The NFL Draft is just days away, and the event will give the opportunity for over 250 college prospects to chase their professional dream. However, that’s not the only purpose of the NFL Draft. According to rumors originating from Peter King, the Atlanta Falcons could be getting ready to trade superstar wide receiver Julio Jones at some point during the event. In other news, multiple anonymous scouts have reportedly said that Oregon’s Penei Sewell is “overrated” and could slide on draft day.
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NFL Rumors: Julio Jones Could Be Traded, Penei Sewell “Overrated”
Julio Jones is arguably the best wide receiver of his era, and any organization looking to compete in the short-term would be thrilled to have him on their team. However, the Atlanta Falcons don’t really fit this description. The team is coming off of a 4-12 season, Matt Ryan looks like he’s beginning to slow down, and the team has one of the worst cap situations in the league. Atlanta won’t be ready to seriously compete for a little while, especially since they share the division with Tom Brady and the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Because of this, Peter King believes that the Atlanta Falcons will come to terms on a trade with Julio Jones sometime during the NFL Draft. Even though King expects a trade to go down during the NFL Draft, he doesn’t expect it will involve 2021 draft picks. Teams can agree to a deal in principle, but it wouldn’t make sense for Atlanta to actually make this deal effective until after June 2nd. By waiting that long, King says that the Falcons can gain $15.3 million in 2021 cap space while freeing up dead money that would’ve hit the 2022 cap.
Obviously, nothing is finalized, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Jones has a new home in 2021. The future Hall of Famer battled through injury last year, but he still managed to put together a solid season when on the field. There is enough left in his tank where a contender should be happy to secure his services, and King notes that the Raiders, Patriots, Titans, and Ravens have shown the most interest in a potential trade.
Scouts: Penei Sewell “Overrated”
Ever since the start of the offseason, Penei Sewell has been the top tackle on just about everyone’s board. However, recent reports from Bob McGinn suggest that this is only because it is a weak year for offensive tackles. One offensive scout said that Sewell is “a good player, not a great player” while another added that he is “a bit overrated”, and one scout went as far to say that he “just [doesn’t] see it” with the Oregon tackle.
I do not doubt that McGinn actually spoke to scouts to seek their opinions on Sewell. However, I would be very surprised if the scouts were telling the truth. Anyone and everyone is lying throughout the NFL Draft process, trying to manipulate the media in hopes of getting their favorite prospect to fall down the board. Sewell is a fantastic prospect, and it’s strange to hear all of this come out this close to the start of the NFL Draft.
Throughout the vast majority of the offseason, just about everyone expected Sewell to go to the Cincinnati Bengals, at the very latest. However, with reports stating that the team is considering Ja’Marr Chase, other organizations are probably interested in seeing how far Sewell can fall. If he’s there at 7, then perhaps a team like the Los Angeles Chargers could trade up to secure his services.
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