Getting Julio Jones To “The Finish Line”
October 12th, 2022
Julio Jones
So, is the “finish line” the Super Bowl, the first round of the playoffs or an imaginary line that separates Finland from Russia?
The “finish line” apparently is where the Bucs want Julio Jones. And yesterday was the second time in three days that Joe has seen or heard a reference that we may not see wide receiver Julio until the calendar year 2023.
That’s not to say Julio, perpetually hurt and currently nursing a bum knee, won’t play again this fall. But the Bucs’ messages are pretty darn clear: The goal is to get Julio ready for January, not for the Steelers on Sunday. Or even the Stinking Panthers or Crows later this month.
Todd Bowles hinted the Bucs very well may put Julio on ice until the playoffs begin in January.
Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht told the Buccaneers Radio Network that he’s “playing the long game” with Julio. And Albert Breer of SI.com and strongly suggests if it takes months to get Julio ready for the playoffs, so be it.
Tampa, conversely, is pretty adept at this point at handling such situations with veteran players. The goal, as Licht alluded to, is to get Jones to the finish line. And you don’t do that with a player carrying Jones’s aging and injury history by pushing him in October.
Joe is waiting for the Bucs to put Julio on injured reserve. Wait a couple of months to use him if the primary goal is Julio playing January. Why have the guy tie up a roster spot now?
It seems Bucs fans may want to start paying more attention to the Odell Beckham sales tour.
October 12th, 2022 at 4:03 am
Sherman, Bell, Julio, Gage, Hicks. We have no luck signing these old pros. Don’t get why anyone thinks OBJ will be any different—especially coming off surgery.
Plus, didn’t Bowles say Julio could’ve played against the Packers, that he was ready to go. But, now, somehow his knee has gotten that much worse resting it for 3 more weeks?? I don’t get it.
October 12th, 2022 at 4:49 am
Signing these oft injured injured players, some with cap hits in the future could have long lasting effects on the future of the team. As much as Jason Light has turned this team around the last couple of years, it might be time for Light to join
Gambler anonymous. We are not getting what we paid for in these signings.
October 12th, 2022 at 5:10 am
Injured aging players don’t help you win squat. For Julio’s $6 mil or Hicks $8 mil we could’ve had Suh AND JPP lining up for us in 2022 and helping this team a lot more than what we’re getting from Julio & Hicks. Seems humorous now Joe that you’ve called Suh a ‘mercenary’ more than once in the past, yet he’s the one who continually showed up.
October 12th, 2022 at 6:48 am
Gage is 26 with no injury history?
October 12th, 2022 at 6:52 am
Licht took some risks for sure with these free agents. I understand why he did it, but don’t agree with it.
October 12th, 2022 at 6:54 am
Here’s what’s going to happen when Julio does play again. He’ll absolutely get hurt again as soon as he comes back. I’ll bet a mortgage payment on it.
October 12th, 2022 at 7:01 am
@Beeej
And somehow Gage has been constantly nursing injuries since training camp. Go figure.
October 12th, 2022 at 7:13 am
JPP was washed up last year. He’ll make a play here and there but sooner than later will find his seat on IR.
Julio and Hicks are robbing this team from the nursing home. Both are wasted roster spots.
October 12th, 2022 at 7:21 am
Signing O.B. keeps him from beating you in the playoffs.
Again.
October 12th, 2022 at 7:27 am
I do agree about using roster spots for Julio & Hicks…….not a good move.
October 12th, 2022 at 7:46 am
Bucs got conned. This dude is washed up
October 12th, 2022 at 7:48 am
From the view on my TV, he crossed his finish line a year or two ago
October 12th, 2022 at 8:15 am
Julio to the team is like me finding a grand national on the side of the street for sale with 180k miles. It just had a premium paint job and brand new chromed $2000 rims. The original owner tells me It runs beautiful but there are some comuppets that can easily be resolved. The vacuum lines are old and dry rotted and the car has a skip sometimes. And there’s this one intermittent problem he hasn’t been able to figure out.
I buy it thinking I can fix it and then I will have a beautiful grand national. The problem is it has 180k miles but im so blinded I don’t care.
October 12th, 2022 at 8:20 am
Julio is the same the last few years , he is a ??? till ???? the last few years , Get Odell now , before it is too late. IMO Gronk is not coming back, hope I am wrong with Gronk. Go Bucs get Odell.
October 12th, 2022 at 8:28 am
How about the starting line!
October 12th, 2022 at 8:31 am
Who cares, need the other guys to step up. Keep getting better Rachaad
October 12th, 2022 at 8:38 am
In related news…Julio Jones is finished. Degenerative knew that gets worse with rest? Season over sadly….
