3 reasons why LA Rams must be a Go Julio

Comes the news this Monday morning via the pre-draft day NFL rumor mill that the Atlanta Falcons are open to the idea of trading All-Pro WR Julio Jones, based on reports from both SI Senior NFL Reporter Albert Breer and Peter King of NBC Sports. Of course, the LA Rams are likely debating and inquiring about the likelihood of trading for Jones even as you read this.

If ever there was a player who could be legitimately called a win-now game-changer, that would be Jones.  And the Rams should explore whatever it takes to land this fish. If you haven’t been keeping score, the LA Rams love game-changers.

Jones would be like adding nitro to a race car. Gentlemen, start your engines!

His career stats speak, no, shout volumes – the all-time leader in yards per game.  Five (count ’em, five) straight seasons with 1,400-plus receiving yards, and 11.2 yards per target last season ( in a season when he played banged up almost the entire year). And Julio Jones is a seven times Pro Bowler (yes, that’s right. Seven. Count ’em, seven) He is to receivers what All-Pro Aaron Donald is to the defensive line.

We are talking stud wide receiver here. The kind that doesn’t grow on trees in the NFL. If there’s a 50-50 ball thrown in his direction, Jones always seems to come down with it. Contested catches? Now, where did I read about that? Oh yeah. Newly arrived quarterback Matthew Stafford throws into tight coverages.

Jones could be the perfect complement to Matthew Stafford, whom we already know has no fear of throwing a deep 50-50 ball into a tight window. That’s all he could do in Detroit. Now that Staffords on a perennial contender like the Rams, let’s give him the pepper to compliment his salt. Set the table properly.