Falcons To Sign Stephone Anthony
The Falcons have agreed to sign linebacker Stephone Anthony, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The former Saints first-round pick profiles as a depth option and special teams player for Atlanta.
Anthony seemed to have a great deal of promise when he entered the league in 2015, but he’s been unable to make good on that potential thus far. After starting in all 16 games as a rookie, he was moved from middle linebacker to strongside linebacker with poor results. The Dolphins acquired him for a fifth-round pick in 2017, but the change of scenery didn’t do much for him. Anthony had just seven tackles across 16 appearances last year and the Dolphins declined his fifth-year option, making him a free agent this offseason.
In other Falcons news, the club is optimistic about a new deal for Julio Jones.
Falcons Notes: Julio, Neal, Allen, Smith
We learned earlier today that the Falcons may already have a new deal in place for star receiver Julio Jones, but GM Thomas Dimitroff declined to put a timetable on the negotiations. As Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes, Dimitroff did express optimism that the two sides would reach an accord.
Dimitroff said, “[w]e have the utmost faith that Julio is coming here and he’s taking care of his business while he’s here, and we’ll keep plugging away with [Jones’ agent] Jimmy [Sexton]. We have a very good working relationship and respect for Jimmy Sexton and CAA, and I’m confident [the deal] will get done.”
Sexton could not be reached for comment, but after getting long-term deals for Grady Jarrett and Deion Jones done this month, it looks like the Falcons will give Julio Jones his new contract in short order.
Now for more from Atlanta:
- We heard back in May that the Falcons’ starting safety tandem of Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen, who suffered major injuries that ended their 2018 seasons prematurely, were expected to be ready for training camp, and that turned out to be true. As Ledbetter writes, Allen returned to the practice field Monday and went through most of the team drills, and Emmanuel Morgan of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says that Neal has participated in drills and has taken reps with the first-team defense. Unfortunately, the club lost backup safety J.J. Wilcox for the season after he tore his ACL on Monday.
- The Falcons plan to expand RB Ito Smith‘s role this season, as Morgan writes in a separate piece. Smith will serve as the club’s No. 2 back behind Devonta Freeman, and he will look to improve his pass protection and his ability to hit holes at full speed while continuing to refine his abilities as a pass catcher. Running backs coach Matt Brock hinted that the club may only carry three RBs, so the battle for the No. 3 spot behind Freeman and Smith is one that he expects to be highly competitive.
- Defensive lineman Michael Bennett suffered a broken ankle on Monday, but he could return this season, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.
- The Falcons signed veteran DL Allen Bailey yesterday.
Deal In Place For Falcons, Julio Jones?
The Falcons and Julio Jones are working on a long-term extension, but depending on who you ask, that deal might already be in place. Multiple league sources “firmly believe that the Falcons already have a wink-nod deal in place” with the wide receiver, according to PFT’s Mike Florio.
[RELATED: Latest On Saints, Thomas]
Those sources believe that Jones’ deal will be finalized on Friday, the one-year anniversary of Jones’ last re-up with the team. The deal, which should position Jones as one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the league, by at least a couple of metrics, may impact the talks between the Saints and star Michael Thomas.
Jones is reporting to Falcons camp, despite the absence of a new deal. The optimism he expressed earlier this summer may be an indication that a deal is not far off.
“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.
Falcons To Sign DL Allen Bailey
Allen Bailey‘s lengthy stay in free agency is over. The Falcons reached an agreement to add the veteran defensive lineman on a two-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The former Chiefs defensive end did fairly well this late in free agency, with Schefter reporting (via Twitter) the two-year pact is worth $10.5MM. Bailey will receive $3.5MM guaranteed and $6MM in 2019.
This news comes hours after Falcons D-lineman Michael Bennett suffered a broken ankle. Bailey worked as a 3-4 defensive end with the Chiefs and profiles as a player who could help the Falcons on the interior. Bailey visited the Falcons in June. He also met with the Seahawks, Panthers and Patriots. The Seahawks are also on the hunt for interior help, after Jarran Reed‘s suspension, perhaps prompting the Falcons to act quickly.
Breaking in as a backup in the early 2010s, the former Scott Pioli third-round pick was a starter for the past five Chiefs defenses. Interestingly, Bailey’s visit occurred after Pioli had stepped down from his post as Atlanta’s assistant GM. But Bailey continues a defensive line pipeline of Pioli-drafted defensive linemen from Kansas City to Atlanta, following Tyson Jackson and Dontari Poe. Neither player, however, is still with the Falcons. And Bailey, 30, is from Georgia.
This marks the second straight Monday the Falcons have agreed to terms with a defensive tackle, with Grady Jarrett signing a much more lucrative contract to start last week. Bailey, who finished with a career-high six sacks last season, stands to play a key role on Atlanta’s D-line. He has registered 19.5 career sacks.
Falcons S J.J. Wilcox Tears ACL
The Falcons have dealt with extensive injury trouble at the safety position recently, and they lost one for the season on Monday.
J.J. Wilcox agreed to an Atlanta deal in April but may end up never putting on a Falcons game uniform. Wilcox suffered a torn ACL on the first day of Falcons training camp, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Although he had a second opinion scheduled, head coach Dan Quinn confirmed that it is indeed a season-ender (via Will McFadden of AtlantaFalcons.com). The team has placed Wilcox on the reserve/injured list.
Wilcox’s injury comes after a season that saw the Falcons lose both starting safeties — Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen — to season-ending maladies in September. A former Cowboys starter who has played a depth role with the Steelers, Jets and Colts, Wilcox was expected to compete for a Falcons backup job this season. A full-time Dallas starter from 2014-15, the 28-year-old defender played 138 snaps last season.
