Analysis
7/26/22
2 min read
Julio Jones signs with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
On a day full of news, none might be bigger than Julio Jones reaching an agreement on a one-year deal to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tuesday afternoon.
The 33-year-old is fresh off a year with the Tennessee Titans after spending his first 13 seasons in the NFL as an Atlanta Falcon. Now, Julio Jones gets to play with Tom Brady, the man who led the infamous 28-3 comeback against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
Offensive Firepower
Julio Jones now gets to team up with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, forming a trio of wide receivers that has the potential to be the league's best. Jones has recently struggled with hamstring injuries, but still has plenty left to offer teams. The Buccaneers had to fight off the Green Bay Packers to secure Julio's services.
Since he was drafted in 2011, Julio has amassed 13,330 receiving yards and 61 career touchdowns, on his way collecting five All-Pro nods, 7 Pro Bowls, and lead the NFL in receiving yards in two separate seasons. His career has put him in near Hall of Fame territory. A Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers would almost cement that status.
Julio Jones drew interest from, amongst others, the Green Bay Packers and Buccaneers. But Tampa was the most aggressive in giving its QB a new offensive weapon.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 26, 2022
Worrying injury history
"If Julio is healthy, he can still be a very productive player," said Mike Tannenbaum, a former NFL Executive and Founder of The 33rd Team." This was a very smart signing by Tampa Bay."
Julio Jones's injury history is certainly one to monitor. He's missed seven games in each of the last two seasons. Those injuries are why Julio Jones was still available in free agency as training camp opened up.
The Buccaneers appear to be going all-in on what is likely going to be Tom Brady's last season in the NFL. With some uncertainty about the team's wide receiver depth and Chris Godwin's return from injury, the signing offers Tampa an intriguing swing for the fences that could pay off with a Super Bowl bid. A healthy Julio Jones could allow the Buccaneers to let Godwin come back when he's fully healthy and would draw coverage away from the other receivers on the team, making an already excellent offense that much deeper.
