NFL
Give Him An Inch…
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
If a defensive lineman can outrun a wide receiver, even though he’ll never be matched up with him one on one, should we really care?
If Kyler Murray’s first NFL pass is just out of reach of the outstretched arms of JJ Watt or Aaron Donald, will I yell out “Hell yeah, I told you that 1/10 of an inch makes a difference”? (Maybe, but that will have more to do with personal reasons rather than football ones.)
And if DK Metcalf can run a 4.33 40-yard dash while on the Thanos 30-Day Workout Plan, should it overshadow the fact he has the nimbleness and agility of an elephant?
Look, I think the NFL Combine can be extremely advantageous, if you approach it correctly; using it as an additional tool to assist in a team’s analysis of a player.
However, you know as well as I do that at least one general manager or coach is going to lose his job because he fell in love with a player’s combine numbers over his performance on the field.
I’m always taken aback, although I shouldn’t be by now, how as you go up through the coaching ranks (high school, college, professional) the coach’s arrogance towards being able to turn a player around increases.
I remember watching my high school football team go up against an opponent whose middle linebacker had signed with North Carolina. He was very imposing- about 6-2, 215 lbs- and was incredibly fast.
He was also manhandled by our offensive line and fullback, whose one combined college scholarship offer came from a Division III team.
In fact, not only did he get schooled by our offensive line, but he didn’t have a tackle all game; a pretty impressive feat for a middle linebacker.
Of course, his actual play on the field didn’t matter, he had plenty of athleticism and the UNC coaches were convinced they could turn him into a collegiate player.
He never played a minute for Carolina, as far as I remember. Any of this sound familiar?
As for this year’s combine, all the conversation about Murray and his height leading up to the combine was the pinnacle of how ridiculous this whole thing can be.
Yes, height is important, but had he been measured at 1/16 of an inch shorter than 5-10, all the talk about his height would have amplified.
Instead, he measures what equates to about 4 millimeters taller and it looks like he’s the favorite to go to Arizona with the number one pick. That whole ⅙ of an inch will affect whether or not he’ll be a success NFL quarterback as much as an offensive lineman’s 40-yard dash time.
Still, those results were “breaking news” on just about every sports talk/radio show.
Like most things, the combine started out with good intentions and has devolved over the years into somewhat of a sideshow, albeit a very entertaining one- especially when you consider some of the interviews that take place.
The combine may not be the best way to evaluate a player probability of success at the next level, but as long as guys are running sub 4.4 40’s and walking around with 1.6% body fat, teams will still be placing an emphasis on the whole experience.
The NFL used to be a game of inches. If the combine is any indication, it looks like the league has become a game of millimeters, for now.
Back To The Future At QB
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It is well documented that the Jacksonville Jaguars need a QB going into the 2019 season.
Nick Foles will not receive the franchise tag in Philadelphia and that may set the wheel in motion for Foles to become a Jaguar.
Even if the Jags get Foles, he will be just a bridge to the future. Jacksonville with its top 10 pick needs to draft a QB to groom for the future.
Let’s take a look at this QB draft class:
Dwayne Haskins: The former Ohio State Buckeye is the top rated QB in the draft.
Haskins set 28 OSU records at a school that has produced some quality quarterbacks over the years.
He has a strong arm and is confident in a traditional pro-style offense. He has good mobility and can make things happen when the pocket breaks down.
When you pass for 50 TD’s and 5,000 yards in a 14-game season you are a special talent.
It seems like the New York Giants like Haskins at the number 6 pick. Will teams like the Miami Dolphins trade up to try and get Haskins.
If Haskins falls to Jacksonville will the Jags take him? Haskins seems to be the most pro ready quarterback at this moment in time.
Kyler Murray: Murray had a Heisman winning 2018 season at Oklahoma, passing for over 4,000 yards, rushing for 1,000 and propelled the Sooners into the College Football Playoffs.
Murray is just 5′ 10″ and 195 pounds. The shortest signal-caller in the NFL right now is Russell Wilson at 5′ 11″.
Murray only had 5 passes batted down last season. Baker Mayfield shut up the critics last year after the Browns were heavily criticized after taking Mayfield with the number pick in the draft because of his size.
Mayfield had the Browns in playoff contention last year. The Jaguars have more pieces on defense and Murray is a dynamic playmaker. Murray walked away from $5 million from the Oakland Athletics to play baseball, and will focus on being an NFL QB. Murray is a generational talent.
