WATCH: Tom Brady reportedly recruiting Julio Jones to come play for the Buccaneers
The Buccaneers gave Tom Brady a brand new, shiny weapon in Russell Gage on Tuesday, but apparently, Brady wants more. That's because Undisputed's Skip Bayless said Thursday that Brady is trying to recruit current Tennessee Titanscastoff Julio Jones in an attempt to lure him to Tampa Bay. According to Bayless, Brady DM'd Jones Wednesday after […]
The Buccaneers gave Tom Brady a brand new, shiny weapon in Russell Gage on Tuesday, but apparently, Brady wants more.
That's because Undisputed's Skip Bayless said Thursday that Brady is trying to recruit current Tennessee Titanscastoff Julio Jones in an attempt to lure him to Tampa Bay.
According to Bayless, Brady DM'd Jones Wednesday after the future Hall of Famer was released by Tennessee and told him "Hey, come on down to the sunshine here in Tampa and let's be great together". Bayless says he received the information from "a source who knows Julio".
Granted, it's Bayless. He's never been one to shy away from anything that will grab people's attention. At the same time, however, to read the DM nearly word-for-word like that strikes an honest chord, to an extent. Bayless may be all about the hot takes, but to completely fabricate something like this would come off as desperate and unprofessional.
And let's not forget when Shannon Sharpe, Bayless' cohost, called Jones live on air last year. So there are certainly connections, here.
So, without diving down the speculative rabbit hole, let's take a look at the reality/possibility of Jones actually coming to Tampa Bay and why it would or wouldn't work.
Is this actually real?
Yes, it could very well be real. As mentioned earlier, a straight-up lie would be a major detriment toward Bayless' reputation, no matter how murky it is, already.
Brady is going to do everything he can in order to field the best roster around him. Ryan Jensen told reporters Tuesday Brady called him after his announcement to return to the NFL. Brady's also made several other calls since his return, so there's definitely a realistic possibility he reached out to Jones.
Ok, so how can the Buccaneers make it work with Jones?
The first obstacle that comes to mind is money, obviously. Jones has never shied away from his desire to be one of the highest-paid receivers -and players- in the NFL. That's all fine and dandy, but there's one problem with that: The Buccaneers, as it stands, do not have much cap room, at all.
Jason Licht could give him a multi-year deal in order to provide some cap relief, but Jones' career is in question due to his inability to stay healthy over the last two seasons. He's missed a combined 14 games from 2020-2021 and played a career-low 58% of offensive snaps in 2021. His short tenure with the Titans was riddled with injury and he was even put on short-term IR. Giving Jones a multi-year deal would not be a good idea.
But, Licht could give Jones a one-year prove-it deal and tack on a void year or two to help with the cap hit. He's done this with Ndamukong Suh and Rob Gronkowski over the last couple seasons – two players who are considered to be year-to-year guys, themselves. If Jones balls out, then the Buccaneers can maybe think about giving him another deal at the end of the year. If he doesn't play well then both parties can say sayonara and move on.
Would Jones want to take less in hopes of getting a ring? We don't know. But we do know the ball will ultimately be in Jones' court, at the end of the day.
So, where does Jones fit in if the Bucs do in fact make it work?
This is where things get interesting. As mentioned earlier, the Buccaneers signed Gage and they just gave Chris Godwin a three-year, $60 million contract extension. Mike Evans is still very much in the fold, as well. So, the Buccaneers have three receivers -and three good receivers- locked in for the foreseeable future.
Jones' hypothetical arrival immediately and undoubtedly gives Brady and the Buccaneers the best receiving corps in the NFL. The quartet of Evans, Godwin, Gage, and Jones would be unstoppable.
The question then becomes one of whether or not Jones would want that role.
Honestly, a limited role like that may be best for him. If his body truly can't handle a full workload, then why not limit his snaps? And going back to the money topic, if the Bucs make it clear to him that he won't be "the guy", then who knows, maybe he'll be OK with taking less in order to chase a ring.
Being a role player may actually work in Jones' favor and it could allow him to get that Super Bowl ring he desires.
Final verdict
Anything is possible when Brady is involved. I wouldn't count this out. However, the Buccaneers have so many other needs. As it stands, Tight end, running back, defensive line, safety, and even the cornerback position needs some work.
It doesn't seem like this would happen based off the current circumstances. I certainly wouldn't put any money down on any bets if they existed.
But, don't completely rule it out. Again: anything is possible when Tom Brady is spearheading an effort.
Featured image via George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
