Latest On Falcons, Julio Jones
Despite the Saints striking first with their Michael Thomas extension nearly a month ago, the Falcons and their No. 1 wide receiver remain in talks. Jones has been unhappy with his deal for many months, missing workouts in the 2018 and ’19 offseasons. While he is tethered to the extension he signed in 2015 — now 13th in AAV — Jones reported to camp and continues to be Atlanta’s top priority.
The Falcons, who extended Deion Jones and Grady Jarrett in July, want to have their 30-year-old superstar signed by Week 1. But Arthur Blank is not certain that will happen.
“I would hope so, but I don’t know that,” Blank said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, of an extension being finalized within the next two weeks. “We’ll have to let things take their course. I know that we are definitely in serious negotiations. It’s our goal and their goal as well to get it done before the start of the season.”
Jones’ agent, Jimmy Sexton, met with Falcons brass last week. Despite Jones’ production and Hall of Fame trajectory, this process may be a bit more complicated because of where the 2011 first-rounder is in his career. This will be Jones’ age-30 season; he is older than all but two of the wideouts (Antonio Brown and A.J. Green) who currently out-earn him. Jones is almost certain not to sign for anything less than Thomas received.
“The negotiations continue to move along in a positive way,” Blank said, reiterating he wants Jones to finish his career in Atlanta. “It’s a big contract and it’s complex and what have you. It takes a little more time than we’d like. Probably a little more time than he would like, but I know we are in a good place.”
Falcons Thought About Re-Signing Bryant
The Falcons had one of the most stable kicking situations in the league until this year. Matt Bryant had been the team’s kicker for the past ten seasons before they finally decided to move on and cut him back in February. The team had Giorgio Tavecchio all set to replace him, but Tavecchio has faltered during the preseason. In response, Atlanta went out and signed Blair Walsh to provide some competition for him. Now we’ve learned Walsh wasn’t the only kicker they kicked the tires on.
Falcons coach Dan Quinn said the team discussed bringing Bryant back before ultimately going with Walsh, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). In a separate tweet, Ledbetter notes that Quinn said it will be an open competition now between Tavecchio and Walsh. Bryant has kicked in the league since 2002, but the 44-year-old has been unable to find a new gig. He made the Pro Bowl in 2016 and was usually a reliable option, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Falcons reach back out midseason if whoever they roll with to start the year slips up.
Falcons’ OL Kaleb McGary Returns To Full Practice
Good news for Falcons fans, as 2019 first-rounder Kaleb McGary has returned to full practice, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (via Twitter). McGary, who resumed on-field activities last week after undergoing a cardiac ablation procedure at the end of July, is now set to compete for Atlanta’s starting RT job.
Although a heart procedure sounds frightening, McGary has had the same operation twice before, and it is a minimally-invasive surgery. GM Thomas Dimitroff previously stated that he was comfortable with McGary’s health situation, and as of right now, it appears everything is on the right track.
McGary, of course, has a lot of ground to make up, but his competition for the RT job is not particularly inspiring. Ty Sambrailo has had a poor preseason and is presently a limited participant in practice due to a shoulder injury — as McClure notes in a separate tweet — and Matt Gono is a former UDFA who has yet to see regular season action.
Per McClure (Twitter link), head coach Dan Quinn has expressed confidence in all three of those players, but obviously the team would prefer that McGary takes the job and runs with it.
McGary, the No. 31 overall pick in this year’s draft, was the second O-lineman Atlanta added in the first round. The club also selected Boston College guard Chris Lindstrom in an effort to get better while also getting younger on the offensive front.
Falcons To Sign K Blair Walsh
Another kicker shakeup may occur this preseason. With their incumbent kicker struggling, the Falcons will sign Blair Walsh, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). While Giorgio Tavecchio remains on the team, he is now set for a full-fledged competition.
The Falcons confirmed the move, which comes after Dan Quinn suggested the team would bring in competition for Tavecchio. The third-year kicker has struggled during the preseason, missing 4 of 8 attempts — including a 39-yarder — thus far this month.
A Georgia alum, Walsh worked out for the Jets and Bears this year. Both teams opted against adding the former Vikings kicker. Should Walsh beat out Tavecchio, he would face his former team in Week 1. Walsh did not play in 2018.
Walsh has not kicked since a disappointing 2017 season. The Seahawks moved on from him after he went 21-for-29 that season. Minnesota initially selected Walsh in the 2012 sixth round and used him as its kicker for five seasons. The 29-year-old specialist earned All-Pro acclaim as a rookie, going 10-for-10 from beyond 50 yards, but his miss inside of 30 yards cost the Vikings a wild-card win against the Seahawks in 2015. He has yet to fully rebound from that errant try.
The Falcons also signed defensive tackle Stefan Charles and tight end Thomas Duarte. To make room for this new trio, the team waived wide receivers Shawn Bane and Kahlil Lewis, along with offensive lineman Tommy Doles.
