The lone bright spot of the Atlanta Falcons' 2015 season might have been Julio Jones' record-breaking year after signing a five-year contract extension. The wide receiver proved to be worth the investment, but it was not enough to get the Falcons a winning record. Heading into the offseason, Jones believes the Falcons are moving along the right path as he defends the futures of Roddy White and Matt Ryan.
Jones admitted that while this season was a disappointment in terms of the six-game losing streak, but he has confidence that things are slowly getting put together and next year could be a big jump for the franchise. However, it remains to be seen who will be joining Jones in 2016 as several veterans face uncertain futures. Roddy White is one of the veterans who could be a cap casualty. White has stressed that he fully intends to come back in 2016 while Jones believes he teammate will stick around.
"I think he's going to be back," Jones said, via MyAJC.com. "There isn't a question about whether if Roddy is going to be here or not. He's a play maker. He's been making big plays for us and he's going to continue to make big plays. You can't try to go get anybody off the street and feel like somebody has got talent, but if they haven't been through those situations and been comfortable in those situations, they are not going to make those plays. Prime example is if you put a rookie in there, he can have all of the talent in the world, but he's not used to making those plays in those situations."
If White is returning in 2016 it will not be because the veteran took a pay cut in his contract. White is signed through 20167 after getting a contract that was supposed to make him a Falcon forever. The receiver is set to earn $4.25 million with a $6 million cap hit. The Falcons could restructure his contract, but it would require the veteran to take a pay cut in terms of cash due and he is not interested in that.
"I'm not interested in taking a pay cut," White said, via ESPN.com.
The Falcons will likely keep White around for his contract as the veteran will be critical in helping lead young talent. The Falcons need youth on the roster at the receiver position and White will be the veteran voice along with Jones. The Falcons are hopeful that Justin Hardy and Nick Williams can develop into solid talent after up and down rookie seasons. The team will also look to bring someone on in either free agency or the draft.
