
Julio Jones styling and profiling with that sporty bow tie in New York last night. (Stephen Chernin, Associated Press)
FLOWERY BRANCH – Julio Jones was the sharpest player at the NFL draft with that nice bow tie.
Shows that the newest Falcons has some class. (Of course I’m partial to the bow tie look).
Did a little investigative work and discovered that it’s a legit bow tie, too. Not one of those clip-ons you wore to your high school prom.
We’ll be chatting live with Jones today around 5 p.m.
But here are some excerpts from his chat with the media late last night:
ON BEING SELECTED BY THE FALCONS: “I’m really grateful for what they did, to trade up to get me. I really can’t explain it right now. It took me by surprise that they traded up to get me. I feel like they have a lot of trust in me and I am not going to disappoint.”
ON PLAYING WITH RODDY WHITE: “It’s great. I love it, going in and trying to take some of the pressure off of Roddy White. When I went through the interview with Atlanta, they showed me a couple of plays where the safety was rolling over and doubling Roddy White and I want to come in and take some pressure off of him and make those guys play one on one. I’m going to come in there and just try and work.”
ON THE TRADE: “I was very shocked, because I really didn’t have that much contact with them. We just talked briefly. We weren’t talking on the phone. I was very shocked and taken by surprise.”
ON HIS DROPPED PASSES: “I’m not ashamed. I play very hard. If I drop a ball, I drop a ball, but I had to teach myself to slow down. Play fast but don’t hurry. I used to take my eyes off the ball to try and make a play, but I taught myself that later on during the season. You can go back and look at film and you can tell. I would be so excited to make a big play for my teammates.”
ON PLAYING AT THE GEORGIA DOME: “I’m going to love it. I love the atmosphere there. The fans are great. Our fans were coming, but I know we had some Atlanta fans coming there as well. Just the atmosphere and playing under those lights, I love it.”
ON THE TORNADOS IN ALABAMA: “Nobody was injured. I prayed about it. I heard the news yesterday and I started praying about all the people in Tuscaloosa, hoping nobody was injured. Unfortunately, some people were hurt and killed. One of my teammates, Carson Tinker was involved with the tornado. It killed his girlfriend and broke his arm. I’m going to do whatever I can to give back to Tuscaloosa, because they have been there for me since I started at the University of Alabama. I want to give back for the fans.”
ON MATT RYAN: “I feel like this team is perfect for me, with Matt Ryan throwing the ball, everything. I’m so excited and I am grateful that the Atlanta Falcons have seen that I am a hard worker, that I can come in and contribute.”
ON HIS BLOCKING: “I take a lot of pride in that. A lot of pride, because I know that those running backs are blocking for me on pass plays. I just try to give that back to them, go out there and block and try to make a big play for the team. It’s not all about me, it’s about the team. I don’t want to take a play off.”
ON HOW HE PLANNED TO CELEBRATE: (Aside: I thought he should have went with the Far East Movement’s “Like a G6.”)
Poppin bottles in the ice, like a blizzard
When we drink we do it right gettin slizzard
Sippin sizzurp in my ride, like Three 6
Now I’m feelin so fly like a G6
Like a G6, Like a G6
Now I’m feelin so fly like a G6
But here’s what he said: “I have signed with Under Armor and they are throwing us a draft party tonight. At a lounge, that’s where we are going to celebrate tonight with my family and everybody that was part of the draft.”
121 comments Add your comment
chem
April 29th, 2011
12:43 pm
I prefer the solid color bow tie.
Jesse
April 29th, 2011
12:46 pm
I think he should wear it during his first game… make it part of his uniform.
Robert 08
April 29th, 2011
1:02 pm
I didn’t know much about Julio Jones before last night, but I’m loving everything I’m reading … helping the tornado victims, keeping safeties from rolling over to help cover Roddy and loving to block. He seems like a class act and I’m glad he’s a Falcon.
GT Alum
April 29th, 2011
1:03 pm
Sounds like a very mature young man. You have to especially love his comment about blocking for the running game, but, really, everything he said was what you hope to hear.
Mando
April 29th, 2011
1:05 pm
Sober girls around me they be actin like they drunk!
IceFan
April 29th, 2011
1:06 pm
DLed,
I’m beginning to love this pick/trade after learning more about Julio. I knew he was a great player but the more I hear about his character, work ethic and competitiveness the more I begin to drool waiting for games to start.
Questions for Julio at 5pm today:
1. How will you approach seeking out your place on this team and earning the respect of your teammates considering the importance being placed on you and what it took to get you?
