February 15
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist D. Orlando Ledbetter
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Randy Moss has been to Flowery Branch before. In August of 2010, Moss practiced at the Branch with the New England Patriots in a joint-practice. Even though he was a jerk and didn't want to speak to the media, we probably should not hold that against him. Not so sure about this given the Falcons penchant to steer clear of "challenged souls," but it could't hurt to do some due diligence. I can't get this three-wide lineup out of my head. Roddy White to the left, Julio Jones to the right and Moss slotted on either side or in motion from one side to the other."
December 12
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Julio Jones wasn't about to get down on himself after a bad week. Neither were the Falcons. The rookie wide receiver rebounded from last week's poor performance with a two-touchdown, 104-yard game in Sunday's 31-23 victory over the Panthers. Both touchdowns came in the fourth-quarter of the come-from-behind win. For Jones, it was his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season despite missing three games with hamstring injuries. The resiliency of the young receiver was not a surprise to his Falcons teammates. "When you look at the day and the two weeks he's had, he's made some huge plays for us and he's made some plays where I'm sure he would have liked to have done better," said"
December 9
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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It's been an up and down season for Falcons rookie Julio Jones. The wide receiver has three 100-yard games this season, but has missed three games with hamstring injuries. In nine games, Jones has 34 catches for 566 yards and two touchdowns.Yet he had a dropped ball and several mental mistakes in last week's loss to the Texans. In a Q&A with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jones discussed his injuries, the pressure of being the No. 6 overall pick in the draft and his teammates' advice following Sunday's loss. Q: Overall, how do you feel your rookie season has gone? A: As far as my rookie season, it could be a lot better. I've been battling injuries but, for the most part, it has been"
December 6
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Roddy White knows there will be growing pains for Julio Jones, the rookie wide receiver who had a tough day in Sunday's 17-10 loss to the Texans. Jones dropped several passes, including a potential game-tying catch in the end zone as time expired that bounced off his hands. He was penalized for illegal touching less than a minute earlier when he caught a pass after stepping out of bounds. Jones also was caught too far downfield following a play in the second half that forced the Falcons to call timeout. Jones finished with four catches for 68 yards. "You are going to have games like that," said White, the veteran receiver. "He's still a rookie. People have to understand that. It's still"
November 27
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Wide receiver Julio Jones (hamstring) will be in the lineup today against the Vikings. Also, left tackle Sam Baker (back) will be available. Jones was injured against New Orleans and missed last week's game against Tennessee. He missed two games earlier this season with another hamstring injury. Baker, who started the first six games, missed the past four games with his injury. When announcing the injury, the Falcons expected Baker to miss three to four weeks."
November 25
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons rookie wide receiver Julio Jones appeared sharp in his limited return to practice on Thursday. "It felt good to get back out there, running routes," Jones said. "I thought I was going to be rusty, but I wasn't. So, it just felt good to be back out there with my teammates." Jones injured his left hamstring against Green Bay on Oct. 9. He missed the Carolina and Detroit games. He came back against Indianapolis on Nov. 6 and caught three passes for 131 yards and scored two touchdowns. He left the New Orleans game with an injured right hamstring. He didn't play last week against Tennessee Falcons coach Mike Smith credited Jones' rehabilitation to the work of athletic performance"
November 25
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons rookie wide receiver Julio Jones, who missed last week's game against Tennessee, appeared sharp in his limited return to practice on Thursday. "It felt good to get back out there, running routes," Jones said. "I thought I was going to be rusty, but I wasn't." Jones injured his left hamstring against Green Bay on Oct. 9, and missed games against Carolina and Detroit. He came back against Indianapolis on Nov. 6 and caught three passes for 131 yards and scored two touchdowns. However, he left the ensuing New Orleans game with an injured right hamstring, and didn't play last week against the Titans. Falcons coach Mike Smith credited Jones' rehabilitation to the work of athletic"
November 24
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons rookie wide receiver Julio Jones appeared sharp in his limited return to practice on Thursday. "It felt good to get back out there, running routes," Jones said. "I thought I was going to be rusty, but I wasn't. So, it just felt good to be back out there with my teammates." Jones injured his left hamstring against Green Bay on Oct. 9. He missed the Carolina and Detroit games."
