K.C. Chiefs fans seem to be split on the idea of potentially trading for Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones, who has been on the trade block this offseason after 10 seasons with the team. However, if you ask Travis Kelce, the Chiefs star tight end, there’s very little doubt about where he stands with regards to a trade for Jones.
The Falcons are dangling Jones in trade talks and hoping to generate as much of a return as possible in exchange for their All-Pro wide receiver. Recent reports have it as much as a first-round pick, which when combined with the financial hit, might make things difficult to stomach for the Chiefs. That’s certainly the primary argument made by Chiefs fans who are against such a deal. However, Kelce did a good job of stating exactly what Jones would bring to the table for the Chiefs in a recent appearance on NFL Live:
"“I’ll tell you what, I’m intrigued,” Kelce said. “My eyes are open, I’m peeking at the headlines seeing where it goes. Listen, that’s a game-changer when you talk about guys that can make plays anywhere on the field, full route tree no matter where you put him. I mean that’s a guy that changes the game and changes teams, so I’m interested to see where he lands.”"
The Chiefs were clearly searching for some impact help at wideout earlier this offseason when they were chasing JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency along with other reported targets like Josh Reynolds and T.Y. Hilton. Then the free agent carousel slowed considerably, which made sense given the dearth of impact talent remaining at the position. Yet even the 2021 NFL Draft came and went with minimal investment there, the lone wideout being a fifth round pick in Cornell Powell.
Travis Kelce is apparently quite interested in the Julio Jones trade talks.
Are the Chiefs going to make a run at another receiver before the regular season begins? Is there a veteran who could wiggle free from a team needing to save some cap space in the preseason? Is Jones the last gasp for anyone wanting to add a high-level target at this point of the offseason? Are the Chiefs really okay going into the preseason with several question marks hoping that competition will take care of the issue?
Kelce is definitely right about on thing: it’s very interesting to see who will win the Julio Jones sweepstakes. The idea that he’s too old or injured too often are lazy lies that have been spread by folks who somehow want to propagate a false and negative narrative. The truth is that any player like Kelce should be excited for the dynamism and experience Jones would bring to any franchise.