Singularly, Julio Jones and Roddy White had good seasons in 2011. White put up numbers consistent with what he's done in the last four seasons and Jones had a rookie year that has raised expectations for 2012. The two of them believe they form a duo that can be as deadly as any in the NFL.
"We can be great," Jones said. "The sky is the limit. We've just got to come out here every day and getting better."
With White as the elder statesman of the wide receiving corps., he's placed in a situation of leadership. The relationship between him and Jones has flourished since Jones' arrival last season. Their discussions off the field concerning game planning allow them to look for opportunities to enhance each others' performance.
"It's great to have him on the other side of me," Jones said. "We're in there watching film. We look at plays and see if they're going to double you on this play, I can possibly get one-on-one on the inside (and see) if they're going to double Tony (Gonzalez) as well. Just to have him over there, he's like a big brother to me. He's played against these guys before because he's been in the league nine years. He just helps me."
White thinks Jones' production in the coming season can be a boon for the entire offense, so much so that if he had his way, he'd stay in passing formations for the entire game.
"It just helps all of us," White said. "The more plays he can make out there, they can't double us all. I'll go out there and do my thing and it will open up things for Harry. We've just got to keep our playmakers out there on the field. I just want to be in 11-personnel all day, but I'm not the offensive coordinator. The more weapons we've got out there, the more opportunities we've got to make plays."
