Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones did not take part in the Falcons' offseason workout program, as the star is awaiting a new contract.
This marks the second straight year that Jones has held out of offseason workouts, as he was also seeking an adjustment to his deal last summer. This time, however, Jones is looking for more than just an adjustment, and quarterback Matt Ryan is perfectly fine with it:
“I know exactly how he’s going to operate in certain situations and there’s a freedom that comes with that,” said Ryan of Jones, per Logan Reardon of NFL.com. “Obviously, the practice portion of it helps and we’ll get it when we can get it, but most important is having him fresh and as explosive as possible for game day. When he’s explosive and he’s fresh, he’s tough to stop. So I’ll take him like that.”
It should also be noted that Jones was present at Falcons mandatory minicamp, so the only workouts he has missed this offseason have been voluntary.
Ryan added that he already has great rapport with Jones, so Jones missing some workouts won't mean all that much:
“I think there’s definitely a rhythm that comes up that you get from practicing together,” Ryan said. “But of all the guys that are on our team, I’ve got the most rapport with [Jones]. I just have so many reps stockpiled from games from different situations that we’ve gone through in our careers. Every coverage you could imagine, we’ve seen together.”
Jones is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he hauled in 113 receptions for 1,677 yards and eight touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
The 30-year-old, who has made six Pro Bowls while earning a couple of First-Team All-Pro selections since entering the league with the Falcons back in 2011, is entering the final year of his deal.
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