2. What is your favorite thing about playing Wide Receiver?
Wendell
April 29th, 2011
1:11 pm
This morning in 680, Jones was quoting as saying: “I don’t like blocking . . . I LOVE blocking,”
Sounds like he has a good attitude so far…
Scott
April 29th, 2011
1:15 pm
Everything he said is exactly what you would expect to hear from a Saban/Alabama player. No “I’m an ENTERTAINER, I’m an ICON” crap from them! Roll Tide and Go Falcons! Falcons won’t be in the mid 20s in play production next year. Three big recievers!! Jenkins in the slot? Scary for those tiny DBs
Shane Falco
April 29th, 2011
1:20 pm
so what picks do the Falcons have left? 1 3rd round, 1 5th, 1 6th, and 3 7th? Is this correct?
Chuck Sheen
April 29th, 2011
1:21 pm
This kid is a beast and exactly what we need. Mid year people will be praising this move…
PMC
April 29th, 2011
1:21 pm
Smart kid. Save your money, make the advertisers pay your way.
Well done Julio.
JC Baggett
April 29th, 2011
1:22 pm
Somewhere there is a high school student getting charged a fee by a tux rental place because he neglected to return the bow tie…or, “Pee Wee Herman caled; he wants his tie back.”
Not a fan of the bow tie but very happy with the pick. Now, I’d like to see a change-of-pace running back selected in the later rounds to give The Burner and Jason Snelling some relief as well as replace oft-injured former Mizzippi State Bulldog Jerious Norwood. A late round “project” DE would not be bad either.
Now, who gets cut because of the numbers: Michael Jenkins, Harry Douglass or Brian Finneran? Discuss and post.
PMC
April 29th, 2011
1:24 pm
Finn is gone JC.
ugaclassof2004
April 29th, 2011
1:38 pm
Nice pick by the Birds, but that suit is atrocious! The color scheme, patterns, and freakin Bow Tie! YE-GODS!!
chaz
April 29th, 2011
1:39 pm
yeah finn is already gone. I could be wrong, but i’m more of the mind that HD is the odd man out. Jenks is a great blocker, big body and can contribute across the middle, if he’ll just do it. this is gonna be a fun year to watch some offense once everyone gets on the same page
Real Problem
April 29th, 2011
1:42 pm
Kid is a team player and a class act. He is going to be NFL day one ready when he hits the field. Excellent job Falcons!!
Vulture
April 29th, 2011
1:43 pm
Hey where did the whiners go? A speed back would be nice!
rduck
April 29th, 2011
1:45 pm
The frst I heard this might happen, I was pretty dead set against it. Way too much to give up to move up to get he or AJ. But noe I am starting to warm up to this pick and the move TD made to make it happen. I am sure they will address the D once free agency starts up. Julio seems to be a great player and an even better young man. I also love his quote about blocking. Too many WR’s have the idea that they are route runners and pass catchers only. You watch alot of the receivers on run plays and they just go through the motions. Loving this kid more by the moment and can’t wait to see him tear the turf up in the dome…
rduck
April 29th, 2011
1:47 pm
I agree about trying to find a speedy RB later on also. Need to have a quick strike threat to compliment Turner and Snelling.
Jim
April 29th, 2011
1:55 pm
Wow…I hope Jones can stop Brees, Rodgers, etc…oh wait…he’s a wide receiver. Way to mortgage your future and not improve your defense. Has Matt Millen resurfaced in Atlanta?
Bride of Chucky Knapp
April 29th, 2011
2:01 pm
Welcome to the Falcons, Julio! Glad we could keep you in the South and you get to play for a good team.
JSS
April 29th, 2011
2:01 pm
That Armstrong Williams bow tie was weak! It is a weak look on you too! But they thankfully drafted him to play him football, not for ability to look like a 60 year old apostolic preacher with no color coordination! There’s some men up in Brooklyn and Chicago that can teach both of you how to properly style that 1958 look…
CJ
April 29th, 2011
2:03 pm
Who are we to question Thomas Dimitroff? He got us to where we are now, which is the best our team has EVER been.
itpdude
April 29th, 2011
2:04 pm
This is a good pick. A bit pricey, but a good pick. Now the Birds need to get some D.
Matt
April 29th, 2011
2:17 pm
Great interview!
chickenman
April 29th, 2011
2:26 pm
POP YOUR COLLAR we have a legit DirTY BirD for matty ice to play with
Vulture
April 29th, 2011
2:32 pm
The cost shocked me at first but, now I am excited at that value we got. Having 2 top, physical
wide receivers is going open up the whole offense, help keep the defense off the field and get rid of the lulls in scoring. We have to match up with the best offenses and not just try to stop them on defense.
David Granger
April 29th, 2011
2:33 pm
I think Julio Jones is going to be an outstanding player. I’m not sure the trade was a good one in terms of what we gave up to get him…but the only way Julio will NOT help a team is if he turns out to be a Terrell Owens/Randy Moss-type head case, and I don’t see that happening. Falcons should sure be able to put up the points this year….hope we can stop somebody.
Robby
April 29th, 2011
2:42 pm
yes sir we gon be unstoppable damn finally some body who gon help take dat pressure off roddy good move atl fa dat man julio jones we needed that and we did it man jim shut up what you think we did with the rest of our picks u need to learn some football its a win win with julio so just delete yo self off of this website
nick skorich
April 29th, 2011
3:02 pm
Now all he needs is a Nick Skorich hat, D-led.
Jim
April 29th, 2011
3:06 pm
Yo Robby…sho nuff…like all dems good WRs Millen took with the Lions (Charles Rogers, Mike Williams, Roy Williams). Y’all ain’t one playa away…your a whole defense away. Rest of what picks? You mean Cleveland’s picks? You were already unstoppable on offense…you win with defense knucklehead. You need to learn English AS well as Football
William
April 29th, 2011
3:06 pm
I love it. Julio Jones is a destroyer… because he works for it, and he goes and FIGHTS for the ball. Very similar to Roddy (best player on the team,) but even faster. The draft is a crapshoot. We just got ourselves one of the only guaranteed studs in the whole thing. It was so worth it. Welcome to Atlanta, Julio, can’t wait to see you in that uniform!!!
Hey Marcel
April 29th, 2011
3:07 pm
JSS
April 29th, 2011
2:01 pm
That Armstrong Williams bow tie was weak! It is a weak look on you too! But they thankfully drafted him to play him football, not for ability to look like a 60 year old apostolic preacher with no color coordination! There’s some men up in Brooklyn and Chicago that can teach both of you how to properly style that 1958 look…
************************************************
Is this your coming out party?
Gwinnett Fred
April 29th, 2011
3:13 pm
Finneran was cut months ago. Dougles adds too much speed and doesn’t make enough to dump.
I’d think because of his salary, Jenkins is gone. They will now have to build their defense thru free agency for any immediate impact, and they can’t afford his $2 million + salary as a 3rd WR.
Gwinnett Fred
April 29th, 2011
3:15 pm
JSS – your boss is calling you – cleanup on aisle 8!!!
D. Orlando Ledbetter
April 29th, 2011
3:26 pm
Julio has arrived at the Branch. We have a 5 p.m presser with him.
Mike Jay
April 29th, 2011
3:30 pm
Love this move! Our defense is not nearly as bad as most everyone seems to think. Go look at their stats, they were #5 in scoring (18 pts a game), 4 in takeawyas. They just gave up a lot of yards and were 20th in sacks. Plus do not forget that they were extremelly young. A ton of starters and key contributers are not even in their third year. This coaching staff is excellent so Ithink it is safe to assume those youngs will get better. If you make zero changes on defense we can all agree it should be better just due to the above. Of course that won’t happen because the Falcons just proved they are all in. This team does need to get younger on defense they need some savvy vets to shore up the weak spot and help mentor. They WILL get the best pass rushing DE FA. No doubt in my mind, Atlanta is considered one of the best places to play in the league and they will pay what it takes. They just to resign their OL (at elast two of them) get some help at OLB and some help in nickle slot already!
BigTimeTECHFan
April 29th, 2011
3:40 pm
Julio Jones = great pick.
Why draft defense, issue now is there defense is to young as it is with W Moore, Perry, Spoon, Peters, even Lofton young for Defensive leader at MLB. Did you want falcons to add more youth, most of the play remaining after 25th pick are same level as the guys we have now.
Also all they have to do is sign one big time FA next year that will make up for the 1st round pick, and a couple extra mid level FA to make up for 4th round picks, make there moves right and they pretty much just swapped picks with Cleveland.
McNasty
April 29th, 2011
3:43 pm
You heard it here first. Julio will be rookie of the year! (Baring injury)
clay
April 29th, 2011
3:43 pm
Anyone that knows this franchise should love this move because even though we gave up a lot to get him, you know that TD has something up his sleeve for when free agency starts. IN TD WE TRUST
TroupDawg
April 29th, 2011
3:49 pm
The CB free agent from the Raiders, is he still a FA? Do you think the birds may be in the hunt for this guy? Sure would be nice to see him in red but I wonder about the cost and the cap limit.
Ed
April 29th, 2011
3:54 pm
Julio Jones will have an immediate impact on the explosiveness of the Falcons offense and I can’t wait to for all of this lockout crap to be over with so I can see this guy in a Falcons uniform. I like the fact that he is tall and physical and can roll coverage away from Roddy White.
Smitty
April 29th, 2011
4:02 pm
Love the pick. Probably gave up alot to get him, but get in the Title game or Super Bowl and next year’s 1st rounder is in 28-32 range. Personally I think Blank told Dimitroff that he will open the check book this FA signing period when it starts. Add Asomgua (sp?) or Cromartie at CB and Edwards at DE from Minnesota and you have a beast of a team. Can afford 2 FA since Abraham is on the last year of his contract. Use the remaining picks this year to shore up depth at LB, OL and DL.
Also, I don’t see them getting rid of any WR that they have since Finn is gone – White, Jones, Jenkins, Douglas, Meier, Weems. Falcons can carry 6 WR next season.
However, if Matt Ryan’s arm explodes or Turner blows out a knee next season and the Falcons drop in the standings, that 1st rounder next year is gonna hurt to give up.
UGA75
April 29th, 2011
4:04 pm
Julio is a great addition to the Dirty Birds, for every ball he dropped he caught 2 impossible balls. He is a great wide out, but more important to the Falcon’s he is a quality human being. He is a winner joining a team of winners, it is a good day to be a Bird fan.
BigTimeTECHFan
April 29th, 2011
4:09 pm
Some FA they could pick up to make up for 4th round picks:
Quintin Mikell S Phil
Mathias Kiwanuka DE NY-G
Brodney Pool S NY-J
Ike Taylor CB Pitt
Barrett Ruud LB TB
Champ Baily CB Den
as examples
tim
April 29th, 2011
4:18 pm
He was purprised that he was picked by the Falcons cuz they didn’t talk much and had little contact….. Was due diligence done by the Falcons???
GO PACK GO!
April 29th, 2011
4:51 pm
see a lot of excuses why you didn’t win last year…
“roddy needs help.”
“we were playing with a scrub back against GB.”
“we turned the ball over too much.”
“abraham needs help on the line.”
when are the falcons going to produce? GB did it with 15 guys on the IR. jordy nelson torched you and he was our 3rd reciever. falcon’s should have got mean on defense not on stylish bow-ties.
ryan kinsley
April 29th, 2011
4:53 pm
My father always told me to never trust a man in a bowtie.
South ga boy in the atl
April 29th, 2011
4:56 pm
TD is a genius (no sarcasm). He spent 3 drafts building the foundation and it was time for impact players. If u want elite quality then u have to pay for it. I fully expect TD to go after a pass rushing DE in FA and maybe a corner with our 3rd rd pick. We r now 2 players away from a super bowl win
JoeFann
April 29th, 2011
5:08 pm
My first response on hearing the trade and pick was (wait for it) is this Dallas trading with Minnesota over Herschel Walker for way too much? Don’t get me wrong, I love that we got Julio Jones and think he’s a great fit, but teams are built through the draft and shrewd free agency. No doubt, another WR was a serious need (maybe the highest need,) but so was DE. I’d like to pick TD’s brain on the reasoning now, but I realize we’ll have to wait until the draft is complete to get the thinking. My guess is this: (1) we’re already a serious Super Bowl contender, and this might put the offense over the hump immediately. (2) If we make a deep playoff run, we’ll be picking near #30 anyway, which is almost like a high second round pick (again,) so giving up “three” second round picks plus two later picks for a top six pick might make sense. (3) I expect that TD has identified that his definition of “value” or “quality” by position need was not going to be available in the rounds and picks he gave up, because of what he kept. (4) Maybe TD was not impressed enough with the DEs, LBs or CBs outside the top 10, or doubted that any of them would be able to make as big an impact as Jones, or that teams picking ahead of the Falcons wanted too much in comparison to make a deal. Of course, I’m giving TD a ton of credit for knowing what he’s doing, but I think he’s earned our trust so far, Peria Jerry notwithstanding.
As for the roster, I agree that Finneran is the likely first casualty. I hate it, because he’s been very valuable through the years, but age and speed will probably offset heart, at least now. If Douglas can’t hold onto the ball, he could be gone, too. DLed–any word on Kerry Meier? Got hurt early last year, but everything I heard until then was very good. If he’s in the mix, it looks like great competition in camp! Keep up the great work!
edward jenkins
April 29th, 2011
5:20 pm
great pick by my front office dirty birds, Let’s now concentrate on improving the DEFENSE. I still love our 1st round draft pick. GO FALCONS…… LET”S GO GET THEM. WAY TO GO GUYS…..
great job well done. Let’s go DIRTY BIRDS.
Greg from Marietta
April 29th, 2011
5:55 pm
Now that I’ve heard what TD had to say about his reasoning for trading so many picks for this young man my apprehension has subsided somewhat. Any time you trade away the farm for one man then you have to wonder was that man really worth it. Only time will tell if he is or not but I have faith that the triumvirate of TD, Smitty & Mr. Blank will make the most out of the picks that they have remaining as well as the Free Agent market. Heck, TD has been know to pull a gem or two from those players that nobody else drafted and that is like having free draft choices. So my faith in the Falcons management team and brain trust remains strong and my optimism remains high. Welcome to the team Julio and GO FALCONS! Can’t wait until this strike crap is over and things get back to normal.
SeenThisB4
April 29th, 2011
6:21 pm
@Julio Jones: My sympathies for being drafted by by a team that will never know how to make use of your talents. Sorry man, but somebody has to suit up for these bozos, make sure they pay you dearly for this trespass on your career. At least with this bunch, you won’t need to learn a complicated playbook and hey, you’ll have plenty of free time during the playoffs each year.
bethelboy1955
April 29th, 2011
6:53 pm
get ready for julio jones falcon fans the things he can do on the feild is going to blow your mind. it sounds like to many picks given up by the team,but when jj lines up with white and teams have to cover them both it can not be done. there is no team that can cover both these guys one on one. julio is the type player that doesnt care if he catches a pass a long as the team wins. take it from someone who saw him play high school ball this kid will knock fire from your butt. he was a gunner on punt coverage and use to destroy players. for those of us who saw him play in high school i can tell ya you havent seen nothing yet of julio jones.
