Mike Smith made one thing clear in his first press conference at the start of the Atlanta Falcons offseason workouts: Julio Jones is going nowhere. The team has some decisions to start making as several players are still in need of new deals. The Falcons noted that they intended on getting free agency business and the draft taken care of before negotiating new deals, but that does not mean jones or anyone else is headed elsewhere in the coming future.
Both Jones and Roddy White are going to be in need of new contracts. Both receivers are coming off injury-riddled seasons with contracts set to expire soon. White has one more year on his contract before approaching free agency in 2015. Jones will also be a free agent come 2015 after his rookie contract expires. That puts the Falcons in a tough spot as they intend to keep both receivers for many years to come.
In Smith's "state of the team" address on Tuesday, the head coach talked mainly about the pending contract situation for Jones. The wide receiver was leading the NFL in yards last season before suffering a season-ending foot injury. He is expected to return fully healthy for 2014. Atlanta has until May 3 to decide if they are going to exercise a fifth-year option on Jones. It would be the equivalent of a transition tag, earning Jones over $10 million in 2015.
According to Smith, no matter what the team decides to do about the fifth-year option, Jones will be with the team for a long time to come.
"I do know this. Julio Jones is going to be an Atlanta Falcon for a long, long time," Smith said, via ESPN.
General manager Thomas Dimitroff told reporters the team had several business matters to take care of before they could begin to figure out the contract situations of their two best receivers. With free agency slowing down and the draft approaching, Dimitroff believes that negotiations with both players will start to heat up.
"As far as our focus right now, [it] is to continue to look at what we have on our team who are obviously going to be free agents this year and see how we can put the team together," Dimitroff said, via the team's website. "The guys who are under contract, they're always going to be our focus, but we're trying to figure out which way to go before we dig into restructuring, renegotiating or adding on."
White is not concerned with his status with the team. The Falcons have stated they intend for White to play his entire career with the Falcons and the feeling is mutual. The same is felt about Jones. The Falcons have some flexibility. They could pick up the option on Jones and sign White to a new deal this offseason. White is likely going to take a pay cut from what he is making now. That buys Atlanta some time before getting a deal done for Jones, one that will be a max contract.
