The Falcons have a decision to make with wide receiver Julio Jones on if he’ll play in the exhibition season opener against the Miami Dolphins at 7 p.m. Friday at the Georgia Dome.
Jones, who coming back from foot surgery, has been on a limited plan and looks fine in practice, but assistant head coach/wide receivers Terry Robiskie said he’s not 100 percent.
Over the past six seasons, the first-team offense has mostly played just one series in the opener before donning their baseball caps. Jones did play in the controlled practice against Tennessee on Monday.
Robiskie believes Jones is ready if Smith decides to play him against the Dolphins.
“It’s just the fact that he’s moving good,” Robiskie said. “Most of the time guys who are coming off an injury, you’ve got that little gimp or you see a sense of it on a certain cut or a certain plant. It’s good to just put in hard in the ground and just go. Or they can’t put it down hard and go back on it.”
Jones hasn’t shown any of that weakness in his movements.
“He’s just been smooth,” Robiskie said. “He’s gliding. He’s running. There hasn’t been a sense that there’s a (lack of) explosiveness. With Jules I’ve seen nothing (gimpy). But to say he’s back 100 percent, I can’t say that, but he’s moving really, really good.”
Jones has been practicing one day and getting the next day off.
“We’ve got a plan set with how he’s working, with how he’s doing and he’s doing good at this point,” Robiskie said. “He’s coming (along) and he’s coming pretty good.”
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