Eagles must avoid Julio Jones temptation despite recent compatibility theory

Unfortunately, Julio Jones and former Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery share similar stories.

At this point of his career, there’s no reason to believe that, If the Birds signed Julio Jones, he would play a full season for the team in 2022. He hasn’t done so since 2018.

The Eagles have seen this before with one of the heroes of Super Bowl LII, wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. He joined Philadelphia in 2017 on a one-year, $14 million deal and was given a four-year extension worth $52 million with $27 million guaranteed in December of the same year.

It was an arrangement that began with fireworks. Jeffery helped Philadelphia raise the Lombardi Trophy and played well in 2018 despite missing the first four games after having surgery to repair a rotator cuff. He hauled in 65 receptions for 843 yards receiving and scored six touchdowns, but the next two seasons didn’t go as planned.

Injuries and rumored frustrations with the team and its quarterback Carson Wentz were the stories as Jeffery’s numbers dipped. He only managed 605 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 17 games over that span, and the Eagles were looking to move on.

Jeffery was 30 years of age when he played his final snap for the Eagles. Julio Jones is three years older than Jeffery, and his numbers have dipped as well.

As was the case with Alshon, Jones dealt with frustration with his former team, the Atlanta Falcons, before packing his bags for Nashville, and during the 2020 and 2021 NFL seasons, he was only able to muster 82 receptions, 1,205 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. Those numbers certainly aren’t what we expect from the future Hall of Famer, nor are they what you’re looking for from someone that commands a salary like the one Julio demands.

Why would the Eagles want a player who is three years older, than a recently cut Jeffery, who the team saw the same results and finally cut him in 2021?

As we wrap this up, let’s look at the cost of Jeffery and how much money Julio Jones is looking for signing with a team.