LA Rams: Why No Julio Jones trade was the right choice

Not the same player that he once was

The fact is that Julio Jones has put on one helluva performance for the Atlanta Falcons. Such a performance that he has a career grade from Pro Football Focus of 95.2. That is the top grade of any wide receiver in the NFL right now.  Forget the detractors who claim that Julio Jones was easily injured (he wasn’t) or that he is not good any longer (he is).

Here is the player who the Rams passed on:

And before the comments section swells with ‘Why didn’t the Rams grab this guy?’, we had been on this rumor for weeks.   While Jones was an outstanding player, he is no longer in his prime. But perhaps an even greater factor, he is not the receiver who the LA Rams need right now.

Now don’t get me wrong, Julio Jones placed the Atlanta Falcons on the map and he most certainly  deserved this tribute from the team and the NFL:

But he simply is not the same player who burst onto the league in 2011, some ten years ago. He is not that featured receiver anymore, rather, he is a complementary receiver who needs to forge chemistry with his quarterback and other receivers to achieve success.