In this era of the diva wide receiver, Julio Jones doesn't fit the mold. He is not a flamboyant headline-seeker, yet his numbers suggest he is the best wide receiver in the NFL.
Unlike Odell Beckham Jr. and Antonio Brown, who make life stressful for their team owners, general managers and coaches with their on- and off-field antics, Jones is the model player and teammate. But that doesn't mean he is happy with his contract
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To the contrary, Jones is expecting the Falcons to deliver on a perceived promise to give him a top-market extension now that he has two years remaining on the $14.25 million-per-year contract he signed in 2015. At the time, the deal made Jones the league's highest-paid receiver, but he quickly was surpassed by Brown ($17 million per year) and then Beckham ($18 million per year).
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Jones, 30, is four years older than Beckham, so it surely is a bit scary for Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff to commit with a deal that could take Jones to his mid-30s.
However, Brown is the same age as Jones, a fact that lends support to the case for Jones to be paid like Brown was when his contract was acquired by the Raiders via trade. The ex-Steeler's deal was fortified to the tune of an additional $11 million.
The problem for Dimitroff is he apparently boxed himself in when he took $2.9 million from Jones‘ 2019 base salary and pushed it up to 2018 in order to get the receiver to report to camp last August. The GM did so with a promise to do an extension this year. Now Jones' salaries of $9.6 million this season and $11.426 million in 2020 lag even further behind those of Beckham and Brown.
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I can empathize with Dimitroff. As the Vikings' GM, I was in a similar position when I extended Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter in 1998. At 32, Carter was coming off his sixth straight Pro Bowl season, and he had set an NFL record with 122 catches four years earlier.
Carter was an integral part of our prolific offense in Minnesota, and I felt that rewarding him was important to show our players how hard work and great play would result in a great contract. I made Carter equal to the highest-paid receivers at the time with his five-year, $26 million deal, and he played up to the contract with several more Pro Bowl seasons. He also mentored a young Randy Moss in the latter's Rookie of the Year season.
The bucks are a lot bigger these days, thus creating a bigger risk for Dimitroff and the Falcons. But as was the case for me with Carter, I think Dimitroff must negotiate a market-setting deal for Jones.
And the Falcons GM can feel the same way I did; that he will be paying big money for a player who has been consistently productive and durable over most of his career.
To Jones' credit, and in a wise move that creates good will with Atlanta's front office, he is not saying much publicly about his contract status. He also was present for Atlanta's mandatory minicamp two weeks ago after missing voluntary OTAs. Jones referred to Arthur Blank's recent comment in which the team owner said of an extension, "It will happen. It's a matter of when."
Added Jones about Blank: "He said they are going to get something done, and his word is gold. As for me, I just hold up my end and stay ready."
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Jones is coming off his fifth consecutive season with at least 1,400 receiving yards. His 1,677 yards last year led all receivers, and he was selected to his sixth Pro Bowl. He is almost always double-covered but still gets open for quarterback Matt Ryan with his rare combination of size and speed. The only potential knock on Jones is that he has only one season of double-digit touchdown receptions (10 in 2012).
But Jones does have six playoff touchdowns. Dimitroff knows the receiver has played well on the big stage of the postseason, averaging close to eight catches and over 100 receiving yards per game in his eight career playoff games.
And let’s also remember that the Falcons GM thought so highly of Jones in the 2011 NFL Draft, he traded five picks — including two first-rounders — to move up to No. 6 overall and select the Alabama star.
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As training camp approaches, the possibility of a holdout comes into play. Perhaps the Falcons are waiting to see if the Saints give star receiver Michael Thomas the $20 million-plus-per-year extension he reportedly is seeking.
In any event, and despite any age concerns, Atlanta wants a happy Julio Jones lining up on opening day in Minnesota on Sept. 8. And a three-year extension with at least $20 million per year in new money (including guaranteed money in excess of $40 million) would make that vision a reality.
Jeff Diamond is a former president of the Titans and former vice president/general manager of the Vikings. He was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. Diamond is currently a business and sports consultant who also does broadcast and online media work. He makes speaking appearances to corporate/civic groups and college classes on negotiation and sports business/sports management. He is the former chairman and CEO of The Ingram Group. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdiamondNFL.