November 24
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones, who's been battling a right hamstring injury, will return to practice Thursday, according to coach Mike Smith. "We anticipate him being out on the practice field tomorrow, " Smith said. "It will be encouraging to see him out practicing and not out working out with our athletic performance department. He's done a nice job in his rehabilitation. So, tomorrow we'll give him an opportunity. If it goes well, we'll progress to Friday and give him back-to-back days of work." Jones injured his left hamstring against Green Bay on Oct. 9. He missed the Carolina and Detroit games. He came back against Indianapolis on Nov. 6 and caught three passes for 131 yards and"
November 17
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons left tackle Sam Baker returned to practice on a limited basis Wednesday. Baker, who started the first six games this season, missed the past three games with a back injury. The team's original diagnosis called for Baker to be out three to four weeks. "We are going to bring him along and hopefully he'll have more reps [Thursday] than he did [Wednesday]," coach Mike Smith said. "It's a very good thing to get Sam back in. We are a little bit ahead of schedule." Baker starting working with trainers last week. Wide receiver Julio Jones (hamstring) and safety William Moore (quadriceps) did not practice with injuries. Moore missed last week's game against the Saints. Jones injured his"
November 15
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Julio Jones tried, to no avail, to get back on the field. The rookie wide receiver injured his right hamstring on Sunday against the Saints and did not play after the second quarter. He finished with just two catches for nine yards. After being stretched by trainers, Jones spent much of the third quarter running and jumping along the sidelines in an effort to show he could play."
November 9
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is a finalist for the FedEx Air NFL player of the week honors after his performance against the Indianapolis Colts. Also, rookie wide receiver Julio Jones is a finalist for the Pepsi NFL rookie of the week award. Ryan is a finalist with Miami's Matt Moore and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers. Ryan passed for 275 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in the Falcons' 31-7 victory."
November 7
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons coach Mike Smith was not pleased with his wide receivers after they broke into a freestyle dance after Julio Jones' first touchdown catch. Roddy White, Harry Douglas, Eric Weems and Jones caught the wrath of Smith. The coach didn't mind their improvisation; he just didn't want a penalty for a team that's had too many. "My message was real simple: You can't celebrate on the field," Smith said. "If you want to do that, you can do that in the bench area or on the sideline. But there was a potential for a 15-yard penalty.""
November 7
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The second touchdown of Julio Jones' NFL career was pretty. The first was pretty incredible. Or words to that effect. "Unbelievable" was the adjective of choice for both quarterback Matt Ryan and center Todd McClure. Tight end Tony Gonzalez settled, a bit more simply, for "great." And with that, the parlor game of who could gush more over the Falcons' rookie receiver was in full swing. Said Thomas Dimitroff, the general manager who traded up 21 spots to draft Jones: "Julio does, in fact, make us a better football team." Said Mike Smith, the head coach: "We know the skill-set he has ... He's going to be and is an integral part of our offense.""
November 1
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Michael Holley is one of my favorite people in the sports business. Our paths crossed in Ohio decades ago and we've consulted a various times during our careers. He was very helpful during the Michael Vick trial, so when he was writing the "War Room" I was pleased to help out. My copy is waiting for me at the office, but SI's Peter King has already read the book and shared a gracious book review on page 2 of this week's Monday Morning Quarterback column. Here's the link to King's column. In the book, "War Room: The Legacy of Bill Belichick and the Art of Building the Perfect Team" Holley writes about Belichick, Kansas City's Scott Pioli and Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff"
November 1
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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While the rest of the Falcons took the bye week off, wide receiver Julio Jones was at the office, receiving treatment for his injured hamstring. The extra attention to Jones' injury allowed him to return to practice with the rest of the team on Monday. He was limited but could be available when the Falcons (4-3) face the Indianapolis Colts (0-8) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. "It felt good today," Jones said after practice. "I was limited. We are going to play it day by day out there. But today, with the little reps that I had, I felt great.""
October 20
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Julio Jones led a list of Falcons who did not practice Wednesday. Jones' injured left hamstring kept him out of last week's game against the Panthers. The Falcons have a bye week following Sunday's game against the Lions and should the rookie wide receiver miss that game he would have three weeks of recovery time. Falcons coach Mike Smith would not rule Jones out of Sunday's game. "Julio is the kind of guy who is going to push the envelope," Smith said. "He wants to get back in there. We are going to have to make sure the people in the athletic performance department and the doctors make the final decision. … We'll just have to see how the rest of the week goes in terms of his availability"
October 18
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Falcons put injured wide receiver Julio Jones through a rehabilitation run on Monday, but his playing status remains unclear. Coach Mike Smith said he watched the run by Jones, who missed Sunday's game against the Panthers with a left hamstring injury. "We've got to wait and see where Julio is," Smith said. "He was working with our athletic performance department and hopefully we'll have a better idea on Wednesday." Jones is second among NFL rookies with 358 receiving yards."
