Welcome Julio Jones

[The Outsider]

Even at 33yrs old Julio Jones is a tremendous threat in the Red Zone.

Bucs also have a prime Mike Evans as another elite red zone target.

Great team separate themselves with red zone play on both sides of the ball. Other than the final score and turnovers its the most important stat in determining who wins.

Bucs stop the run well on defense which traditionally leads to being a good red zone defense.

Julio is a low risk signing. I don't see how the downside outweighs the upside.

Julio Jones. Red Zone threat.

These are mutually exclusive concepts.

For real though, Julio Jones has never been a premier RZ threat. He's had 10 tds in a season once in his entire career. And that was in 2012. Since then he has 2, 6, 8, 6, 3, 8, 6, 3, and 1 TDs in each season. Hilariously he played at least half the season in all but one of those seasons.

The season he had 136 catches for 1,871 yards he only had 8 TDs. Hell, towards the end of his time in ATL they were straight omitting him from RZ packages.

I don't think this is a bad signing by any stretch of the imagination, but some of you guys are deluding yourselves.

[MJW]

Even at 33yrs old Julio Jones is a tremendous threat in the Red Zone.

Bucs also have a prime Mike Evans as another elite red zone target.

Great team separate themselves with red zone play on both sides of the ball. Other than the final score and turnovers its the most important stat in determining who wins.

Bucs stop the run well on defense which traditionally leads to being a good red zone defense.

Julio is a low risk signing. I don't see how the downside outweighs the upside.

Julio Jones. Red Zone threat.

These are mutually exclusive concepts.

For real though, Julio Jones has never been a premier RZ threat. He's had 10 tds in a season once in his entire career. And that was in 2012. Since then he has 2, 6, 8, 6, 3, 8, 6, 3, and 1 TDs in each season. Hilariously he played at least half the season in all but one of those seasons.

The season he had 136 catches for 1,871 yards he only had 8 TDs. Hell, towards the end of his time in ATL they were straight omitting him from RZ packages.

I don't think this is a bad signing by any stretch of the imagination, but some of you guys are deluding yourselves.

He looks like a RZ threat on the hoof, but he's always been a between the 20s guy. Which is fine. We have literally the best RZ wideout in the NFL on our team.

[Nobody]

Just watched some of his 2021 tape. I have no idea if he'll stay healthy and no he doesn't have that ridiculous, HoF 5th gear on vertical routes.

However, he's still got the gear right below it which is plenty good to get on top of Off Bail CBs in Cover 3 Zone and win deep.

He still can break off a really well-run Deep Hitch where he pushes outside leverage hard, drops his hips and hooks up on a dime to create enough separation to attack the football and win.

He still can flat out beat and outrun a Press CB on a Shallow Cross.

He can still break off a Dig/Post and create separation.

He can still get way up and make sideline/endline catches and toe-tap (he had two called back that were clearly catches).

If he can stay healthy, he's a difference-maker as a 3rd or 4th WR whether he's navigating zones from a variety of positions or dealing with a 3rd or 4th CB out of Shotgun Empty.

EDIT - And I just saw him run a really great Deep Out on the boundary against Off Bail, outside leverage 3 Zone. Represented Post with a hard push to the Post at the top of the route > flipped CB hips > huge separation to the Deep Out.

This guy isn't remotely washed. Healthy? No clue. But not even close to washed.

[MJW]

Just watched some of his 2021 tape. I have no idea if he'll stay healthy and no he doesn't have that ridiculous, HoF 5th gear on vertical routes.

However, he's still got the gear right below it which is plenty good to get on top of Off Bail CBs in Cover 3 Zone and win deep.

He still can break off a really well-run Deep Hitch where he pushes outside leverage hard, drops his hips and hooks up on a dime to create enough separation to attack the football and win.

He still can flat out beat and outrun a Press CB on a Shallow Cross.

He can still break off a Dig/Post and create separation.

