Post by Iowahorse on Jun 18, 2015 0:32:16 GMT
Julio Jones says he won't hold out to get deal, is putting teammates first
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones said he's not going to hold out in order to get a new long-term contract.
Jones, with one year left on his deal, has attended all offseason workouts and the first two days of mandatory minicamp. The team appears to have every intention to sign him to a lucrative deal, although there appears to have been little discussion so far between the Falcons and Jones' agent, Jimmy Sexton.
"Whatever they feel like I'm deserving of ... I'm just here," Jones said. "I'm just trying to be the best teammate. I'm just trying to play. My thing is to play ball.
"Jimmy Sexton, he's going to negotiate that with [general manager] Thomas [Dimitroff] and [Falcons owner] Mr. [Arthur] Blank. That's the side they handle. My side, I've got to handle on the football field. I've got to keep showing up every day and putting in work."
The Falcons exercised the fifth-year option on Jones' rookie contract last season, assuring the receiver would be in the fold for the 2015 season at a cost of $10.2 million. He would become an unrestricted free agent in 2016 if not signed to a new deal or slapped with the franchise tag, which was $12.823 million for receivers this season.
Currently, Detroit's Calvin Johnson tops all receivers by making $16.2 million per year. In 2013, Johnson signed a seven-year, $113 million contract that included a $16 million signing bonus and $43.75 million guaranteed.
Falcons veteran receiver Roddy White said he wants Jones to be the highest-paid receiver in the league. Jones isn't thinking in those terms. He's also not concerned with what's going on with other players such as Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas.
"I haven't been watching other people," Jones said. "All I can do is take care of me. I'm going to let [the Falcons] take care of that side of it. If they say be here at this time, I'm going to be there. I'm going to be accountable.
"I'm not going to hold out for anything. My teammates need me. I'm being selfish if I'm not here and doing what I need to do."
Blank, Dimitroff and coach Dan Quinn all expressed a desire to keep Jones around for the long haul.
"There is no question that our focus in the future will be on Julio Jones and where we are," Dimitroff told ESPN.com last month. "I don't want to get into specifics about the timing of that, obviously. But now that the draft is over and we continue to build this football team, we understand that Julio is a very important part of our building and evolving as a championship-type team."
Jones, 26, was named to his second Pro Bowl last season after setting a franchise single-season record with 1,593 receiving yards on a career-high 104 receptions. He had seven 100-plus-yard games, including a team-record 259 yards on 11 receptions at Green Bay.
Dimitroff said he has no lingering concerns about the foot fracture Jones suffered during the 2013 season which limited the receiver to five games.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones said he's not going to hold out in order to get a new long-term contract.
Jones, with one year left on his deal, has attended all offseason workouts and the first two days of mandatory minicamp. The team appears to have every intention to sign him to a lucrative deal, although there appears to have been little discussion so far between the Falcons and Jones' agent, Jimmy Sexton.
"Whatever they feel like I'm deserving of ... I'm just here," Jones said. "I'm just trying to be the best teammate. I'm just trying to play. My thing is to play ball.
"Jimmy Sexton, he's going to negotiate that with [general manager] Thomas [Dimitroff] and [Falcons owner] Mr. [Arthur] Blank. That's the side they handle. My side, I've got to handle on the football field. I've got to keep showing up every day and putting in work."
The Falcons exercised the fifth-year option on Jones' rookie contract last season, assuring the receiver would be in the fold for the 2015 season at a cost of $10.2 million. He would become an unrestricted free agent in 2016 if not signed to a new deal or slapped with the franchise tag, which was $12.823 million for receivers this season.
Currently, Detroit's Calvin Johnson tops all receivers by making $16.2 million per year. In 2013, Johnson signed a seven-year, $113 million contract that included a $16 million signing bonus and $43.75 million guaranteed.
Falcons veteran receiver Roddy White said he wants Jones to be the highest-paid receiver in the league. Jones isn't thinking in those terms. He's also not concerned with what's going on with other players such as Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas.
"I haven't been watching other people," Jones said. "All I can do is take care of me. I'm going to let [the Falcons] take care of that side of it. If they say be here at this time, I'm going to be there. I'm going to be accountable.
"I'm not going to hold out for anything. My teammates need me. I'm being selfish if I'm not here and doing what I need to do."
Blank, Dimitroff and coach Dan Quinn all expressed a desire to keep Jones around for the long haul.
"There is no question that our focus in the future will be on Julio Jones and where we are," Dimitroff told ESPN.com last month. "I don't want to get into specifics about the timing of that, obviously. But now that the draft is over and we continue to build this football team, we understand that Julio is a very important part of our building and evolving as a championship-type team."
Jones, 26, was named to his second Pro Bowl last season after setting a franchise single-season record with 1,593 receiving yards on a career-high 104 receptions. He had seven 100-plus-yard games, including a team-record 259 yards on 11 receptions at Green Bay.
Dimitroff said he has no lingering concerns about the foot fracture Jones suffered during the 2013 season which limited the receiver to five games.