It’s odd to say this, but at the current moment, the New England Patriots are not a Super Bowl contender.

Following a 7-9 season — the first year of the post-Tom Brady era — the Patriots regressed to levels not seen since 2000 — the year before Brady took over as the starting quarterback.

And while the Patriots certainly made headlines by spending an astonishing $159.6 million in guaranteed money on free agents, they’re not contenders — yet.

Acquiring Julio Jones would certainly change all of that.

The Atlanta Falcons are shopping their seven-time Pro Bowl selection via trade talks, and there are multiple teams interested. Notably, teams such as the Patriots, Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers are seen as favorites to land the 32-year-old wide receiver.

The Patriots are in better position to acquire Jones compared to most of the other suitors. Jones has a guaranteed salary of $15.3 million for the upcoming season and an immediate cap hit of $23 million.

New England has roughly $14 million in cap space available, while the 49ers have $18 million and the Titans have $3.5 million.

As it currently stands, the Patriots’ biggest weakness may be at the wide receiver position. Despite “upgrading” during their offseason with additions in Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, New England still lacks that true No. 1 wideout.

While in prior seasons, the Patriots were able to compensate for the weakness by having Brady under center, they no longer have that luxury.

The Patriots will likely start Cam Newton or rookie Mac Jones this season. Regardless of which quarterback they opt to go with, New England needs a “safe haven” of sorts outside of the hashmarks. In other words, an elite receiver that can cover up the clear weaknesses at the quarterback position.

Jones would fill that void and immediately increase the production levels of Newton, who struggled in his first season with the Patriots (just eight passing touchdowns in 2020). He would make the transition for Jones — a highly-accurate quarterback who completed an NCAA-record 77.4 percent of his passes in 2020 — that much easier.

Can you imagine an offense featuring Jones and two top young tight ends in Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith?

Of course, trade talks for Jones among interested suitors are not even close to being completed. The five-time All-Pro selection won’t be traded until after June 1 to maximize cap savings.

Furthermore, the list of interested suitors for Jones doesn’t just stop at New England, Tennessee and San Francisco; many other teams such as the Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts will all factor into the equation.

In other words, it feels like every team in the NFL —- especially those with Super Bowl aspirations — is putting their name in the hat for Jones.

According to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, the Falcons are seeking a first-round draft pick in exchange for their top-flight wide receiver. That asking price may be a bit too steep, especially considering Bill Belichick will be the one with final say on that hypothetical deal.

But considering the Patriots’ desperation heading into 2021, who’s to say a first-round draft pick is off of the table?

Belichick uncharacteristically spent boatloads of money during the offseason in an effort to lift his team back into a contender role. He just watched the 2020 season unfold in which Brady led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl in his first season away from New England.

Most importantly, he’s 69 years old and is the second-oldest head coach in the NFL. There is no time for a rebuild or to preserve future draft picks.

While it may not look like it, the Patriots are in win-now mode. Acquiring Jones may be their ticket to emerging as a Super Bowl contender yet again.