He can still get way up and make sideline/endline catches and toe-tap (he had two called back that were clearly catches).

If he can stay healthy, he's a difference-maker as a 3rd or 4th WR whether he's navigating zones from a variety of positions or dealing with a 3rd or 4th CB out of Shotgun Empty.

Thank you, as always, for the sane and informed analysis.

And FWIW, I don't think he was ever healthy in 2021. My hope is we get something close to the 2020 version, who was averaging 15.1 YPC with a 75% catch rating when he got hurt.

[Cheb]

I'm a huge fan of the signing of Julio Jones.

Former best receiver in the NFL, getting long in the tooth, maybe his best years are behind him, coming down to Tompa Bay to chase a ring with the Bucs. Exactly like the AB signing, but with far less of a chance he demonstrates self-destructive lunacy. One could also argue that this echoes the Randy Moss signing in New England, but I digress.

No, Julio doesn't demand a double team like he used to, and the passing game probably isn't going to flow through him. But he knows football, he isn't going to fuck things up, and I would feel comfortable with him taking starting outside reps if/when Mike Evans has to miss a few games with an injury.

Worst case scenario, Julio is this year's Shady McCoy or Richard Sherman, a guy whose best years are behind him but is here to chase a ring, largely there for emotional support. Best case, he makes like AB did and returns to dominant form to help us win another Superbowl.

The window is open so long as Tom is here. Anything we can do to move that needle towards more wins is alright by me. A low-risk, high-reward signing of a former All-Pro coming off of injury with a (presumed) chip on his shoulder is an excellent move.

[Grahamburn]

No reason at all to be negative about this.

[MJW]

No reason at all to be negative about this.

It may or may not work out. Seems equally likely Julio is in the Comeback POY discussion as there is he catches 15 balls all season.

But you are correct, there is no reason to be negative about this. If there was a better use for our remaining cap room, I can't think of it.

[_MB_]

This has a lot of upside with zero downside. It is a fantastic signing.

This. I don't get the consternation from some.

Nobody expects him to be 2015 Julio, but until today, we were looking at 6-8 weeks of leaning heavily on marginal NFL receivers in major roles. We were a Mike Evans rolled ankle away from Gage, Miller/Darden, and Perriman/Johnson/Grayson as our starting trio. Even 50% of Julio is better than that.

This is a good thing. Best possible use of our remaining camp space IMHO.

Can he be 2019 Julio?

[Snake]

It’s a possibility.

If he’s healthy, he’s a problem.

[nybf]

I don't know if there's anyone on this board who is more unimpressed with everything Jones has done than me. I've voiced it a bunch of times.

I like this signing, mostly because I don't see a downside.

[Buc2]

Schefter said Jones' reasoning for joining the Bucs was he wanted to try to win a Super Bowl with the man who kept him from winning one in Atlanta.

No kidding.. LFG!!

The Brady Effect in all its glory.

[King Bootz]

Using that credit card once again...

[These Are The Days]

Using that credit card once again...

We're gonna suck sooooooo bad AND be out of money when Brady leaves lmao. Thank God we're doing it to be actual title contenders right now. Feels good to think we can win another SB to make all that worth it

[BJJ34]

yeah i was a fan of the deal… 6 mill is a hefty chunk.

[_MB_]

Using that credit card once again...

We're gonna suck sooooooo bad AND be out of money when Brady leaves lmao. Thank God we're doing it to be actual title contenders right now. Feels good to think we can win another SB to make all that worth it

We won't fall too hard.

[These Are The Days]

We're gonna suck sooooooo bad AND be out of money when Brady leaves lmao. Thank God we're doing it to be actual title contenders right now. Feels good to think we can win another SB to make all that worth it

We won't fall too hard.

Without Brady though? Who replaces him is the hard question and the one that answers whether or not we can remain successful



Edit: meh I'm getting a little sidetracked here

[Miller4Prez64]

The 6 million doesn’t actually affect our future cap space. Unless Licht decided to split some of that out too, but I doubt it. We had created the cap space, we needed to use it to go all out in winning a ring this year. I rather we give the money to Julio than let it go to waste.

