Tennessee Titans haven’t mortgaged their future in Julio Jones trade
By Will Lomas
The Tennessee Titans’ present and future are both bright.
Wide receiver Julio Jones is almost a lock for the Hall of Fame after a stellar career with the Atlanta Falcons, but now the superstar is going to be taking his talent to the Music City as the newest member of the Tennessee Titans.
Titans fans should be overjoyed because this is the missing piece to this already talented roster. For months now, the goals of this offseason have been clear:
1. Completely overhaul that embarrassment of a defense from 2020
2. Find a way to sustain elite offensive production despite the lack of resources
The first goal was seemingly achieved after the draft. Throughout the offseason, the Titans added three new starters at cornerback, two high-level pass rushers, and added several role players and backups.
While the Titans added two very competent receivers in Josh Reynolds and Dez Fitzpatrick, fans weren’t confident that the second goal on that list would be achieved. The majority of the fanbase wasn’t sold that those two would be able to replace the production of Jonnu Smith and Corey Davis.
The Julio Jones trade should completely alleviate that fear because he will jump and fill that WR2 role. Not only will he replace Corey Davis’s production, but he should be an improvement at the position, which is huge.
Despite the obvious reasons for optimism, there are some fans and pundits who insist on being wet blankets. Since there is almost nothing to complain about in the short-term with this move, those people quickly turn their eyes to the future to explain why they think this signals the beginning of the end for the Titans’ window for success.
Ultimately it all devolves into an argument about future resources, so let’s talk about why those people are completely wrong. Here are two reasons the Titans haven’t mortgaged the future by trading for Julio Jones.