Falcons Waive Jeremy Langford From IR
The Falcons waived Jeremy Langford from injured reserve, according to a team announcement. The running back has been on the team’s IR since clearing waivers in May. 
[RELATED: What Will It Take For The Falcons To Lock Up Julio Jones?]
Langford initially looked promising after entering the league as a fourth round pick of the Bears back in 2015. He opened the 2016 season as Chicago’s starting running back, but he’s struggled with injuries and turned into a journeyman ever since. Drafted only a few years ago, the Falcons were already the fifth stop of his career.
Langford only appeared in one game for the Falcons last year, rushing nine times for 25 yards. He also has spent time with the Ravens, Jets and Dolphins.
Now, Langford is free to sign with any NFL team.
Latest On Falcons, Julio Jones
With another NFC South wide receiver accelerating the market, the division’s long-reigning pass-catching kingpin remains in talks with the Falcons about what would be his second contract extension.
Michael Thomas may not end up signing until Julio Jones resets the market, and the Falcons are confident they will have a new deal with Jones by the time they reconvene for training camp, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets.
After skipping Falcons OTAs for a second straight year, the 30-year-old wideout reported to Falcons minicamp. Reports of progress on this front have emerged for weeks now, pointing to Jones becoming the NFL’s new highest-paid receiver. Two years remain on his 2015 extension, but Jones has lobbied for a new contract since the 2018 offseason — before Odell Beckham Jr. signed his five-year, $90MM deal. Beckham’s $18MM-per-year pact and Antonio Brown‘s redone deal — which reset his APY figure to $19.8MM — lead the receiver market.
Going into his ninth season, Jones is coming off his sixth Pro Bowl slate and second-highest single-season yardage total. He posted a 1,677-yard season in 2018, leading the league in receiving but falling short of a third first-team All-Pro honor. The Falcons, though, clearly view him as a cornerstone part of their hopeful resurgence and look set to reward Jones for his years of top-flight WR1 play.
The Falcons hold barely $6MM in cap space but could add to that figure by completing a Grady Jarrett deal. The standout defensive tackle is attached to a $15.2MM cap number. Arthur Blank said last month he envisioned Julio Jones, Jarrett and contract-year linebacker Deion Jones as “Falcons for life.”
Extension Candidate: Julio Jones
After skipping voluntary OTAs, Falcons star Julio Jones reported for the team’s mandatory minicamp earlier this month. There’s clear mutual interest in a new deal, but Jones’ situation is trickier than most.
Jones is one of the league’s most accomplished wide receivers, but figuring out a multi-year extension for a 30-year-old skill player is never easy. He’s topped 1,400 receiving yards in each of the last five seasons, but it’s hard to bank on his speed holding up across multiple seasons.
Still, Jones led the league with 1,677 receiving yards in 2018 and continues to draw double coverage from overwhelmed defenses on a regular basis. And, while his contract has two more years to go, the Falcons cannot risk a rift – or a holdout – with their most potent offensive weapon.
A fresh deal for Jones would likely take him through the end of his career, but what would such an add-on look like? Currently, Jones’ salary has him ranked just 12th among wide receivers with an average annual value of $14.25MM. Making Jones No. 1 in AAV would mean vaulting him ahead of Antonio Brown‘s $19.8MM/year and Odell Beckham Jr.’s $18MM/year, which should be doable for the Falcons. However, Jones is unlikely to match the length of OBJ’s contract or, more importantly, the guarantees.
Beckham’s five-year, $90MM extension granted him $65MM in total guarantees and a whopping $41MM guaranteed at signing. Jones, who is already under contract through his age 32 season, is probably looking at no more than an additional three years. From there, you can expect a hefty signing bonus, and a decent sum scheduled for Year One of the new deal, but it’s unrealistic to expect the Falcons to ensure $41MM to the aging superstar.
So, how can the two sides reach an accord that is satisfactory for everyone? Recently, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com suggested the following:
- Length: Three years
- New money total: $60MM (Bringing total remaining value to $81MM over five years)
- Signing bonus: $25MM
- Guaranteed money: $50.526MM
- Fully guaranteed at signing: $37.526MM
Ultimately, that amounts to a $20MM average annual value, allowing Jones to edge Brown and OBJ in that category. Meanwhile, the Falcons preserve some flexibility, as Jones’ total guarantees would be $14.475MM shy of OBJ’s.