FULL SPEED
April 29th, 2011
7:15 pm
MUST HEAR ATLANTA FALCONS FANS!!!! WOW!!!! SOMETHING BIG COMING!!
http://limelinx.com/files/afafb7bc5fef442dc4200a8d1ae6bf9d
hbcuclassics
April 29th, 2011
7:39 pm
UFL Draft – May 2, 2011 @8PM – 10 rds – each pick announced using social media: team facebook pages and twitter accounts.
http://www.hbcuclassics.com
Blackoutanyone?
April 29th, 2011
7:56 pm
The Falcons got the best WR in the draft.. plain and simple. On top of that they got a hard working kid who is selfless and will put the team before all else. By the tone of these comments I see some people have heard and interview or two and are starting to realize exactly what kind of player/person Julio really is. Roll Tide and Go Falcons!!!
Julio Ain't No Foolio
April 29th, 2011
8:04 pm
http://isportsweb.com/2011/04/29/falcons-draft-julio-jones/
Birdthethird
April 29th, 2011
8:22 pm
Ok I see the light. At first I thought WTH! This kid better be the second coming of Jerry Rice! We gave away the kitchen sink with this kid but we wouldn’t have gotten an impact player otherwise. With these late picks we would have gotten mostly players to develop. We have an a$$ of players to develop now. At least we got a good long term player.
UGASlobberknocker
April 29th, 2011
8:36 pm
Looks like I underestimated the impact of J Houston’s weed bust..2nd round almost gone and he is still on the board..some mocks had him in the lower 1st rd beforehand .I dont think I saw one that he wasnt at least int he 2nd round.
that turned out to be same damned expensive weed .
Gregory Moundine
April 29th, 2011
8:48 pm
If Houston from Georgia is still on the Board, grab him!
bgfalcon
April 29th, 2011
8:49 pm
demarco murray to the falcons?
bgfalcon
April 29th, 2011
8:49 pm
4.3 speed, can catch and block and elusive
bgfalcon
April 29th, 2011
8:51 pm
can replace norwood? deadly speed?
bgfalcon
April 29th, 2011
8:51 pm
anybody feelin this pick?
cdog
April 29th, 2011
8:55 pm
GREAT JOB COACH SMITH AND DIMETROFF. I WISH YOU WAS RUNNING THE HAWKS ALSO INSTEAD OF RICK SUND. WE WOULD BE GETTNG READY FOR THE NBA FINALS
icedawg
April 29th, 2011
9:01 pm
Bow Ties are class.
bgfalcon
April 29th, 2011
9:01 pm
nvm the cowgirls got a hold of him…
jay
April 29th, 2011
9:18 pm
I would have rather had AJ but this is a good move. He will help open up the offense. Green Bay
exposed a glaring weakness on the offense. Now if they can find a way to get another defensive
end who can get after the opposing qb.
JRW7
April 29th, 2011
9:45 pm
Giving up all those draft picks? But JJ can play!!!! Good move!!
Finchdawg
April 29th, 2011
9:48 pm
Disappointed to see Allen Bailey go off the board. I thought TD might package our 3rd rounder and maybe 1-2 of the 7th rounders to get higher in the 3rd round and get a stronger defensive player. We’ll see what falls to us in a few minutes.
Finchdawg
April 29th, 2011
10:03 pm
Akeem Dent? And please remind me why we need another inside linebacker with Curtis Lofton as the starter?
SeenThisB4
April 29th, 2011
10:09 pm
Dent! LOL! Talk about a reach! This doesn’t even qualify as a “best available”. What dimwit is running the failcan’ts draft!
The Saints are pulverizing the failcan’ts in this draft, literally kicking their arse all over the place!
You got mud on yo’ face. You big disgrace. Kickin’ your can all over the place
Mariettaboy
April 29th, 2011
10:22 pm
This is an excellent move by the triumverate (TD,MS,AB).
Very few rookies are impact players. Jones likely will be one of them.
The defense is continuing to develop. The DE will be addressed in free agency.
Rip
April 29th, 2011
10:27 pm
At this point with only Julio in the draft, we are in big trouble, we are betting the farm and uture on the kid, the rest of this draft for us is picks we hope work out in the future no immediate help, What a great draft by the Saints, they already had the offense and got stronger, now they also got stronger on defense, we are toast, Everyone knows that Matt can not throw the deep ball. We needed Defense so bad
Rip
April 29th, 2011
10:30 pm
All I kept hearing is defense will be addressed in free agency, no free agents are running to the Falcons and there are not that many good impact defensive players that are free agents
.
