Atlanta Falcons Julio Jones named among the most indispensable
NFL.com published their list of the most indispensable offensive players for 2019 and Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones came in at number five.
This is a given for most of Atlanta Falcons nation. We know how elite Julio is. We know that he affects the game in ways that do not always show up on the stat sheet. There are many that still believe in 2019 that elite wide receivers are not worth the gigantic paydays that they command, including media here in Atlanta, but Julio has proven his worth many times over.
The biggest knock on Julio has been his lack of touchdown production. As NFL.com’s Adam Schein points out, that is not on Julio.
"“Through the years, some folks have dwelled on the freakish athlete’s low touchdown totals, but A) that’s more on Atlanta’s approach in the red zone”"
The hope is with a seasoned offensive coordinator now at the helm for the Falcons, Julio will be more involved in the offense moving forward. That is weird to type as we are talking about the best weapon football and the only player in NFL to average more than 100 yards receiving per game in 2018.
The attention that Julio receives from opposing defenses has allowed young players like Calvin Ridley and Austin Hooper develop at a higher level than if they played elsewhere; seeing how Julio goes about being a pro is a big part of that develop as well.
Let us not forget what Matt Ryan recently said in an appearance on the Jim Rome Show:
"“He is the most physically gifted player I have ever been around. His size, speed and explosiveness, I have never really been around anyone like that. On top of that he is an unbelievable competitor.” Matt would go on to say that, it “has been an honor to play with Julio”."
Yes, Julio is one of the most indispensable offensive players in the NFL and the Falcons are blessed to have him.