Julio Jones vs AJ Green (1 Viewer)

[Faust]

100-Day NFL Warning: Julio Jones Ended Last Season on Something of a High Note

By Robert Mays on

May 28, 2013 4:44 PM ETWhat's that? You were wondering exactly how many days until the start of the NFL season? Well, you're in luck! We here at the Triangle are set to spend the next three and a half months providing a daily reason to get excited about pro football's return.

When your team goes 13-3 and has home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, there isn’t much solace to be found in anything less than a championship, but I think for Falcons fans, last year’s NFC Championship Game provided one exception. What eventually got lost (I can’t be the only one who temporarily forgot about this, right?) in the 49ers’ nutty comeback and eventual win was that the most recent game of Julio Jones’s NFL career was also his best. Against one of the best defenses in football, Jones hauled in 11 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns, the second of which involved him taunting the rest of mankind with a Why? Because I can toe drag.

(click on the link to see the video clip)

Jones finished his second season with 79 receptions, nearly 1,200 yards, and 10 touchdowns — all of which placed him in the top 20 league-wide. The touchdown and yardage totals were good for seventh and 11th, respectively. All of this would seem to indicate that Jones is already one of the best wide receivers in football, and he probably is. It’s just that this season, he should be that much better.

Even in this pass-happy, rookie-quarterback-friendly NFL, the success of most young wide receivers has taken time. Justin Blackmon led all rookies last year with 64 catches for 865 yards. The other three rookie wide receivers drafted in the first round combined for 1,188 yards. A.J. Green felt like a star upon his arrival to the league, but even he barely cracked the 1,000-yard mark, and caught only 65 passes. It took Dez Bryant until Year 3 (and really, the end of Year 3) to become the sort of star the Cowboys envisioned when they drafted him. And although it’s hard to gauge how much Demaryius Thomas’s improvement in his third season was due to his own maturation and how much was due to the arrival of Peyton Manning, a jump of nearly 40 yards per game would still be significant if I had been the Broncos’ starting quarterback in 2011.

Atlanta’s price tag to move up and take Jones — two firsts, a second, and two fourths — was big enough for fans to expect immediate results, but with wide receivers, that expectation just isn't reasonable. The reward to be found in Altanta’s risk still isn’t apparent, not even after 1,200 yards and double-digit touchdowns. Jones may have hung around the top 10 a season ago, but this is the season when a leap into becoming a 100-catch, 1,400-yard game-changer is very much in play. What we saw against San Francisco may never be the norm, but I wouldn’t be surprised if, soon, it didn’t even make us blink.

 

[Faust]

Bengals' A.J. Green elite now; new additions may send him off charts

Clark Judge

CINCINNATI -- A.J. Green says he's not an elite wide receiver, but he's wrong. He's among the game's top three or four and should've been voted to last year's All-Pro team.

Guaranteed, he will be this year, and here's why: Because he finally has support.

With the additions of rookies Tyler Eifert and Giovani Bernard and the return of wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, Green has the playmakers around him he did not at the end of last season, and I know what you're thinking: So what? Well, so they could relax the suffocating double-coverages that kept Green from scoring in all but one of his last seven starts.

"We've just got more options now," said Green, "It's welcome, but it doesn't matter to me. I take the pressure as it comes."

Unfortunately for him, he took more than his fair share down the stretch last season -- especially after Sanu bowed out because of a season-ending foot injury. With no other reliable option, the Bengals' passing game sputtered, with no one affected more than Green, who wasn't targeted once in the first half of the club's playoff loss to Houston.

"The whole thing [near the end of the season] was that teams were trying to take me away," Green said. "Was it frustrating? Just a little. But sometimes that's part of the game. If you want to be a great receiver you have to learn how to get open."

A couple of things there jump out at you, with the first that statement about "if you want to be a great receiver ..." Sorry, but Green already is there. Yeah, I know, he's been in the league only two years, but look what he's done in that time:

Become the first NFL player to reach 100 catches, 1,500 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in his first 20 games and only the seventh player in Pro Bowl history to score three times in one game ... which happened in January.