Ditka
April 29th, 2011
10:49 pm
marietta boy- your post has intrigued me. exactly how is the D continuing to develop? did you happen to see the last game the faicans played? your basing your future on free agents when your D is in dire need of help and the triumvirate drafts a wr that matty meltdown doesn’t have the arm strength to throw to on a consistent basis. well i guess the 3 stooges were a triumvirate also!
falcon83
April 29th, 2011
10:59 pm
SeenThisB4- I would have to give the best draft class in the NFC south to Tampa, but I will give you that so far the Saints are having a better draft than the Falcons. Julio Jones will be exciting though!
honest_abe
April 29th, 2011
11:14 pm
dimitroff is overrated. ya i said it.
akeem dent? i’m a bulldawg fan too. but you already have a better version of akeem dent in c. lofton. with the need to get stronger and bigger along the defensive/offensive lines he reaches for a guy that is going to be a special teams player unless lofton gets injured.
just take a look at last years draft who stands out to you? exactly nobody. how about two years ago? sure w. moore has shown flashes. the jury is still out on p. jerry. but who else?
dimitroff isn’t as bad as mckay but he’s also not as great as people think either. He’s had one really good draft out of 3. and this year is shaping up to be a disaster. i guess if you can’t draft worth a lick might as well trade all of them away to get one player.
honest_abe
April 29th, 2011
11:25 pm
oh ya and lets be real. besides the bama fans how many of you numb nuts actually watched julio play? from the sound of it not many of you. you just think because dimitroff made the move and he’s the #2 ranked wr he’s the real deal. i’ve heard from more than one scout, he’s a solid wr. not a great likelihood he’ll be a superstar but he’ll be real solid. not what i like to hear about a guy the team just traded 5 picks for.
jonathon baldwin. please just remember that name. falcons could have had him at 27. he’ll be just as good if not better than julio. then the falcons could’ve traded up in the 2nd round for a pass rusher or a rb.
cam heyward/greg little/kendall hunter
jonathon baldwin/justin houston/kenrick ellis
jimmy smith/greg little/clint boling
a combination of any of these three is better than jones and dent.
ToccoaBird
April 29th, 2011
11:36 pm
Dent is a good pick. Get over it techies.
honest_abe
April 29th, 2011
11:40 pm
really? drafting a special teams player in the 3rd roundis a good pick? do you guys have tvs out there in toccoa? internet? or do you still get your news through the grape vine?
Mystikal
April 29th, 2011
11:43 pm
Grumpy_abe, Get over it and go to bed. Your audience left over an hour ago.
honest_abe
April 29th, 2011
11:45 pm
ic your point of view mystikal. very convincing. *applause*
P. Bull Terrier
April 29th, 2011
11:59 pm
After Derek Lowe’s adventures last night, I’m not sure if celebrating “Like a G6″ would be such a good idea – at least if “Sippin sizzurp in my ride” means what I suspect.
MaxxFalcon
April 30th, 2011
12:07 am
I’m loving this Julio pick more and more. DOL, stop trying to be DOB and putting song lyrics in the blog! Bowtie Pride!
Falcon Fan
April 30th, 2011
12:21 am
LOVE the Jones pick! He has more talent than Roddy White coming out of college and the work ethic to maximize it. Hopefully he can stay healthy. Matt Ryan will get him the ball. I can see him being the new favorite third down option. Maybe we can get our speed back in the name of Reggie Bush.The Saints drafted Ingram so they might not resign him. This organization knows how to win and keeps getting better and better. Can’t wait for the season to begin.
Pacuvio
April 30th, 2011
12:25 am
Great interview … but “have went”?
bgfalcon
April 30th, 2011
12:27 am
jordan todman 4.4 speed still out there.
TN Dawg
April 30th, 2011
12:38 am
Well, give the credit for saying all the right things. And I mean that as a compliment; he’s not just spouting cliches, but talking about specifics (the plays the Falcons showed him on video, his awareness of criticism of his hands, etc.). I’m still concerned that the Falcons possibly gave up too much to get him, but so far he looks like a solid, solid pick.
Hopefully he’ll be exposed to Roddy White’s work ethic, combine it with his own, and make the Falcons receivers a top-notch tandem. Time will tell.
honest_abe
April 30th, 2011
12:41 am
someone please tell me the last time an nfl franchise mortgaged the future on a single pick and it actually worked out. herschel? jj stokes? ricky williams? please someone, anyone give me one positive example of how trading a lot of picks for a single pick has helped a team.
which of the best franchises go this route of doing business? the best teams build through the draft. i.e. steelers, packers, colts the worst teams build through free agency. i.e. redskins, raiders, cincy..
the packers draft 2nd round receivers seems like its working out just fine for them. shipley, jennings and now cobb. btw driver was a 7th round pick and james jones a 3rd round pick.
