Sources: Falcons not giving Julio Jones contract extension

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OldSchool

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I don't know............but they need to make changes it'll go a long way towards player/management relations.
Which personally are over blown. You talk to most players from what we see they like the team and ownership. They do realize it's a business and most, other than guys like TO don't take things personal, it's just business.
 

RamFan503

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Unless you are the owner. In which case you can cut a player and the contract isn't valid anymore because it isn't really a contract on your side, it's more of a suggestion or set of guidelines.
And that is part of negotiations. But that is also a big fuck up by the player's union. However, that IS also what guaranteed money is all about. If you have $45 million guaranteed as part of your contract - well boohoo.

And remember, we see players redo contracts every year to lower their salary and cap hit. Brady has done it how many times?
You may want to actually look into that. Last I saw there was a lot of controversy over how he was actually being paid and that it was not actually a cut. Got any other examples of players actually redoing their contracts to take LESS money?

But these guys are playing under the WORST deal in all of pro sports and it needs to get fixed.
That I agree with to a point. I have always said that it is ridiculous for NBA and MLB players to make that kind of cash for playing games that are no where near as dangerous as the NFL. I still believe that. But you also have to look at the other issues.

In the NFL you have far more players to pay. In the NFL, you have far greater expenses in creating and maintaining your facilities - practice, stadium, medical, etc... In the NFL, you have 16 games to make your nut. And it goes on....

Now I get that the NFL makes more money than any other sport. But let's not confuse income with profit. If you start paying NBA or MLB type contracts, even as rich as the NFL is, it will die.

It will reduce these type of problems in the long term.
No it won't.

As usual I will say they need to look to the NBA for some of their cap exceptions when they redo the current CBA.
Just look at Carpet Bagger Bron Bron. Do you really want the vagabond athletes of the NBA and MLB?

And what cap exceptions? You mean the fine for exceeding the cap? Hell - it's not my money. I'm fine if Stan wants to pony up a 15% of the cap (IIRR) fee to pay players "what they're worth".

BTW.... what sets the worth of a player? Is it what the last best positional player got? Is it what the last highest paid player got? Is it what Bron Bron got? Is it some MLB contract?

Sometimes it makes sense for a team to do something with a really special player. You seem to think I am saying this can apply across the board, I'm not.
And what exactly makes Julio a "really special player"? He's very good. Is he a once in a generation player like AD? I would say that actually makes the two situations even more different.

Which is why it's called the salary cap, and salaries go up and that's part of what I am saying. Paying him money now may cost less than wiating 2-3 years. At 10% per year that adds up to 36MIL more to spend by the 2020 off-season. He's 30, not 25, so if he is going to play out his contract and hit the market at 33 he is way less likely to get a big payday. Redoing his deal now is not an option that is off the table if I am a GM, I'm at least talking to he and his agent about it. It's a matter of moving on in 3 years or putting together another deal if you want to keep him a couple or few years beyond that.
Seems to go along with my argument. If he is still viable in 3 years, then he can get another contract. If not, he gets his guaranteed $45 mil, plus other $ from the team and endorsements and moves on with his life.

Gee - excuse me for not feeling sorry for someone who gets to retire comfortably in their 30's. And don't give me the bad knees and bad health argument. There are plenty of people breaking their backs while making a pittance of what these guys are making.

This is all on the CBA and the Union for them not getting better deals.
Yes and no. The bottom line is the bottom line. I'm sure the Union knows what that is. You can't break the piggy bank if you want to keep getting money from it.
 

OldSchool

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Yes and no. The bottom line is the bottom line. I'm sure the Union knows what that is. You can't break the piggy bank if you want to keep getting money from it.

Very true, my point was not that the CBA as a whole is bad or good. But if any single topic was important to them then they should have pushed for that perhaps at the exclusion of something else. They prioritized their needs and this wasn't one of them. Their call, their fault it's not in there since they didn't rate it high enough.
 

RamFan503

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Very true, my point was not that the CBA as a whole is bad or good. But if any single topic was important to them then they should have pushed for that perhaps at the exclusion of something else. They prioritized their needs and this wasn't one of them. Their call, their fault it's not in there since they didn't rate it high enough.
I actually agree with you when it comes to guaranteed money. But this is far different than allowing players to renegotiate every other year when they have a contract. But y'know.... this guaranteed money thing seems to be happening organically, so I'm not sure the union will handle it better. Maybe for the lower tier players though.

I think NFL players should get guaranteed money. It is very dangerous work. But my main point is being able to budget, plan, and build a roster. Guaranteed money actually lends to that end. Allowing players to renegotiate every year or two or giving them opt out clauses does not.
 

Elmgrovegnome

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So, Julio and his agent were fine with his contract when they signed it. But, now they see lesser receivers making more and their not happy? News flash. This happens every year at every position.
 

jrry32

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These players are getting a little out of control with their demands .
I think it's time the NFL puts a player cap in place to keep these contracts under control

NFL players have it the worst of any of the pro athletes in the three major sports (NFL, NBA, and MLB). It's a business. They have every right to use the leverage they have.
 

Mojo Ram

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Jones negotiated a second deal based on his demonstrated worth to his team. He now wants to renegotiate because other players have passed him on the pay scale
Yep. It's more about self ego than it is about ability or even the money once you get into the millions these high end players are making. Some of these guys, like Jones...just want to say they're the highest paid player at their position or whatever. These guys need to check themselves.

I don't think pro sports salaries should be public. Try to imagine that world....but that's a WHOLE different animal of discussion.
 
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Kevin

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What we might see, in my speculative opinion, is top end players negotiating their contracts and having each year after the first go up by the same percentage as the cap goes up.
That's interesting, kind of like profit sharing. It could make it hard for teams to financially plan two or three years into the future because they don't know how much the cap will go up.
 

yrba1

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Curious to see how these contracts will go in an unforeseen future. Contracts continue to break records at an exponential rate but just like stock market growth going up exponentially, it'll go down steeply eventually.
 

Raptorman

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You may want to actually look into that. Last I saw there was a lot of controversy over how he was actually being paid and that it was not actually a cut. Got any other examples of players actually redoing their contracts to take LESS money?
Actually of the top of my head, it's easy. Brian Robison of the Vikings reduced his from $3.8 to $1.1. I see it all the time with players who want to stay with the team and don't play as many snaps as they have in the past. Chad Greenway in MN did it in 2015. Went from $7 to $3.4. It's more common than you think.

That being said, Brady restructured his contract. He didn't actually take less money, he took it as a signing bonus so they could spread it out over several years. As far as average salary, Brady currently ranks 16th @ $20.5 million a year.
 
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OldSchool

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That's interesting, kind of like profit sharing. It could make it hard for teams to financially plan two or three years into the future because they don't know how much the cap will go up.
Possibly but then they don't really know now until right before the previous season ends.
 

Mackeyser

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It could actually work in the Falcons favor. In 3 years the cap will be higher and his contract will be bigger. It's something to consider anyway.

Not necessarily. I don't have much faith in DeMaurice Smith to do what's in the best interest of ALL the players in the NFL because the last two CBAs haven't helped the middle where most guys are.

Still, unless the NFL can properly track views and monetize streams going forward and find an alternative to DirecTV, then there's a chance that the next CBA is going to be influenced by the next TV contract which iirc is coming up before 2020.

I dunno that it's a guarantee that contracts will go up forever...at least not at the current pace.
 

Mackeyser

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Actually of the top of my head, it's easy. Brian Robison of the Vikings reduced his from $3.8 to $1.1. I see it all the time with players who want to stay with the team and don't play as many snaps as they have in the past. Chad Greenway in MN did it in 2015. Went from $7 to $3.4. It's more common than you think.

That being said, Brady restructured his contract. He didn't actually take less money, he took it as a signing bonus so they could spread it out over several years. As far as average salary, Brady currently ranks 16th @ $20.5 million a year.

Well, and they're cheating so brazenly with Brady, it's stupid. Who knows how many millions in rent and off-the-books payments are happening with his workout facility?

I've mentioned that Kroenke could do that with players, especially being a developer.

Say he wants to keep Suh, but the cap won't allow it. Well, he signs an agreement with Suh that he's to start a small construction company. Everyone knows Suh is looking to be an entrepreneur. He specializes in something charitable that's not going to make a ton of money, but has good PR, like building houses for Habitat for Humanity.

Five years after Suh is done playing, Kroenke buys the company for an "undisclosed sum" as a diversification move and a way to increase his charitable offering and outreach and no one will even care, let alone look into it. To ensure some intrepid reporter doesn't sniff it out, they can use off-shore accounts, if they are paranoid, which...they probably should be.

And all that would be LESS blatant than what Kraft and Brady are doing. Still against the rules, tho.
 

Mackeyser

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Actually is there anything in that contract that says the player can't be cut before the end of it? Is there anything in there that lists consequences for the team if they do cut the player before the contract ends? The only way that happens is if they cut them before scheduled guaranteed money runs it's course. Cutting a player 3 years into a 5 year contract is not against the rules and it's not forbidden in the CBA or in the letter of the contracts. Hell contracts I write for my company will lists conditions they can be ended and consequences. This is all on the CBA and the Union for them not getting better deals. Once again it comes back to weak Union leadership.

A player can be cut for any reason or no reason. The contract addresses the money, not the job.

Now, if a player is cut with valid guarantees on the table, they must be paid.

If a player has been paid all the guarantees, but they are the type that the cap allows to be spread out across the entire length of the contract, like a signing bonus, then that cap hit accelerates into the current year with a few stipulations that may allow it to be split among the current year and the following year.

So, no, there's nothing that says a player can't be cut. There are no trade clauses which specifically stipulate that a player MUST be cut if they are to be released, but nothing to prevent being cut.

The Rams could cut Cooks right now. That would be insane short of something unfathomable, but they could and would have to pay the guarantees.
 

Psycho_X

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Man, Atlanta blinked fast.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...4335612=1&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

TheAtlanta Falconsmight just have a drama-free training camp after all.

General manager Thomas Dimitroff announced late Wednesday night that wide receiver Julio Jones will report for the start of training camp on Thursday.

The Falcons have agreed to a revised contract that adjusts Jones' salary for the 2018 season, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, via a source informed of the situation.


"We have had continued dialogue all offseason with Julio and his representation," Dimitroff's statement reads. "We have come to an agreement with Julio, and we will re-address everything in 2019. I appreciate everyone's hard work and communication on this.

"This adjustment does not impede us from working on other extensions with other key members of our football team. We will continue to work on those contracts going forward."

The announcement comes just hours after Dimitroff and coach Dan Quinn signed three-year extensions of their own. Although Jones had three years remaining on a five-year, $71.25 million extension signed in 2015, Rapoport reported that the two-time All-Pro was comfortable sitting out the entirety of training camp if the Falcons continued to insist that any restructuring would have to wait until after the 2018 season.

Jones' annual average of $14.25 million had fallen to ninth at his position. His contract adjustment follows the blueprint of Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown, Jones' direct competition for the league's premier wideout over the past three years. The Steelers handed Brown a new payday in 2017 after he had outplayed his old extension.

Over the past few months, the Falcons have secured the futures of their franchise quarterback, superstar receiver, head coach and general manager. This is not just a legitimate 2018Super Bowl contender, but also one of the most stable organizations in the league.
 

1maGoh

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That's interesting, kind of like profit sharing. It could make it hard for teams to financially plan two or three years into the future because they don't know how much the cap will go up.
They could just base the entire contact/salary off of percentages and skip considering dollar amounts altogether. That would actually stabilize salaries more, I think.

3 years from now some gm would say, "Jared Goff is the best QB in the NFL and he makes 14% of the salary cap. You aren't getting paid more that 13%." That would have meaning, because they're be taking about percentages instead of dollars. 13% is always 13% of the total, where $26 million could be too much of the cap if it didn't go up as much as expected or whatever.

Once everybody got used to it, I bet it would be way easier.
 

Malibu

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He signed his contract now honor it. The issue I have is what if he has a down year is he willing to give back some money obviously the answer is no so there is no tit for tat. That is why you honor your contract. Sucks for Julio but still 70m is great by anyone's standards even after agents cut, taxes etc.
 

OldSchool

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LOL

They moved 2 million of his base from next year to a bonus this year. Quite the renegotiation, they just made good on what they said, they would redo his deal next year. He's not going to make any more money over the next couple of years by this.
 

Merlin

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These players are getting a little out of control with their demands .
I think it's time the NFL puts a player cap in place to keep these contracts under control

They're doing it because they're getting away with it. GMs need to find their balls and make it not good to pull these stunts. But what does Demitroff do? "Oh, yeah Julio, we'll talk contract after the season."

I'd trade his ass to the Browns.