Julio Jones is back in team drills, and soon will destroy defenses again

Julio Jones was never in doubt for the season opener, and he was never really in doubt for any preseason games that Dan Quinn wants to throw him into. Even given that, it’s good news to hear that he’s recovering as he should be from foot surgery, given how much of a problem his feet have been for him in the past.

This isn’t big, breaking news, in other words, but hearing that Julio is participating in drills is still a relief. He’s so integral to this offense that even a minor setback would be a truly big problem for Atlanta.

The important thing, going forward, is that Julio’s allowed to heal up so he can be good to go for the regular season. As McClure notes in his article, Dan Quinn hasn’t committed to playing Julio at all in preseason, and #11 certainly doesn’t need the practice and the snaps to dominate. His absence will give young receivers a bigger opportunity to fight for a job, and we’ll get the Julio we need.

So let’s celebrate the fact that Julio can practice, and let’s celebrate the fact that we’re closer to see what fresh havoc he can wreak in 2017.