Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones put up big numbers in his first four seasons, but that doesn't mean he's a lock to remain in Atlanta beyond next season. One report indicated the Falcons could be better off without giving Jones, who becomes a free agent in 2016, the massive contract he will likely command.
Jones finished the 2014 season with 104 catches for 1,593 yards and six touchdowns, pushing his career numbers to 4,330 yards and 26 touchdowns. Just because the two-time Pro Bowler can blow the top off defenses and put up monster numbers, however, doesn't mean he's guaranteed to receive a commensurate extension from Atlanta.
In fact, Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal Constitution believes the Falcons could be better off by not bringing Jones back.
"In a perfect world, a team would cling to a talent like Jones until he retires. Owing to the NFL's unyielding salary cap, roster-building is a zero-sum game. Whatever you pay a superstar is money that could be spent on three or four useful players elsewhere," Bradley wrote Tuesday. "The Falcons didn't go 6-10 after 4-12 because they had Jones; they went 10-22 because they had almost nothing else. ...
"No one disputes that Julio Jones is a splendid player, but the Falcons' roster is too flimsy to afford a luxury item. Their long-term money would be better spent on upfront heft."
ESPN reported Pro Football Focus as saying Atlanta would need 10 above-average players to compete for a Super Bowl. As Bradley pointed out, "you don't need the league's best receiver to be its best team." Using the cap space saved by not giving jones a mega contract would allow new Falcons coach Dan Quinn to address the holes on the roster he inherited - such as the offensive line, which played a big part in quarterback Matt Ryan getting sacked 31 times.
