I will start by making it clear that a trade by the Arizona Cardinals for Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is highly unlikely. While DeAndre Hopkins appears to be working to make it happen, it would be a huge surprise.
Besides the financial questions to acquiring Jones, there is also the question as to whether or not adding him would work on the field.
After all, the Cardinals already have Hopkins and A.J. Green. Both are outside receivers. Jones would give the Cardinals three traditionally ‘X’ receivers.
How would it work having all three on the field at the same time? Who would play in the slot?
All three have experience out of the slot.
Hopkins only lined up in the slot 7.1% of the time in his first season with the Cardinals. However, when he was with the Houston Texans in 2019, 23.6% of his snaps came from the slot.
Jones was in the slot 12.9% of his snaps in 2020 but it was 16.6% of the time in 2019.
Green, slated to be the Cardinals’ ‘Z’ receiver, was in the slot 14.7% of the time last season. In 2018, it was 17.7% of the time.
If the Cardinals had all three of these players, they could cause problems for opposing defenses. No team would be equipped to guard all three and they could move around.
Would there be enough footballs to go around for all three guys? That is another question completely.
As unlikely as it is, the Cardinals could make it work and it would be glorious to see.
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