October 12th, 2022 at 8:47 am
Antonio Brown didn’t help the Bucs win a Super Bowl?
October 12th, 2022 at 8:59 am
Injured aging players don’t help you win squat.
Antonio Brown didn’t help the Bucs win a Super Bowl?
***********************************************************
Well come on Joe. So we’ll give you that one as opposed to the plethora of other aging players that didn’t help the team at all.
October 12th, 2022 at 9:00 am
Can you name one other aging vet we picked up that have helped this team?
I can’t.
October 12th, 2022 at 9:11 am
JPP and Suh would be a few on D there DG060
October 12th, 2022 at 9:25 am
joe is right about if that is the strategy why isn’t he on ir ?
October 12th, 2022 at 9:30 am
so secret weapon X in january is the brittle julio jones…
yeah good luck with that one…
duke is often seen just lamping out…
gankin’ checks and smokin’ weed wit da boyz…
down by the school yard
October 12th, 2022 at 9:31 am
Kody, DR, Brady, Gronk, Suh, JPP, Bell (never got a chance), AB before the melt down, they all seemed to help out. I didn’t like the Hicks & Jones signing, I did like the Beasely, not sure what happened there. Suh was Bucs best Dlineman last year and doesn’t miss games, I never got the Hicks over Suh deal, Hicks sucked in NE and Belichick loves Dlinemen.
October 12th, 2022 at 9:32 am
Lol. Suh JPP Gronk AB Mclendon Logan Ryan . Just a few aging vets
October 12th, 2022 at 9:34 am
Julio has 4 receptions for 76 yards in 2022. Only played a total of 2 quarters basically. He’s a mirage. We’re in a desert, parched and exhausted, and we keep thinking there’s this gushing spring just over the horizon, and then when we get there the spring is still the same distance away. Put him on IR and forget about him. Signing him looked good in the off season but it was a mistake. Crying over spilled milk now. What is it we’re still waiting for, he hasn’t shown us anything other than injuries. Time to move on.
October 12th, 2022 at 9:36 am
More like weekend at Bernies.
October 12th, 2022 at 9:42 am
If I can’t depend on you today, why should I trust I can depend on you tomorrow? Like Jones can show up in January, and ball out? Don’t count on it. If you get to the playoffs in January with the players who got you there, do you bench them during the playoffs, and trot out an old, rusty, injury prone Jones? Get his arse on the field now! If he can’t hold up, throw him to the trash heap where he belongs.
October 12th, 2022 at 10:24 am
I like Julio.
When the Bucs need him in January, they’ll go get him outta the hot-tub.
October 12th, 2022 at 10:37 am
Great article Joe. I don’t have much faith in him playing much even when he does play in January or February. However, maybe the Bucs will read your column and if it hadn’t occurred to them which I’m sure it has, maybe once they see it in writing they will put him on IR. We can get one of the young receivers some experience and see if one of them may turn into a valuable tool for the offense if not this year maybe next year.
October 12th, 2022 at 10:57 am
Clown show.
October 12th, 2022 at 11:34 am
A lot of you are blaming Licht for these old guys we bring in. Are we sure Brady isn’t the problem?. I know he called McCoy, Rudolph, Jones, and AB. And I remember about 90% of us screaming to sign Hicks when he was free agent. And A lot now want to sign a injured and older OBJ and Suh?
October 12th, 2022 at 11:41 am
I apologize to clowns everywhere.
October 12th, 2022 at 11:49 am
Every angry commenter will love this dude in the playoffs. What do you do if you are a D-coordinator? You see Julio Jones line up next to Godwin or Evans and assume he’s washed up? Good luck with that.
I think it’s smart, and if it works, you’ll see a lot more vets with handshake playoff contracts.
October 12th, 2022 at 11:58 am
Dead money spent with Hicks and looks to be the case with Julio.
October 12th, 2022 at 12:07 pm
Thing is, he won’t be any better or more ready in Jnuary than he is right now. He has a chronic injury that won’t heel.
Clown show.
October 12th, 2022 at 1:14 pm
Jones shouldn’t have played against the Chiefs. So I disagree with the assertion. Godwin should have been placed on IR to start the season. I didn’t think Jones would contribute much this season. I was pleasantly surprised how he looked against Dallas. I think his legs are shot. I agree with @BucU. He’ll probably get hurt again. This isn’t the NBA. The idea of resting guys for the playoffs doesn’t work. Gage was supposed to be insurance for Godwin. So far he’s been kind of meh. He was advertised as Edelman 2.0.
