The Atlanta Falcons are open to listening to commerce provides for extensive receiver Julio Jones, normal supervisor Terry Fontenot advised Fox 5 in Atlanta on Monday night time.
Fontenot answered the query about presumably shifting Jones broadly, however the query requested was a direct one concerning the group’s star receiver for a decade.
“That is a type of issues once you’re doing issues the best method in a company, it’s a must to hear if individuals name, on any participant,” Fontenot advised Fox 5. “Particularly, we’re in a troublesome cap scenario, that is simply the circumstance and it isn’t a shock for us. We knew the circumstance we have been in. Our administration has performed a wonderful job up thus far getting us ready to have the ability to handle the cap, and but we nonetheless have extra work to do.
“So when groups name about any gamers then we now have to hear and we now have to weigh it and we now have to find out what’s greatest for the group and we now have to deal with the whole lot with class.”
Jones is Atlanta’s all-time chief in catches (848) and yards (12,896), and his 60 touchdowns rank him second behind Roddy White. Jones has performed his total profession in Atlanta since being the No. 6 total decide within the 2011 draft — when the Falcons used 5 picks to commerce up from No. 27 to take him.
He turned an instantaneous difference-maker with 959 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie. His subsequent yr, in 2012, he made the primary of his seven Professional Bowls and had his first 1,000-yard season together with a career-high 10 touchdowns.
Jones, 32, led the NFL in receiving yards in 2015 (1,871) and 2018 (1,677).
“Clearly that specific participant, we maintain him in excessive regard. He is particular in what he is performed and what he continues to do right here,” Fontenot mentioned of Jones. “However we now have to contemplate any gamers if it is proper for the group as a result of we now have to do what’s greatest for this group.”
Jones’ salary-cap quantity and cap mismanagement by Atlanta’s former normal supervisor, Thomas Dimitroff, are why the group would take heed to provides for the star wideout. The cap scenario compelled Atlanta to restructure the contracts of a number of Falcons gamers this offseason, together with these of quarterback Matt Ryan, linebacker Deion Jones and left deal with Jake Matthews.
The group didn’t restructure Jones’ deal, although, with a $23.05 million cap hit and his base wage of $15.three million absolutely assured. If the Falcons have been to commerce Jones after June 1, they’d be capable of unfold out the monetary hit over two seasons as an alternative of multi function.
The Falcons additionally maintain the No. four decide on this week’s NFL draft and will go a large number of instructions with the choice, from quarterback to pass-catcher to a commerce down.