While the critics chime in on size this kid just makes plays that leave you scratching your head. Murray to me is a better talent than Lamar Jackson. The Ravens have pinned their future on Lamar Jackson.
Drew Lock: The Missouri QB has a gunslinger mentality and throws the best deep ball in the draft. After the Tigers started 1-5, Lock took over and led his team to six straight wins and tossed 44 TD’s.
Lock will turn the ball over sometimes, but he is a natural leader. Lock is tall at 6’4 and will be a steal for a team that is on the cusp of being a playoff contender. Lock reminds me of a Matt Stafford, who is super talented but plays on a bad team.
Who do the Jaguars select?
My pick today is Kyler Murray. The Jags offense needs an infusion of excitement.
Murray will sell out the stadium and would bring a wow factor to the city. You can’t go wrong with Haskins, Murray, or Lock, but the pick is Murray and the Jags are set for the future.
Murray would almost guarantee that no tarps will ever cover upper deck seats in Jacksonville again and end the relocation rumors that are always floating around.
A future trip to Super Bowl would be in reach also.
AFC South Draft Preview
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL Draft fast approaches. After free agency ends, we will have a clearer picture on the direction teams will go in for the draft.
I’m going to examine the AFC South and who will be selected in the first round. This is one of the weaker divisions in the NFL with only one team ever winning a Super Bowl (Indianapolis).
Houston and Jacksonville have never been to the big game and Tennessee has only been once.
Jacksonville (5-11): The Jaguars looked poised to be one of the best teams in 2018. They had an elite defense in 2017 and relied on the ground game with Leonard Fournette. That formula led them to the AFC Championship game where they led New England in the fourth quarter.
We know how that played out. Quarterback Blake Bortles was the obvious weak link of the team. He was rewarded last offseason with a three year contract extension worth $54 million. It seemed to pay off early after they got off to a 3-1 start. That included a victory over the Patriots. Then they had a seven game losing streak.
Quarterback is the position that must be addressed. If they don’t acquire Nick Foles in free agency they will draft a QB with the 7th pick. Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray will get selected. The Heisman Trophy winner has great talent but lacks ideal height.
Tennessee (9-7): The Titans have had two consecutive winning seasons. They have several needs they can address with this pick like wide receiver, guard, edge rusher or quarterback. Their franchise QB Marcus Mariota cannot stay healthy.
One possible pick is NC State receiver Kelvin Horne. He could be paired with Corey Davis to make a dangerous passing attack.
If they go with a pass rusher Jachai Polite of Florida could be the pick. Last season he had 11 sacks and 6 forced fumbles.
Houston (11-5): The Texans won the division but lost in the Wild Card round to the Colts. They finally have a franchise quarterback in Deshaun Watson but they can’t protect him.
He has one of the best receivers in the game (DeAndre Hopkins). They should draft an offensive lineman to help with that problem.
Offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor (Florida) would be a good pick. He would be a day one starter. If he is not available tackle Greg Little from Ole Miss will be picked. He looks like he will be the fifth o-lineman picked in the first round but he still has good value. He’s a good pass blocker but he needs to be more consistent.
Indianapolis (10-6): The Colts have one of the best young quarterbacks in the league in Andrew Luck. He missed the entire 2017 season and came back in 2018 with a vengeance. They have a pretty good offense and they need to get better on defense. The biggest needs are at cornerback, defensive line and wide receiver.
Washington corner back Byron Murphy would be a good pick if available. He had four interceptions and 58 total tackles in 2018. He’s physical enough to help stop the running game and he can cover.
Receiver D.K. Metcalf of Ole Miss is also a possibility if they do not add another WR in free agency.
I’m excited to see if one of these teams can become a serious contender after the draft.
NFC South Draft Report
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2019 NFL Draft starts April 25, 2019. For the 31 other teams that didn’t win the Super Bowl they have a chance to add players and improve their franchise. Let’s take a look at the NFC South and see who they might select in the first round.
Tampa Bay (5-11): The Buccaneers have the fifth overall pick. They had a bit of quarterback controversy to begin the season before Jameis Winston came back from his four-game suspension.
It looks like the Bucs will stick with the troubled young QB. Bruce Arians has taken over as head coach and he will try to give Winston protection.
Left tackle Donovan Smith will be a free agent. On the right side, Demar Dotson is entering the last year of his contract and turns 34 in October. That is why Alabama’s Jonah Williams should get picked to protect Winston’s blind side.
Atlanta (7-9): The Falcons are coming off of a disappointing season that had many injuries on the defense. They need to drastically improve on that side of the ball and on the offensive line.