finally if any team is justified in giving away a lot of picks for a wr it would be pitt. they have a great qb, a stud rb, a stifling d and a really have only one legitimate wr in mike wallace (a 3rd rounder btw) it would seem to me that trading for julio jones would be that one missing link. nope. they add to an already strong d by bolstering their d-line, they improved their o-line and a defensive back.
there’s a reason why the steelers are consistently one of the best defenses in the league. it’s also the same reason why the steelers year after year are super bowl contenders.
chs98
April 30th, 2011
1:01 am
no other player would have helped as much later in round one. this is a deep year for d linemen so we can get one later on. we need a verteran in the secondary to go with the young guys.add dlinemen or lb later and maybe ol depth. would love to get clint boling.
realitycheck
April 30th, 2011
1:40 am
What a crazy one for five deal for the Falcons, and they didn’t even get the best WR in the SEC. Two 1’s, a 2, and two 4’s for the sixth overall pick is absolutely unbelievable. The Falcons just gave up more for one player than the NFL has seen since the Saints basically traded their entire draft for Ricky Williams some 12 years ago. And how did that defense that Green Bay embarassed get any better? Unless Julio becomes Jerry Rice and leads the Falcons to a Super Bowl victory, this is likely to be a disasterous deal. Even more surprising to me is that Dimitroff would pull the trigger on a one for five deal, considering he had been tutored in New England and that their strength in drafts has been about acquiring picks, not trading them away. NFL success comes from the draft first and foremost, and the Falcons paid a fortune for Jones. This young man will have a tremendous amount of pressure on him, and it will be interesting to see how this all shakes out, but I feel very strongly that the Falcons paid way to much for any one player.
South ga boy in the atl
April 30th, 2011
2:07 am
Falcon fans, don’t pay any attention to seenmysisternakedb4nlikedit. He’s got about 5 different screen names he’s posting from because he has no life and tries to irritate us as though he were clever. Lol. I guess he didn’t want to go frog gigging or drink white litnin with all the other swamp people tonight. Lol. Good night all falcon fans
GTBob
April 30th, 2011
3:20 am
Dent is a good player. We don’t really need him but I guess it is good to have a solid backup in case Lofton gets hurt.
tjhook
April 30th, 2011
3:25 am
The Dent pick was made in anticipation of the Falcons losing LB Stephen Nicholas in free agency. I will miss Nicholas; great all-around ability
JSS
April 30th, 2011
3:59 am
@ Gwinnett Fred
Ha Ha, sorry he (my boss, Mark Pedowitz) was just named the new head of The CW… You are a snarky genius…
I like Julio Jones; but that two year old boy bow tie was weak. The crimson shirt (that is no knock at UA) was even worse. At least the folks at the old folks home will have sometime to talk about at meal time…
notso fast
April 30th, 2011
5:14 am
Loved the interview with JJ when asked about his Falcon’s number, he said he wasn’t concerned with his number as it was the player that made the number and not the number making the player. I think at this point the signing money is the only number he is worried about.
Wingman
April 30th, 2011
5:49 am
Someone said earlier that the D players are young and still learning. This a fact and he is right. The D will be better this year. Without any changes. ALSO, THE BEST DEFENSE IS A GOOD OFFENCE! With a more open explosive offence with the addition of Julio, there will be less pressure on the D.
Senator Blutarski
April 30th, 2011
5:51 am
I remember all the fan criticism when the Falcons picked Matt Ryan in the draft instead of LSU’s defensive lineman. It’s a process that’s still unfolding, folks. It takes a while to get all the pieces. Jones has all the tools to be a Pro Bowl-type wide receiver.
Julio Jones aka Waffle House
April 30th, 2011
7:45 am
This is going to be a big season for the Falcons. Julio will be a great addition to the offense and Akeem Dent is the LB we need for the future. I think we can address the DE situation in FA. Just like the Waffle House is always open, so is Julio Jones.
JJ-I like my hashbrowns scattered, smothered, covered, chunked, and topped.
RMikel58
April 30th, 2011
7:55 am
The Falcons dont need that many picks in the draft as they need to sign unrestricted free agents. I think it was an awesome move to trade alot of pics for Julio Jones because thats less headache for holdouts and putting rookies in camp.
The Falcons success will come from unrestricted free agency where i think their looking for experienced players that can make an immediate impact. There were only a couple of analyst that knew what the Falcons were up to.
This Julio kid will be a great addition to Roddy White and the offense but he’ll have to immediately learn the system to start. Akeem Dent is a 2 year project but will see limited time on special teams and maybe be used on certain downs.
I do know Van Gorder AKA Georgia Defensive Coordinator liked him. Just wait and see what the Falcons do before the season starts and then judge them. Julio reminds me alot of AJ Green cause they can both catch most anything thrown their way and he’s got speed for a big man.