Then there's that part about learning "to get open." If Green hadn't solved that mystery the Bengals wouldn't have reached the playoffs the past two seasons. There's no more valuable weapon on this team than A.J. Green, and if he's not open the Bengals aren't winning -- which is why the arrivals of Eifert and Bernard are so important to the future of the Bengals.

"He's definitely an elite receiver," said teammate Leon Hall, one of the game's top cornerbacks. "I'm kind of in awe of how talented he is."

He's not alone. I remember when Green was at the 2011 NFL scouting combine, and an NFC general manager told me he'd rank him among the league's top six receivers ... and that was before the guy was even drafted.

It's no coincidence that when Green and Andy Dalton showed up, the Bengals showed up in the playoffs -- reaching them in both of their first two seasons. So don't tell me A.J. Green isn't already a top-shelf wide receiver.

Because he is.

"No," said Green, "I'm not there yet. This is only my third year, and I have a lot more learning to do. The biggest thing at this position is consistency -- to keep getting better each year and don't regress -- and that's my goal. I've been in the league two years so I still have a lot of time. When I get to Year Six, maybe then I can say I'm one of those receivers."

Or maybe he can say it this year. Green last season had scoring receptions in all but one of his first 10 starts and three 100-yard performances in his first six, so there goes the consistency angle. He insists, however, that he needs to work on becoming "more of a student" so he can better communicate with teammates and Dalton, and, OK, let's give him that.

But talk about picky. That's what experience is all about, and the more you watch A.J. Green the more you realize he's not a star waiting to happen; he's already there -- regardless of what he acknowledges.

When I asked Hall what part of Green's game impresses him most he answered with one word -- "talent" -- and that talent was evident again at last week's OTA when Green made a remarkable, over-the-head catch that had coaches talking a week later.

Most observers thought the pass was uncatchable, yet Green somehow ran it down, stretched to catch it with both hands at knee level, somehow shifted the ball to his right hand and touched the ground with his left before straightening up. Then he turned around and punted the ball 50 yards.

"He realized it was a great catch," Hall said. "That's why he punted. He knew it was kind of special."

So why doesn't he realize he's kind of special, too? Answer: Because that's not A.J. Green. He is reluctant to endorse himself and is less likely to draw attention to himself. He doesn't salsa in the end zone. He doesn't mock defenders. And he hasn't punctuated a touchdown by proposing to a cheerleader.

"That's not me," he said. "I just go out and play football. One of the greatest basketball players to ever play is Tim Duncan, and you don't hear him. But you can see what he does on the court. So that's one of the things I look at. I'm just going to go out there and play football, and you all [the media] can be the judge of that."

Fair enough. We will. And I say you're about to hear a lot more about A.J. Green and the Cincinnati Bengals.

"What is this -- his third year?" asked Hall. "With the elite receivers, it's always a question of how long can you do it? But I have confidence in the fact that if he stays healthy and he keeps working as he has been he'd have no choice but to call himself an elite receiver."

Rotoworld:

A.J. Green said his biggest goal this offseason is to cut down on his drops.

Last year, Green was officially credited with seven drops and Pro Football Focus hit him with 10. He still ranked seventh in receptions (97), tenth in yards (1,351) and fourth in receiving touchdowns (11). Green has spent the past few months working out with the likes of Calvin Johnson and Demaryius Thomas in Atlanta.

Apr 16 - 9:02 AM
Source: Cincinnati Enquirer

 

[TheFanatic]

So Julio gets credit for not being the number 1 option on his team and AJ gets a knock for that. As if that pads his stats. And it does, but in order to do so, he has to beat the double team. Julio is often single covered. If he were in the same class as AJ, he would beat the single coverage left and right and have similar stats as AJ.

People act like it's not his fault that Julio is not the #1 target on his team and should cut him some slack. No, it is his fault he's not the #1 guy on his team. He needs to beat the single coverage more and make himself the #1 target. He has yet to do that. Could happen this year. But AJ is the better WR right now and has been their entire careers...

 

[eefflrat]

So Julio gets credit for not being the number 1 option on his team and AJ gets a knock for that. As if that pads his stats. And it does, but in order to do so, he has to beat the double team. Julio is often single covered. If he were in the same class as AJ, he would beat the single coverage left and right and have similar stats as AJ.

People act like it's not his fault that Julio is not the #1 target on his team and should cut him some slack. No, it is his fault he's not the #1 guy on his team. He needs to beat the single coverage more and make himself the #1 target. He has yet to do that. Could happen this year. But AJ is the better WR right now and has been their entire careers...

what's the fuss, I'd be happy with either

 

[MrSoup]

So Julio gets credit for not being the number 1 option on his team and AJ gets a knock for that. As if that pads his stats. And it does, but in order to do so, he has to beat the double team. Julio is often single covered. If he were in the same class as AJ, he would beat the single coverage left and right and have similar stats as AJ.

People act like it's not his fault that Julio is not the #1 target on his team and should cut him some slack. No, it is his fault he's not the #1 guy on his team. He needs to beat the single coverage more and make himself the #1 target. He has yet to do that. Could happen this year. But AJ is the better WR right now and has been their entire careers...

AJ Green had no competition in front of him to become the #1 target on his team.

 

[Monsters of the Midway]

I'm a little confused at what Mays is saying. He uses AJ Green's rookie season as an example of how "it takes time" for elite WRs. But he came out the same year as Julio and his rookie season was better than Julio's. His second season too, for that matter.

I have preferred AJ Green but would be delighted with either (obviously). I don't know if numbers back it up but if we're splitting hairs AJ seems more consistent game to game, and Julio's history of nagging and worse injuries worries me. This is where everyone tells me that injuries aren't as repeatable as I think they are.

 

[Sabertooth]

So Julio gets credit for not being the number 1 option on his team and AJ gets a knock for that. As if that pads his stats. And it does, but in order to do so, he has to beat the double team. Julio is often single covered. If he were in the same class as AJ, he would beat the single coverage left and right and have similar stats as AJ.

People act like it's not his fault that Julio is not the #1 target on his team and should cut him some slack. No, it is his fault he's not the #1 guy on his team. He needs to beat the single coverage more and make himself the #1 target. He has yet to do that. Could happen this year. But AJ is the better WR right now and has been their entire careers...

AJ Green had no competition in front of him to become the #1 target on his team.

AJ Green would be the number one target on any team not located in Michigan or Arizona.

I truly believe that AJ Green would be the number one target on any team except Detroit and possibly Arizona.

Julio is probably one of the 20 best pass catchers in the NFL. He is not better than Roddy White or Tony Gonzalez though. And thus he's had some stalls on his ascent to superstardom. I have no doubt though that he gets there. I recently put my money where my mouth is and offered Hakeem Nicks plus multiple first round picks for Julio (haven't heard back yet).

Julio is a very good prospect while AJ Green is a top level player.

 

[Sabertooth]

I'm a little confused at what Mays is saying. He uses AJ Green's rookie season as an example of how "it takes time" for elite WRs. But he came out the same year as Julio and his rookie season was better than Julio's. His second season too, for that matter.

I have preferred AJ Green but would be delighted with either (obviously). I don't know if numbers back it up but if we're splitting hairs AJ seems more consistent game to game, and Julio's history of nagging and worse injuries worries me. This is where everyone tells me that injuries aren't as repeatable as I think they are.

I also prefer AJ Green at this point. I think he continues to develop as does Julio. The ceiling can only get so high though and I see Julio closing the gap ever so slightly each season until the two are very close in value right behind only Calvin.

 

[humpback]

AJ Green would be the number one target on any team not located in Michigan or Arizona.


I truly believe that AJ Green would be the number one target on any team except Detroit and possibly Arizona.

Julio is probably one of the 20 best pass catchers in the NFL. He is not better than Roddy White or Tony Gonzalez though. And thus he's had some stalls on his ascent to superstardom. I have no doubt though that he gets there. I recently put my money where my mouth is and offered Hakeem Nicks plus multiple first round picks for Julio (haven't heard back yet).

Julio is a very good prospect while AJ Green is a top level player.

I also prefer AJ Green at this point. I think he continues to develop as does Julio. The ceiling can only get so high though and I see Julio closing the gap ever so slightly each season until the two are very close in value right behind only Calvin.

Already there.

 

[TheFanatic]

So Julio gets credit for not being the number 1 option on his team and AJ gets a knock for that. As if that pads his stats. And it does, but in order to do so, he has to beat the double team. Julio is often single covered. If he were in the same class as AJ, he would beat the single coverage left and right and have similar stats as AJ.

People act like it's not his fault that Julio is not the #1 target on his team and should cut him some slack. No, it is his fault he's not the #1 guy on his team. He needs to beat the single coverage more and make himself the #1 target. He has yet to do that. Could happen this year. But AJ is the better WR right now and has been their entire careers...

AJ Green had no competition in front of him to become the #1 target on his team.

And immediately faced double teams. Julio has never had to do that all game long. If he beat the single coverage often enough, he would be facing the double team and Roddy would be the #2 option, but he can't beat the one on one often enough to take over.

 

[CentralPA]

I think both are going to be elite and future HoFers. If you put a gun to my head I say AJ Green has the better career but Julio won't be very far behind at all. Both are stellar.

 

[Stewyfootballhead]

Julio Jones right now is Reggie Wayne to Marvin Harrison, AJ Green is a young Megatron, however Cincy management can screw things up royally. That's the ONLY risk with A.J. Green he might have a few "Fitz" years where all that talent goes to waste. Julio has always had a better supporting cast, can he do it all alone? At least Matt Ryan should be around for a while. Who looks like a first ballot HOF after 2 years, clearly AJ Green.

 

[TheDirtyWord]

This is a silly debate now. Since drafted, both have proven themselves to be elite WR's. They're situation have differences that don't allow an apples to apples to comparison but needless to say 30 other NFL teams would want either.

 

[jurb26]

Green is on par with Calvin right now IMO. They are the 2 best Wrs in the league. Jones is spectacular as well but in the group after them.

 

[Sabertooth]

AJ Green would be the number one target on any team not located in Michigan or Arizona.


I truly believe that AJ Green would be the number one target on any team except Detroit and possibly Arizona.

Julio is probably one of the 20 best pass catchers in the NFL. He is not better than Roddy White or Tony Gonzalez though. And thus he's had some stalls on his ascent to superstardom. I have no doubt though that he gets there. I recently put my money where my mouth is and offered Hakeem Nicks plus multiple first round picks for Julio (haven't heard back yet).

Julio is a very good prospect while AJ Green is a top level player.

I also prefer AJ Green at this point. I think he continues to develop as does Julio. The ceiling can only get so high though and I see Julio closing the gap ever so slightly each season until the two are very close in value right behind only Calvin.

Already there.

How can you even say that? He's didn't make the Top 10 in my PPR league last year. Green was number 3. Maybe prospect wasn't the right word, but he got outperformed by the likes of Eric Decker and Reggie Wayne last year. Only Calvin and Brandon Marshall logged more points than Green.

In PPR, I would put Marshall, Andre, Dez, Roddy and possibly Harvin above Julio but below AJ Green for the 2013 season. I doubt there are 5 players between them after that. But they are there currently.

 

[Shlon]

So Julio gets credit for not being the number 1 option on his team and AJ gets a knock for that. As if that pads his stats. And it does, but in order to do so, he has to beat the double team. Julio is often single covered. If he were in the same class as AJ, he would beat the single coverage left and right and have similar stats as AJ.

People act like it's not his fault that Julio is not the #1 target on his team and should cut him some slack. No, it is his fault he's not the #1 guy on his team. He needs to beat the single coverage more and make himself the #1 target. He has yet to do that. Could happen this year. But AJ is the better WR right now and has been their entire careers...

Incorrect, defenses were double teaming Julio and he was much more accounted for than Roddy last year.

 

[Sabertooth]

If we are talking top level players. Here are the buckets for me right now after Calvin. This is for the 2013 season only. Obviously Julio's youth vaults him over several of these guys for long term (But not over Gronk, Graham, Dez, Thomas, or Green)

AJ Green

Gronk,

Graham

Dez

Andre

Marshall

Thomas

White

Wayne

Harvin

Julio

 

[Sabertooth]

So Julio gets credit for not being the number 1 option on his team and AJ gets a knock for that. As if that pads his stats. And it does, but in order to do so, he has to beat the double team. Julio is often single covered. If he were in the same class as AJ, he would beat the single coverage left and right and have similar stats as AJ.

