3 Players on the Atlanta Falcons cap that will play elsewhere

2. Julio Jones $15.5-million

This will be the final season that Julio Jones will be a major cap hit for the Atlanta Falcons. Much like Ryan’s exit Julio’s was far from ideal though for very different reasons. Jones was put on the spot on an episode of FS1’s Undisputed by Shannon Sharpe asking if the receiver was returning to Atlanta?

Jones made it clear he was out of Atlanta and that was how fans knew the end was here for a franchise favorite. Whether or not Julio knew he was on live television is unknown even if he knew at least Julio was upfront he was done with the Falcons.

Atlanta sent Jones to the Titans for a second-round pick and Jones headed to Tenessee for what was a one-year stint. Though his cap hit will hurt Atlanta for one more season it appears Atlanta moved off of Jones and his contract at the right time. While they shouldn’t be opposed to bringing him back on a team-friendly deal Jones isn’t a top receiver anymore and was a needed cap hit for a team looking to create a brighter future. Moving on from Jones and Ryan is painful and whether the timing was right for either is highly questionable. But both were needed moves for a franchise in need of a rebuild.