The Atlanta Falcons could spend more money on Matt Ryan during the summer after the mega-deal: According to reports, Wide Receiver Julio Jones wants a new contract prematurely.
According to several media reports, Julio Jones will not be at the Falcons for the start of the Organized Team Activities on Monday. He had already missed parts of the OTAs last season, but this time there is obviously a concrete reason behind it: Jones seems to want a new contract.
The 29-year-old’s current contract runs until 2020 inclusive, his cap hit over the three outstanding years is 12.9 (2018), 14.9 (2019) and 11.4 (2020) million dollars. Jones is presumed not to go beyond a long-term extension, but instead an increase in salary is on his wish list. In terms of average annual salary, he ranks eighth in the receiver list.
As NFL network insider Ian Rapoport reports, Jones has an open ear with the team: Atlanta are therefore determined to reward their best player financially for their strong performance in recent years. Team and players should also be in constant exchange.
It wasn’t until the beginning of May that the Falcons had already reached deep into their pockets: Quarterback Matt Ryan received an early contract extension, which makes him the best paid player in the NFL ever. Among other things, Ryan is guaranteed $100 million under his new contract.
In addition, Atlanta also invested a lot of capital in the offense in the draft: Wide receiver Calvin Ridley was this year’s first-round pick of the Falcons, the former Alabama receiver should slip into the starting formation early and benefit from Jones’ presence in the field.
The next Falcons attacker whose contract expires is Running Back Tevin Coleman. Since RB colleague Devonta Freeman has already been equipped with a larger contract, the general assumption is that Atlanta will let Coleman go.