Julio Jones trade rumors: A.J. Brown sends direct message to star receiver in hopes of luring him to Titans

Brown wants to form a dynamic receiver duo with Jones in Tennessee

A.J. Brown is making it crystal clear that he wants Julio Jones opposite of him when the Titans kick off the 2021 season in a few months. As the Falcons' star receiver appears to be on the doorstep of a trade out of Atlanta and away from a team he's played his whole career with, various players across the league have come out of the woodwork to try to lure Jones to their club. The latest is Brown, who sent Jones a direct message on Instagram where he made the pitch for him to land in Tennessee. 

"Trust me, if you want to carry the load, you can carry it, but if you get tired, you know I can carry you," Brown said in the voice message. "Just come mess with your boy. Real talk. We're waiting for you over here. You say you want to win, right? We just need a couple more pieces. Trust me, come vibe with me man."

This isn't the only social media recruiting Brown has done since the trade rumors around Jones have hit a fever pitch. Initially, he offered the Falcons receiver his No. 11 -- the same number he's donned in Atlanta -- but then retracted that offer once he was told by the team that he couldn't wear No. 1. 

While Jones may have to accept a new number if he ultimately unites with Brown in Tennessee, this could be a good fit. In fact, the Titans -- along with the New England Patriots -- are reportedly the two teams that are "very much on his radar." The club lost Corey Davis to the New York Jets in free agency earlier this offseason, which leaves at least 92 targets on the table for Jones to immediately gobble up in Nashville. That's also not even mentioning the loss of tight end Jonnu Smith where red-zone looks could now be available to Jones. If you were to pair the 32-year-old receiver with Tennessee's trio of Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry and Brown, that has the potential to become one of the better offensive units in the conference.

Want inside access into the NFL from an active player and conversations with prominent guests? Download and subscribe to All Things Covered with Patrick Peterson and Bryant McFadden as the duo share their thoughts on Julio Jones. 

Of course, any team looking to acquire Brown would also need to be able to absorb his $15.3 million base salary along with potentially surrendering a second-round pick in the process. If Brown is echoing the same sentiment that is felt throughout the halls of Nissan Stadium that the Titans are just a piece or two away from legit Super Bowl contention, that price for Jones may be well worth it. According to CBS Sports research analyst Stephen Oh's projections, Tennessee odds of winning the AFC South and reaching the postseason increase by around 9% with Jones on the roster.