With the trade talks happening yet again, should the Kansas City Chiefs try their hand in trading for Julio Jones?
Hello again everyone and welcome to another week of the ArrowChop! This is the column where we look at the positives/negatives of a certain Chiefs/NFL issue and look at both sides of the aisle. Then you, the readers, will come to your conclusions after I lay out the case. So sit back, relax, and enjoy as we break down this week’s hot topic.
This topic has been repeated a lot by many websites, fanbases, etc; but, it’s one of the biggest NFL news this week. Julio Jones is on the trade block again, and the Falcons want to part ways with the 32-year-old, 2x All-Pro receiver. A motherlode of teams are interested, and Veach and the Chiefs organization could bring Jones home.
Jones wants to go to a winning team, and there’s no question the Chiefs are in that conversation. The question is that should the Chiefs trade for Julio Jones? Let’s break down both sides of the aisle to find out:
The Chiefs should trade for Julio Jones
This side believes so as such:
Firstly, a trade would definitely boost the best part of the Chiefs’ offense: the passing game. No one can question Jones’s skill. He has posted seven 1,000+ receiving yard years, along with three 1,500+ yard years, as well. We all know he can high-point the football and catch the contested throws, which is something I’ve said time and time again that Mahomes needs. Jones would be a valued asset and a trusted target.
Moreover, if Jones wasn’t injured last season, he would’ve been on pace for yet another 1,000+ yard year. In nine games, he had 771 yards; an average of 85.7 yards per game. If we take the average and multiply it by seven (games missed), he could’ve had around 1,371 yards last season. That’s spectacular for a 32-year-old wide receiver!
Secondly, Veach is known to rework the cap space in the team’s favor. He is one of the cap space gods of this league, restructuring contracts with ease. One contract he could easily rework is Mahomes’. Mahomes would love another weapon on this offense, and with the $500 million gargantuan deal he signed, he wouldn’t mind dropping a few million to bring in a beast [Jones].
Thirdly, a trade for Jones is highly plausible with the draft capital the Chiefs have. It was been said that he isn’t worth a first-round pick due to his age and his recent injury, but that doesn’t mean the price is that cheap. With Jones’s contract in mind, I could see the Chiefs giving up a 2022 third-round and fourth-round pick, along with a 2023 fifth-round pick. That isn’t half bad with the type of player you’re getting with it.
The Chiefs shouldn’t trade for Julio Jones
This side believes so as such:
Firstly, the Chiefs can barely pay his contract. He has a three-year, $64 million deal at the moment, with $23 million having to be paid next year. The Chiefs have only a little bit over $8.2 million in cap space; that’s a huge chunk of cash for someone who will be the third target behind Kelce and Hill. The Chiefs then have to pay $19.2 mil for the next two seasons after this one. That’s a bit too much for Veach and the Chiefs, even if they restructure contracts.
Secondly, the Chiefs still have to resign key players next offseason. Two of these players are Tyrann Mathieu, the best player in this Chiefs’ secondary, and Tyreek Hill, one of the most prolific, fastest wide receivers the league has seen in a long time. Both of them are valuable assets to the defense and offense, respectively. With the big amount of cash Jones has with him in his contract, the Chiefs would have to part ways with one of them at least, and both are too prized to be lost in free agency.
Do you think the Chiefs should trade for Jones? Leave a comment down below to join the discussion, and be sure to follow me on Twitter @HunterStanton8 and @ArrowheadLive. Thanks for reading, and have a fantastic day.
