It’s rare that the Tennessee Titans are the talk of the NFL, but that’s exactly what they were yesterday, when news broke that they had traded with the Atlanta Falcons for stud wide receiver Julio Jones. The Titans gave up a 2nd round pick in 2022, and swapped 4th and 6th round picks in 2023 to seal the deal. The move finally answers the question of just what the hell the Titans are going to do to address the lack of depth in the receiving corps, and it adds another deep threat menace in the passing game opposite AJ Brown.
Sources: The #Falcons are trading All-Pro WR Julio Jones to the #Titans in exchange for at least a 2nd round pick. A blockbuster for Tennessee, who now gets the coveted big-play threat. And Atlanta ends up with very nice value.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 6, 2021
Raw emotion at SoBros HQ over the last 24 hours. Soak it in with me, Titans fans. Let ’em talk about Ryan Tannehill not being an elite quarterback. Let ’em talk about Derrick Henry breaking down at some point. Let ’em talk about how terrible this defe…okay, but the defense was actually bad in 2020. My point is…let ’em talk all the shit they want to talk. But, this is the run. This is Jon Robinson and company understanding that this offense, with Brown, Henry, and Tannehill, is in its prime and the championship window is wide freaking open. It all started with a pep talk from Eddie George, a trade for a backup to Marcus Mariota, and an improbable run to an AFC Championship.
Last season, the Titans fielded one of the best offenses in the NFL. Clearly, this is a unit in the midst of its prime. Tannehill continues to be one of the most underrated and efficient quarterbacks in the entire NFL, while making plays in the passing game when called upon. He doesn’t get enough credit for that. Brown has had back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns to start his career. Henry is coming off of a 2,000-yard season and back-to-back NFL rushing titles. The Titans were able to get that incredible rushing season in 2020 in the books behind a patchworks offensive line that now appears to be solidified heading into 2021. But, we all know Father Time remains undefeated. It isn’t always going to be this way, and in my opinion, it’s realistic to believe you have about two more seasons of this before things start to unravel. So, the vision behind grabbing Jones is to keep that train rolling as long as they can – you might give up a 2nd rounder, but this is about the here and now. To quote Doctor Stephen Strange, “we’re in the end game now.”
From an Xs and Os standpoint, I can’t wait to see how the Titans utilize Jones. While he may be approaching the twilight of his Hall of Fame career, he can still be a force in this offense. If defenses pay too much attention to Brown, Jones can make plays, and vice versa. If teams stack the box to stop Henry, these receivers are going to feast. The Titans are in a position to make defenses pick their poison. Turron Davenport pointed out that Brown, Jones, and Josh Reynolds all have experience playing outside and in the slot. That makes for a dangerous combination – I particularly like the idea of putting Brown in the slot with Jones and Reynolds on the outside as a chance to brutalize nickel corners. But, this should be a highly versatile, dynamic offense.
There’s that little voice in the very back of my head that still wonders if the personnel changes on defense were enough, how much the loss of Arthur Smith will effect play-calling, and if Jones is going to be healthy enough to play in 2021. But, for now, I think it’s perfectly acceptable to rejoice in this addition. Titans fans should be celebrating this morning, and eagerly looking forward to football season. I don’t know where this puts the Titans in the grand scheme of the AFC, but if the defense is even marginally improved, they should be thought of among the legitimate contenders in the conference.
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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