NBC Sports’ Peter King isn’t sure whether the Patriots will land Julio Jones.
But King believes the Falcons will trade the superstar wide receiver, who confirmed this week on live TV he wants out of Atlanta, and that New England is a logical destination.
“I think at the end of the day New England makes an awful lot of sense,” King said Friday on “PFT Live.” “It makes a lot of sense because Bill Belichick has shown time and again that he’s not afraid of — you go back to Randy Moss in ’07, where everybody was staying away from Randy Moss and he said, ‘I’ll take Randy Moss.’ To me, I really think the Patriots make the most sense.”
Of course, comparing Moss’ situation in 2007 to Jones’ situation in 2021 isn’t apples to apples. For one, Moss, 30, was two years younger than Jones, 32, is now, an important distinction to make when talking about wide receivers, who don’t always age gracefully.
Plus, the Patriots were able to land Moss for a fourth-round pick, whereas the rumored asking price for Jones is a first- or second-round pick. Belichick ultimately might find Jones, who’s coming off an injury plagued 2020, to be too rich for New England’s blood, especially with the seven-time Pro Bowl selection having three years remaining on his Atlanta contract.
Nevertheless, the Patriots could use a legitimate No. 1 receiver despite an offseason spending spree that included signing wideouts Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne in addition to tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. And the odds suggest New England should be taken seriously as a potential suitor.
