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Atlanta Falcons: Must Re-Sign Julio Jones For Right Price

By Dusty Haralson

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The Atlanta Falcons and Julio Jones are in a contractual stalemate.

From what it looks like, both parties are waiting on the signings of Dez Bryant for the Dallas Cowboys (franchise tagged) and Demaryius Thomas of the Denver Broncos. Each player was given the franchise tag by their respective teams.

All of these teams, receivers, and agents alike are trying to figure out the worth of these top-notch players. Everyone involved is waiting on someone to make a move. The agents and receivers are trying to squeeze out as many pennies as they can. On the other hand, their team’s front office is trying to re-sign the player, while saving as much money as possible for other areas of improvement for the roster. When one of the aforementioned receivers re-sign with their respective teams, then the rest of them will sign as well.

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Jones, who is a product of the University of Alabama, is the premier weapon of choice for quarterback Matt Ryan and the Falcons. Jones led the NFC in receiving yards (1,593) in 2014 and has been elected to the Pro Bowl twice in his young career.

But with the salary cap playing a major role in the roster building process, should the Falcons sign Julio to a massive contract?

The answer is no, and I will explain why.

Do “superstar” receivers have any real value?

We know that Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, A.J. Green, Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, and Antonio Brown rack up monster numbers, and if you have any of them on your fantasy team, you’re well aware of that. They have fantasy football value for sure, but do they equal to playoff wins and legitimate championship runs? Not really. I could argue that the last time there was a top five receiver to help his team win a Super Bowl was Michael Irvin of the 1995 Cowboys.

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    • Look at the recent Super Bowl competitors. The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks didn’t have a single superstar receiver on their rosters. Chris Mathews would have been the MVP of the game had the Seahawks won, and you’ve never even heard of him. If you look at the past eight Super Bowls, there have only been four of what we consider top-tier receivers: Randy Moss, Larry Fitzgerald, Reggie Wayne, and Demaryius Thomas. And it should be noted that none of those players won a ring in that time span.

    What the winning teams did have, were great quarterback play, and a solid offensive line. That’s where most of the money on the offensive side of the ball should be spent. If the quarterback is protected by the line long enough, it should give receivers plenty of time to get open for big play opportunities. Especially since cornerbacks can’t even look at a receiver the wrong way without getting penalized, even the worst of receivers can get open with time.

    What does this mean for the Falcons and Julio Jones?

    I’m not saying the Falcons should cut or trade Jones, but I am implying that they should sign Julio for the right price and the right reasons. If they can sign him to a deal where he is paid $7 to $ 9 million, then they should re-sign him without thinking twice about it. But, Atlanta can’t just re-sign him for $15 million a year just to keep the fans happy.

    They need to make moves that will give them the best chance to not just make it to January, but go beyond. If Jones wants too much money, then let him go or trade him. I’m sure some team like Cleveland or the Jets would be more than willing to overspend on Julio. That’s why those teams are where they are.

    Money needs to be spent on three things in the NFL: quarterbacks, offensive line, and the front seven (in that order). After that, receivers are just icing on the proverbial cake.

    Next: Atlanta Falcons: Build Offensive Line Via The Draft

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