October 13
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones will not play Sunday against the Carolina Panthers because of a hamstring injury. Jones leads a list of seven Falcons, all starters, who did not participate in Wednesday's practice. Jones, this year's first-round draft pick, left Sunday's game against the Packers after suffering the injury to his left hamstring. Jones was on the practice field working with trainers Wednesday, an encouraging sign according to coach Mike Smith. "We are hoping that after this week we will get him back the following week," Smith said."
October 11
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Falcons could be short-handed for their NFC South matchup with Carolina at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Georgia Dome. Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (hamstring), safety William Moore (shoulder) and right guard Garrett Reynolds and cornerback Christopher Owens (head/concussion) were all injured in Sunday's game against Green Bay and will not practice on Wednesday. "It's going to be a couple of days before we really know on the guys that were banged up," Falcons coach Mike Smith said on his weekly radio appearance on NFL Sirius radio. "We'll definitely be resting those guys on Wednesday and then kind of see where they are on Thursday and Friday." Reynolds, who's started every game this"
October 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is one of the finalists for the Pepsi NFL rookie of the week honors it was announced on Tuesday. Jones was targeted 17 times in the Falcons' 30-28 victory of the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. He caught 11 passes for 127 yards. Falcons fans can vote for Jones NFL.com/rookies through Friday at noon. The winner will be announced Friday on NFL Total Access on NFL Network and on NFL.com."
August 13
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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We shouldn't judge football teams based on exhibition games, any more than we should judge paintings based on penciled outlines or architecture based on a stack of wood. The idea is just not to look bad. A new receiver doesn't have to make seven catches. But nobody wants to see him look up too late for a pass, have the ball bounce off his head and then run straight into the oversized inflatable mascot in the end zone. Because that sort of thing can lead a team owner to throw his luxury suite cheeseburger at his general manager. The Falcons played their first exhibition of 2011 on Friday night against the Miami Dolphins. Curtis Lofton had probably put it best earlier when asked what he"
August 6
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Julio Jones crams nightly for his crash course on playing wide receiver in the NFL. Since training camp opened July 29, he has been through 14 practices or walk-throughs and one controlled scrimmage under NFL coaching supervision. "Things are going great," Jones said. "I'm learning the offense a little better. I'm working on my playbook at night. Roddy [White], Matt Ryan and Harry [Douglas] are helping me." This season, the assistant-coaching spotlight is on Terry Robiskie, who coaches the wide receivers. It's his job to deliver Jones, the prized first-round pick, to the starting lineup for the season opener, just as other staff members have done under coach Mike Smith. Ryan and left"
June 24
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons rookie Julio Jones is not too worried about possibly losing millions if a rookie salary cap is implemented in the new collective bargaining agreement. "I love football," said Jones after practice on Wednesday. "It plays a part, but at the same time I can't worry about that. It's out of my hands. The best thing I can do is come out here and play football." Last season, Seattle selected Oklahoma State tackle Russell Okung with the sixth pick. He signed a six-year contract that was worth $48.5 million. A total of $30 million of the deal was guaranteed. During the labor negotiations both sides have generally agreed that money going to unproven rookies should be shifted to proven"
June 15
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons Pro Bowl wide receiver Roddy White didn't want to chat after taking part in his first players-only practice on Tuesday. Perhaps, he was tired after running several 100-yard sprints because the offense lost a challenge to the defense at the end of practice. "No interviews, baby," White said. "I came out here to work. The first day of training camp, y'all got me." White has attended two other workouts, but wasn't comfortable with the field turf. Also, last week he held a football camp in his hometown of Charleston, S.C. He's been working out alone and appeared to be in great shape. "He's been having a really good offseason," Ryan said. "I thought he was really productive today. He"
June 10
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Falcons practiced again on Tuesday and Wednesday. Quarterback Chris Redman and tight end Justin Peelle made their first appearances. There were 24 players there on Tuesday. They have been averaging around 30 players for the workouts that last about and hour. Wide receiver Julio Jones has been a regular since getting cleared by a foot specialist in Charlotte."
