Falcons expected to keep Matt Ryan, Julio Jones for 2021

Back in October after the Atlanta Falcons fell to 0-5 on the 2020 season and parted ways with coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff, owner Arthur Blank hinted that he could soon part ways with veteran quarterback Matt Ryan as part of a roster rebuild. Last month, Blank added that wide receiver Julio Jones could also be made available via the offseason trade market. 

However, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero (h/t Kevin Patra) reported on Tuesday that both players likely will be on Atlanta's roster for Week 1 of the 2021 campaign. 

"From what I am told, Matt Ryan is not going anywhere," Pelissero explained. "The Falcons have not had any trade conversations about Ryan or their star wide receiver Julio Jones. And every expectation is both players are going to be on the roster in 2021."

Per the league's official website and Spotrac, the Falcons would suffer a dead money cap hit of over $44 million if they cut or traded Ryan before June 1. Spotrac lists Jones' dead money cap value at over $38 million for next season. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports predicted in his latest mock draft that the Falcons will use the No. 4 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft to select Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields. Fields or any other rookie could theoretically sit and learn behind Ryan for multiple seasons before ultimately taking the keys to Atlanta's offense.