Despite this early setback, the Falcons still boast experience at safety. Because of the injuries to Neal and Allen last season, backups Damontae Kazee and Sharrod Neasman received extensive work in 2018. Kazee graded as a top-20 safety, per Pro Football Focus. Both he and Neasman remain on the roster.
Falcons’ Michael Bennett Out Indefinitely
Falcons defensive lineman Michael Bennett suffered a broken ankle during Monday’s practice, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The 26-year-old is out indefinitely, striking a blow to the Falcons’ depth.
The Falcons signed Bennett in October of last year to fill in for Grady Jarrett after an injury. He appeared in just two games during his short time with the team, but they circled back to him in January with a low-risk deal.
Bennett finished out the 2018 season with five tackles in two games. Prior to that, he appeared in 14 games for the Jaguars across two seasons.
Julio Jones Reports To Falcons Camp
The highest-profile of the Falcons’ extension candidates will not wage a holdout. Julio Jones is still attached to the extension he signed in 2015, but the All-Pro wide receiver has reported to Falcons training camp, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.
Jones has expressed optimism this offseason he and the Falcons will come to terms on an extension, one that could well be a market-reshaping pact, and attended Atlanta’s minicamp. Still, the 30-year-old star showing up in advance of Atlanta’s camp is a good sign.
“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.”
The Falcons have done well to advance their offseason blueprint this week, having signed both Grady Jarrett and Deion Jones to extensions. Both are now under contract through at least the 2022 season. While Julio Jones and the Falcons have been at this for a while, there still appears to be considerable ground to cover.
Jones’ 7,994 receiving yards since the 2014 season are the most any NFLer has ever compiled in a five-year span. He is almost certainly gunning to be the game’s first $20MM-per-year wideout. After early-career injury trouble, Jones has played in 16 games in three of the past four seasons and only missed three contests over the past five years.
Extensions for Michael Thomas, Amari Cooper and possibly A.J. Green look to be on hold while the Falcons negotiate with their more accomplished receiver.
Falcons, Deion Jones Agree To Extension
Part 2 of the Falcons’ major midsummer contracts can soon be removed from the franchise’s checklist. The Wednesday negotiations between Drew Rosenhaus and the Falcons apparently went quite well, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reporting (on Twitter) Deion Jones agreed to a four-year, $57MM extension.
The fourth-year linebacker will receive $34MM guaranteed, Schefter adds, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reporting (via Twitter) part of that guarantee will be an $11MM signing bonus. The $34MM figure will also include $25.8MM fully guaranteed at signing, Florio tweets. Jones will receive $35.5MM in the first three years of this re-up, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. The Falcons and Rosenhaus met today in Atlanta to finalize the deal.
This extension falls in between C.J. Mosley‘s lofty Jets pact and the field, with the $14.25MM average making Jones the league’s second-highest-paid off-ball linebacker. It comes in nearly $1MM north of Anthony Barr‘s Vikings deal, in terms of AAV. Regarding fully guaranteed money, this pact trails only Mosley’s $43MM figure and Luke Kuechly‘s $27MM amount.
Two days after the Falcons locked up Grady Jarrett through 2022, they have their middle linebacker signed through 2023. Now, the focus will shift to the team’s highest-profile player. Julio Jones and the Falcons have been working on a new deal, one that will almost certainly make the All-Pro the league’s highest-paid wide receiver, for months. Arthur Blank‘s “Falcons for life” trio is two-thirds extended, but Julio Jones will end up with the biggest contract out of this triumvirate.
Although Deion Jones missed 10 games due to injury last season, the 2016 second-round pick has anchored Atlanta’s linebacking corps since his rookie season. Pro Football Focus graded Jones as its No. 14 linebacker last season; his placement was even higher during a 2017 Pro Bowl slate. The 24-year-old ‘backer has recorded 297 tackles, eight interceptions and three pick-6s in his 37-game career.
Grady Jarrett's 2019 Cap Number Reduced To $11MM
- Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com says that Grady Jarrett‘s 2019 salary cap number will shrink to $11MM as a result of the extension he signed today. That will give the Falcons just shy of $11MM in cap space, which will help them sign Deion Jones to a new deal (Jones’ $1.45MM 2019 cap number will almost certainly go up if and when the club inks him to an extension of his own).
Details On Grady Jarrett's Extension
The $42.5MM guarantee in Grady Jarrett‘s contract is essentially a full guarantee. While the Falcons defensive tackle officially received $38MM guaranteed at signing, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports he also has a $4.5MM injury guarantee that turns into a full guarantee on the third day of the 2020 league year. Jarrett is almost certain to receive all $42.5MM. The $38MM figure represents the second-highest full guarantee a team has given to an interior defender, with Jarrett’s deal trailing only Aaron Donald‘s ($50MM fully guaranteed) in that department. So, the zero-time Pro Bowler (but well-regarded lineman) made out well on deadline Monday.
Part of that guaranteed amount is an $18MM signing bonus, with Florio adding Jarrett will earn $6.5MM in base salary in 2019 and $10.5MM in 2020. Of Jarrett’s 2021 and ’22 salaries, only $4.5MM is guaranteed. His 2022 $16.5MM salary is non-guaranteed, and the structure of this contract looks like it will make it fairly easy for the Falcons to cut bait after 2020 if the investment proves poor.
Here is the latest from around the NFC, shifting from the Falcons to teams that do not open camp this week: