49ers' Shanahan won't rule out another splash with Julio available

The San Francisco 49ers could make a run at acquiring Julio Jones to cap one of the most memorable offseasons in franchise history, head coach Kyle Shanahan hinted Tuesday.

"We're always interested in improving our team," Shanahan told reporters. "We'll never just say, 'Hey, we're done, we can't improve our team.' You always try to make that happen."

Jones admitted Monday that he's looking to move on from the Atlanta Falcons, where he played the first 10 seasons of his career. The 49ers have a pair of promising young wideouts in Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, but Jones - a two-time receiving champion - would take their pass-catching corps to a new level.

San Francisco made one of the boldest moves of the offseason before the NFL draft, trading three first-round picks for the No. 3 selection, which the club used on quarterback Trey Lance.

"It makes it harder when you've already given up some stuff to make some moves and things like that," Shanahan added. "Everything's got to fit in and it's got to make sense, but I'll never say we're just done."

Shanahan coached Jones in 2015 and 2016 when he served as the Falcons' offensive coordinator. Jones led the NFL in receiving with 1,871 yards in their first year together and posted 1,409 yards in their second season.

Jones said he's looking to join a winning team after missing the playoffs the last three years in Atlanta. Shanahan is at the helm of a San Francisco club that went 6-10 in 2020 amid a heap of injuries but made the Super Bowl two seasons ago.

The Falcons are reportedly seeking a first-round pick in return for their all-time receiving leader but may struggle to net such a high return given Jones' age and expensive contract.

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