LA Rams Van Jefferson could be key to Julio Jones trade

Why is Van Jefferson the key?

The LA Rams loved former Florida wide receiver Van Jefferson enough to land him with the 57th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. They loved him enough to give him reps with the first string in scrimmage games. They loved him enough to talk highly about him as the team prepared to play the 2020 NFL season.

But the team did not love him enough to give him an equitable share of the offensive snaps. With all those positives going for him, Van Jefferson had to settle for 256 offensive snaps. Why did teammate Josh Reynolds, the player who struggled to get onto the field in previous years, end up with 802 offensive snaps? The reason is that Van Jefferson runs routes just like Robert Woods or Cooper Kupp.  With three receivers running the same routes at the same speed, the defense quickly zeroes in on that cadence.

Although gone, Reynolds was a player who ran to a different drumbeat.  He was a bit quicker, a bit less gifted at route-running. Reynolds was simply a younger version of Woods or Kupp. In fact, it was Jefferson who was tapped to step up when Cooper Kupp missed games late in the season and the playoffs.

The Falcons may be prepared to part ways with Jones, but they’ll need a player who can step up to handle the workload. Van Jefferson, unlike 2022 rookies, can step up for the Falcons here and now. He can prove himself in the Falcons offense, and be part of their roster for several years. He is a certainty for the Falcons who face an uncertain future. If he pans out to expectations, he can put up a thousand-plus yard season for Atlanta in 2021, and they will still have draft picks to use in next year’s draft.

In trade scenarios, draft picks are often overvalued and players are undervalued by fans. The LA Rams and Atlanta Falcons are unlikely to make that mistake. Even as Rams rumors are heating up, some are scratching their heads as to how the LA Rams pull off a trade like that.  Well, now you know. It’s simple, and Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson could be the key to it all.