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If you were to ask around the NFL who the 49ers WR3 would be, I’d imagine many people couldn’t name a pass-catcher on the Niners roster not named George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, or Brandon Aiyuk.
Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is the flavor of the week, and for a good reason. Last Friday on ESPN, Dan Graziano said he’d be surprised if Jones were with Atlanta when training camp begins.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan joined Michael Irvin’s podcast last Friday and spoke about Jones, which only fueled the fire:
“Julio Jones, for everybody, especially if you had a chance to coach him, he’s what you’re saying and more. I mean, the dude is one-of-a-kind. He makes coaching a lot — a lot — easier. That’s why everyone feels the same about Julio. That’s why I don’t worry about saying that. That’s like common knowledge. Everyone knows Julio is on a different level. That’s why he’s a special guy.
And I don’t know what their situation is, but I do know everyone feels that way about Julio. Watch him, and any person will see for themselves that he is a different dude,” the head coach told Irvin.”
Julio Jones had a career-high 136 receptions and 1,871 yards during Shanahan’s first year as offensive coordinator with the Falcons in 2015. That was six seasons ago, and while Jones isn’t the same caliber of player, he still remains one of the most dangerous threats in the NFL.
If the Falcons were to trade Jones after June 1, they’d save a little under $8 million. The team acquiring Jones would be on the hook for, at the very least, $15 million for 2021, then $11 million for the final two seasons, assuming there is no restructure to Julio’s contract.
I say “at the very least” as any team trading for a player is responsible for their base salary plus any other bonuses.
During today’s eposide, Akash and myself discuss whether the 49ers acquiring Jones is a pipedream.
- Quarntine Jimmy
- Shanahan’s quotes on Bosa
- Overreactions to rookie minicamp
- Whether Marqise Lee makes the roster
Plus, on Wednesday’s SB Nation NFL Show, Emory Hunt, who writes for The Athletic, works for CBS, and does play-by-play on Saturday’s and Sunday’s, joins us to discuss rookie running backs.
Emory believes Elijah Mitchell was the best running back the 49ers selected.