When the Falcons were shopping Julio Jones last year, the Rams considered trading for the star receiver. They called Atlanta about a potential deal, but the Titans wound up making the strongest offer and landed Jones for a second-round pick.
Less than a year later, the Titans are cutting Jones and making him a free agent. They released him this week after he put together a disappointing 2021 season in Nashville, catching just 31 passes for 434 yards in 10 games.
The Rams were interested in Jones last year, and now that he’s a free agent who won’t cost draft capital, might they consider bringing him in?
They should only think about signing Jones if Odell Beckham Jr. doesn’t return. Despite suffering a serious knee injury in the Super Bowl, Beckham remains the better option at receiver for the Rams.
He’s a proven asset in Sean McVay’s offense, excelling with Matthew Stafford as his quarterback last season. He made a big difference during their Super Bowl run and they may not have won it all if they hadn’t traded for Beckham in November.
Jones is a good player, but only when he’s healthy – which, in the last two years, hasn’t been very often. He’s missed 14 games since 2020, primarily due to hamstring injuries. And with soft-tissue injuries like that, they can be recurring.
The Titans clearly didn’t believe he could stay healthy and warrant a $14 million cap hit after seeing him go in and out of the lineup last year, a frustrating trend for the talented receiver.
With Beckham, you know he’s most likely going to be back for the playoffs. With Jones, he could play nine or 10 games, but he might also miss four weeks with an injured hamstring in January.
He’s also 33 years old and not the dominant player he once was with the Falcons. He’s lost a little bit of a step and doesn’t separate the way he used to, but he can still make plays down the field. The biggest question with Jones is whether he can stay healthy, and in the last two years, he’s shown that he’s had trouble doing so.
The Rams should focus on Beckham, but if he leaves like Miller, they should at least inquire about Jones. Maybe he’d be willing to take a team-friendly deal with playtime incentives and not a lot of guaranteed money.
He can still play, it’s just that Beckham would be a better target.
