Julio Jones has been staying away from the Falcons as he pushes for a new deal, but coach Dan Quinn is confident that a resolution is on the horizon. This week, Quinn hinted at dialogue between the two sides regarding a revised contract. 
“The good news is that there are conversations that have begun,” Quinn said (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). “We’ll keep those private. I have a lot of faith in the organization and also in Julio that things will get resolved with good communications. I’m sure that’ll be a part of it as well.”
Jones skipped the team’s voluntary offseason program as well as the club’s mandatory minicamp this week. By skipping the minicamp, Jones will be subject to roughly $85K in fines.
There were contract talks between the two sides before minicamp, but that round of discussions didn’t go well. Reportedly, a contract proposal was sent by Jones’ team to Atlanta brass and the “response was not satisfactory” to Jones’ camp.
Jones is under contract through the 2020 season, but his deal is now below market value thanks to the advancement of the wide receiver market. His six-year deal worth an average of $13.5MM per year seemed substantial at the time of signing in 2015, but it pales in comparison to deals for other top WRs in 2018. Seven receivers now outpace Jones in terms of average annual value: Antonio Brown, Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins, Jarvis Landry, A.J. Green, and Davante Adams.
Meanwhile, the Falcons have several other players angling for extensions, with Ricardo Allen, Grady Jarrett, and Jake Matthews all also wanting new deals. They recently committed a massive amount of money to Matt Ryan‘s mega-extension, so it may prove tricky to give new deals to every key player seeking one.
What good is talking about FDR’s campaign platform gonna do? Man needs a contract!
Jones already has a contract to honor. Which he’s being a baby and won’t.
I take it then that you are opposed to clubs demanding that players restructure their contracts, since you don’t think players should have that right?
Just another cry baby.
Anybody saying he crying bout his contract is just hating. Dude produces with no headaches. None saying anything bout earl tomas holding out for new contract.
If Julio had a year left, I get it. But in this case I don’t. Last year, too many dropped passes and not nearly enough touchdowns. How many teams have won a Super Bowl when their two highest paid players are their QB and WR?
2015 Broncos did it with Manning & Thomas.
Falcons won’t get better if the keep resigning and extending aging players without adding new talent.