If you are reading this you are well aware that the legendary Julio Jones is on his way out of The ATL. The 7 time Pro Bowler isn’t hanging up his Hall of Fame cleats just yet as it is time for him to move onto another franchise. The truth is, things have been souring for awhile between Atlanta and Julio. Major issues in the red zone has limited his touchdown totals and frustration within the offense has led Julio to grow frustrated over time. Couple that with his own ankle injuries in 2020 and the Falcons ugly cap situation; the bloom is definitely off the rose for Julio and the dirty birds.
While every other outlet is going to give you predictions on where Julio will go this off season, here at GCF we are more inclined to strictly deal with the Fantasy Football side of things. After all our trade mark is the fact that we help you all take home fantasy titles, so let’s jump right in and see if Julio is going to be a Boom or Bust for your fantasy team…
The Case for the Boom: Julio Jones is one of the greatest wide receivers of all time. Period. He’s not Terrell Owens or Jerry Rice, but he’s in the same vein as Randy Moss. He has played 84% of games in his career that he was eligible for indicating that while he has had some injury issues he is still a very reliable receiver. A clear cut number one option even at age 32, Julio has established himself as a PPR God. So regardless of where he goes, Julio will be a productive part of the offseason. And it can only get better from here considering the Falcons offense has been stagnant in comparison to its peak in 2017. One can make the argument that any of Julios potential new teams would be a better fit for him. One could argue that his potential was even limited in Atlanta as they have been running out a junior varsity offensive line the past few seasons. All signs point to one or two last big seasons for Julio!
The Case for the Bust: Sure, Julio Jones is Top 20 all time in receiving yards. And yes, he’s Top 30 all time in receptions. The man is a legend, but isn’t Father Time undefeated ?
While there are so exceptions to the rule, Father Time comes calling one way or another. And at 32 he is starting to knock on Julio Jones’ door. With only 9 games played last year and only 3 touchdowns, Julio is starting to show signs of falling off. At age 32 he is only going to be more prone to injury. And while he may be in a better spot than Atlanta, how much better will it be? Sure, Matt Ryan is older but he was a big part of Julios success! We can’t just chalk up Julios legendary career to be all his own doing in a team sport. The moral of the story is Julio is getting older and has a lot of risk for Fantasy owners who spend a high pick on him.
The Verdict:
Whether you believe in Father Time coming for NFL players a little earlier than other professional athletes or not, it is safe to say that Julio Jones will most likely see some sort of decline going into his 11th season. But how much decline are we talking here? I don’t feel like it will be enough of a decline to bump him out of the 2nd round of fantasy drafts. And furthermore I think in the right offensive system like Tennessee or even San Francisco where he would be reunited with Kyle Shannahan; Julio could find the end zone much more than he has in previous years. My gut feeling is that while we may see his receptions and yards dip slightly wherever he goes, we will definitely see his touchdown numbers sky rocket as his new team will find better ways to utilize his unique skill set.
Julio Jones will be a Boom for your Fantasy Football Team in 2021.
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