Head coach Dan Quinn is on record saying he is only comfortable at center and left tackle.
With the 14th pick guard Cody Ford from Oklahoma makes sense. He’s extremely physical and he would help change the identity of the line. He played guard and right tackle so he might also be shifted to that position.
If defensive tackle Ed Oliver (Houston) is still on the board he should get selected. He reminds me of Aaron Donald because he can totally disrupt an offense.
Carolina (7-9): The Panthers started off the season hot before the seven-game losing streak. They are in an interesting position because star quarterback Cam Newton had surgery on his injured shoulder. Some time tables have predicted him to miss the 2019 season.
They also need help on defense. Mario Addison led the team with nine sacks. They need help getting to the quarterback and that is the direction they will go with the 16th pick.
They can draft a local player like Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell. The defensive end registered 50 career tackles for loss and 27 sacks in three seasons. He added 56 total pressures and 30 total stops during his final year. He’s 6’4, 265 pounds with great first-step quickness.
New Orleans (13-3): The Saints had a great season, advancing to the NFC Championship game. They should have won the game but a terrible no call for pass interference against the Rams cost them. They traded their first-round pick in the 2019 draft to move up and select Marcus Davenport.
The biggest needs are tight end, defensive tackle, running back and linebacker. Running back Mark Ingram will be a free agent so that may create a need. Alvin Kamara is great but he works best paired up with a physical runner.
New Orleans will pick 62nd in the second round. I think they will want a pass catching tight end. I’m not sure who will still be on the board by the time they make the pick. The best-case scenario is Irv Smith from Alabama. The best available might be Dawson Knox of Ole Miss.
Prior to last year the NFC South was the toughest division in the league. The Saints were the only playoff team so the other three teams need to get better. It will be exciting to see how everything plays out.
The Empire Strikes Back
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NBA had Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics. Major League Baseball has the New York Yankees. The NFL has the New England Patriots.
Now, before I get too deep into this rabbit hole I’m about to go down, let’s go ahead and get the obvious out the way. After five months and over a few hundred games played, that was the game that is supposed to get us through until September? The only thing less entertaining than the game itself was the halftime show, except for the Big Boi/Sleepy Brown appearance.
Now that those four hours I would’ve rather spent watching Wolf Blitzer doing “Breaking News” segments on Adam Levine’s tattoos have passed, what does it all mean for New England?
As much as it pains me to say, what the Patriots have accomplished over the past eighteen years has to be one of the most impressive feats in sports, if not the most impressive.
The run the Celtics had in the 60’s when they won eight NBA titles in a row, and ten in eleven years, is something I feel pretty confident won’t be happening again anytime soon.
However, it did take place in a period where the level of competition wasn’t quite like it is today. It’s similar to the dominance UCLA had over college basketball for all those years.
The Yankees have been the standard in baseball, but they have a number of advantages that have played in their favor, mainly the market they play in and the lack of a salary cap.
I’m not taking anything away from either of those franchises, but when you are talking about the greatest dynasty in sports history, those type of things matter.
In New England’s case they have achieved unrivaled success over the past two decades in a league that is set up specifically to prevent that type of dominance.
To have done what they have been able to do, with the cavalcade of players over that time frame just adds to the legacy.
Yes, the two constants just happen to the two people who are arguably the best at their respective titles, but it doesn’t dampen it any less.
And look, I get it, I have a hard time saying anything nice about the Patriots. They’re about the most pretentious franchise I’ve seen, and I’m Duke fan for crying out loud.
But if I’m being completely objective, this run they are on- no matter how much longer it lasts- is probably the most impressive run in professional sports history.
This particular victory wasn’t pretty by any means, but it was vintage Bill Belichick. Make no mistake about it, the Rams offensive struggles were not self-inflicted; the Patriots shut down the league’s second ranked offense and made it look easy.
Even though the game gave us all plenty of reasons to turn away, or turn the channel for that matter, New England was the better team, once again.
So here we are, six Super Bowl victories in nine appearances, over an eighteen-year span. As much as Tom Brady wanted to tell us the Patriots are “still here” and that nobody believed in them, are any of us really surprised with the outcome?
It may not have been the outcome most of us wanted to see, but based on history it was the outcome most of us predicted.
And much like the final score and the game itself, we may not be fans of the Patriots, but they are doing something we may not see again in our lifetime.
Foles Flying To Jacksonville?
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As we embark on Super Bowl weekend, I think back to just one calendar year ago when the Jacksonville Jaguars got “Bradyed” just like the Kansas City Chiefs did two short weeks ago.
Everyone was talking about how close Jacksonville was to being an elite team and many, including this writer picked them to go to the Super Bowl this past season. Unlike Jason Bishop this writer owns up to his bogus predictions.
After that playoff run the Jaguars gave Blake Bortles a contract extension through 2020, and banked their future on continuity with Bortles, instead of making an upgrade at the QB position at the time.
That move was a disaster as the Jaguars finished in last place in the AFC South. It got so bad the Jaguars benched Bortles at the end of miserable 5-11 season. Now, it appears almost certain that the Jaguars and Bortles will part ways.
Where do the Jags go at the QB position in 2019? There are rumors that Jacksonville is in talks with Philadelphia to acquire Nick Foles.
The Eagles confirmed that Carson Wentz will be the starting QB once he returns from the back issues he suffered in 2018.
Where does that leave Nick Foles? Apparently as a back-up in Philly, unless the Eagles make a trade. Foles makes perfect sense for the Jaguars. Foles is an instant upgrade at the position for Jacksonville and with the pieces in place already on defense the Jags become a playoff contender again in 2019.
Bringing in Foles could allow the Jaguars to draft a future QB like Drew Lock in the first round and have him learn and develop under a seasoned veteran like Foles. With Foles the team could win now and also be a bridge to the future until the future is ready. That proposition is a win-win for Jacksonville moving forward.
If you watched the Eagles last season you know that Foles was the best performing QB on that roster. Yes, we all know Wentz is the future in Philly, but Foles just has an “it” factor when he is inserted into a football game.
He started five games down the stretch for the Eagles, got them into the playoffs, beat the Bears on the road, and gave the Saints fits in the divisional playoff game. FYI, in case you forgot, Foles was the MVP of Super Bowl LII, as the Eagles upset the Patriots to win Philadelphia’s first Super Bowl.
What would the Jags have to give up to land Foles? Many are speculating that Leonard Fournette could be part of a deal to land Foles. Fournette appears to be on shaky ground in Jacksonville.
Fournette had an injury plagued 2018 season and some of his sideline antics appear to make him expendable at this time. Time will tell on how it will play out. The Eagles need help at running back.
One thing is for sure, if the Jaguars want to be a playoff team in 2019, they need to seriously address the QB position. Yes, I’m stating the obvious, but the obvious has been the obvious for three seasons now. The Jacksonville Jaguars need a playoff quality quarterback.
Make a deal Jags and bring in Nick Foles and trade Fournette if you have to. You can find a quality running back in this year’s draft. The NFL is a QB driven league.
Super Running Back U
By: Kipp Branch
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
When the Patriots selected Sony Michel in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft you just knew he would come in and have a great year with the franchise of the century.
Michel along with Nick Chubb had great rookie seasons in the league which is no surprise as the both came from the University of Georgia or better known as Running Back U.
Now, you have a marquee matchup with Running Back U legends in Super Bowl LIII in Sony and Running Back U legend Todd Gurley or TG3 as superstars have their own tag line.
Other than Herschel, I have never seen a more talented back at UGA than Gurley. He has the size, speed, and vision that is makes him a generational running back.
TG3 is currently the best running back in the NFL, which makes him the best running back in football period.
TG3 just has a knack for scoring touchdowns. Gurley has been a major factor in the resurgence of the Los Angeles Rams as they make their first Super Bowl appearance in 18 years.
Sony Michel is a beloved player in UGA circles. The Rose Bowl performance against Oklahoma makes him an all-time great with just that game alone. Sony always had a knack for making big plays a key time in big games during his UGA career.
My wife has his #1 UGA jersey hanging in the closet and puts it on every Saturday for UGA games. Sony is not big, sneaky fast, but has great vision and just seems to always make someone miss and he just makes plays.
Now the two RBU legends face each other in the Super Bowl next week. TG3 had a huge 100-yard performance against a Dallas Cowboy run defense that looked like Swiss Cheese in the divisional series, which sent the Cowboy nation back into their 23-year annual hibernation.
That alone makes him a hero in my book. He didn’t play much due to being banged up in the NFC title games against the Saints, but he will be ready in the Super Bowl. Look for him and the high-powered Rams offense to have a good day.
Sony, in my opinion is the biggest reason why the Patriots are back this year. Sony has been a steady threat in the run game and teams can’t just focus on stopping Tom Brady they now have to stop a balanced offense. That makes New England ever more dangerous as the Chargers and Chiefs just found out. Sony ran wild against the Chargers and Chiefs with back to back 100-yard games.
