Eagles must avoid Julio Jones temptation despite recent compatibility theory
The Eagles have been wise to avoid the Julio Jones temptation.
It’s common knowledge that many Philadelphia Eagles fans were desirous that the team sign a veteran wide receiver to strengthen their corps. Sadly however when the bigger fish in free agency’s pool were taken off of the board and out of the conversation, the only names that were left on the market belonged to guys like Julio Jones and Odell Beckham Jr.
Philly had other plans. They signed Zach Pascal who isn’t the owner of a household name but is familiar with Nick Sirianni’s offensive system.
AJ Spurr of Roll Tide Wire mentioned the Birds as a great fit for Julio Jones in his list of five teams the veteran wide receiver could join. Spurr mentions that Jones could be a mentor for DeVonta Smith and could still be a decent game-changer on the field.
"The Philadelphia Eagles need an offensive boost. Adding Heilman-winning wide receiver DeVonta Smith in the 2021 NFL draft was above in the right direction. Though Jones likely wouldn’t be around all too long, a year or two for Smith learning from Jones would certainly be valuable. Oh, and not to mention that Jones is still a legitimate offensive weapon."
While it’s hard to argue with Spurr’s point of Julio being a great teacher for Smith to help him develop, the Eagles currently need more wideouts, not more coaches. Recently, Jones hasn’t been on the field enough in recent years to be seen as a legitimate force and weapon anymore.
During the past two NFL seasons, Jones has only played in 19 games and hasn’t been able to eclipse 1,000 yards in either year.
The Tennessee Titans thought they were getting a weapon to pair with A.J. Brown when they traded for Jones. They traded a second-round selection by doing so, and now, they have to eat $13 million in dead money.
The Eagles have had their own issues with veteran wide receivers and injuries, and that’s one of the main reasons why we’ll disagree with Spurr’s take here. Jones’ injury history is a turn-off. So is his price tag, and those are two reasons why this wouldn’t be a fit. Here are two others.