Falcons make trade for Alabama WR Julio Jones
Alabama's Julio Jones (8) makes a catch for a touchdown as Georgia's Bryan Evans defends during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game in Athens, Ga., Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff pulled off a major shocker, trading up into the first round to select wide receiver Julio Jones.
The Falcons reportedly sent their first, second and fourth round picks along with next seasons’ first round pick to move up 21 spots.
Here is Jones’ bio:
Julio Jones, Alabama, 6-3, 221: He is from Foley, Ala. He set school records with 194 catches, 3,287 yards and 43 touchdowns at Foley High. He was rated the No. 1 receiver in the nation by rivals.com and scout.com. He signed with Alabama over Florida State, Florida, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. As a freshman, he led the Crimson Tide with 58 catches. He also had 924 yards receiving and four touchdowns. In his sophomore season, Jones battled through a string of juniors. He rebounded to help the Crimson Tide win the BCS national championship as he caught 43 passes for 596 yards and four touchdowns. Last season, he caught 78 passes for 1,133 yards and seven touchdowns. He was noted for his downfield blocking in the run game. Also, he did have some problems with the occasional dropped pass. Despite having a broken bone in his foot, he turned in a phenomenal workout at the scouting combine. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds, had a broad jump of 11 feet, 3 inches and a vertical jump of 38 1/2 inches.
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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384 comments Add your comment
Mudcatjoe
April 28th, 2011
10:00 pm
Listen to all the idiot Dawg fans crying! We just got the best receiver in college football! Go Falcons!!! Try and stop us now!
doodoobailey
April 28th, 2011
10:03 pm
What happens if Roddy gets hurt? oops, didnt think of that says TD
Could have strengthened the DL to make up for the offensive gap…..oops that sounds good
Its OK….I got my eye on the next Bruce Smith in the 7th from Hanky Panky A&M Beauty College for the Blind that no one is talking about!!!!!
carlosogun22
April 28th, 2011
10:05 pm
Great Pick…. Indianapolis Here We Come Baby!!!
UGAJD
April 28th, 2011
10:09 pm
The Falcons lost to Green Bay, not because they only scored 21, but because they gave up 48. We need some defense.
falcon forever
April 28th, 2011
10:09 pm
its a deep draft. we still could get D help in round 3
Jamel
April 28th, 2011
10:10 pm
The Falcons won with this pick. Trust the regime and stop bitching. Compare the good they have produced to other regimes.
Tim j Dong
April 28th, 2011
10:11 pm
Please tell me there’s another trade or something else up your sleeve TD. This is a total AL DAVIS, desperation, been listening a little too much to Warren Sapp telling us we need a game changer threat (which Dropio Jones is not) ‘ move. Please tell us there’s some secret 2nd trade to get Green or Peterson?!?!?! Please.
This Falcons’ fan doesn’t want to see his team revert back to the Jerry Glanville, June Jones era.
WHAT AN EXTREMELY STEEP PRICE FOR A 2nd TIER, OVERRATED Player. If he hadn’t played for Bama, would he even be a 1st rounder?!?!?!?!!
Awful TD, awful – you had us believing for a few seasons man too! Starting to look like another Josh McDaniels – stop reading your clippings that you have some magic touch, & make smarter moves man!
snoopy
April 28th, 2011
10:11 pm
JJ is a good player but – the Falcons Gave up TOOO Much!!
Supa G
April 28th, 2011
10:11 pm
WOW! And they wonder why people here in Atlanta are not diehard fans. Well maybe Julio Jones can play DE, OLB or CB?!?!?!?! I am looking for a new team and I am a Grady Baby!!!!!
slim
April 28th, 2011
10:11 pm
Maybe Atlanta now will build a more aggressive defense now that we picked Julio Jones teams can no longer put 8 in the box against us pick your poison double team the receivers or stop the run we can pick up a d lineman or cover 2 linebacker with speed n coverage also someone to replace norwood. We have 6 picks maybe we trade JA98 for a draft pick once the Cba start a pass rusher or a fast linebacker with speed will be good Iam starting to like the now
kojak
April 28th, 2011
10:14 pm
Julio is gonna be in pro bowl soon
You Dawg lovers are crazy and I guess the NFL is too–what in the world did AJ ever do. He will be the bust for sure
Trade JSmoove please-dumbest player in Bball
GT81
April 28th, 2011
10:14 pm
huge strength advantage over AJ Green..corners are good enough in the NFL that you need that added strength at WR to take the ball away sometimes. puppy fans need to shadup!