Running Back U will be on full display in Super Bowl LIII with Gurley and Michel. Any high-profile high school running back looking for a place to get ready for the NFL, look no further than the University of Georgia. RBU puts backs in the league.
I don’t really care who wins Super Bowl LIII, so I will be pulling for Running Back U to have huge games. Wouldn’t it be great if UGA produced another Super Bowl MVP?
What college has produced more Super Bowl MVP’s than UGA? Gator and Auburn fans look that up and let me know.
The Big Game
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
The teams for Super Bowl LIII are New England and the Los Angeles Rams. The game is February 3rd in Atlanta. Both teams were the number two seed in their conference and they had to go on the road to beat the top seed. Both conference championship games went into overtime as well.
This is a tale of two completely different franchises. The Patriots are the best dynasty this century and maybe in NFL history. They have appeared in the Super Bowl 11 times, the most of any team. Since 2001 they have made it to the big game 9 times, winning 5 of them. This is their third consecutive appearance.
Ironically the Bill Belichick and Tom Brady dynasty started with a win in 2002 against the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
The Pats have been counted out most of the season even though they are 11-5. Statistically they are not as impressive, as we have seen in the past. Brady is seventh in the league in passing yards and tenth in passing touchdowns.
New England lost their biggest playmaker, wide receiver Josh Gordon in December. He was suspended indefinitely by the league for violating the terms of his reinstatement under the league’s substance abuse policy.
Rob Gronkowski is also having a down year with only 47 receptions, 682 yards and 3 touchdowns on the season.
The Rams are the best team money can buy. They have two players that are the highest paid player at their position, defensive tackle Aaron Donald ($22.5 mill per year) and running back Todd Gurley ($14.375 mill).
They both were worth the money. Gurley was third in the league in rushing with 1,251 and first in rushing touchdowns with 17. He also had 59 catches, 580 yards and 4 receiving TD’s. Donald led the league in sacks with 20.5.
The Rams also added former Pro Bowlers Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters and Ndamukong Suh to the defense in the offseason.
Jared Goff is only in his third year and he is one of the best young QB’s in the NFL. He was fourth in passing yards and sixth in passing touchdowns.
This is a homecoming for Rams head coach Sean McVay. He grew up in Atlanta and was a four year starter at QB for Marist.
On paper LA is the more talented team. I believe there are several teams that are more talented than New England but they continue to overcome that with superior coaching. For example, both of their playoff opponents, the LA Chargers and Kansas City had superior talent.
We have two recent examples of the Pats playing talented yet inexperienced teams in the Super Bowl with different results. In Super Bowl LI the Atlanta Falcons raced out to a 28 – 3 lead in the third quarter. As we all know New England came back to win 34 – 28.
Last season, against Philadelphia and backup quarterback Nick Foles, they lost 41 – 33. Foles threw for 373 yards and 3 TD’s.
The reason I point that out is because I would have expected a Belichick coached defense with two weeks to prepare to perform better. I also don’t view Foles as a great quarterback. Going in to the NFC Championship I did not have much confidence in Goff. Now I think he can actually lead LA to victory.
Both defenses have played well in the postseason. The Rams are second in yards per game and the Patriots are fourth.
I can never bet against New England in a big game so I give them the edge to win.
Trend Koetter
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For the past two years Steve Sarkisian must have felt as though he had “kick me” tattooed across his forehead; no one thought he deserved to be in the position he was in.
Two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance, with a quarterback that has a few years left before the inevitable decline begins and one of the league’s best wideouts in his prime, the Atlanta Falcons decided that everything old is new again.
Out went Sarkisian and in comes former offensive coordinator, Dirk Koetter.
Normally when it comes to a coaching hire, there isn’t much middle ground with me. Either I love the hire and begin an unhealthy infatuation with whomever made the decision, or I hate it and start actively petitioning them to become the next athletic director at UNC.
In the case of Koetter, I’m just kind of “Yeah, ok.”
I get why Atlanta decided to bring him back, especially if Matt Ryan signed off on the move, it’s just hard to get too excited about the move.
It’s easy to knock Sarkisian when you compare him to his predecessor, Kyle Shanahan, but statistically speaking, Atlanta’s offense was actually more productive with Sarkisian than it was with Koetter.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Sarkisian is better or that statistics are the end all, be all, I just thought it was interesting.
Now, in Koetter’s defense the Falcons do have a little more talent on that side of the ball than they did during his initial run with the team.
