Julio Jones didn’t want to give all the details on conversations with Tom Brady before signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the former All-Pro did portray his excitement to work with the quarterback.
Jones, who officially signed with the Buccaneers on what’s reported to be a $6 million base salary, spoke with reporters Wednesday as Tampa Bay got back on the football field for training camp.
The first mention of Brady, as one might expect, didn’t take long.
“That’s confidential,” Jones said with a smirk when asked about his conversations with Brady thus far, per the team. “No, I mean Tom’s a great guy, man. He’s who you want to be leading your ball club, who you want to play for. I’ll take it as far as that.”
Jones, though, didn’t exactly get his wish.
“You think he gave me a call? Did Tom call me? What’s his area code?” he responded. “Yeah, I talked to him. I talked with Tom several times. But we were just talking. It wasn’t really about coming to Tampa, we were just communicating. Feeling each other out, I guess. Probably was a tactic, but I don’t know. I’m here.
“Like I said, Tom is a humble guy, great energy. You know what you’re getting out of him,” he continued. “It’s kind of like, when I talk to him, it’s kind of like I’m talking to myself. Just with the leadership, with what we expect, things like that. We’re on the same page. But all in all, we talked a little bit, but I’m going to leave it at that.”
The Buccaneers reportedly beat out the Green Bay Packers in their pursuit of Jones.
On the field, the signing of Jones further adds to an already talented group of pass catchers. And while the 33-year-old might be past his prime when it comes to 1,500-plus yards or 100 catch seasons, he’ll certainly provide another element with defenses already having to worry about Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
“Just being with a Hall of Fame quarterback, great quarterback, great coaching staff,” Jones said. “I mean, like I said, it’s a surreal moment. It’s amazing. I’m ready to go. But at the end of the day it’s all about accountability. I have to be accountable for him (Brady), the team, everybody. So with all that said and done, I still have to come to work. I still have to put the work in. You can say, ‘We got Mike (Evans). We got Tom.’ But we all have to put the work in. Nobody’s going to give us anything. We just got to come out here and work each and every day. That’s all it’s about.”
Brady, once again in Tampa Bay, has a noteworthy cast around him as he looks for his eighth Super Bowl. Jones, though, is just hoping to claim his first one.
