saw the Titans send a second-round pick to Atlanta, as well as a swap of Day 3 picks.
At the time of the trade, the hype was understandably through the roof. Yes, Jones came in with injury concerns, but it was Julio freakin’ Jones, and the thought of pairing him with A.J. Brown had fans downright giddy.
And then the season came.
Jones managed to suit up in just 10 games due to a nagging hamstring injury. Even when on the field, Julio wasn’t very productive, averaging 43.4 yards and scoring one touchdown. He had just one 100-yard game.
When taking his 2021 campaign into account, and the fact that he’s 33 years old, it’s understandable why the Titans let him go; however, doing so now creates a massive hole at the wide receiver position, a spot they already needed help at.
It’s for that reason why I’m in the middle of the road on this move overall. I get it, Jones couldn’t be trusted for another season, but I would have liked to give him that shot, and especially with Tennessee’s current options at the position.
For now, we’re giving this move a middling grade, but if the Titans’ solution to replace him is Allen Robinson (this is a pro-ARob website) or someone of similar talent level (via trade or free agency), then the grade goes to an “A”.
