Make no mistake: The Atlanta Falcons believe that their future is right now, moving from 27th to 6th in a trade with the Cleveland Browns to take Alabama's Julio Jones. To get the Crimson Tide wideout the Falcons gave up their 2011 first, second and fourth round picks, as well as their first and fourth picks in 2012 to add a complimentary weapon to Roddy White in Matt Ryan's arsenal.
A deal as heavy as this one changes the narrative of this story away from Jones and directly to Falcons' GM Thomas Dimitroff. With other, more assumed "apparent" needs on this team (defensive back, defensive end) Dimitroff is mortgaging the team's future to gamble on Jones. That's no knock on this raw, powerful receiver, because when five picks - two first rounders - are spent on any single player, everyone is a gamble.
UPDATED: White, the Falcons' unofficial social media publicist, has both welcomed Jones and groused that the Falcons have "given up their draft."
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