Despite Cowboys hoodie, Julio Jones was never playing in Dallas

Over the weekend, a photo began circulating which featured Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones in a Dallas Cowboys hoodie. That despite there being zero chance of the seven-time Pro Bowler being traded to Dallas due to the Cowboys’ current depth chart.

On Tuesday, Jones himself confirmed that he’s out in Atlanta during an impromptu phone interview with Shannon Sharpe on the FOX Sports show “Undisputed”. And he also indicated has no desire to play for Dallas. The feeling is surely mutual.

Jones is 31-years old and is coming off one of his worst seasons as a professional. Struggling with injuries all season, he played in only nine games and recorded 51 receptions for 771 yards and three touchdowns in 2020.

The 10-year veteran receiver is also still under contract with the Falcons for the next three years. According to spotrac.com, Jones is scheduled to cost Atlanta a salary cap hit of just north of $23 million this upcoming season, and nearly $40 million combined over the following two years.

As for the Cowboys, they already possess one of the most talented wide receiver corps in the NFL. Trading for someone like Jones makes no sense as long as the current unit is in place. The depth chart already includes Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb.

And the projected fourth man on that depth chart, third-year receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr., flashed his potential last season in Week Three. Against the Seattle Seahawks in Washington, Wilson went off with five receptions for 107 yards and two touchdowns.

Now, throw in fifth-round rookie Simi Fehoko from Stanford in the mix. Plus returning veterans like Noah Brown and undrafted hopefuls like T.J. Vasher, and where does someone like Julio Jones fit?

The only scenario where adding a player like Julio Jones to the Dallas Cowboys roster makes even a sliver of sense is if the team decided to trade away Michael Gallup, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal in Dallas. Although, if the Cowboys are willing to spend the monies and draft capital to acquire someone like jones, why not just sign the 25-year old Gallup to a contract extension instead?

The real question we should be asking is why an Atlanta Falcons player is wearing a hoodie for a team he doesn’t even want to play for. The answer is likely to generate stories like this.