Ravens: Julio Jones ‘not on the radar’ of Baltimore at this moment

The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the teams most closely tied to rumors surrounding star wide receiver Julio Jones this offseason.

However, a recent report suggests that Ravens fans shouldn’t hold their breath for a potential blockbuster trade in the near or distant future.

Josina Anderson reported on Thursday night that Jones “is not on the radar” of the Ravens at this moment and that the team “likes the young core of receivers they have.”

Simply put, don’t expect Baltimore to be aggressive in their pursuit (if you could even call it that) of Jones.

Julio Jones isn’t a priority for the Ravens

The Ravens have been connected to rumors with Jones dating back a number of months now, but those rumors have once again picked up steam in recent days with the Atlanta Falcons reportedly trying to move the superstar wideout.

Many have speculated that the Ravens could be in the market for Jones, although a trade does seem unlikely for a variety of reasons.

For starters, Baltimore is managing a tricky cap situation and would need to create a little space to take on Jones’ contract if they traded for him.

On top of that, there isn’t a feasible out in his contract until after the 2022 season meaning that the team would be stuck with him for at least two years.

That could create a dilemma with players like Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews, Bradley Bozeman, and DeShon Elliott — among others — in need of extensions in the very near future.

The Ravens don’t have the cap flexibility to be taking on Jones’ salary at this stage, even if he would provide a major boost to the receiving game.

The other reason is that Baltimore already invested plenty into the wide receiver position this offseason. After signing Sammy Watkins in free agency, the Ravens drafted both Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Ravens don’t need to be aggressive when targeting Jones. And it doesn’t seem like general manager Eric DeCosta is going to be.

They like their young wide receivers with Bateman and Wallace joining the likes of Devin Duvernay and James Proche, not to mention Marquise Brown.

Their cap situation makes it difficult and it’s hardly a pressing need in the first place. It isn’t hard to figure out why Jones “isn’t on the Ravens’ radar” at this moment.

Does that mean they won’t revisit this at some point? Not necessarily.

But at least for now, don’t expect the team to make any type of serious offer for Julio Jones.