Julio Jones on Calvin Ridley: ‘There’s so much I can teach him’

Julio Jones is looking forward to working with another wide receiver “built by Bama.”

Jones has been a Pro Bowler five times and a first-team All-Pro selection twice since the Atlanta Falcons traded five draft picks to move into position to select the Alabama receiver in 2011.

In the NFL Draft last month, the Falcons used their first-round choice on Crimson Tide wide receiver Calvin Ridley.

“I’m very excited. I’m very excited,” Jones said about working with Ridley. “There’s so much I can teach him. He’s a raw talent. Very talented guy. But coming to the next level, it’s always good to have an older-head guy in there to help you.”

So far, Jones hasn’t had the opportunity to work with Ridley as teammates because the former Foley High School standout hasn’t participated in the Falcons’ offseason program, which, except for a three-day mandatory minicamp next month, is voluntary for veteran players.

Much has been read into Jones’ absence, and it was reported that he was angling for a “correction or update” to his contract.

Jones signed a five-year, $71,256,045 contract extension with the Falcons before the 2015 season. He’s under contract for the next three years. Jones is due to collect a base salary of $10.5 million for the 2018 season, which ranks sixth among the NFL’s wide receivers. With an average value of $14.251 million, Jones’ contract ranks eighth among NFL wide receivers.

Last week, Falcons owner Arthur Blank reassured the team’s fans about Jones.

“I love Julio. He loves me. He loves Atlanta,” Blank told WXIA-TV in Atlanta. “He’s going to be here forever.”

Jones told TMZ Sports that Blank was right and that his absence wasn’t connected to his contract.

“It’s not even about that,” Jones said. “Everybody wants a story right now. There’s no story to be told, you know what I mean? I’m just working. I’m getting myself better. I’m just working on myself right now. That’s all it is. It’s no bad blood between me and the team or anything like that. It’s just everybody on the outside trying to look in and trying to destroy what we built there. …

“I’m not going nowhere. I love the team. I love the organization. I love everybody there. We good.”