The weapons at his disposal from the receiver position don’t really need much of an introduction and are an improvement from what he had.
The primary back during his time from 2012-2014 was an aging Stephen Jackson, so there wasn’t much of a rushing attack. It explains why Ryan threw more passes over that three year span than any other in his career.
With two capable backs in Freeman and Coleman, I’d expect the offense to be a little more balanced this time around.
The big question is can Koetter be creative with all that talent?
I don’t want to linger too much on his time in Tampa, but he had an abundance of riches on the offensive side of the ball down there and just couldn’t make it work.
Yes, part of the issue was his quarterback, but nothing Koetter did came across as being very innovative.
Granted, innovation doesn’t automatically equal success, but in today’s game it sure doesn’t hurt.
It’s not a must win now type situation for the Falcons, but it could be within the next few years. And even though I can’t imagine Quinn being on any hot seat entering the season, you never can tell when it comes to the NFL.
Which bring me back to my original, apathetic reaction to the Koetter hire. It’s not a bad hire, but I’m also not sure it’s the kind of difference maker that puts Atlanta over the top. Then again, if choosing a coach was easy there wouldn’t have been eight head coaching positions and numerous coordinator ones open at the end of the season.
I will give Atlanta some credit for this, they have decided to buck the trend and not hire someone who met Sean McVay in a Starbucks.
Seriously, at this point it’s just a matter of time before McVay’s “first love” becomes the next NFL Commissioner.
Catching Dollars
By: TJ Hartnett
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
Julio Jones has two years left (and over $21 million) on the five year, $71.25 million contract extension that he signed with the Atlanta Falcons in August 2015, but that hasn’t stopped his contract situation from being in the headlines across both Atlanta and the National Football League.
That’s because Julio thinks he’s earned himself a raise. This is not news, as prior to the 2018 campaign there, were rumors abound of Julio holding out during the preseason.
It didn’t shake out that way, with the Falcons moving some money around and taking better care of the star wide receiver for the year. A $2.8 million raise will get most anyone to show up for work.
And Jones showed up in 2018, leading the league with 1,677 receiving yards on 113 catches and 8 touchdowns. His 10 100-yard games set a franchise record for most such games in a single season.
So, the question that now faces the Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons is this: how much money should be thrown at Julio Jones? He’ll be 30 when next season starts. So, should they make him the NFL’s highest paid receiver?
There are plenty of indicators that the Falcons are willing to open up the checkbook for their young cornerstone. Blank himself has mentioned that he’d like to “take care” of the players that deserve it, specifically name-dropping Julio.
For the sake of comparison, New York Giants’ star Odell Beckham Jr. is leading the wide receiving charge at a hefty $18 million average per year, nearly $4 million above Julio’s current average, which sits at 11th highest.
There’s a chance that Julio could ask for well over Beckham’s price, even flying past $20 million average per year with $70 million guaranteed, also higher than Beckham’s number.
Jones’ teammate Matt Ryan was briefly the highest-paid quarterback in the league, thanks to a huge five year deal he signed last year that was ultimately surpassed by the contract Aaron Rodgers inked with Green Bay. So, we know that Atlanta will pony up when they think it’s deserved.
Plus, they’ll likely have the salary cap space in 2019 to get Jones past Beckham if they want. Julio, for his part, has said numerous times that being the highest paid isn’t his goal, just to get paid what he’s worth. But that may mean the same thing.
It took Julio just 104 games to accumulate 10,000 yards, the fastest in the history of the NFL. He’s also got “first receiver to have five 1,400-yard seasons” on his resume, to supplement the six Pro Bowl selections he’s already racked up. And he’s shown no indication of slowing down.
In fact, his league-leading yard total is all the more impressive given his battles with injuries in 2018.
2019 should shape up to be a success for Julio as well. We don’t know who he’ll be working with on the sidelines after the Falcons fired offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, but even under Sark – an oft-maligned OC – Julio still produced huge numbers.
Whoever the Falcons find to fill that role shouldn’t affect the massive pay day coming in Julio’s direction.
Whether or not he rises to meet or exceed the record for players at his position, the Falcons seem ready to pay Julio and that’s good. He’s a crucial part of the Falcons’ offense, and even though that unit as a whole hasn’t consistently impressed since the record-setting 2016 season, Julio is a major asset to the team.
There are also negative implications if Atlanta tries to underpay or lowball Jones, who has shown willingness to advocate for himself but that seems like an unlikely outcome.
Julio Jones is going to get the money he deserves before too long. The question is: how much is that?