Also, I love that Julio is already set to earn more money from the Bucs than AB did over two years lol.

[Dread]

Using that credit card once again...

Zero interest Credit Cards are the tits tho...

Could be worse, the Falcons are still paying Julio's contract and the Titans will also have his contract on the books this year and in 2023.

[uscbucsfan]

The 6 million doesn’t actually affect our future cap space. Unless Licht decided to split some of that out too, but I doubt it. We had created the cap space, we needed to use it to go all out in winning a ring this year. I rather we give the money to Julio than let it go to waste.

Also, I love that Julio is already set to earn more money from the Bucs than AB did over two years lol.

The tweet says that some of Jones' $6 million is in void money. So they absolutely split some out.

[Dread]

Julio said he's 100% healthy and to go show what he can do.

Given that he's not being relied on to be a WR1 here and our staff can monitor his workload in practice in addition to a snapcount in games, it seems we're in good position to keep him healthy since we can mitigate his usage. But I get he's missed 7 games or so each of the past two seasons.

Such an exciting offensive potential.

When Godwin returns he's going to have LBs and Safeties trying to cover him due to the attention elsewhere.

Please stay healthy errybody!

[uscbucsfan]

Julio said he's 100% healthy and to go show what he can do.

Given that he's not being relied on to be a WR1 here and our staff can monitor his workload in practice in addition to a snapcount in games, it seems we're in good position to keep him healthy since we can mitigate his usage. But I get he's missed 7 games or so each of the past two seasons.

Such an exciting offensive potential.

When Godwin returns he's going to have LBs and Safeties trying to cover him due to the attention elsewhere.

Please stay healthy errybody!

Godwin has been cleared for TC and reports are expecting him to be available week 1.

[Miller4Prez64]

The 6 million doesn’t actually affect our future cap space. Unless Licht decided to split some of that out too, but I doubt it. We had created the cap space, we needed to use it to go all out in winning a ring this year. I rather we give the money to Julio than let it go to waste.

Also, I love that Julio is already set to earn more money from the Bucs than AB did over two years lol.

The tweet says that some of Jones' $6 million is in void money. So they absolutely split some out.

I definitely don’t like that then. Still like the signing overall though. I wonder what else they could be looking to use that cap space on.

[uscbucsfan]

The tweet says that some of Jones' $6 million is in void money. So they absolutely split some out.

I definitely don’t like that then. Still like the signing overall though. I wonder what else they could be looking to use that cap space on.

Maybe try to scoop up someone else that comes free or hold it in case of injury?

[Miller4Prez64]

I definitely don’t like that then. Still like the signing overall though. I wonder what else they could be looking to use that cap space on.

Maybe try to scoop up someone else that comes free or hold it in case of injury?

I’m thinking we are going to hold it for injury insurance the more I think about it. Kind of like how we brought in Sherman last year with the injuries in the secondary. Keeps your options open, plus if Gronk changes his mind in October or something. Who knows. Anyone that is or becomes available is a possibility to sign here if we have some money open.

[Snake]

It’s the last season with the greatest player and QB of all times. With the current sequel currently scheduled to be Kyle Trask or someone in college. I’m totally fine with as much cap manipulation as possible. Punt the next two seasons if we have to to raise our chances of winning it all.

Not super happy the guy who blew NFCCG with terrible defensive play calling is now steering the ship. But that’s neither here nor there…

[IronDog]

It’s the last season with the greatest player and QB of all times. With the current sequel currently scheduled to be Kyle Trask or someone in college. I’m totally fine with as much cap manipulation as possible. Punt the next two seasons if we have to to raise our chances of winning it all.

Not super happy the guy who blew NFCCG with terrible defensive play calling is now steering the ship. But that’s neither here nor there…

But by physics, it's gotta be somewhere. Maybe Judy Garland can find it over the rainbow.