A new deal for Jones and the Falcons seems like an inevitability, but it will be interesting to see when they get it done, how they get it done, and what the cashflow of the extension looks like.
This Date In Transactions History: Michael Vick
On this date in 2009, the Falcons moved on from the biggest star in the history of their franchise. After unsuccessful attempts to trade Michael Vick, the Falcons cut finally ties with the quarterback. 
With the ability to run as well as he could throw, Vick was one of the brightest young stars in the NFL. In six seasons, he earned three Pro Bowl nominations and led the Falcons to the NFC championship game twice. The first go-round in 2002 snapped a four-year playoff drought in Atlanta.
The trajectory of Vick’s career and the entire Falcons franchise changed in 2007 when Vick was indicted for his role in the Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting ring. The Falcons pretty much made up their minds on Vick after the quarterback was sentenced to nearly two years in prison, but there were paperwork and cap issues to sort out. The Falcons successfully recovered ~$20MM of Vick’s $37MM signing bonus in ’07, but it wasn’t until the summer of ’09 that they formally terminated his nine-year deal which had the potential to be worth as much as $130MM.
The Falcons were able to move on from the Vick era after selecting Matt Ryan with the third overall pick in the 2008 draft. Vick, meanwhile, managed a second act in the NFL after landing with the Eagles. He was signed to be Donovan McNabb‘s backup in 2009, but he wound up as the team’s starting QB in 2010 after McNabb was traded and Kevin Kolb suffered a concussion. Vick went on to take the Eagles to the playoffs and eventually sign a six-year, $100MM extension with Philly.
Vick’s subsequent stints with the Jets and Steelers were less remarkable and he was unable to find an NFL home in 2016. In the summer of 2017 – on the eight-year anniversary of his release from Atlanta – Vick retired after signing a ceremonial contract with the Falcons.
Julio Jones, Rest Of Falcons In Camp
Led by star receiver Julio Jones, all players who did not attend Falcons OTAs arrived for the first day on minicamp, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets. 
That list includes the recently franchise-tagged Grady Jarrett, defensive end Vic Beasley and linebacker Deion Jones.
In addition to arriving for mandatory minicamp, Julio Jones is not worried about his contract and is sure a new deal will get done, ESPN’s Vaughn McClure writes.
“The situation will get handled. It’s just a matter of time when they’re going to do it. Mr. Blank has spoken, so what more do I need to say or talk about?” Jones said.
McClure notes that in addition to a reworked deal for the pass-catcher, the Falcons also hope to sign Jarrett and Deion Jones to extensions. In addition to Julio not worried about his deal getting done, Falcons owner Arthur Blank sounds just as confident.
“I’m not worried about getting the deals done. I’m speaking on behalf of Atlanta and Atlanta fans. [General manager] Thomas [Dimitroff] is working hard to get them done. Coach [Dan] Quinn is supportive, as well. It will happen. It’s just a matter of when,” Blank said.
Though he did arrive at the three-day minicamp, Julio will not be participating due to a foot injury. Jones is coming off his fifth consecutive 1,400-yard campaign and led the league with 1,677 receiving yards in 2018.
Zane Beadles Retires
Veteran offensive lineman Zane Beadles is retiring, as Beadles himself announced on Twitter. After nine years in the league, the 2012 Pro Bowler has decided to call it a career.
Beadles, 32, entered the NFL as a second-round pick of the Broncos in the 2010 draft. He promptly became a fixture at left guard, and started all 16 games there from 2011-13.
He parlayed his strong tenure with the Broncos into a five-year, $30MM deal with the Jaguars after the 2013 season, and his streak of durability continued in Jacksonville, as he started all 16 games for the Jags from 2014-15. But he wasn’t overly effective, and Pro Football Focus ranked him as one of the worst guards in the league in 2015. Jacksonville released him in March 2016.
He quickly caught on with the 49ers and, once again, started all 16 games in the 2016 season. But in 2017, he lost his starting job, and though he played in all 16 games, he started just five, with four of those coming at right tackle as an injury replacement.
He was released by San Francisco last May and signed with the Falcons a few weeks into the 2018 campaign. He was signed to serve as an experienced backup but ended up starting the final five games for the club at right guard.