Mystikal
April 28th, 2011
10:16 pm
We needed to make a bold move anyway, the Saints will bounce back and the bucs will be better. So we had to make our own upgrade.
Tim j Dong
April 28th, 2011
10:16 pm
slim – teams can put 9 in the box against us, Julio doesn’t make that much of a difference, IT’S OUR DEFENSE THAT”s the Problem my friend. Although it’d be nice, no one’s taking JA98 – he’s a TOTAL bust – other GM’s aren’t as gullible as ours appears to have turned out to b
Remarkable
April 28th, 2011
10:17 pm
No one will read this comment but, Julio is better than any two #27 picks. I think it’s a great move.
kg5
April 28th, 2011
10:17 pm
Typical TD trade. He falls in love with a player and gives up whatever it takes to make it happen. Gotta admire a guy for his convictions, but it’s not really the drafting style that I prefer. When people complain that we gave up too much for Jones, it’s not about the trade value chart. We’re talking about three probable starts (two firsts and a second) and one or two solid backups for one player. That’s a lot. Also, I’m not a fan of drafting WR’s high in the first round.
Babs
April 28th, 2011
10:18 pm
Falcons gave up waaaaaaaayyyyyyyy to much!!!!!!!! Our QB is good but will never be great…he has proved he chokes in the big games. We need a QB and a defensive boost. I like JJ but the cost was too high…… GEEZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
slim
April 28th, 2011
10:18 pm
The falcons are waiting to develop a d lineman we been waiting on sidbury 2 years but a pass rusher linebacker cornerback would be good someone who fits our cover 2 scheme
JMF
April 28th, 2011
10:18 pm
Trying to win a championship. Yes the price is high but championships do not come easy. We have an exceptional GM with balls. Go Falcons.
mgdawg
April 28th, 2011
10:19 pm
The falcons gave up a lot clearly, but if he ends up being a star like everyone thinks then it is well worth it. As a uga fan, it makes it a little painful to think that they could have had AJ, AJ’s hands are better, but physically Jones looks better. However, if he ends up as a bust, this could be something to kill a franchise on their way up.
Lesa
April 28th, 2011
10:20 pm
Dimitroff knows what he’s doing. As others have said, the Falcons plan on winning a lot of games, so those picks will be low ones anyway. I would’ve loved to get A.J. Green, but am still excited to get Julio. Looking forward to some exciting offense from the Falcons in 2011!!!!!!
Mystikal
April 28th, 2011
10:20 pm
If anyone correctly predicted this first round they should be working for the CIA!!
JIMMY
April 28th, 2011
10:20 pm
YOU KNOW WHAT FUNNY, RODDY WHITE DROPPED A LOT OF BALLS WHEN HE CAME IN THE LEAGUE. LOOK AT HIM NOW. WITH GONZALEZ AND WHITE WORKING WITH JJ, WE WILL HAVE A DUEL THREAT ALONG WITH TURNER COMING OUT OF THE BACK FIELD. ALSO MATT CAN THROW A DEEP BALL, HE THROUGH HIS FIRST TD PASS FOR OVER 70 YARDS. MARK MY WORDS, ATL WILL MADE DEFENSIVE CORDINATOR SCARED. AND ONTOP OF THAT JENKINS CAN STILL BE TRADED FOR A PICK, AND THEN DO YOU THINK THAT WE WILL NOT MAKE A SPLASH IN FREE AGENCY, YOU MUST BE CRAZY.
