Another Titan has landed in Philly. On Tuesday, the Eagles announced they were signing Julio Jones on a one-year deal in a move that will reunite A.J. Brown with his former Tennessee teammate.
As first reported by Adam Schefter, Jones enters Philadelphia with notable experience playing with Eagles stars. Following a decade-long stint on the Falcons, Jones spent a year with Brown on the Titans in 2021 after Brown helped secure his trade from Atlanta to Tennessee. Jones also played with Olamide Zaccheaus during their Falcons days.
The 34-year-old wideout has been loitering on the free agent market after a Tampa Bay stint last season that flamed out quickly. In Philly, he'll provide Jalen Hurts with yet another pass-catching option and presumably fit right in next to Brown and Zaccheaus, along with DeVonta Smith.
Eagles signing Julio Jones smells a little like desperation
Fresh off their first loss of the 2023 season to the New York Jets, the Eagles may not be feeling so comfortable about their passing offense.
A.J. Brown has continued to thrive since his trade to Philly, hauling in 42 catches for 672 yards and two touchdowns through six games. Yet there have still been times when the Eagles' passing attack has stalled and struggled to stretch the game vertically. Other than Brown, Smith has been hot and cold; Zaccheaus is working on building chemistry with Hurts. Behind those three, special teams stud Britain Covey hasn't been asked to contribute much on offensive snaps.
Signing a veteran like Jones who already has chemistry with Brown and Zaccheaus is a low-risk, high-reward move by the Eagles, a franchise known for their productive midseason trades.
At the same time, the Jones acquisition reeks a little of desperation. The Eagles' stunted passing attack was on full display in Week 6's pitiful loss to the Jets, who were without several key defenders in the backfield. Six weeks into the season, Philly holds a solid 5-1 record but hasn't looked like a well-balanced, well-oiled offensive machine; in fact, in most of their games, Hurts and his playmakers have failed to orchestrate offensive dominance like they did last season.
The Eagles' offense is still in search of that sweet spot between running plays and incorporating play-action to spread the ball around. Adding one veteran pass-catcher may not change much, but at worst, they've signed someone who A.J. Brown can vent to when he's upset on the sidelines.