June 10
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Sean Weatherspoon and Julio Jones , the Falcons first-round picks in the last two drafts, are staying ahead of the technology curve. Weatherspoon's love for twitter.com is well known and Jones is also on the social networking site. But both are taking part in a new phone application called Gridiron Grunts that was created by former NFL players Jeb Terry and Ryan Nece, former teammates with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The application allows players to communicate directly to fans through their iPhone, iPad or iPod. It also allows fans to interact with each other. (It should be ready for Droid phones soon.) Terry, a former offensive lineman, played with the Bucs from 2004 to 2007 and"
May 25
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Julio Jones, the Falcons' first round draft pick, took part in his first practice with members of team on Tuesday. Jones was cleared to run by Dr. Robert Anderson, a foot specialist in Charlotte, last Tuesday. Jones just jogged through a couple of routes and appeared fine during the seven-on-seven drills. He spent most of his time listening to the play call and then getting the details of the play from quarterback Matt Ryan or John Parker Wilson. "They just told me to take it very slow," Jones said. "That's what I'm going to do. I'm not coming out here to run full speed today. I'm going to jog a couple of routes and catch a couple of balls." He completed the workout at the NFL scouting"
May 24
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Julio Jones, the Falcons' first round draft pick, took part in his first practice with members of team on Tuesday. Jones was cleared to run by Dr. Robert Anderson, a foot specialist in Charlotte, last Tuesday. Jones just jogged through a couple of routes and appeared fine during the seven-on-seven drills. He spent most of his time listening to the play call and then getting the details of the play from quarterback Matt Ryan or John Parker Wilson. "They just told me to take it very slow," Jones said. "That's what I'm going to do. I'm not coming out here to run full speed today. I'm going to jog a couple of routes and catch a couple of balls." He completed the workout at the NFL scouting"
May 23
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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All around Julio Jones was a celebration of possibility, hope and prosperity. Destruction and loss, though, weighed heavily on his heart. Jones was at the NFL draft in New York when he first heard about the tornado that tore through Tuscaloosa on April 27. "I think somebody texted me or something," he said. Jones, whom the Falcons made the sixth overall pick the following day, kept hearing from friends about the twister that took more than 230 lives in his home state and left thousands homeless. In a conversation with Alabama coach Nick Saban, "I was like, 'We've got to do something to give back to the community,'" Jones said. Jones' compassion led him back to Tuscaloosa on Thursday, where"
May 18
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Wide receiver Julio Jones, who had surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot, was cleared to run on Tuesday. "Heading back to Atlanta from Charlotte I had a recheck on my foot everything went great now I can start running#WINNING," Jones tweeted at 4 p.m."
May 14
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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All around Julio Jones was a celebration of possibility, hope and prosperity. Destruction and loss, though, weighed heavily on his heart. Jones was at the NFL draft in New York when he first heard about the tornado that tore through Tuscaloosa on April 27. "I think somebody texted me or something," he said. Jones, whom the Falcons made the sixth overall pick the following day, kept hearing from friends about the twister that took more than 230 lives in his home state and left thousands homeless. In a conversation with Alabama coach Nick Saban, "I was like, 'We've got to do something to give back to the community,'" Jones said. Jones' compassion led him back to Tuscaloosa on Thursday, where"
May 14
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons rookie wide receiver Julio Jones is ready to get going with his new teammates. "I don't come in like I know everything," he said. "I'm willing to learn. I'm ready to work." With the NFL lockout preventing him from communicating with coaches, Jones has met with quarterbacks Matt Ryan and John Parker Wilson to learn the offense. Wilson is a useful tutor; he and Jones played together at Alabama. "It's kind of the same offense there that we had at Alabama," Jones said. "Some of the plays are the same, but it's just different terminology." Jones plans to attend player-led seven-on-seven drills next week. After having surgery in March to repair a broken foot, Jones said he's 100 percent,"
May 14
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The story is well-known and the reasons are well-documented on why the Falcons gave up 4 picks to move up and grab one of the best wide receivers, and overall players, in the draft. Two words: explosiveness and impact. Many in the media and some fans have denigrated the pick as giving up too much and not addressing the defensive pass rush. John Clayton from ESPN credited Dimtroff and Co. as being bold, but also compared it the 49ers giving up picks to get wide receiver JJ Stokes. Some believe that the Falcons are way more than one player away from reaching the big game and the move was foolish. Others think it was the perfect strike to what had become an overly conservative team that"
May 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was in Houston for Matt Schaub's charity golf event earlier this week and he's been in touch with wide receiver Julio Jones. "I talked to him just via text just after the draft and just said 'I'm excited to have you, ready to get to work whenever we end up getting to work,' " Ryan said to Matt Rybaltowski, the Texans reporter for CBSSports.com. "I think it was a great move by Thomas Dimitroff and our staff to kind of move up and get him and fill up one of the spots we felt like we needed to fill. I'm excited to play with him." Most thought the Falcons were looking to improve their defense in a draft that was expected to be rich in defensive talent. But a few"
May 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons Pro Bowl wide receiver Roddy White was moved to make a video after the trade to pick up Julio Jones. General manager Thomas Dimitroff reported that quarterback Matt Ryan is absolutely ecstatic about the deal. Now, tight end Tony Gonzalez has checked in. "Just finished watching a highlight film of Julio Jones. If he can carry that over to the NFL….SCARY," Gonzalez tweeted on Wednesday. The Falcons passing attack was compressed last season. With Jones, the Falcons plan to open up the offense with more throws down the field."