Tim j Dong
April 28th, 2011
10:21 pm
ok TECH & BAMA fans, take a night off bashing the Dawgs & understand this is the NFL – & our team just got screwed!!!!! HOW CAN U NOT SEE THAT. Forget Green if u wan,t our weakness is on the other side of the ball. The guy that said Jones’ will go to the ProBowl this year, put the pipe down bro… seriously dope kills man
oldbird
April 28th, 2011
10:21 pm
I would have preferred Green because he has much better hands, (and I’m a UGA alum), but I would still not have agreed to give up that much for him. If we had offered two # 1 picks, a 2 and a 4, to Detroit or Arizona, we could have had Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald. Dimitroff may be the genius that everyone seems to think he is, but he hasn’t looked like it in first rounds to me.
bank walker
April 28th, 2011
10:22 pm
We need a secondary.
slim
April 28th, 2011
10:23 pm
Tim J i understand that but the falcons are now saying they are tired of developing dlineman we probably will sign a experience d end now we can focus on the defense or trade down for more picks we need dlineman and 2 more active linebackers with speed and blitzing who can play in coverage our pass defense needs to be addressed a replacement for norwood will be good o yea another man or cover 2 type linebacker brian van gorder no more excuses
hell yeah
April 28th, 2011
10:24 pm
Phuck AJ….we got JJ. way to go Falcons
Greg Mendel
April 28th, 2011
10:26 pm
RE: A. J. Green — We couldn’t have snagged him, no matter what (and I’ll bet Dimitroff tried to get him).
RE: D vs. O — I agree that an improved D was needed. I just think Julio takes some of the pressure off the D by giving the O a lot more power.
RE: Julio deal vs. Defensive draft — I think the Falcons simply took the biggest overall game-changer they could.
Arosmith
April 28th, 2011
10:26 pm
North Ave Trade School Hater
The Falcons are idiots, and Dmitroff is their King…………………….fool your the king of bar room morons that have no clue why dont you step out behind a jackass and let it kick you in the ass maybe it might knock some since into your stupid ass
SeenThisB4
April 28th, 2011
10:27 pm
The falcan’ts will mis-use Jones. Their slow-arse defense will still be there next year. FAIL.
Mystikal
April 28th, 2011
10:27 pm
Perhaps if we hadn’t given up SSOOOO much we could trade back into 1st round to take Cameron Jordan and damn the rest of the draft!
Jimmy Ray
April 28th, 2011
10:29 pm
None of you have the knowledge of football and the scouting of football players like the Falcons or any other NFL team does. I’m sure TD did the best he could to trade up to get Green, but it wasn’t there. I think this trade was the right move b/c right away with Jones there is that TD threat in the passing game that the offense needed. I also think Kroy Biermann will be ready to prove himself this year and that the secondary will be better with another year of experience. GO FALCONS!!! Falcons fans quit being nay-sayers and quit being fair-weather fans like most of you are with the Braves!
Mystikal
April 28th, 2011
10:30 pm
THANK YOU JIMMY, the thought of trading Jenkins for anything makes me feel much better!
UGAJD
April 28th, 2011
10:30 pm
Ordinarily, I would feel pretty good about building our defense via free agency, but without a CBA, no one knows exactly what free agency will look like. I’m afraid we may have shot our wad on Julio.
Tim j Dong
April 28th, 2011
10:32 pm
right so your point is . . . we CAN afford to be throwing away our best picks for the next 2 years w/ all of these defensive holes, for another better than avg. WR (currently have R. White, M. Jenkins, H.Douglass & TE TOny Gonzalez), who has a tendency to drop the ball? You know we’re going to have to empty the bank out to pay this kid (which we already did last year for White by the way), so w/ what $ r we going to be luring these Defensive free agents everyone keeps talking about??
Like I said, I can only pray there’s another surprise 2nd plan.
Greg Mendel
April 28th, 2011
10:32 pm
Well, we could have drafted Jamal Anderson. Again.
Goodnight WHO DAT
April 28th, 2011
10:33 pm
The kid ran the 40 in the combine with a broken foot, he’s a player and he gives 110% on every down. Gamble, but a good gamble nonetheless…GO FALCONS!!!!!
