What it could take for Seahawks to get Julio Jones
By Geoff Shull
What a Seahawks trade for Julio Jones could look like.
There is a Randy Moss-like element here. Randy Moss looked like his career was heading south from the 2004 to 2006 seasons. So much so that New England traded mere pocket change to acquire the wide receiver. Moss re-did his contract to help the team. After which, he thrived.
An argument could be made that Moss had his most successful years in the NFL after the move to NE, despite being on the wrong side of 30. The Julio Jones situation feels vaguely similar.
What a trade for Julio Jones could look like:
It is known that the Falcons are trying to do right by Jones in trading him to a contender. This limits the available teams. Rumors have circled that they have yet to receive an offer of a first-round pick. It has also been reported that if a team were willing to take on all of Jones’s salary in 2021 that a firm (no conditions attached) 2nd round pick could get the deal done.
The Falcons running back room is a mess currently. They have Mike Davis. After that, the rooms are filled with gadget players or unproven entities (and in my opinion low ceiling guys).
DeeJay Dallas looks like a great number two back heading into the 2022 season. He possesses a solid ceiling with starting potential going into 2023. He has contact balance for days, soft hands, and enough speed/agility to get the job done. Seattle doesn’t have much of a need for the player with their running back room filled with as much talent as it is.
Underrated NFL Draft Prospect:
— Dan Siegel (ACC Content) (@ACContent__) April 11, 2020
Miami RB DeeJay Dallas pic.twitter.com/P10H467YVa
The other players considered were: Rashaad Penny, Alton Robinson, and LJ Collier. There would have been different draft compensation depending on the player.
Current contract (post trade):
Terms: 3 years, $38.32
Average salary: $12.775
Practical guarantees: $0
Cap hits:
- 2021: $15.3 million
- 2022: $11.513 million
- 2023: $11.513 million
The problem with the current deal for Jones is that there are no practical guarantees left. He could be cut and the team would be left without any cap ramifications. For Seattle, they cannot afford his year one cap hit without some serious cap maneuvering (restructuring Wilson or Wagner’s contract).
By re-doing the contract it will allow Julio to gain back some security and Seattle to lower his cap hit.
New contract:
Terms: 3 years, $35
Average salary: $11.67
Signing bonus: $15 million
Guarantees: $25 million
Cap hits:
- 2021: $7 million
- 2022: $12 million
- 2023: $16 million
Seattle will undoubtedly have to include some incentives in this contract to make it worthwhile for Jones. Playing incentives in all 3 seasons would make sense, as well as other key escalators. This contract would give Seattle club control on a very team-friendly deal. Julio Jones would have a legit shot at a Super Bowl without having to sacrifice QB play.
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The new contract would give Julio security after the trade and allow Seattle an opportunity to fully capitalize on the rest of Russell Wilson’s prime. In the first slide, I listed the pros and cons. I ask now that the trade is laid out in front of you, would you make this deal?