Jones may become highest paid NFL wideout
The Atlanta Falcons are prepared to make a big offer to wide receiver Julio Jones.
And while GM Thomas Dimitroff wouldn’t disclose the figure he has in mind, he sounded confident the two sides could make a deal.
“We know what Julio is in this league,” Dimitroff told NFL Media on Thursday. “We have a very good idea of approximately where he’s going to be, which I won’t share specifically.
“We believe he should be the ... highest-paid receiver in the league. And I know he believes that. It’s just how we’re going to approach this and how we’re going to get it done. I believe it’s right around the corner, but I don’t know when it is.”
Jones, 30, is in training camp, declining to hold out. He is in the fourth year of a five-year contract extension signed in 2015 that pays him an average of US$14.25 million a season.
He can expect a significant increase. New Orleans wide receiver Michael Thomas and the Saints agreed to a reported five-year, US$100 million contract earlier this week.
“We want Julio here for the rest of his career, whatever that is,” Dimitroff said.
Jones is a two-time All-pro and has 698 catches for 10,731 yards and 51 touchdowns in his career.
The Indianapolis Colts worked out wide receiver Brandon Marshall and running back Mike Gillislee on Friday, according to reports.
Marshall, 35, is a six-time Pro Bowl selection who played seven games with Seattle in 2018.
Gillislee played four games for New Orleans last season and averaged just 2.7 yards per carry, gaining 43 yards on 16 carries. New Orleans signed him after he was cut by New England in early September.
Marshall entered the NFL in 2006 with Denver and has also played for Chicago, Miami and the New York Jets and Giants. He signed late last season with New Orleans but was released without playing in a game.
Marshall has 970 career receptions for 12,351 yards and 83 touchdowns.
The 28-year-old Gillislee worked out for the Raiders on Wednesday as he tries to find a spot. Prior to that, he worked out for Detroit and Jacksonville.