The Utah product leaves the game with no Super Bowl ring but with just shy of $24MM in career earnings. He put out the following statement on Twitter:
“I can’t thank the people who helped me get there and stay there enough for their support. I am excited for the next chapter for my family and I. I know the lessons learned living the crazy life this great game requires will propel us forward into more greatness.”
We at PFR wish Beadles the best in retirement.
Latest On Falcons’ Extension Candidates
For a second straight offseason, the subject of Julio Jones‘ contract has been a key offseason Falcons talking point. But next week, the All-Pro wide receiver will be with the team when it conducts its minicamp.
Dan Quinn confirmed (via The Athletic’s Jeff Schultz, on Twitter) the ninth-year receiver will show for minicamp, which begins June 11. So will fourth-year defensive end Vic Beasley. It is not yet certain if franchise-tagged defensive tackle Grady Jarrett will join them, though Quinn anticipates he will. Skipping mandatory minicamp would cost the trio nearly $90K each.
Regardless of the statuses of Jones, Jarrett and fellow extension candidate Deion Jones, the Falcons expect to re-sign all three. He did not specify a plan for Beasley, who joined the group in staying away from Falcons OTAs.
“We have a salary cap. We have limits that we have to think about not only today but tomorrow, and we have to balance all that off,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said, via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “But these are three great young men that we care deeply about, both personally and professionally. They are going to be Falcons for life.
“I’m not worried about getting the deals done. I’m speaking on behalf of Atlanta and Atlanta fans. Thomas [Dimitroff] is working hard to get them done. Coach Quinn is supportive as well. It will happen. It’s just a matter of when.”
A new deal for Jones has been rumored for weeks now, and it will almost certainly make the 30-year-old receiver the league’s new highest-paid player at the position. Two seasons remain on the five-year, $71.25MM extension he signed in 2015. Jarrett is tethered to a $15.2MM franchise tag. Jones would have the most to gain by signing an extension before the season. The former second-round pick’s rookie deal pays him just $1.45MM. The Falcons picked up Beasley’s fifth-year option (worth $12.8MM) last year.
The Falcons, though, are light on cap space ($6.5MM, the fifth-lowest figure at the moment), so it will take some work to fulfill Blank’s vision.
Falcons Host Allen Bailey
Free agent Allen Bailey met with the Falcons on Wednesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The defensive lineman previously visited the Patriots, Panthers, and Seahawks, but left each meeting without a deal. 
Bailey, a third-round pick in 2011, has spent his entire career to date with the Chiefs. In late March, we heard that the Chiefs were still open to a Bailey return, but it’s not clear if that’s still the case after they used a third-round pick on defensive tackle Khalen Saunders.
Bailey has been a starter for most of his career, including 13 regular season starts and two playoff starts last season. He finished out the year with 38 tackles, six sacks, and two forced fumbles in the regular season while recording five tackles in the Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game loss to the Patriots.
The Falcons have some past experience with ex-Chiefs linemen, including Dontari Poe and Tyson Jackson.
8 NFL Teams Have Wrapped Up Their Draft Classes
Roughly one-quarter of the NFL’s teams have signed every player in their draft class, as shown in PFR’s tracker. The front offices of the following clubs have a little bit less on their plate as mandatory minicamps get underway:
- Cardinals
- Falcons
- Browns
- Lions
- Chiefs
- Saints
- Eagles
- Steelers
While the league’s rookie slotting system has been criticized by some, there’s no denying that it has streamlined the signing process for the incoming class. Prominent first-round picks like Joey Bosa and Marcus Mariota have squabbled with teams over offset language in recent years and the third round lacks some structure due to flexibility in base salary, but, on the whole, rookies have been quicker to put pen to paper in recent years.
We’ll likely see several more teams wrap up their draft classes before the week is through. The Bills, Bengals, Cowboys, Packers, Texans, Colts, Dolphins, Vikings, Patriots, Seahawks, Titans, and Redskins each have just one straggler remaining. Unsurprisingly, most of those unsigned players are third-rounders. The Vikings are a notable exception – seventh-round pick Austin Cutting is waiting to find out whether the Air Force will permit him to play instead of immediately fulfilling his two-year service requirement.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/3/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Jason Thompson
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Chaz Green
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Brandon Reilly
- Waived: LB Juwon Young
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Fred Trevillion
- Waived/Injured: WR Trevion Thompson
Washington Redskins
- Signed: T Blake Hance