[acmillis]

Just think, if JJ balls out, he'll sign a legit deal somewhere else next year, right


COMP PICK ME!!!111eleven!!

[Four Verticals]

Julio said he's 100% healthy and to go show what he can do.

Given that he's not being relied on to be a WR1 here and our staff can monitor his workload in practice in addition to a snapcount in games, it seems we're in good position to keep him healthy since we can mitigate his usage. But I get he's missed 7 games or so each of the past two seasons.

Such an exciting offensive potential.

When Godwin returns he's going to have LBs and Safeties trying to cover him due to the attention elsewhere.

Please stay healthy errybody!

Godwin has been cleared for TC and reports are expecting him to be available week 1.

Godwin didn't go on the PUP list so he could "practice" with the team rather than being relegated to working only with the trainers. The team can say whatever they wish but their actions indicate it is probably not going to happen week 1.

[Primeminister]

Just watched some of his 2021 tape. I have no idea if he'll stay healthy and no he doesn't have that ridiculous, HoF 5th gear on vertical routes.

However, he's still got the gear right below it which is plenty good to get on top of Off Bail CBs in Cover 3 Zone and win deep.

He still can break off a really well-run Deep Hitch where he pushes outside leverage hard, drops his hips and hooks up on a dime to create enough separation to attack the football and win.

He still can flat out beat and outrun a Press CB on a Shallow Cross.

He can still break off a Dig/Post and create separation.

He can still get way up and make sideline/endline catches and toe-tap (he had two called back that were clearly catches).

If he can stay healthy, he's a difference-maker as a 3rd or 4th WR whether he's navigating zones from a variety of positions or dealing with a 3rd or 4th CB out of Shotgun Empty.

EDIT - And I just saw him run a really great Deep Out on the boundary against Off Bail, outside leverage 3 Zone. Represented Post with a hard push to the Post at the top of the route > flipped CB hips > huge separation to the Deep Out.

This guy isn't remotely washed. Healthy? No clue. But not even close to washed.

Appreciate your analysis as always. It sounds like Julio could be a massive steal.

[Primeminister]

If we can win the Super Bowl this year I’m all in on 2023-24 being bad years. 2 rings in 3 years is unfathomable for any fan except Tom Brady fans.

[King Bootz]

Just think, if JJ balls out, he'll sign a legit deal somewhere else next year, right


COMP PICK ME!!!111eleven!!

At age 34? Wouldn't count on it. If Jon Gruden were still coaching he would no doubt make Julio his #1. But I wouldn't expect anything more than a 2 year deal.

[Dread]

People are not putting enough respek on Julio's name.

[Dread]

Julio said he's 100% healthy and to go show what he can do.

Given that he's not being relied on to be a WR1 here and our staff can monitor his workload in practice in addition to a snapcount in games, it seems we're in good position to keep him healthy since we can mitigate his usage. But I get he's missed 7 games or so each of the past two seasons.

Such an exciting offensive potential.

When Godwin returns he's going to have LBs and Safeties trying to cover him due to the attention elsewhere.

Please stay healthy errybody!

Godwin has been cleared for TC and reports are expecting him to be available week 1.

Did they clear that report with Bootz? I was told Godwin would definitely miss games.

[King Bootz]

Godwin has been cleared for TC and reports are expecting him to be available week 1.

Did they clear that report with Bootz? I was told Godwin would definitely miss games.

Rent Free in that dome of yours. Even if you have to make up lies. Guessing you meant to include everyone who actually said Godwin would miss games. Or do I give you that much of a hard on? Which is it?

[Dread]

Did they clear that report with Bootz? I was told Godwin would definitely miss games.

Rent Free in that dome of yours. Even if you have to make up lies. Guessing you meant to include everyone who actually said Godwin would miss games. Or do I give you that much of a hard on? Which is it?

So you're saying you've never made the claim that you felt Godwin would miss games this season?

Must be a case of mistaken identity then.