I'm in the minority on this, but I don't have a problem with what Julio is doing, and that's coming from a Falcons fan. I understand the frustration that he isn't living to the terms of his contract if he actually misses games, but where is the outcry when teams cut players with years left on their contracts? Aren't the teams basically doing the same thing? It is an NFL standard that teams will cut under-performing players once the guaranteed money is exhausted, yet no one bats an eye.
I know these are uncharted waters he is in with 3 years left, but I think we will see more and more of this as we get closer to when the new CBA will be negotiated in a couple of years, which will most likely result in a holdout/lockout. It is only a select few players in the league that have the leverage on teams to do this and I think Julio is one of them. Is it selfish? Absolutely, but when it comes to your livelihood and how much money you earn then who isn't selfish in that aspect of life. Also, Julio did participate with Matt Ryan and the other offensive skill position players in their informal training session a couple of weeks ago. By doing so, I think he was sending the message that he is dedicated to his teammates, but his only negotiating chip is holding out of camp and preseason. I hope it doesn't spill over into the season, but if it does it does.