Julio Jones is set to hit free agency following this season, and the Atlanta Falcons were hoping to get a new long-term deal done with him before the 2015 season kicked off. That doesn’t appear all that likely at this point in time, especially with the news that the two sides are stalling in contract discussions.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank remained optimistic today re: Julio Jones’ contract but sources say talks stalled significantly last week
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) August 24, 2015
Whether the Falcons get a long-term deal locked up with him or not before free agency hits, they can always choose to franchise tag him. They certainly aren’t going to allow him to walk away to another team in free agency.
During the 2014 season with the Falcons, Jones ended up catching 104 passes for 1,593 yards and six touchdowns.
At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Jones is one of the most physical receivers in the game. He causes a matchup issue for every single defense he faces, and is the go-to guy for Matt Ryan each and every down. Atlanta certainly needs to get a long-term deal with him, but that will come in time.
There is no question that Jones will be back with the Falcons next season no matter what happens. He is too important to the Falcons’ success for them to play games with him, and he would like to return to Atlanta long-term as well. While this news may sound disappointing for the Falcons, there is no reason to expect the two sides not to get a deal done at some point in the future.
Jones is one of the faces of the Falcons’ franchise, and there is no question that the team is heading in the right direction. Arthur Blank and the Falcons may not want to pay him the type of money that he is asking for, but when it comes right down to it they will be more than happy to do so if they have to choose between paying him or losing him.