October 12th, 2022 at 1:25 pm
What about Cheryl Grayson he was coming into his own before he got hurt last year what is his status
October 12th, 2022 at 1:26 pm
Can we get Sue bag immediately
October 12th, 2022 at 1:38 pm
Rather have Julio in the cold tub, or Tyler Johnson right now?
October 12th, 2022 at 1:56 pm
Injury waive him. $6 million for what? Beckham atleast sounds like he might be ready soon.
October 12th, 2022 at 2:14 pm
Cutting Jones wouldn’t save them money against the cap.
October 12th, 2022 at 2:22 pm
There is a CERTAIN line between Russia and Finland.
Dumb throw away line…
October 12th, 2022 at 2:28 pm
That a great plan regarding Jones it’s only money, and the owner is paying. I hope he grows up by then and gets rid of his disgusting hair-do. He definitely will be an asset in the playoffs.
October 12th, 2022 at 2:31 pm
need Beckham and we need Suh and the sooner the better, ice ghost julio and figure out how to get Hicks operational again or ice him too.
October 12th, 2022 at 2:41 pm
Where’s that line on a satellite image before the image doctored?
October 12th, 2022 at 2:58 pm
JPP was not a good player for the Bucs last year. My bet is that he will be injured again this year for all those calling now that we should have resigned him.
October 12th, 2022 at 3:17 pm
It was reported that Jones has a torn PCL .. IF thats true–..his knee will feel like it will buckle.. with a brace he can probably run straight if he can handle the pain. Practically speaking i think his NFL career ended as he made that awkward catch in Dallas..
At a minimum , I don’t understand why they don’t put him on IR
October 12th, 2022 at 4:48 pm
A clown show poster, saying it’s a clown show. lol
October 12th, 2022 at 5:36 pm
Que the circus calliope music.
Bahm bahm dadda dadda bump bump dadda
October 12th, 2022 at 5:55 pm
Save him for the playoffs? WHAT PLAYOFFS?? A presumptuous statement. Might as well save Evan’s, Brady, Wirf, LVD, Ryan, Shaq for the playoffs if it’s that easy to get in them. Pre-Brady wasn’t it like 10 yrs the Bucs didn’t sniff the PO’s? Bowles gotta go!
#Jetssludge
October 12th, 2022 at 6:12 pm
Here is the real deal. Its time to send RODOLPH Back to the north pole. And Send JULIO back to the schoolyard. They both startin to remind of another ex Buc named Sweeny who got his money for nothin and his chicks for free.
October 12th, 2022 at 8:47 pm
I apologize. I was wrong about Julio Jones. I thought Julio would have a fantastic season with the Bucs, especially because there seemed to be some chemistry between him and Tom. Nope. Something is wrong with Julio, big time! I have lost all faith in him. If I was GM, I would cut him immediately. N-O-W. It would give the Bucs an opportunity to prop up their receiving corps with talent, speed, youth, and reliability. Plus, it would send a message to other possible malingerers. I thought Julio and Tom would connect for near 20 TDs. Hah!! That schoolyard pair won’t connect for even 2. Another AB bust. Sorry.
October 12th, 2022 at 10:38 pm
OB will never sign here. Hasn’t anyone paid attention to how much he feels he’s worth?
I thought Beasely could’ve been great on this offense. POS left using the “I wanna be with my family!” BS.
Julio should play when he’s ready to play. If he gets hurt again then he gets hurt again and so be it. He’s being paid to PLAY. If the Bucs want someone to sit on the bench for $6mil then I’m their huckleberry.
Gronk pisses me off. His girlfriend wanted him to play. Brady wanted him to play. But he’s too dumb and thinks he can make more money going around acting stupid in front of the cameras and selling shoes on TV that start at $300/pair.
No wonder Brady is having troubles. He’s got all this to deal with, plus he’s got a wife who can’t figure out how to support the most famous and successful athlete on the planet.
October 13th, 2022 at 12:22 am
“Antonio Brown didn’t help the Bucs win a Super Bowl?”
We won a superbowl last year? Or was that the year before when he wasn’t injured?
October 13th, 2022 at 12:31 am
“JPP and Suh would be a few on D there DG060”
And yet no one else has signed them either. 🤔
October 14th, 2022 at 8:01 am
Call me crazy but I’d rather have DeSean Jackson on this roster than Julio.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:42 am
Leftwich proved in Arizona with out Bruce arians he was an incapable OC. Now Bruce retires again and we are getting the same results . We have a pattern here . He needs to go and we need Bruce back to coach the offense for this year at least . The coaching this season has been absolutely trash . How many 3rd and 15s did the Steelers complete against us? 4? 🤢 🤮. If blitzing got us to 3rd and 15 why not do it again when zone didn’t work the first 2 times !