As the Atlanta Falcons plan to rework Julio Jones' contract for the second straight season, general manager Thomas Dimitroff isn't fretting about a deal getting done and won't put a timeline on a potential extension.
"We'll continue to talk with both Julio and his representation," Dimitroff said Wednesday, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We've have had really good conversations with them. There is no particular time on that. I'm not concerned about it, nor is he. We'll get that figured out."
After a summer holdout by the All-Pro receiver, the Falcons restructured Jones' deal last offseason, moving some money up into 2018. With two years remaining on his contract, Atlanta is more comfortable talking about a long-term solution with the 30-year-old wideout. Jones is set to earn a base salary of $9.6 million in 2019, and $11.426 million in 2020.
One issue that slightly alters the discussion for Dimitroff is the Oakland Raiders rewarding Antonio Brown with a new re-worked deal that made him the highest paid receiver. Jones will surely want to beat that number. With Odell Beckham Jr. possibly looking for a re-done contract as well down the road, the Falcons will want to lock Jones up for the long haul soon.
"I know there is interest because of everything that's going on with all of the receivers in the league," Dimitroff said. "There are big numbers (being) talked about and a big situation there. Look, we feel good with our communications there."
Jones surpassing Brown as the highest-paid receiver should be considered a foregone conclusion for Dimitroff at this point. The challenge is how the Falcons and Jones structure the deal to give the team flexibility down the road while simultaneously avoiding this similar situation again in three years.