Dave
April 30th, 2011
9:00 am
I just read where Atlanta was tied with Carolina for last in explosive plays of 20 or more yards at just 44 plays. Hopefully the addition of Julio Jones will put more pressure on the opposing defenses to not key so much on our offensive players and be able to take them away. I watched the Under Armor commercial with Julio Jones and the E60 heart monitor. Tell me this kid doesn’t look ripped to be able to block anybody. I am glad to have him. As usual Atlanta has some very whiny fans who think they know more than our GM and coaches. After free agency is over we shall see if we are not a much better team and will continue to contend for the division. Some of you ignore the won lose record of this team in the Dimitroff Smith era. I guess that doesn’t count unless you get to buy the groceries and get to pick who we draft like some of you want to do. Some of you need to grow up and see that this team is a winner now be thankful for that it never happened like this.
NagoyaFalcon
April 30th, 2011
9:33 am
Julio seems great. Check out this pre-draft interview: http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Julio-Jones-I-cant-wait-to-find-out-where-Im-going.html
NagoyaFalcon
April 30th, 2011
9:35 am
Anyway, in the article I linked, Julio says his mom works at KFC and before that Church’s. He said she taught him right from wrong. Don’t worry, he listened.
al.com
April 30th, 2011
9:52 am
We gave up to much for this kid. I was surprised
Glenn
April 30th, 2011
9:52 am
Does anyone but me see the irony in this pick? The Falcons wanted to get an “explosive” player who could help the team score points more quickly, meaning the offense gets off the field more quickly, meaning the defense gets on the field more quickly, meaning the Falcons need defensive help because the Packers torched them and the Saints can torch them with their offenses (and the Patriots and the Colts and the Chargers…).
The Falcons mortgaged the farm for two years (for one unproven offensive player I might add) this year. I sure hope they have big plans in the free agent market.
Sid
April 30th, 2011
9:55 am
No wonder the anti-Falcons are here, a high compliment to the Falcons organization.
Delbert D.
April 30th, 2011
10:07 am
Julio Jones, D-Led and Gordon Gee; that’s an odd trio.
1eyedJack
April 30th, 2011
10:13 am
Bow ties only look cool on 3-year olds at Easter. And ties in general are the worst invention ever….ever.
Testiclese
April 30th, 2011
10:21 am
Has there ever been 2 1000 yard receivers on a team? 2 100 reception wideouts? I think MS and MM may play off the passing game this year, instead of their run-first philosophy of 2008-2010.
honest_abe
April 30th, 2011
10:23 am
this kid had better be the 2nd coming of randy moss/terrell owens or the fans are going to turn on him so fast it’s going to get ugly.
hiramsaint
April 30th, 2011
10:31 am
sid – sorry it’s not a complment , it’s called comedy relief. after the pummeling by the #6 seed wildcard packers and now a ricky williams type trade for an off. player when everyone knows how weak the D is-well lets just say it’s a comical move by the 3 stooges!
dp
April 30th, 2011
10:52 am
Still think giving up next yrs 1st was a mistake, enough said…..DOL who the heck is running the Falcons draft…Blanks kid? This pick of Dent is utterly beyond description, the guy ain’t a rush LB and maybe a backup for running downs……Lord, please deliver us a couple of horses for the D from FA…cause this and next years draft’s are toasted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh and for the idiots that scream I’m anti UGA…I’ll be happy to show anyone 22 yrs of stubs from Sanford Stadium games.
JSS
April 30th, 2011
11:35 am
Hey Marcel
April 29th, 2011
3:07 pm
JSS
“Is this your coming out party?”
_________________________________________________________________
No, was it your Roger McDowell coming out fiesta?
honest_abe
April 30th, 2011
11:35 am
last 2 drafts and this one so far have been mediocre at best!
honest_abe
April 30th, 2011
11:38 am
nagoya tell me how working at kfc and church’s is relevant? i didn’t know frying chicken well was a prerequisite to being a great wr. i could care less if he stood on the side of the street dressed up as the liberty mutual fool. as long as he’s the greatest wr in franchise history it’ll be well worth it. if not, then we’ll look back on this draft as the turning point in the falcons going back to be the falcons of old.
loyal falcon
April 30th, 2011
2:02 pm
Has anybody seen the new Under Armour commercial with our first round pick? Man I am so hyped! This guy is going to be a monster! Go Falcons!
Ted
April 30th, 2011
5:40 pm
Great. Let’s celebrate another person leaving college early without a degree. There’s a reason why the NCAA refers to these people as student-athletes. The student part should come first.
TRIPLEDART
May 1st, 2011
12:21 pm
Great pick.If we can keep the man in the yellow hat away from ‘J.J he will be fine.Just needs to learn to talk
FFS
May 2nd, 2011
5:15 pm
Massive price to pay for an “unsure” pair of hands…..most great pass catchers come by it naturally…you don’t teach catching. Julio strikes me as a braylon Edwards type..I just hope he isn’t a diva like Braylon.
The Falcons gave up way too much for this guy.