Professional football betting is all set to start on September 9 as the first game will take place between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys. The good news is that the league has expanded its 16-game schedule to 17 games for the regular season. The NFL preseason is not too far away and is all set to kick off on August 6. While a couple of months remaining before the action, some of the top teams have made big moves in terms of trade. NFL fans were surprised after the Tennessee Titans made their announcement last night.
Atlanta Falcons Trade Julio Jones to the Titans
The Atlanta Falcons have been mentioned on the trade list for a long time, but they finally struck a deal with Julio Jones. Tennessee Titans seem interested in Jones for a long time and they finally managed to get their hands on the wide receiver. The Titans got Jones and will also get a sixth-round in the 2023 draft. Jones will now appear in the Titans jersey after signing a deal for $15.3 million. The Titans seem happy and Jones will be on his way to Tennessee.
The Falcons Deal
Atlanta Falcons ensured to benefit from this deal, but they will be missing out on a strong wide receiver. The Titans came ahead of the Raiders to seal the deal for Jones. Atlanta will get a second-rounder in 2022 and a fourth-rounder in 2023. On the other hand, the Falcons will also have $7.75 million dead money this year. The Raiders were interested in Jones for a long time, but the Titans might have given Atlanta what they required the most.
An Effective Trade for Tennessee
There is no doubt that the Titans did their best to acquire Jones from the Falcons. Tennessee lost Jonnu Smith from their tight end and receiver Corey Davis to free agency. Hence, the need for Jones was a priority for the Titans. Running back Derrick Henry and receiver A.J. Brown was keen on adding Jones to their squad. Jones has been impressive with his 10-year career with the Falcons. The 32-year-old player has a record of 848 catches and 12,896 yards with 60 TDs in total. Jones also holds the record for the best average receiving yards in NFL history at 95.5.
Julio’s Former Teammates Bid Farewell
While the Titans have welcomed Jones to their squad, most of Jones’s former teammates took to social media to bid farewell to their wide receiver. Left tackle Jake Matthews stated that he held great respect for Jones and he has been a wonderful teammate for the Falcons over the past years. It turns out that Jones might be the prime target for quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the upcoming season. The Tennessee Titans have successfully made it to the playoffs in three of their last four season. Back in 2019, they lost against the Super Bowl winner Kansas City in their finals. The top online sportsbook predicts that the upcoming NFL super bowl will be bigger and better with an extra game for each team this season.
