Atlanta Falcons: No reason to mourn, Julio Jones is still alive and well

The Atlanta Falcons made headlines today by trading away one of the best players in franchise history as people in the south were just getting out of church.

While Atlanta Falcons fans have had just a couple weeks to actually come to terms that Julio Jones was going to leave the franchise, the Falcons social media team has clearly had some time to digest the information and prepare accordingly – though it didn’t go down smoothly.

We can all agree – trading Julio is a hard pill to swallow regardless of what side you are on. Some are ready to burn down Mercedes Benz, some are happy his contract is gone and others, including the Atlanta Falcons, are in mourning.

Despite the odd tweet by the Atlanta Falcons, Julio Jones is in fact not dead

Yes, that tweet is a weird one. General manager Terry Fontenot simply sent him four hours north to Nashville and the Tennessee Titans. This was a deal that the front office had to pull the trigger on, they were able to find a team willing to take on his entire contract and give a second-round pick in return. Given what DeAndre Hopkins traded for a year ago, this was a win for the franchise.

The Atlanta Falcons now have the ability to sign their entire rookie class and possibly even a free agent or two depending on what other moves they make over the next week or so and there are still several options on the table.

We wish Julio all the best and he meant everything to this fan base for a decade. He left everything on the field every week and by all accounts was one of the best teammates that anyone could have asked for and that will be recognized when the time is right.

That time is not now as the head coach Arthur Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan have to move forward quickly as both believe this roster is talented enough to make the playoffs in 2021 – something Julio didn’t believe they could achieve.