Jimmy Ray
April 28th, 2011
10:33 pm
As an ATL sports fan I can say w/out a doubt that ATL sports fans are a bunch of spoiled brats! Your teams aren’t in the upper echilon of sports teams b/c you don’t support them! You don’t go to Braves games and b4 the Falcons became “good” you didn’t go to their games either b/c you only care if they win. The consensus of ATL teams won’t change with the rest of the viewing public won’t change unless you change!
PMC
April 28th, 2011
10:37 pm
Falcon CB’s are about to be freaking abused in practice.
UGAJD
April 28th, 2011
10:37 pm
Bengals’ blog is an interesting read. Most fans very unhappy that CIN didn’t take the deal the Falcons gave CLE.
Tim j Dong
April 28th, 2011
10:40 pm
Jimmy Ray – GROW A PAIR!!! Your comments r irrelevant & uninsightful. You sound like that of either an ex- male cheerleader (we’ve all been around one of those right?) or probably an Alabama man, which is fine – your school is again a powerhouse, but . . . again this it the NFL – Jones was an above avg. player on one of the best teams (& most exposed/watched) college teams over the past 3 years. Had he not been on Bama, we’d be speaking of Julio as a 2nd rounder. As another reader commented he’s not worth 2 starters & 3 quality back-ups that u’d hope to get out of the draft the next 2 years.
dawgfan13
April 28th, 2011
10:43 pm
Guys stop complaining! TD and blank saw a player they really wanted and they went after him. How many late round picks actually turn out to be studs? Julio will be a STUD for the Falcons with Roddy White on the other side. 3,4 round picks are a big reach! I love this deal! They will sign free agents and get guys who didnt get drafted to fill their defensive needs. Great job Falcons! Also give the Hawks some credit closing out Orlando!
publius
April 28th, 2011
10:47 pm
First, I saw Atlanta moved up and grabbed a Game Changer.
I wondered what they had swapped for such good fortune.
So yes, there is some sticker shock.
But, the picks exchanged were all late in the rounds this year and, it should be expected that next year’s first rounder would be a late in the round pick as well.
Odds are, none of the later picks, and possibly the sum total of them, don’t put the points on the board or the 4th quarter TDs that Jones has in him. Roll dice for the tide.
Yo Vince
April 28th, 2011
10:48 pm
Loyal Falcon said it all. You goffey homers wettin your diapers over bean pole green were the ones calling for Roddy’s head 4 years ago. Julio will create nightmares for any defence. Get a life homers.
Tim j Dong
April 28th, 2011
10:50 pm
I don’t understand the logic of well we’re shooting for A.J. but came up just short so we go for the next guy at the same position?! That’s like if Miami had snagged Matt Ryan instead of Long, we’d automatically picked Chad Henne, b/c he’s the next QB available?! Wouldn’t have made sense?!
You get a chance to get a REAL blue chipper as in Green or Patrick Peterson, u make this trade – if it falls through – u don’t just settle, for a 2nd tier guy – u stay put or seek something else to fill another Defensive hole – as that’s as greatest team need. Am I wrong?!
opie
April 28th, 2011
10:55 pm
Leave it to the Falcons to give up the farm for Michael Jenkins the second and Matt Ryan can not throw the ball over 25 yards. Ranklin Smith night mares are back!!
Ross
April 28th, 2011
11:00 pm
D’O, any checkers in the past for this kid? Is his head on straight?
-drl
Larry
April 28th, 2011
11:03 pm
I think it was a GREAT move by the Falcons……..with Roddy, Jenkins, Jones and Gonzo……WOW
Turner will run free…..Jones will stretch the field move Jenkins to the slot……we will have as good of an offense as anyone…..Just pickup a change of pace back and we are home free. A great offense will do wonders for our defense……just wait and see.
usbummer
April 28th, 2011
11:03 pm
With what we gave up, this Jones fellow better be solid gold at a cast-iron salary. Are you sure about this, TD?