April 30
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist D. Orlando Ledbetter
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Julio Jones was the sharpest player at the NFL draft with that nice bow tie. Shows that the newest Falcons has some class. (Of course I'm partial to the bow tie look). Did a little investigative work and discovered that it's a legit bow tie, too. Not one of those clip-ons you wore to your high school prom. We'll be chatting live with Jones today around 5 p.m. But here are some excerpts from his chat with the media late last night: ON BEING SELECTED BY THE FALCONS: "I'm really grateful for what they did, to trade up to get me. I really can't explain it right now. It took me by surprise that they traded up to get me. I feel like they have a lot of trust in me and I am not going to"
April 30
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons owner Arthur Blank didn't blink at the high price it cost to move up 21 spots in the first round of the NFL draft towide receiver Julio Jones. In addition to trading five picks for one, the Falcons could feel the move in the wallet. The difference between what the 27th and sixth picks were paid last season was $38.5 million. "Our obligation is to our fans and our franchise," Blank said Friday. "We will continue to do what we have to do to make sure we have a winning team, a team that can compete at the very highest level." With their third-round pick Friday, the Falcons selected linebacker Akeem Dent of Georgia. Seattle took Oklahoma State offensive tackle Russell Okung with the"
April 30
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons Pro Bowl wide receiver Roddy White was so moved by the team's trade that enabled them to draft wide receiver Julio Jones that he made a 52-second video welcoming Jones to Atlanta. White, who led the NFL in catches with 115 last season, posted the video on his website roddywhite.tv. It was titled, "Roddy welcomes Julio to the ATL: A draft day welcome from Roddy to Julio Jones." "I'm excited about our pick," White said. "We moved up. We got Julio Jones. I can't want to see him. [I] can't wait to get him on the squad. [I] can't wait to interact with the young man. Welcome to the NFL." White also noted that a part of Jones' rookie chores will be to provide him with doughnuts on Fridays"
April 29
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Julio Jones is a 6-foot-3, 221-pound wide receiver from the University of Alabama. At Foley (Ala.) High School, Jones set school records with 194 catches, 3,287 yards and 43 touchdowns. He was rated the No. 1 receiver in the nation by rivals.com and scout.com. He signed with Alabama over Florida State, Florida, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. As a freshman, he led the Crimson Tide with 58 catches. He also had 924 yards receiving and four touchdowns. In his sophomore season, Jones battled through a string of injuries. He rebounded to help the Crimson Tide win the BCS national championship as he caught 43 passes for 596 yards and four touchdowns. Last season, he caught 78 passes for 1,133 yards and"
April 29
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff pulled off a major shocker, trading up into the first round towide receiver Julio Jones. The Falcons reportedly sent their first, second and fourth round picks along with next seasons' first round pick to move up 21 spots. Here is Jones' bio: Julio Jones, Alabama, 6-3, 221: He is from Foley, Ala. He set school records with 194 catches, 3,287 yards and 43 touchdowns at Foley High. He was rated the No. 1 receiver in the nation by rivals.com and scout.com. He signed with Alabama over Florida State, Florida, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. As a freshman, he led the Crimson Tide with 58 catches. He also had 924 yards receiving and four touchdowns. In his"
April 29
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Jeff Schultz
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Last week, I had a private conversation with a general manager (guess who?) of an NFL team (duh) about his team's draft plans. Because of what just happened, I feel safe in concluding that the Falcons' Thomas Dimitroff won't mind if elements of that conversation now go on the record. Me: "Go get A.J. Green. He'll probably have the greatest impact of any player in the draft." Dimitroff: "How do you think people would react?" Me: "More than half will love you. The rest will think you spent too much and should draft for defense. But I'm guessing you won't do it." Dimitroff: "Why not?" Me: "You won't want to trade that much for one player. You're conservative." Dimitroff: "Hah! So what you're"