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Julio Jones Wants To Be a Falcon For Life

By Jonathan Savitske

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Julio Jones entered this year’s training camp engaged in ongoing negotiations with the Atlanta Falcons for a long-term extension.

This past Sunday, Atlanta Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank spoke to the media and stated that he expects Wide Receiver Julio Jones “to be a lifer for the Falcons.” It seems that Blank and the Falcons front-office are ready to sign Jones to a lucrative long-term deal.

-= Related: Arthur Blank Likes Dan Quinn’s Energy and Enthusiasm =-

In Flowery Branch on Monday, Julio Jones echoed Blank’s sentiment, stating himself that he and the Atlanta Falcons owner are on the same page and that he wants to remain in Atlanta for the rest of his career.

"“”We’re on the same page. I want to be a Falcon for life. I guess he made it clear yesterday that they’re obviously working toward that. All I can control is what I do out here on this field and stay consistent.”"

Jones continued:

"“I don’t wrap my head around that to get me going or put a pep in my step…Like, ‘Hey, he wants me to be a Falcon for the rest of my career, so let me go out and do something else. Obviously I’d be cheating myself, so every day I challenge myself to come out here and get better.”"

It is great to hear that the Atlanta Falcons’ star wideout wants to stay with the team both now and in the future. He has done a remarkable job of separating his contract talks from his play during training camp.

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Unlike other players who make it a point to distract a team with contract negotiations going into training camp, Julio Jones has not held out and reported to camp on time and ready to prepare for the 2015 regular season. This is key for a team under a new head coach in Dan Quinn, which allows the entire squad to focus on their play and not antics of a star player.

If recent deals that wide-receivers Dez Bryant and Demariyus Thomas received from the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos are any indication, a long-term contract for Julio Jones will be in the ball-park or will even exceed the $15 million annual threshold. Ever since the Atlanta Falcons traded for Julio Jones in the 2011 NFL Draft, he has become Matt Ryan‘s primary target, making him worth the same money in my mind.

In the 2014 season, Julio Jones set the franchise receiving record with 1,593 yards in 15 games played. Hopefully Jones and the Atlanta Falcons will come to an agreement before the beginning of the regular season.

Next: Atlanta Falcons: Smith Calling Defense, Not Quinn

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