The Buccaneers made a surprising roster move, electing to sign two-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl receiver Julio Jones to a one-year contract.
Jones, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, will now catch passes from another future enshrinee in 45-year-old Tom Brady, who is coming off one of his best seasons, stat-wise, in his 22-year NFL career. Jones will join a receiver room meant to give Brady one more legitimate shot at winning a record-eighth Super Bowl title.
Jones, of course, is still looking for his first Super Bowl ring. Coincidentally, Brady and the Patriots cost him his best shot at holding the Lombardi Trophy after they overcame a 28-3 in Super Bowl 51 (sorry, Falcons fans).
Now Jones and Brady will team up for what could be each players' best chance at winning the Super Bowl. With that, The Sporting News breaks down the move, Jones' future in Tampa Bay and the Bucs' new depth chart moving forward:
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Officially official ✍️ pic.twitter.com/Qpub5PHvxa
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) July 27, 2022
Why did Buccaneers sign Julio Jones?
Jones represents a quality depth piece with marginally high upside for Brady, who wants as many offensive weapons as possible to bolster another Super Bowl run (which is likely why the team also signed aging tight end Kyle Rudolph in replacement of Rob Gronkowski and fifth-year receiver Russell Gage from Atlanta).
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Packers were also in contention for the seven-time Pro Bowl receiver, but that Tampa Bay was more aggressive in landing him — suggesting the team wants another offensive weapon for their quarterback.
Brady retired briefly over the offseason before deciding he would come back for at least one more season with the Buccaneers. He would not have done so if he didn't think his team could contend for yet another Super Bowl, though he is now without Gronkowski.
It's also worth noting what Jones wants in this deal. Though he is a virtual lock for Canton, he has yet to win a Super Bowl. That's why he preferred the Falcons trade him to what he considered a legitimate Super Bowl-contending team in the Titans ahead of the 2021 season. (Jones' injury bug followed him to Tennessee, however. He only caught 31 passes for 434 yards in 10 games played, and was eventually released).
It appears as if Jones' goal remains the same in 2022: To win a Super Bowl. To that end, Tampa Bay, depleted receiving corps and all, was potentially a failed blitz away from appearing in yet another Super Bowl. Instead, they lost to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Rams in the NFC title game.
Julio Jones contract details
Jones' one-year deal will pay him $6 million in base salary and could max out at $8 million, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported.
Chris Godwin injury update
Another aspect of the Jones signing is Chris Godwin; though he is slated to return sooner than expected from an ACL tear in September, it appears as if the Bucs are beefing up their receiver depth in the event one or more of their receivers are injured (or, in the case of Antonio Brown, released).
The sixth-year receiver is coming off a December ACL tear that left the Bucs' receiving corps depleted through the remainder of the regular season and into the playoffs. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Godwin has been cleared to practice at the start of minicamp, despite undergoing surgery on Jan. 3.
Bucs WR Chris Godwin has been cleared to begin training camp despite undergoing knee surgery Jan. 3 for a torn ACL.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) July 26, 2022
LB Lavonte David (Lisfranc) also is ready to participate in workouts beginning Wed. But the team will be careful with both. Neither needed to start on the PUP list
Prior to Godwin's injury, he caught 98 passes for 1,103 yards and five touchdowns. He led the team in both of the former categories, trailing only Mike Evans (14) and Gronkowski (six) in receiving touchdowns.
MORE: Chris Godwin contract details: Buccaneers WR agrees to extension after being tagged
Buccaneers WR depth chart
The Bucs aren't getting the same receiver who terrorized defenses for the better part of a decade with the Falcons. Jones, 33, is now more of a quality depth piece than standout playmaker; he has is three seasons removed from his last 1,000-plus-yard receiving season and did not play more than 10 games in either the 2020 or 2021 seasons.
That doesn't mean he can't have success in 2022 — he does have Brady throwing to him, after all — but he is no longer "WR1." He likely will fall in as the fourth or potentially fifth receiver on the depth chart behind Evans, Godwin, Gage and potentially Tyler Johnson.
Below is Tampa bay's projected wide receiver depth chart for the 2022 season:
- WR1: Mike Evans (74 receptions for 1,035 yards, 14 touchdowns in 2021)
- WR2: Chris Godwin (98 receptions for 1,103 yards, five touchdowns in 2021)
- WR3: Russell Gage (66 receptions for 770 yards, four touchdowns in 2021)
- WR4/5: Julio Jones (48 receptions for 434 yards, one touchdown in 2021)
- WR4/5: Tyler Johnson (36 receptions for 360 yards in 2021)
- WR6: Jaelon Darden (six receptions for 38 yards in 2021)
