In March, Falcons owner Arthur Blank declared that star wide receiver Julio Jones and franchise-tagged defensive tackle Grady Jarrett were going to be “Falcons for life.”
Now the clock’s ticking — the deadline for a long-term deal for Jarrett is July 15 — but Blank sounds just as confident now.
“We have a salary cap, we have limits, that we have to think about not only today but tomorrow, and we have to balance all that off,” Blank told Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com “But these are three great young men that we care deeply about, both personally and professionally. They are going to be Falcons for life.
“I’m not worried about getting the deals done. I’m speaking on behalf of Atlanta and Atlanta fans. Thomas [Dimitroff, their General Manager] is working hard to get them done. Coach [Dan] Quinn is supportive as well. It will happen. It’s just a matter of when.”
Jones is expected to be at next week’s mandatory minicamp, though it’s unclear if Jarrett will also attend. The team would also like to extend linebacker Deion Jones, adding him to the pile of uncertainty.
The numbers will pile up pretty high when they eventually sign their new deals. It’s almost enough to make the guy signing the checks feel a little (Dare we say it, . . . Dare! Dare!) restless. It’s a good thing that’s something Blank both is and isn’t.