People act like it's not his fault that Julio is not the #1 target on his team and should cut him some slack. No, it is his fault he's not the #1 guy on his team. He needs to beat the single coverage more and make himself the #1 target. He has yet to do that. Could happen this year. But AJ is the better WR right now and has been their entire careers...

Incorrect, defenses were double teaming Julio and he was much more accounted for than Roddy last year.

Do you have any kind of data to back this up or are your stating personal observation?

 

[CentralPA]

If we are talking top level players. Here are the buckets for me right now after Calvin. This is for the 2013 season only. Obviously Julio's youth vaults him over several of these guys for long term (But not over Gronk, Graham, Dez, Thomas, or Green)

AJ Green

Gronk,

Graham

Dez

Andre

Marshall

Thomas

White

Wayne

Harvin

Julio

Mostly agree but I think you can make a very good argument for Julio to end up with better numbers than those three. I'd probably put him at the bottom of your mid-tier with Thomas.

 

[Sabertooth]

I've looked at these kids and I've seen the rankings. Nowhere do I see Julio Jones ranked ahead of Green. I realize talent is a big component to NFL success. But it is not everything. Here you have a kid with some potential going to the Bungles. And a kid with some potential going to the Falcons.Is the gap in talent so vast that Green+Gradkoski is greater than Jones+Ryan? Just from a stability standpoint you have to like the Falcons about 100 times more than the Bengals. They appear to place some type of priority on building a winning franchise. The Bengals? Not so much. They appear to be operating without a rudder.I just don't see how AJ Green has a stronger career than Julio Jones. Obviously the Falcons traded a boatload of picks for Jones so they have a very high opinion of him. I think they gave up 5 picks to get him if I'm not mistaken. He was already inserted into the starting lineup. The Falcons saw what Green Bay's multiple receiving sets can do to a defense and they know they have to bring their passing game up to snuff if they want to compete with the Packers, Colts, Pats type of teams.I think Jones has a better rookie season and is better at least through the expiration of their rookie contracts. After that, who knows?

ehhhhh not so much. Shows you how much we don't know that we think we know in July. WTF Gradkowski?

 

[Sabertooth]

If we are talking top level players. Here are the buckets for me right now after Calvin. This is for the 2013 season only. Obviously Julio's youth vaults him over several of these guys for long term (But not over Gronk, Graham, Dez, Thomas, or Green)

Mostly agree but I think you can make a very good argument for Julio to end up with better numbers than those three. I'd probably put him at the bottom of your mid-tier with Thomas.

AJ Green

Gronk,

Graham

Dez

Andre

Marshall

Thomas

White

Wayne

Harvin

Julio

Perhaps you are right. But one thing of note is that ever single other player on this list is the unquestioned #1 receiver on their respective NFL team. Julio is not.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I've looked at these kids and I've seen the rankings. Nowhere do I see Julio Jones ranked ahead of Green. I realize talent is a big component to NFL success. But it is not everything. Here you have a kid with some potential going to the Bungles. And a kid with some potential going to the Falcons.Is the gap in talent so vast that Green+Gradkoski is greater than Jones+Ryan? Just from a stability standpoint you have to like the Falcons about 100 times more than the Bengals. They appear to place some type of priority on building a winning franchise. The Bengals? Not so much. They appear to be operating without a rudder.I just don't see how AJ Green has a stronger career than Julio Jones. Obviously the Falcons traded a boatload of picks for Jones so they have a very high opinion of him. I think they gave up 5 picks to get him if I'm not mistaken. He was already inserted into the starting lineup. The Falcons saw what Green Bay's multiple receiving sets can do to a defense and they know they have to bring their passing game up to snuff if they want to compete with the Packers, Colts, Pats type of teams.I think Jones has a better rookie season and is better at least through the expiration of their rookie contracts. After that, who knows?

ehhhhh not so much. Shows you how much we don't know that we think we know in July. WTF Gradkowski?

I had the chance to draft either Jones or Green in my keeper league their first year, and I went with Jones for basically the same rationale. Sorry about it now, but it could be worse . . .

 

[humpback]

How can you even say that? He's didn't make the Top 10 in my PPR league last year. Green was number 3. Maybe prospect wasn't the right word, but he got outperformed by the likes of Eric Decker and Reggie Wayne last year. Only Calvin and Brandon Marshall logged more points than Green.


In PPR, I would put Marshall, Andre, Dez, Roddy and possibly Harvin above Julio but below AJ Green for the 2013 season. I doubt there are 5 players between them after that. But they are there currently.

You called Julio a "very good prospect" and you say how can I even say something?

Who cares if he didn't finish in the top 10 last year or if Decker and Wayne finished ahead of him? This is dynasty we're talking about. That's nice where you might have him, but here are the rankings of this site:

1 WR Calvin Johnson, DET 1 2 2 1 1 1 5 1 3 1.9 1 1.6 1 WR A.J. Green, CIN 3 1 1 2 2 3 2 2 1 1.9 2 1.9 3 WR Julio Jones, ATL 2 3 3 3 3 8 1 5 2 3.3 3 3

Like I said, they are already there, right behind Calvin, in many people's opinions. You could make an argument for Dez, Marshall, and maybe Harvin over Julio, but Andre and Roddy aren't in the conversation.

Edit- formatting sucks for some reason, but it's Calvin, AJ Green, then Julio 3rd in the WR rankings.

 

[cstu]

I've looked at these kids and I've seen the rankings. Nowhere do I see Julio Jones ranked ahead of Green. I realize talent is a big component to NFL success. But it is not everything. Here you have a kid with some potential going to the Bungles. And a kid with some potential going to the Falcons.Is the gap in talent so vast that Green+Gradkoski is greater than Jones+Ryan? Just from a stability standpoint you have to like the Falcons about 100 times more than the Bengals. They appear to place some type of priority on building a winning franchise. The Bengals? Not so much. They appear to be operating without a rudder.I just don't see how AJ Green has a stronger career than Julio Jones. Obviously the Falcons traded a boatload of picks for Jones so they have a very high opinion of him. I think they gave up 5 picks to get him if I'm not mistaken. He was already inserted into the starting lineup. The Falcons saw what Green Bay's multiple receiving sets can do to a defense and they know they have to bring their passing game up to snuff if they want to compete with the Packers, Colts, Pats type of teams.I think Jones has a better rookie season and is better at least through the expiration of their rookie contracts. After that, who knows?

ehhhhh not so much. Shows you how much we don't know that we think we know in July. WTF Gradkowski?

I had the chance to draft either Jones or Green in my keeper league their first year, and I went with Jones for basically the same rationale. Sorry about it now, but it could be worse . . .

Why sorry? Green has only outscored Julio so far by about 60 points in PPR despite much more opportunity and Julio is a year younger.

 

[EBF]

I think AJ Green is slightly overrated. He deserves a lot of credit for thriving in Cincy with a mediocre supporting cast and quarterback. He's a very good player, but a lot of people have him ranked as the clear #2 dynasty WR. I think the debate between Green and Julio/Thomas/Bryant is very close, almost to the point where I have no preference among that group.

Dez and Thomas both did a lot more with their targets than Green last season.

Green - 164 targets, 1350 yards (8.23 yards per target)

Dez - 138 targets, 1382 yards (10.01 yards per target)

Thomas - 141 targets, 1434 yards (10.17 yards per target)

Dez and Thomas play with a better supporting cast and quarterback than Green, which is probably part of the reason why they were so much more effective. I'm not necessarily saying that those guys are better than Green, but I also don't see a strong argument for them being any worse. They are both much better physical specimens. They aren't as likely to make the crazy acrobatic grab as Green, but they don't have to make those catches because their height/weight/speed puts them in easier situations.

The same more or less applies to Green vs. Julio. Green probably has better hands and ball skills. Julio is a much better athlete. Given that Julio is the more gifted physical talent and almost a year younger, I might lean towards him over Green.

All of these guys are solid top 10 overall picks in PPR startup drafts. I just don't see a tier gap between Green and the others.

 

[Donsmith753]

I have the 6 of them in one tier.

