Blank confident Julio will be 'Falcon for life' despite imminent holdout

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is confident his franchise isn't headed for a divorce with Julio Jones despite the wide receiver's contract demands.

"He's going to be a Falcon for life," Blank told D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I'm convinced of that and so is he. We'll take it from there. But we are all focused on the same thing. I think that we are in good shape."

Blank displayed his confidence publicly on the same day it was reported that Jones won't show up for training camp Thursday unless his contract is adjusted. The perennial Pro Bowler is due to earn $10.5 million in base salary this season, while his annual average salary of $14.25 million ranks ninth in the NFL among receivers.

Blank added he isn't involving himself in the situation and is instead letting general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn handle it as they see fit.

"That's their job and it's my job to support them," he said. "If they need help, they'll ask for it. I'm always available to them and they know it."

Jones, who's totaled over 1,400 receiving yards in each of the past four years, skipped Atlanta's mandatory minicamp earlier in the offseason due to his discontent over his contract.

The 29-year-old has three years left on the deal. The Falcons reportedly offered to renegotiate his contract after the 2018 campaign, going against their policy of not redoing contracts until one year is remaining.

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