Grady Jarrett, Julio Jones, Deion Jones, Vic Beasley report to Flowery Branch for minicamp

Just last week Dan Quinn was confident most of his potential holdouts would show to mandatory minicamp, including Julio Jones, Vic Beasley, and Deion Jones. He was not so sure about franchised defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.

Jarrett had skipped voluntary OTAs. That could mean almost anything, but sometimes means the start of an extended holdout. Jarrett has reportedly been negotiating a long-term deal with the Falcons for over one year. Still without a deal, skipping minicamp and training camp would be the start to push up negotiations. We have seen that for years, just last year with Jones and about a decade ago with Roddy White.

However, Jarrett appears ready to put in a full camp.

This is big news as the alternatives are troublesome. Le’Veon Bell’s minicamp holdout extended throughout the entire 2018 season. It is also common for players to skip camp to stay healthy then show up during the regular season out of shape, occasionally resulting in injury.

Obviously, the Falcons want to avoid both situations if at all possible. It is still unclear how close the parties are to a long-term deal but Jarrett looks ready to suit up in red and black for at least one more season.