Dec 9, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) makes a catch in the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Julio Jones is one of the most explosive young players in the NFL.  After only two years as a pro, he secured his spot as one of the top receivers.  I have had many debates on how good Julio Jones is.  Most people try to compare him to A.J. Green and most are in agreement that Green is better.  That’s just simply not true.  Some people don’t want to put Julio as a top 5 receiver in the NFL.  But I implore you to come up with five receivers that are legitimately better than Julio.  Green, the one most commonly compared to Julio has more receiving yards.  Of course he does.  He’s the number one guy and the Bengals don’t have a lot of receiver behind him.  Look past the receiving yards and you see that Julio leads him in just about every category.  Throw to Julio as many times as Green is targeted and I guarantee you that Julio will be known as the better receiver with no argument.

I can really only think of two players in the entire NFL that can be thought of as better and that is Calvin Johnson and Roddy White.  A case can be made for Andre Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald, but they are aging.  Having two of the top five receivers in the NFL on one team and one of the best tight ends in the history of the NFL is great for a quarterback.  But I digress; I just get so hyped up on these receivers.

Last year, Julio Jones caught 79 passes for 1,198 yards, 15.2 yards per catch and 10 touchdowns.

Those are impressive numbers for a sophomore season.  Those are even more impressive for the number two receiving option for a quarterback.  Even more impressive than that is that Matt Ryan has five reliable targets.  Julio is progressing beautifully and will someday be a top pass catcher.  He still needs a little work on his rout running, but we all see his capabilities and with a little work, that won’t even be an issue.  Sometimes he does drop the occasional ball, but his hands are so great, that’s hardly a factor.  He’s also one of the fastest guys on the roster and one of his biggest talents is just flat out beating a defender in a foot race.

Julio Jones is the future of Atlanta’s wide receivers.  He’s making strides to becoming the number one option in Atlanta and even possibly the best receiver in the league at one point.  But I don’t think it’ll be this year.  I do, however, think he’ll make another push to being the go-to option.  I’ll cut to the chase and predict another amazing season.

I believe that 2013 looks like this: 85 receptions at 15.3 yards per catch and 1,300 yards.

I think Roddy White will still have a slightly better season, but Julio is on his way to stardom.

What are your predictions?

Nov 29, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez (88) catches a touchdown over New Orleans Saints middle linebacker Curtis Lofton (50) in the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

I try to be as impartial when writing about the Falcons as possible.  I am a fan and I am optimistic, but I try to at least keep it realistic.  I’m not going out of my way to tell you why Matt Ryan will score fifty touchdowns, or how the Falcons will go undefeated.  But I will put this out there:  I love Tony Gonzalez.  I was extremely excited when he came to Atlanta in 2009, and I sang Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah all day when he announced he was returning for another year.

It’s not that he’s the legs of the entire team, or that without him; the Falcons wouldn’t go very far at all.  It’s that he’s just a perfect player.  Off the field, he’s a leader, friendly, and a great family man. In the locker room, he’s a leader, a friend to the players with a great sense of humor, and on the field, he’s an otherworldly game changer.  Along with being the greatest Tight End to play the game, he’s a great personality and a man worth looking up to.  In my opinion, he’s the perfect player.  On top of all that, he just won’t quit.  He’s on top of his game even in his 16^th season showing no signs of aging.  I’m pretty sure he could keep playing into his 40s.  But like I said, he’s a family man.

Last year he caught 93 passes for 930 yards at 10 yards per catch with 8 touchdowns.

He is extremely reliable.  If he can get his massive hands on it, he’ll end up with the ball.  He also knows exactly where his feet are, how many times did he catch a pass in the corner of the end zone with his two feet just barely in bounds?  I lost count a long time ago.

Another thing he does very well, however, is help Matt Ryan improve.  When Ryan was young, Tony was there to catch the ball on third down, even if there wasn’t a whole lot of accuracy.  He served as sort of a crutch.  As Ryan improved, he used Tony more as a weapon than a fail-safe.  This year, with a meaner and more improved quarterback, and a grand exit season for the star tight end, This will be the season of a career. Tony will no longer be a crutch for Matt Ryan.  So I don’t think he’ll get as many as those last second third down throws because Matt will probably see other options with an equally improved Julio Jones and an equally productive Roddy White, but he’ll be an unstoppable force in the red-zone just like always.

Next year, I look for Tony G. to have 80 catches and 900 yards at 11.3 yards per catch.  I see him getting 10 touchdowns this year, 5 of which will be only inches from out-of-bounds.  I cannot wait to see this guy in action for his final year.

How do you feel Tony Gonzalez goes out?

October 27, 2012; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive end Dion Jordan (96) pre game warm up against the Colorado Buffaloes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

We have heard rumblings over the past few days that the Falcons could look to trade up in the first round of this year’s draft.

This isn’t the first time the Falcons have traded up in the first round recently. Three years ago, the Falcons traded up 21 spots to select Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones. Three years later, it’s safe to say that was one of the best trades in NFL Draft history.

The Falcons could look to trade up for an offensive tackle (Eric Fisher, Lane Johnson, DJ Fluker), corner back (Dee Milliner, Xavier Rhodes) or defensive end (Dion Jordan, Ezekiel Ansah, Barkevious Mingo).

It would be logical for the Falcons to trade up in the draft once again because they really have nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain. Moving up for possibly a much-more talented player and building on what is already a Super Bowl contending team, is definitely worth it.