No matter where Jones lands, the Bucs will absolutely be better off for it.
That may sound like stating the obvious, as any time you can get talent out of your own division it can only help, but some are worried that if Jones does end up in Seattle, with DK Metcalf and Russell Wilson already there, they could pose a real problem for the Bucs come playoff time.
I’m here to tell you, it won’t be.
The Seahawks have suffered from these band-aid solutions with their team for a while. Trading two first-round picks for Jamal Adams, continuing their failure to give Wilson an actual offensive line, allowing their defensive line to become pedestrian at best… It's no wonder Wilson contemplated requesting a trade this offseason.
No, even if Julio finds himself in a Seahawk uniform, it won’t matter. With the Bucs’ elite pass rush combined with the Seahawks not-so-elite offensive line, if the two teams matched up in the playoffs the Bucs might turn it into another Chiefs-level form of embarrassment. Julio would be yet another example of the Seahawks trying to rush success by relying on star power instead of building a team built around great lines on both sides of the ball.
As for the Falcons, it would be a real punch to the gut if Julio does end up elsewhere this season. They drafted tight end Kyle Pitts out of UF with the idea of giving Matt Ryan a plethora of weapons to work with. But without Julio, the Falcons go from being a potential surprise team to being the same below-average team they were last year. And now with Julio having gone on national TV and publicly declaring “I’m out of there,” a reconciliation between Atlanta and the former Alabama standout seems incredibly unlikely.
Hey, no matter what happens, the Bucs will certainly have two much easier games on their schedule.
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This article appears in May 27 – Jun 2, 2021.