The Atlanta Falcons may end up taking a second-round pick for Julio Jones, but they appear to have resisted such a resolution to this point.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that in the lead up to the NFL Draft, general manager Terry Fontenot and the Falcons "could have gotten a second-round pick at that time — without paying any of his salary" for Jones. Clearly, they didn't agree to any offer like that.
Of course, there's no rush. Even if the Falcons had agreed to a deal in principle at that time, Florio says that it wouldn't have been for a 2021 draft pick because the deal wouldn't be processed until after June 1.
Over the Cap notes that if Jones would be traded before June 1, it would leave the Falcons with $23.25 million in dead cap money, $200,000 more than keeping him would cost them. If Jones is traded after June 1, though, it would leave the Falcons with just $7.75 million in dead cap money in 2021, giving them $15.3 million in extra cap space as opposed to keeping Jones.
Jones - probably knowingly - told Shannon Sharpe of FS1 yesterday that he's "out" of Atlanta, the place that he's spent the first 10 seasons of a Hall of Fame career.
ESPN's Adam Schefter says that the Falcons have asked for a first-round pick from potential suitors, a price that league evaluators don't think will ultimately be met. As we get closer to June 1, you're left to wonder if the Falcons will come around on the idea of moving Jones for a second-round pick. There doesn't appear to be a situation where Jones returns to Atlanta, and SI's Albert Breer suggested yesterday that he believes the Falcons will ultimately settle for a deal headlined by a second-round pick.
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