Julio Jones to Buccaneers: 3 realistic expectations from explosive WR in 2022

Julio Jones is putting individual glory aside to be a part of something bigger—at least that's how things appear to be after the long-time Atlanta Falcons wideout, who was most recently with the Tennessee Titans, signed a one-year deal worth $6 million in base pay (with up to $2 million in incentives) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday.

Jones will join a wide receiver room that already includes Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Tyler Johnson, Scotty Miller, Breshad Perriman, and Russell Gage, Jones' teammate, for three seasons in Atlanta.

After Tennessee dealt two draft picks to acquire him last year to no avail, Jones is now on the mend. Having signed essentially a prove-it deal with Tampa Bay, Jones will have to prove that he isn't too injury-prone to contribute as a tertiary option to Tom Brady. What the 33-year-old will offer isn't quite yet known.

With that said, here are three realistic expectations from Julio Jones in Tampa Bay in the 2022-23 season.

#1 - Julio Jones won't be healthy for the entire season

Julio Jones won't have perfect health in 2022

At this point, it's to be expected that Jones will only contribute on a part-time basis to your team due to injuries. He has suited up in just 19 games the past two seasons.

It should be pointed out that Jones wasn't always so injury-prone. For six straight seasons from 2014-2019, Jones appeared in at least 14 games per year as the featured option for Matt Ryan on the Falcons.

The Buccaneers were an excellent fit for Jones because he is seemingly part-time at this point in his career. Brady doesn't need Jones to be WR1 with Mike Evans and a returning Chris Godwin. He needs someone that can make timely big plays, something Brady saw firsthand during Super Bowl LI with Jones' insane fourth-quarter sideline grab five years ago.

#2 - Julio Jones will have far fewer catches than Mike Evans and Chris Godwin

Julio Jones will be way behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

This prediction is tricky, considering we don't yet know whether or not Chris Godwin will be fully healthy for the start of the season. Godwin, who tore his ACL in Week 15 of last season, was activated for the start of training camp rather than going on the physically unable to perform list. Still, it could take a while until he operates at pre-injury levels.

Assuming the Penn State product can make a triumphant return to the gridiron for the start of the 2022 season without any setbacks, expect Godwin and Mike Evans' production to far outperform Julio Jones'.

Tom Brady has his favorite targets, and it's going to be hard to cut into the 127, and 114 pass attempts a season ago for Godwin and Evans, respectively, for Jones. In fact, Leonard Fournette's 84 targets from a season ago will even be hard to surpass for the veteran newcomer.

#3 - Julio Jones will outpace his 2021 numbers with the Titans

Julio Jones will be in a better spot in 2022 than in 2021

Enough about the potential negatives of Jones becoming a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At the end of the day, this deal is perfect for both the franchise and the player for what they want to accomplish this season.

Jones needed to find a place where he could shine in spurts while not being relied upon to carry the receiving corps to greater heights. The Buccaneers needed a steady set of veteran hands to load up the offense for Tom Brady as he enters the final year of his deal in Tampa.

Both wishes were satisfied with this signing, and the result will likely be an increase in the number of targets, catches receiving yards, and touchdowns for Jones in his new digs.

Ryan Tannehill saw a somewhat steep decline in his game last season, seeing his passing numbers dip to levels they were at during his time with the Dolphins for the first six years of his career. One thing that is almost certain for Jones in 2022 is that the person passing him the ball will be better at it.