Report: WR Jones to miss OTAs, wants contract ‘update’

Julio Jones is expected to be absent when the Atlanta Falcons begin organized team activities on Monday, and the wide receiver would like “some sort of correction or update” to his contract, according to an NFL Network report Friday.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Falcons are not overly worried about Jones missing OTAs, and they are “amenable” to tweaking his contract — which still has two years remaining. Per the report, because Jones is a great player and good teammate, management has no particular aversion to addressing Jones’ deal.

Jones, 29, is due $10.5 million in base salary this season and $12.5 million in 2019 as part of a five-year, $71.3 million extension with $47 million guaranteed he signed in August 2015.

His annual average of $14.3 million currently ranks eighth among NFL wideouts, trailing four players (Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins, Jarvis Landry and Davante Adams) who have signed new extensions since late December. Antonio Brown is the league’s highest paid receiver at $17 million annually, the result of a deal he signed in February 2017 after seeking a raise during the 2016 offseason.

Jones missed much of OTAs last summer while traveling to China and still delivered at a premium level in 2017, catching 88 passes for 1,444 yards and earning his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl nod. He is currently training on his own at his alma mater, Alabama.

He made waves last month when he removed all photos and references to the Falcons from his social media accounts, prompting many to wonder if an issue was brewing between the two sides. The team responded by saying Jones simply wanted a “fresh start” on social media.

The Falcons opened up the checkbook for quarterback Matt Ryan earlier this month, signing him to the largest deal in league history (five years, $150 million, $100 million guaranteed), and other extensions could be coming soon. General manager Thomas Dimitroff said shortly after Ryan’s extension that new deals for defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and left tackle Jake Matthews are “on the horizon.”

Spotrac currently projects the Falcons’ cap space around $7.2 million, which ranks 24th in the league, with $10.96 million of space in 2019 (ranking 23rd).

–Field Level Media