EBF's 5 and Harvin.

I've got them Green, Calvin, Bryant, Julio, Harvin & DT but there's not much of a gap between any of them.

 

[EBF]

I have the 6 of them in one tier.EBF's 5 and Harvin.I've got them Green, Calvin, Bryant, Julio, Harvin & DT but there's not much of a gap between any of them.

That's about how I see it. I think I'd have Calvin as #1 because his ppg ceiling is higher, but he's 3-4 years older than the others and that will start to be a factor soon.

I like Harvin and I think he could be poised for a career year, but I have him just on the fringe of the first tier. WR6 for the time being.

 

[TheFanatic]

So Julio gets credit for not being the number 1 option on his team and AJ gets a knock for that. As if that pads his stats. And it does, but in order to do so, he has to beat the double team. Julio is often single covered. If he were in the same class as AJ, he would beat the single coverage left and right and have similar stats as AJ.

People act like it's not his fault that Julio is not the #1 target on his team and should cut him some slack. No, it is his fault he's not the #1 guy on his team. He needs to beat the single coverage more and make himself the #1 target. He has yet to do that. Could happen this year. But AJ is the better WR right now and has been their entire careers...

Incorrect, defenses were double teaming Julio and he was much more accounted for than Roddy last year.

Do you have any kind of data to back this up or are your stating personal observation?

And if you can back that up, then Julio doesn't get a pass as being the #2 WR on his team. The D is treating him like the #1 and doubling him. And as stated, I would like to see some evidence to that effect that he got the double more than Roddy

 

[Sabertooth]

I've looked at these kids and I've seen the rankings. Nowhere do I see Julio Jones ranked ahead of Green. I realize talent is a big component to NFL success. But it is not everything. Here you have a kid with some potential going to the Bungles. And a kid with some potential going to the Falcons.Is the gap in talent so vast that Green+Gradkoski is greater than Jones+Ryan? Just from a stability standpoint you have to like the Falcons about 100 times more than the Bengals. They appear to place some type of priority on building a winning franchise. The Bengals? Not so much. They appear to be operating without a rudder.I just don't see how AJ Green has a stronger career than Julio Jones. Obviously the Falcons traded a boatload of picks for Jones so they have a very high opinion of him. I think they gave up 5 picks to get him if I'm not mistaken. He was already inserted into the starting lineup. The Falcons saw what Green Bay's multiple receiving sets can do to a defense and they know they have to bring their passing game up to snuff if they want to compete with the Packers, Colts, Pats type of teams.I think Jones has a better rookie season and is better at least through the expiration of their rookie contracts. After that, who knows?

ehhhhh not so much. Shows you how much we don't know that we think we know in July. WTF Gradkowski?

I had the chance to draft either Jones or Green in my keeper league their first year, and I went with Jones for basically the same rationale. Sorry about it now, but it could be worse . . .

I had the 1,2, and 3 pick in that draft. Traded out of 2 and 3, selected Mark Ingram with the 1. FML.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I've looked at these kids and I've seen the rankings. Nowhere do I see Julio Jones ranked ahead of Green. I realize talent is a big component to NFL success. But it is not everything. Here you have a kid with some potential going to the Bungles. And a kid with some potential going to the Falcons.Is the gap in talent so vast that Green+Gradkoski is greater than Jones+Ryan? Just from a stability standpoint you have to like the Falcons about 100 times more than the Bengals. They appear to place some type of priority on building a winning franchise. The Bengals? Not so much. They appear to be operating without a rudder.I just don't see how AJ Green has a stronger career than Julio Jones. Obviously the Falcons traded a boatload of picks for Jones so they have a very high opinion of him. I think they gave up 5 picks to get him if I'm not mistaken. He was already inserted into the starting lineup. The Falcons saw what Green Bay's multiple receiving sets can do to a defense and they know they have to bring their passing game up to snuff if they want to compete with the Packers, Colts, Pats type of teams.I think Jones has a better rookie season and is better at least through the expiration of their rookie contracts. After that, who knows?

ehhhhh not so much. Shows you how much we don't know that we think we know in July. WTF Gradkowski?

