Falcons Owner: We’re Getting Closer To An Agreement With Julio Jones

Update:

Falcons owner Arthur Blank mentioned yesterday that they are getting closer to an agreement with WR Julio Jones, despite a report that said talks had “stalled significantly.”

“There’s no hold up at all,” Blank told Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “It’s just the process that you have to go through. It’s a bit of a dance. He’s got a very good agent with experience. We have a great relationship with [agent Jimmy Sexton]. That [agency] has signed the last two big receiver contracts done in the league. We’re committed to Julio, who is committed to us. We’re getting close to where we need to be.”

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ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports that contract talks between the Falcons and WR Julio Jones “stalled significantly” last week.

Even so, Mortensen adds that Falcons owner Arthur Blank remains optimistic that a deal with eventually get done.

According to Mortensen, there’ still no threat of Jones holding out for a new contract, and he’s content playing out the year under the fifth-year option.

Recent reports have said that Jones could eventually walk away with less than $14 million per year in his next agreement, which could leave him close to T.Y. Hilton than Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas. 

Jones, 26, finished out his four-year, $16.183 million rookie contract, but the Falcons protected themselves by picking up his fifth-year option that will pay him a non-guaranteed salary of $10.176 million for the 2015 season.

In 2014, Jones caught 104 passes for 1,593 yards receiving and six touchdowns over the course of 15 games. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 6 receiver out of 110 qualifying players this past season.

We’ll have more regarding Jones and the Falcons as the news is available.