NFL Rumors: Could Falcons Shop Julio Jones, Matt Ryan On Trade Market?

The Falcons might look awfully different in a couple weeks.

Atlanta, in its first game since the firing of head coach Dan Quinn, earned its first victory of the season Sunday in an impressive win over the Minnesota Vikings. However, the Falcons nevertheless are 1-5 and don’t look like a team any closer to competing with the best in the NFL.

Consequently, people around the NFL reportedly think it’s possible Atlanta shops quarterback Matt Ryan and receiver Julio Jones before the Nov. 3 NFL trade deadline.

Check this excerpt from a column published Tuesday from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano:

Atlanta is not the appealing job it was two years ago, however. This has the makings of a near-complete teardown, with some people around the league openly wondering whether quarterback Matt Ryan or even wide receiver Julio Jones will be shopped at the Nov. 3 trade deadline (their contracts would make that extremely difficult). Plus, it’s difficult to name five impact players on that defense without Google.

That certainly feels like informed speculation.

Ryan, 35, has been inconsistent at best since winning the NFL MVP in 2016. He still has plenty left in the tank, though, and could be an attractive option for a team like the Dallas Cowboys, for example.

Jones, now 31 years old, remains one of the game’s best wideouts despite his age.