NY Jets are not a feasible destination for WR Julio Jones

The NY Jets did an excellent job of overhauling their wide receiver corps this offseason. But could they make a move for a superstar-caliber receiver like Julio Jones?

Jones has been involved in a variety of trade rumors this offseason with the Atlanta Falcons possibly looking to move on from their star wideout and his hefty salary.

And on Thursday, The Athletic's Jeff Shultz reported that while trade talks have been "quiet" since the 2021 NFL Draft, the Falcons would still like to move Jones before the start of the season.

Jones is still one of the best wide receivers in the NFL when healthy. And even at age 32, he hasn't really lost a step on the field.

But it's hard to imagine the Jets making this move.

Don't expect the NY Jets to make a move for Julio Jones

Jones will hold cap hits of $23 million and $19 million in 2021 and 2022 respectively, and the dead cap money that a team would have to take on to cut him makes it essentially impossible.

That salary is why the Falcons, who find themselves in a bit of a transitional period, are looking to move him.

While the Jets could certainly make it work from a numbers perspective, especially if Atlanta retains some of his salary as they are expected to, it doesn't make a ton of sense for the team to surrender significant draft capital to acquire him.

Yes, Jones is still a top-tier wide receiver. In just nine games in 2020 he hauled in 51 catches for 771 yards and three touchdowns. And in 2019, he finished with 99 catches for 1,394 yards and six scores.

Jones would easily be the best wide receiver the Jets have had in years, but he doesn't exactly align with their current organizational outlook.

The Jets, while improved, are still very much a team in the midst of a rebuild. A rookie quarterback, rookie head coach, and various roster holes will likely prevent the team from competing in 2021.

The Jets aren't in a position where they should be surrendering a first-round pick (and more?) in exchange for a 31-year-old wide receiver making over $20 million per season.

This isn't to say that the Jets shouldn't be interested. But it is to say that there will be teams that offer more simply because those teams will be more desperate/aggressive in their pursuit.

Will general manager Joe Douglas make a call to feel out Jones' market? He probably already has. But it's highly unlikely that call transitions into actual trade discussions.

The Jets know the position they're in now. The foundation is being laid to sustain success in the future. But the future is only beginning to take shape.

Just as Julio Jones doesn't make sense for the Jets, the Jets don't make sense for Julio