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Ravens reportedly could get involved in Julio Jones sweepstakes ‘if the price is right’

The Baltimore Ravens have heard plenty of rumors linking them to Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones over the last few weeks. The star pass catcher and Atlanta seem to be heading for a breakup in the coming days or weeks, and there will most likely be a lot of teams lining up to make a play for Jones’ services.

While appearing on SportsCenter, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shed some light on the latest information that he’s heard in regards to Jones, and said that Baltimore could get involved.

“I’m told [the Ravens] are willing to get involved if the price is right.”

If true, Fowler’s report could mean a couple of things for the Ravens. First off, it would mean that Baltimore still believes that their offense can get better. A trade for Jones would certainly do that, as it would make the Ravens’ offense virtually unstoppable with the dominant run game that the team already has. Jones’ ability to win at the point of attack and command double teams would be a nightmare for opposing defenses to gamplan against.

Something else that would appear to be true if Baltimore ends up acquiring Jones is that they want to capitalize on quarterback Lamar Jackson’s rookie deal. Jackson is under contract for two more years, but in 2022 his fifth-year option will cost just over $23 million. After that, any long-term extension will eventually take up a lot of the Ravens’ cap space, so having a talent like Jones will help tremendously in the short term. If acquired, Jones would make just over $15 million in 2021, and is also on the books for just over $11 million in both 2022 and 2023

Despite all of the positives that adding a star caliber player like Jones brings, the key thing that Fowler noted is that Baltimore could be in on the Falcons receiver “if the price is right”. That would mean that a few things would have to fall into place for the Ravens, including how much Atlanta would be willing to take back in a return for Jones from a draft capital and potentially even a money perspective.

If the Falcons don’t want much of a return for their receiver and just want to move on, it could be a prime opportunity for Baltimore to get a true No. 1 receiver for a discounted price. However, if they feel like the negatives of acquiring Jones outweigh the positives, they’ll most likely stick with the young receiving core that they have and hope that they can develop.