Receiver Julio Jones and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett aren't going anywhere. At least not if you ask Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank. Speaking today from the NFL owners' meetings, Blank said both players “will be Falcons for life,” according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“I feel pretty good, comfortable and confident in saying that,” Blank added.

That might come as news to both of the players, neither of whom have signed the long-term contracts they're looking for.

Jarrett was recently slapped with a franchise tag that will pay him just over $15 million next season if he can't agree on an extension before the deadline. Jarrett is one of the top interior defensive linemen in the league; he is due for a massive payday. He was the one consistent player on Atlanta's defense last season, and is an elite run-stuffer.

“With Grady, we tagged him, so that gives us more time to work on a pretty complicated deal that makes sense for him and makes sense for the club, the franchise,” Blank explained.

Jones has two years left on a team-friendly deal he signed a handful of years ago, and is grossly underpaid. He threatened a holdout last season, but the Falcons eventually convinced him to report when they threw in some incentives. There was a report recently that the two sides were getting closer on a deal, so perhaps Blank's comments are foreshadowing an announcement.

Ledbetter writes that Jones is likely to get a $20 million-per-year salary whenever he signs a new deal, so it sounds like he'll become the league's highest-paid receiver. The Falcons struggled with injuries last year, but with Jones and Jarrett in the fold, they should be competing in the NFC South again next season if they can stay healthy.