Julio Jones to Buccaneers: Addition of 7-time Pro Bowl receiver does not affect Tampa Bay's 2022 futures odds
Future Hall of Fame receiver Julio Jones has signed with Tampa Bay.
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The rich got a bit richer today in the NFL as Tom Brady got a new future Hall-of-Famer to throw to. Former Falcons and Titans receiver Julio Jones has signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, giving Brady an absurdly talented receiving group of Jones, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and another newcomer in Russell Gage. The Bucs already were the favorites to win the NFC at +340 per Caesars Sportsbook and +750 second favorites to win Super Bowl 57. Jones hasn't changed any of those numbers.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Jones is chasing a Super Bowl ring -- the Falcons memorably blew a 28-3 third-quarter lead and lost to Brady's Patriots in Super Bowl 51 -- and that he also drew a lot of interest from the Packers, which makes sense considering they traded away Davante Adams this offseason, but that Tampa was the most aggressive suitor. Jones has been limited to just 19 games the past two seasons because of injuries, but as recently as 2019 caught 99 passes for 1,394 yards and six scores. Jones' career receiving yardage average per game of 91.9 is the best in league history.
Because the 33-year-old Jones, a seven-time Pro Bowler, has been breaking down of late, there are no changes to Tampa Bay's 2022 forecasts via the SportsLine Projection Model: "At this point he isn't impacting the sims because there is no indication he can play significant snaps and stay healthy. His value is in depth and a couple big plays during the playoffs if he's healthy," said model creator Stephen Oh.
Brady lost future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski to retirement this season, but the team recently got a solid replacement for him in Kyle Rudolph.
Tuesday was a great day overall for the Bucs. Godwin, who is recovering from a torn ACL, has been medically cleared for the beginning of training camp. There's now a realistic shot he could be ready for Week 1. The Bucs are -2 at the Cowboys for the first Sunday night game of the year.
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