Bryant and Thomas Sign Deals: What Does This Mean For Julio Jones?

Earlier today, top wide receivers finally got the deals they looked for. Both Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas signed deals that were worth 5 years/$70 million. Bryant is guaranteed $45 million while Thomas is guaranteed $43.5 million. Broncos GM John Elway was thrilled he could keep his star receiver.

While this might not be news about an Atlanta player, it certainly now will have an effect on a certain one. Obviously Julio Jones and his agent have seen what the precedent is for top wide receivers. Football players look more in-depth on the guaranteed money, so look for Jones to get a little above $40 million if he decides to stay with Atlanta. Both contracts averaged $14 million per year, and it looks that the Calvin Johnson deal (7 years/$113.45 million, $53.25 million guaranteed) is a something that NFL GM’s are hoping to get away from.

The top two receivers that look to sign contract extensions in the near future are Julio Jones and A.J. Green. Both are playing in the final year of their rookie contracts. Jones has a base salary of $10.176 million this upcoming year.  It was reported a couple days ago that Jones and the Falcons had not had any discussions about the contract situation. Jones is probably focused on business and does not want to get in any contract dispute that could possibly be a distraction.

Julio Jones will be re-signed by the Falcons no matter what. A team that gave up five draft picks in order to retain Jones’ rights will not let him walk. It is just a matter of money and time until the two parties come to an agreement. Unlike Bryant, Jones is not much of a drama-queen and would rather not cause any problems for his team. The Atlanta front office knows Julio Jones is a top-five receiver in this league, and he is one of the faces of this franchise. Expect Jones’ deal to be around the same numbers as Bryant and Thomas, and expect Jones to re-sign with the Falcons soon.

 

 

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