A year after they were quickly priced out of the trade talks for Julio Jones, the 49ers might finally get their shot to bring the two-time All-Pro to the Bay Area.
On Wednesday, ESPN's Dianna Russini reported that the Tennessee Titans are releasing Jones just one year after they traded a second- and fourth-round pick to acquire him from the Atlanta Falcons. Jones will be released with a post-June 1 designation but will be able to sign with another team immediately.
Jones' lone season in Tennessee was a bust. The 33-year-old played in just 10 games due to injuries and only caught 31 passes for 434 yards and one touchdown. Jones averaged 43.4 receiving yards per game. He entered the season averaging 95.5.
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49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, who coached Jones when he was the offensive coordinator with the Falcons from 2015-16, has gushed about Jones' talent. Shanahan said last year that the 49ers' decision not to trade for Jones when the wide receiver asked to be dealt by the Falcons was all about preserving future roster flexibility.
"Yeah, I mean, I think the simple, like you said, no one in the world doesn't want a guy like that," Shanahan said. "I mean, everyone knows the player he is. But it's not as simple as that. You’ve got to build a team, and it's not just year to year, you've got to build it for the future. And, you know, you just think about how hard it is going into drafts. You know, you never know what you're going to be able to do in free agency, who you're going to lose, who you're going to be able to bring in. You've got lots of guys on one-year contracts, things like that."
That was the case when Jones came with a $15.3 million price tag, and the 49ers had just surrendered draft assets to move up in the 2021 NFL Draft to select Trey Lance.
With Jones now free to sign with any team, it's fair to wonder if Shanahan and the 49ers will make a bid for the veteran's services.
San Francisco 49ers
That's going to depend on two things: Health and cost.
Over the past two seasons, Jones has missed 14 of 33 games with hamstring injuries. Jones is 33, and his inability to stay healthy has appeared to accelerate his decline.
The 49ers could use a third wide receiver next to Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, but Jones won't be of much help if he is spending a large chunk of the season in sweat pants.
The other issue is the cost. What does Jones see his value as, and is the situation more important than zeroes on a check? Before being traded to the Titans, Jones told Fox Sports' Shannon Sharpe that he "just wants to win."
If that's the case, would Jones sign a more team-friendly deal to rejoin Shanahan on a 49ers' team built to win now?
The 49ers have to budget for contract extensions for Samuel and Nick Bosa, and have other roster holes to fill as the new league year officially kicks off Wednesday. It's hard to see them doling out too big of a contract for the aging Jones when they have other priorities higher up on the to-do list.
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But if the health and cost boxes are checked, the 49ers should explore the possibility of bringing in Jones.
At 33, Jones is not the dynamic all-world threat he once was. But he knows Shanahan's scheme and would provide a big-body receiver for Lance to target downfield.
Is Jones going to rack up a 1,500-yard season again? It's unlikely. But he still is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, and would give the 49ers another talented receiver who can stretch the defense vertically.
Expect a number of contenders to make a run at Jones, and the 49ers should be one of them if the price is right.