When a player like Antonio Brown signs a new deal, the market at his position changes. One player who is directly affected by Brown's new contract is Julio Jones.
Brown's new deal with the Oakland Raiders gives the All-Pro wide receiver $50 million over three seasons and $30 million in guaranteed money. Seeing this deal likely put a smile on Jones' face.
Jones held out of Atlanta Falcons training camp in 2018, only for it to be ended with the team restructuring his current deal. It was also expected that Jones was promised a new deal this offseason to get him to report to camp.
That offseason is now upon us, and there have been no reports of any deal in the works. It would be hard to believe that Jones would report to training camp before signing a new deal of his liking.
Heading into 2019, Jones is set to make a $9.6 million salary. That makes him the 14th highest paid wideout in 2019—which is a slap to the face to one of the best receivers in the NFL.
To put things into perspective, he is being paid less than Allen Robinson and just $250,000 more than Nelson Agholor. The Falcons better make a move before it's too late.
With Brown and Odell Beckham Jr. recently getting loads of money with their new contracts, Jones is seemingly next in line. Whatever bank that handles Julio's money better be ready for a large deposit soon.
According to Spotrac, Jones holds a market value of $15.9 million. Whether he gets more or less than that remains to be seen.
Either way, the deal that Antonio got with the Raiders tipped the scale in Julio's favor. The wide receiver market going forward will reflect that.
In the coming seasons, Jones, Tyreek Hill, Michael Thomas, Amari Cooper, and A.J. Green are in need of new deals. All of these guys are expected to land lucrative contracts in the near future.
The Falcons don't hold any leverage in this situation. They're a team that went from blowing a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl to finishing third in their division in 2018.
The New Orleans Saints are one of the most complete teams in the NFL, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could also be knocking on the door with Bruce Arians coming to town. The clock is ticking for the Falcons to make another run at a championship.
Thus, extending Julio should be a priority as they'll need him if they want to make the playoffs again. If not, I know 31 other teams in the NFL who would gladly take the star wideout from the Falcons' possession.
Atlanta wants to avoid trading their coveted receiver like the New York Giants did with Odell. It's hard to receive compensation that makes up for the talent that is lost with trading a key contributor in your offense.
Ask the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Giants. The Steelers only netted third and fifth-round picks for Brown. The Giants only got a first and a third-round pick along with Jabrill Peppers for Beckham Jr.
Neither of those trades makes up for the absence of those two receivers. Nonetheless, those franchises will have to reap what they sowed in those situations.
With Antonio Brown putting pen to paper with the Raiders, it also made Julio Jones a richer man.
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