Falcons May Replace Giorgio Tavecchio
Giorgio Tavecchio might be on shaky ground. After another rocky preseason performance, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn indicated that he might look into replacing the kicker. 
“Any time at any position, when we miss the mark, we want to find out why and what we can do to get better,” Quinn said. “It’s definitely a spot we are continuing to evaluate and that is always the case.”
Tavecchio’s latest miss came on a 39-yard try, which is a chip shot by NFL standards. That was his fourth miss in eight attempts this preseason, which could be enough for Quinn to kick him off the roster.
“My focus is always on myself and controlling the controllable,” Tavecchio said. “There’s a lot of things out of your control in this business. I know when I wake up every morning, I say a little prayer of gratitude and give my best each day.”
Tavecchio joined the Falcons in the middle of the 2018 season to fill in for longtime Falcons kicker Matt Bryant. This offseason, they parted ways with the clutch-kicking veteran and moved forward with the former Raider, but they might be having second thoughts about that plan.
Falcons Meet With Julio Jones’ Agent
The Falcons and Julio Jones could once again be ready to make progress on a new contract. On Wednesday, the wide receiver confirmed that his agent, Jimmy Sexton, is in town to discuss an extension with the club (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
Throughout the summer, we’ve heard that the Falcons and Jones were on the verge of a deal. The belief was that Jones’ contract would be signed just as soon as the ink dried on Michael Thomas‘ new pact worth up to $100MM, but three weeks have passed since the Saints star secured the bag.
For his part, Jones has remained patient and played the part of a good soldier by reporting for duty in July.
“Mr. Blank gave us his word. … That’s golden,” Jones said in June. “His word is that it’s going to get done. … There’s no stress on my end. I’m not thinking about it. [Blank] makes it easy for me to go out and just work every day and not have one of those situations where there’s a holdout or anything like that.”
Jones’ 7,994 receiving yards since the 2014 season are the most any player has ever compiled in a five-year span. A new deal would be expected to position Jones as one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL in multiple categories.
Rookie OL Kaleb McGary Returns To Field
Falcons first-round offensive lineman Kaleb McGary is set to resume on-field activities after undergoing a cardiac ablation procedure at the beginning of the preseason. After the lineman missed his team’s first three preseason games, coach Dan Quinn made it clear that they’ll bring the rookie along slowly.
McFadden notes that the rookie was working with the second team during the early parts of preseason, but he was expected to emerge as the Falcons’ starting right tackle.
Falcons Release LB Stephone Anthony
Stephone Anthony‘s return trip to the NFC South proved short. The Falcons announced the former first-round pick’s release on Saturday, his departure making room on the 90-man roster for cornerback Jalen Myrick.
Atlanta added Anthony at the outset of its training camp, but he will now venture back to free agency. This continues a lengthy swoon for 2015’s No. 31 overall selection.
The former Saints draft choice spent one season as a starter and recorded the NFL’s first two-point conversion return, during a 112-tackle 2015 season. But that year was spent on a bottom-tier New Orleans defense, and the Saints opted against keeping him as a starter for long in 2016. Following the 2017 trade to Miami, Anthony still could not gain much of a foothold. Although, he did play in all 16 Dolphins games last season.
A former Jaguars backup in 2017, and a Georgia native, Myrick bounced on and off the Vikings’ practice squad last season. Minnesota waived the former seventh-round pick in April.
Falcons Claim QB/WR Danny Etling
Danny Etling did not clear waivers after his Patriots departure. The Falcons made a successful claim and will bring in the quarterback-turned-wide receiver, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
It is possible, with the Falcons losing quarterback Kurt Benkert for the season, Etling will be given a chance to show his passing skills again. He profiles as a potential developmental player behind Matt Ryan and Matt Schaub.
This could well break up the Falcons’ three-Matt quarterback room. Atlanta reacquired Matt Simms shortly after Benkert’s Hall of Fame Game injury. Simms, however, is not a developmental arm. He is now 30 and last threw a regular-season pass in 2014. Etling has never played in a regular-season game, either, but as a 2018 seventh-round pick, the Purdue/LSU product profiles as a long-game prospect.
Patriots Notes: Williams, Wynn, Brady
Trent Williams to the Patriots? Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter) says Pats fans shouldn’t hold their breath. As Yates notes, the Redskins tackle seemed like a fit just a couple of weeks ago, but left tackle Isaiah Wynn is progressing in his recovery and Dan Skipper is getting significant reps in the interim. Meanwhile, as ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter) points out, Cole Croston is also back in the mix.
While you contemplate Williams’ next destination, here’s more from New England:
- More from Reiss, who breaks down Wynn’s road to recovery from a torn Achilles suffered one year ago. He also touches on Skipper, who offers prototypical size at 6’9″, 310 pounds.
- The Patriots sent a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick to the Falcons (originally from the Eagles) in the Eric Saubert trade, Howard Balzer tweets. It’s an extremely low-cost deal for the Pats, who might have found a new blocking tight end to fortify their group.
- Superstar quarterback Tom Brady is still looking to play until the age of 45.