In order for the Falcons to extend Julio Jones, they were going to have to restructure some deals. According to Mike Garafalo of the NFL Network, they did that today by converting base salary into a signing bonus for Ricardo Allen and Jake Mathews.
As a way of creating cap room, the #Falcons converted base salary to signing bonus on the contracts for Jake Matthews and Ricardo Allen, source says, adding they’re now “just barely into positive space.” Preparing for… pic.twitter.com/8BYQLGfFSS
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 4, 2019
With the NFL season four days away, speculation has arisen regarding whether or not Julio Jones will take the field in week one if he does not have a contract extension in place. The Falcons have repeatedly said they plan on making their star wide receiver the highest-paid in the NFL. That bar was recently set a couple of months ago by Michael Thomas, who signed a five-year, $96.25 million deal with the Saints. These restructures are a fantastic sign an extension is on the horizon, as Jones is set to receive the richest contract in the history of the position.