From The Athletic.
Things have been contentious between Julio and the Falcons for a while
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank often has said he wanted
Julio Jones to be a “Falcon for life.”
But on Monday, Jones said in a TV phone interview that he was
“out of there” when asked of his future in Atlanta. And nobody was more hurt by it than Blank himself.
“You know who’s most upset about that? The owner,” one source told
The Athletic on Tuesday.
Things between Jones and the Falcons have been deteriorating long before Monday’s live interview on “Undisputed,” and even long before trade talk started heating this offseason.
The issues between Jones and the Falcons go beyond his contract and the salary cap, according to multiple industry sources. If the Falcons really wanted to keep Jones around, they could make it work, the sources said. But things have been tenuous for some time.
The relationship hasn’t been the same since contentious contract negotiations in 2019, which resulted in a three-year, $66 million extension just before the start of the season. Jones sat out of training camp in 2018 before the Falcons adjusted his contract and considered doing the same in 2019 before Blank assured him he’d get a new deal. One source said it was much more difficult to negotiate that deal than the one Jones signed in 2015. Negotiations work best, the source said, when they can be win-win situations. Both sides believed they lost in this one.
Jones’ public comments Monday have put the Falcons in a challenging situation. While new GM Terry Fontenot and new coach Arthur Smith weren’t part of the group that negotiated that contract, they are dealing with the fallout. Smith faced reporters Tuesday and made clear the Falcons wouldn’t react publicly.
Smith said he wanted to keep conversations with Jones private, and wouldn’t answer any questions regarding potential roster moves out of respect for the players both present at OTAs and not present (i.e. Jones). So, the Falcons’ response to Jones’ “I’m out of there” comment to Shannon Sharpe on Monday was a resounding, “No comment.”
Asked whether or not Jones had access to the playbook and OTA meeting schedules, Smith said everyone on the current roster had access to everything. So, yes, Jones does, too.
If a trade talk was simmering before, it’s a rapid boil after the past 48 hours. The Falcons need cap space to sign their 2021 draft class, and the best ways to do that are to 1) part ways with Jones in a post-June 1 trade or 2) restructure or extend
Grady Jarrett. Calls to broker the former came in well before the draft and well before Jones made any public comment about his future in Atlanta. And Fontenot has been relatively transparent from the beginning that he would take calls about Jones.
Where Jones goes, when he goes and if he goes are still undecided at this point with June 1 just a week away. Potential trade partners are wary about Jones’ base salary and giving up too much for an aging receiver who spent much of 2020 on the sideline.
But one source noted that wherever Jones lands, “he’ll have something to prove.”
Things haven't been the same between Julio Jones and the Atlanta Falcons since contentious contract negotiations in 2019, sources say.
theathletic.com
There's more supporting evidence for the rift here
Things may have appeared to escalate quickly, however, recent reports suggest that is not the case.
www.thefalcoholic.com
www.espn.com
