The Falcons paid their top receiver top of the market money. A long term deal has been rumored for a while, and now the deal has been completed. The Falcons at the very least have one of the best receivers in the game locked down for the next few years. This article will breakdown the move for both sides going forward.

The Deal:
Julio Jones, Wide Receiver: 3 years 66 million contract is fully guaranteed

Reaction, Analysis, & Grade:
Jones is one of the absolute best wide receivers in the NFL today, and will be a hall of famer one day. Jones can do anything, and has lived up to the hype he received out of college in 2011. Jones has a great first step, and has the ability to spread the defense down the field. He has great hands and rarely drops of pass one of his best qualities. Jones is great route runner, and has the speed to evade defenders in the open field. Jones is a athletic freak, and has the size to be a major target in the end zone as well. Julio is a dependable run blocker, and rarely misses games due to injury especially in the last couple of seasons. He is Matt Ryan’s favorite target, and there is no doubt he is happy to see the nine time pro-bowler brought back with this extension. Jones deserves this monster contract with his work on and off the field. Unlike many past receiver stars, Jones has never had any off the field issues, and has always been known for being a high character football focused player. The deal does have some risk because of the age of Julio Jones. He is 30 years old, and once receivers hit that mark they typically take a step back in terms of athleticism. This will limit the Falcons ability to be active in free agency, and re-sign the current players with so much guaranteed money. The fact that the contract is fully guaranteed doesn’t give the Falcons any leverage or gain if they were to cut Julio Jones if his performance drops off. However, Jones has not shown any signs of declining, and in my opinion is the best wide receiver in the NFL today. He is a high character individual, and can literally do anything on the field at a high level. With an aging quarterback, the Falcons championship window is beginning to close, and the time is now to compete for a Super Bowl. Jones will make the Falcons better for the next several years, and will likely add more hardware in terms of individual accomplishments. As long as Jones is able to stay healthy I expect him to continue to put up big numbers. For the Falcons, the salary is a big time amount, but the deal is short term. They aren’t going to have to deal with a five or six year commitment, with the length of the contract being relatively team friendly. This will be a temporary hold on their cap for a short time. This is a great extension in my mind, and will keep the Falcons as one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL today.

Grade: A

Photo Credit: https://clutchpoints.com/falcons-news-atlanta-creates-cap-space-in-preparation-for-julio-jones-deal/