Kyle Shanahan recently praised Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones during a conversation with Michael Irvin. The San Francisco 49ers head coach worked two seasons with Jones when he was the offensive coordinator in Atlanta.
"I mean, the dude is one-of-a-kind," Shanahan said during the podcast interview. "He makes coaching a lot — a lot — easier. That's why everyone feels the same about Julio. That's why I don't worry about saying that. That's like common knowledge. Everyone knows Julio is on a different level. That's why he's a special guy."
The 49ers are often linked to any high-profile player who might be available via trade. The team already has a championship-caliber roster. Adding a playmaker like Jones might make them unstoppable.
The Falcons may need to move on from their future Hall of Fame receiver. Jones has a salary-cap hit of $23.05 million, and Atlanta owns the third least cap space in the NFL with just $412,351, per OverTheCap.com.
"The Falcons would like to trade Julio Jones," wrote Jeff Schultz of The Athletic.
Although, the writer notes that nothing is guaranteed to happen. It's just that the team's salary-cap problems are real, which may lead to a drastic move.
Meanwhile, San Francisco has about $17.7 million in salary-cap space, again, per OverTheCap.com. That may be enough to absorb Jones' $15.3 million base salary — barely. It certainly wouldn't leave much wiggle room for the regular season. We remember how injuries forced the 49ers to make several in-season moves last year.
Schultz lists three requirements when identifying potential trade partners for Jones. One, the team has to have enough cap space. Two, it needs to be a contender, and believe that Jones might put it over the top. Three, the team probably needs to be on the younger side. San Francisco seems to fit those requirements. The team is older than it was, but still has a lot of young talent.
The 49ers were among the five teams Schultz sees as a fit. The others are the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, and Los Angeles Chargers. He's also heard that the Tennessee Titans may express interest, but they don't meet the first requirement with just $3.6 million in cap space.
What might the Falcons seek as compensation for the two-time first-team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection, and how might a deal play out?
"A first-rounder seems unlikely," wrote Schultz.
That's good because the 49ers don't own one until 2024, thanks to the trade to draft quarterback Trey Lance.
"Two sources have said teams also may seek to have the Falcons eat a portion of Jones' contract," Schultz continued. "That's not as common in the NFL as it is baseball, but it could become more prevalent with guarantees increasing. Teams understand that the Falcons are in a difficult situation, even though Jones is a valuable commodity. It's why Atlanta needs multiple bidders to gain some leverage."