I had the chance to draft either Jones or Green in my keeper league their first year, and I went with Jones for basically the same rationale. Sorry about it now, but it could be worse . . .

Why sorry? Green has only outscored Julio so far by about 60 points in PPR despite much more opportunity and Julio is a year younger.

Well, Green has scored more points, as you note, so that would be better. Also, Green seems much more consistent. Jones has felt like a gamble week-in and week-out.

Though, now that I just compared their logs for 2012, their variances are not actually that different.

I guess Green seems like he is just the more dominant player, but maybe most of my thought is really perception rather than reality.

 

[spider321]

...and Julio is a year younger.

6 months, not a year.

 

[TheFanatic]

I've looked at these kids and I've seen the rankings. Nowhere do I see Julio Jones ranked ahead of Green. I realize talent is a big component to NFL success. But it is not everything. Here you have a kid with some potential going to the Bungles. And a kid with some potential going to the Falcons.Is the gap in talent so vast that Green+Gradkoski is greater than Jones+Ryan? Just from a stability standpoint you have to like the Falcons about 100 times more than the Bengals. They appear to place some type of priority on building a winning franchise. The Bengals? Not so much. They appear to be operating without a rudder.I just don't see how AJ Green has a stronger career than Julio Jones. Obviously the Falcons traded a boatload of picks for Jones so they have a very high opinion of him. I think they gave up 5 picks to get him if I'm not mistaken. He was already inserted into the starting lineup. The Falcons saw what Green Bay's multiple receiving sets can do to a defense and they know they have to bring their passing game up to snuff if they want to compete with the Packers, Colts, Pats type of teams.I think Jones has a better rookie season and is better at least through the expiration of their rookie contracts. After that, who knows?

ehhhhh not so much. Shows you how much we don't know that we think we know in July. WTF Gradkowski?

I had the chance to draft either Jones or Green in my keeper league their first year, and I went with Jones for basically the same rationale. Sorry about it now, but it could be worse . . .

I had the 1,2, and 3 pick in that draft. Traded out of 2 and 3, selected Mark Ingram with the 1. FML.

I had the 1 and 2, traded the 1 for the 3 and a 1 the following year. The guy I traded witht took Ingram. I took AJ and JJ. Maybe the best decision I've made, on two fronts, in Fantasy Football.

 

[cstu]

I've looked at these kids and I've seen the rankings. Nowhere do I see Julio Jones ranked ahead of Green. I realize talent is a big component to NFL success. But it is not everything. Here you have a kid with some potential going to the Bungles. And a kid with some potential going to the Falcons.Is the gap in talent so vast that Green+Gradkoski is greater than Jones+Ryan? Just from a stability standpoint you have to like the Falcons about 100 times more than the Bengals. They appear to place some type of priority on building a winning franchise. The Bengals? Not so much. They appear to be operating without a rudder.I just don't see how AJ Green has a stronger career than Julio Jones. Obviously the Falcons traded a boatload of picks for Jones so they have a very high opinion of him. I think they gave up 5 picks to get him if I'm not mistaken. He was already inserted into the starting lineup. The Falcons saw what Green Bay's multiple receiving sets can do to a defense and they know they have to bring their passing game up to snuff if they want to compete with the Packers, Colts, Pats type of teams.I think Jones has a better rookie season and is better at least through the expiration of their rookie contracts. After that, who knows?

ehhhhh not so much. Shows you how much we don't know that we think we know in July. WTF Gradkowski?

I had the chance to draft either Jones or Green in my keeper league their first year, and I went with Jones for basically the same rationale. Sorry about it now, but it could be worse . . .

Why sorry? Green has only outscored Julio so far by about 60 points in PPR despite much more opportunity and Julio is a year younger.

Well, Green has scored more points, as you note, so that would be better. Also, Green seems much more consistent. Jones has felt like a gamble week-in and week-out.

Though, now that I just compared their logs for 2012, their variances are not actually that different.

I guess Green seems like he is just the more dominant player, but maybe most of my thought is really perception rather than reality.

It seems that way but I think it's primarily due to Green getting 164 targets to Julio's 128.

Long-term I like Julio better but frankly I don't think there's a massive difference between them since they both seem like they will be top 10 WR's year in year out.