Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank told Jeff Schultz of The Athletic Atlanta that the team and wide receiver Julio Jones are "very, very close" to a new deal.

Blank added that he would be "surprised and disappointed if we didn't get it done this week. ... I think it's very reasonable to assume it will get done this week."

"There’s a lot of money involved for Julio. He deserves a lot of money, and we’ll make sure he gets it," Blank added.

According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Falcons converted base salary to signing bonuses on the contracts of offensive lineman Jake Matthews and safety Ricardo Allen as a way of adding cap space, presumably to get Jones' deal done. 

The 30-year-old Jones still has two years and $21 million on his remaining contract but Blank and general manager Thomas Dimitroff have previously said they plan to make Jones the highest-paid receiver in the league. 

New Orleans Saints wideout Michael Thomas currently holds the mark at $19.25 million per season on the five-year deal he signed earlier in the summer. 

"I think [Jones] knows what our intention are, whether it be from me, or the coach, or from Thomas,'' Blank told ESPN. "He understands that these are not words to us. This is a serious commitment that we've made, and we want to continue to make. And we understand how important he is to the team. He understands how important he is to the team.

Jones led the league with 1,677 yards to go along with eight touchdowns in 16 games last season. Since he entered the NFL in 2011, Jones has put up at least 1,000 yards in six of his eight seasons including in each of his last five. Jones also topped 100 catches (113) last season for the third time in his career. 

Should the Alabama product reach a new deal, he would become the latest star this week to do so, joining Jared Goff, Ezekiel Elliott, Giovani Bernard and Mike Pouncey.

Jones was selected No. 6 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft.