Story out that Julio Jones is looking for a raise, and could sit out OTAs. These stories come out every year around this time, sometimes the beginning of a lengthy holdout, sometimes not a big deal. Jones himself missed some of OTAs a year ago. But it's something to keep an eye on anyway.
Jones is scheduled to make $10.5 million in 2018. His average annual salary puts him 8th in the league among wideouts, making him seem a little underpaid, perhaps.
Jones has been about the league's most prolific receiver short of Antonio Brown in terms of yards over the last four years. He's put up over 1,400 yards in each of those seasons, something even Brown can't say.
But the scoring bugaboo we've talked about in the past remains. Of the 79 1,000-yard receiving seasons by wide receivers in that span, Jones has just one of the top 45 in terms of touchdowns; none in the top 20. He's scored more than 6 TDs in just one of those four seasons. Pretty remarkable.
1000-YARD WIDE RECEIVERS, 2014-2017 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | No | Rec | Avg | TD |
2014 | Dez Bryant, Dall. | 88 | 1320 | 15.0 | 16 |
2014 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 129 | 1698 | 13.2 | 14 |
2015 | Brandon Marshall, Chi. | 109 | 1502 | 13.8 | 14 |
2015 | Allen Robinson, Jac. | 80 | 1400 | 17.5 | 14 |
2016 | Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 97 | 1257 | 13.0 | 14 |
2015 | Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 78 | 1069 | 13.7 | 14 |
2014 | Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 98 | 1519 | 15.5 | 13 |
2015 | Odell Beckham Jr., NYG | 96 | 1450 | 15.1 | 13 |
2017 | DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 96 | 1378 | 14.4 | 13 |
2016 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 96 | 1321 | 13.8 | 12 |
2014 | Odell Beckham Jr., | 91 | 1305 | 14.3 | 12 |
2014 | Randall Cobb, G.B. | 91 | 1287 | 14.1 | 12 |
2016 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 106 | 1284 | 12.1 | 12 |
2014 | Mike Evans, | 68 | 1051 | 15.5 | 12 |
2015 | Eric Decker, NYJ | 80 | 1027 | 12.8 | 12 |
2015 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 136 | 1834 | 13.5 | 11 |
2014 | Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 111 | 1619 | 14.6 | 11 |
2015 | DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 111 | 1521 | 13.7 | 11 |
2016 | Odell Beckham Jr., NYG | 101 | 1367 | 13.5 | 10 |
2014 | Jeremy Maclin, | 85 | 1318 | 15.5 | 10 |
2015 | A.J. Green, Cin. | 86 | 1297 | 15.1 | 10 |
2014 | Alshon Jeffery, Chi. | 85 | 1133 | 13.3 | 10 |
2015 | Allen Hurns, Jac. | 64 | 1031 | 16.1 | 10 |
2015 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 136 | 1871 | 13.8 | 9 |
2017 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 101 | 1533 | 15.2 | 9 |
2014 | Emmanuel Sanders, Pitt. | 101 | 1404 | 13.9 | 9 |
2015 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 109 | 1215 | 11.2 | 9 |
2015 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | 88 | 1214 | 13.8 | 9 |
2015 | Brandin Cooks, N.O. | 84 | 1138 | 13.6 | 9 |
2016 | Michael Thomas, | 92 | 1137 | 12.4 | 9 |
2017 | Marvin Jones, Det. | 61 | 1101 | 18.0 | 9 |
2015 | Sammy Watkins, Buff. | 60 | 1047 | 17.5 | 9 |
2014 | Kelvin Benjamin, | 73 | 1008 | 13.8 | 9 |
2017 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 75 | 1183 | 15.8 | 8 |
2016 | Brandin Cooks, N.O. | 78 | 1173 | 15.0 | 8 |
2015 | Jeremy Maclin, Phil. | 87 | 1088 | 12.5 | 8 |
2017 | A.J. Green, Cin. | 75 | 1078 | 14.4 | 8 |
2014 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | 71 | 1077 | 15.2 | 8 |
2016 | Michael Crabtree, Oak. | 89 | 1003 | 11.3 | 8 |
2017 | Keenan Allen, S.D. | 102 | 1393 | 13.7 | 7 |
2014 | T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 82 | 1345 | 16.4 | 7 |
2016 | Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 94 | 1128 | 12.0 | 7 |
2017 | Brandin Cooks, N.O. | 65 | 1082 | 16.6 | 7 |
2016 | Tyrell Williams, | 69 | 1059 | 15.3 | 7 |
2015 | John Brown, Ariz. | 65 | 1003 | 15.4 | 7 |
2014 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 104 | 1593 | 15.3 | 6 |
2016 | T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 91 | 1448 | 15.9 | 6 |
2016 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 83 | 1409 | 17.0 | 6 |
2015 | Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 105 | 1304 | 12.4 | 6 |
2014 | DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 76 | 1210 | 15.9 | 6 |
2014 | DeSean Jackson, Phil. | 56 | 1169 | 20.9 | 6 |
2015 | Jarvis Landry, Mia. | 110 | 1157 | 10.5 | 6 |
2017 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 109 | 1156 | 10.6 | 6 |
2015 | Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 76 | 1135 | 14.9 | 6 |
2015 | Amari Cooper, | 72 | 1070 | 14.9 | 6 |
2014 | Steve Smith Sr., Car. | 79 | 1065 | 13.5 | 6 |
2014 | A.J. Green, Cin. | 69 | 1041 | 15.1 | 6 |
2016 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 107 | 1023 | 9.6 | 6 |
2017 | Michael Thomas, N.O. | 104 | 1245 | 12.0 | 5 |
2016 | Amari Cooper, Oak. | 83 | 1153 | 13.9 | 5 |
2015 | T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 69 | 1124 | 16.3 | 5 |
2016 | Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 90 | 1083 | 12.0 | 5 |
2014 | Anquan Boldin, S.F. | 83 | 1062 | 12.8 | 5 |
2016 | Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 79 | 1032 | 13.1 | 5 |
2016 | Terrelle Pryor, Cle. | 77 | 1007 | 13.1 | 5 |
2017 | Golden Tate, Det. | 92 | 1003 | 10.9 | 5 |
2016 | Kenny Britt, St.L. | 68 | 1002 | 14.7 | 5 |
2017 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 71 | 1001 | 14.1 | 5 |
2014 | Golden Tate, Sea. | 99 | 1331 | 13.4 | 4 |
2017 | Adam Thielen, Minn. | 91 | 1276 | 14.0 | 4 |
2016 | Jarvis Landry, Mia. | 94 | 1136 | 12.1 | 4 |
2016 | Golden Tate, Det. | 91 | 1077 | 11.8 | 4 |
2016 | Mike Wallace, Minn. | 72 | 1017 | 14.1 | 4 |
2016 | DeSean Jackson, Wash. | 56 | 1005 | 17.9 | 4 |
2017 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 88 | 1444 | 16.4 | 3 |
2015 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 74 | 1206 | 16.3 | 3 |
2016 | Julian Edelman, N.E. | 98 | 1106 | 11.3 | 3 |
2016 | Pierre Garcon, Wash. | 79 | 1041 | 13.2 | 3 |
2014 | Vincent Jackson, T.B. | 70 | 1002 | 14.3 | 2 |
Table sorted by touchdowns in those 1,000-yard seasons. Touchdown scoring isn't all on the player. The quarterback, the offensive scheme, and the other players involvement in the red zone are all factors.
But the bottom line is that Jones has been a disappointment in touchdown heavy leagues. If you need another reason to be a little wary of making him a first-round pick in fantasy drafts, the threat of there being an issue with his contract is one to keep in mind.
--Andy Richardson