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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to kick the tires on veteran wide receiver Julio Jones. The former Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans WR was available for a long time after a frustrating year in Tennessee.
Then, the Buccaneers came calling, and the Tom Brady-Julio Jones duo could be dangerous if he gets back on the right track.
Well, a recent report from Jeff Darlington of ESPN has Buccaneers fans salivating at the sight of a revenge season for the former Pro Bowler.
A Bucs source told @JeffDarlington that Julio Jones looks like the 2019 version of himself 👀 pic.twitter.com/6NJedZ3yUy
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 10, 2022
That is an interesting report from Darlington, and if it is even remotely correct, that makes the Tampa Bay offense even more lethal.
Chris Godwin is recovering well from his knee injury, and Mike Evans looks to be one of the best at his position in 2022, with Brady throwing him the pigskin.
Russell Gage also came over from the Falcons, and veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph is set to take over Rob Gronkowski’s role. All in all, this offense is loaded — on paper. Julio Jones being the 2019 version of himself, would be a dangerous sight for opposing defenses.
For some perspective, here are the numbers from Julio Jones over the past few seasons:
- 2019: 99 catches, 1,394 yards, 6 TDs
- 2020: 51 catches, 771 yards, 3 TDs
- 2021: 31 catches, 434 yards, 1 TD
The biggest issue is that Julio played just 19 games combined over the past two seasons. If he can be the 2019 version, that is a brutal scene for the rest of the NFL.