Exclusive: Ronde Barber highlights one major concern with Buccaneers' Julio Jones move
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added wide receiver Julio Jones to their already dynamic offense this offseason. During an exclusive chat with Buccaneers great Ronde Barber, he discussed the one main concern he has about Tampa Bay signing the receiver.
Barber stated that, if Jones is healthy, he could be an impact player for the team:
“Well, I think the concern should be for everybody else if Julio Jones is healthy. I was doing some promos for the preseason this morning. We got to the final preseason game which is Bucs at Colts. I was like, 'Join us to watch the reunion of the Atlanta Falcons,' like don't put that on camera.
"But, yeah, that Falcons team had a lot of talent. Obviously, they went to a Super Bowl. But I think the addition of Russell [Gage] in the offseason receiver was a little crazy this offseason, guys with a lot of money... Adams going to Las Vegas.”
Seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones is signing a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per source. The soon-to-be 45-year Tom Brady now will have a chance to throw to the 33-year-old Jones.
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Jones spent last season with the Tennessee Titans, getting 31 receptions with 434 receiving yards and a touchdown. He spent his first 10 seasons playing against the Buccaneers twice a year as a member of the Atlanta Falcons.
In his decade with Atlanta, he had 848 receptions, 12,896 yards receiving, 60 touchdowns and seven seasons with over 1,100 yards receiving. The wideout led the NFL twice in receiving yards: 1,871 in 2015 and 1,677 in 2018.
He’s second among active players in yards receiving, third with receptions, and first in receiving yards per game with 91.9 yards.
How will Jones fit into the Buccaneers offense?
The team also signed Jones’ teammate in Atlanta for three seasons (2018 – 2020) in Russell Gage to a three-year, $30 million contract this offseason as well. Quarterback Tom Brady will not only have Gage and Jones to throw to this season.
He’ll also have four-time Pro Bowler Mike Evans and Pro Bowler Chris Godwin when he’s 100 percent. To Barber’s point, a healthy Jones could be trouble for defenses to deal with in the 2022 season.
#Buccaneers offense:
QB: Tom Brady
RB: Leonard Fournette
RB: Giovanni Bernard
WR: Mike Evans
WR: Chris Godwin
WR: Julio Jones
WR: Russell Gage
TE: Cameron Brate
TE: Kyle Rudolph
Let’s see how the two-time All-Pro wideout fares in his first season in Tampa Bay.
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