Patriots Looking To Trade Malcolm Mitchell
Malcolm Mitchell is on the trade block. The Patriots have been shopping the wide receiver this summer, sources tell Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Mitchell has shown potential in the Patriots’ offense, including the 2016 season in which he had 32 catches. However, he has been held back by injuries and he may be on the wrong side of a numbers crunch this offseason, even when factoring in Julian Edelman’s four-game suspension.
The Patriots hope they’ll be able to turn back the clock and get bounce-back seasons out of Kenny Britt and Jordan Matthews. Beyond that, they also have Chris Hogan, Cordarrelle Patterson, Braxton Berrios, and special teams ace Matt Slater in the mix. It’s likely that they could move forward with those six WRs for Week 1, which would allow them to perhaps net a draft pick for Mitchell.
Mitchell — who missed all of the 2017 campaign with a knee injury – had 32 catches for 401 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie. Then, in the Super Bowl, Mitchell caught six passes for 70 yards as the Patriots defeated the Falcons.
Giants To Sign Connor Barwin
The Giants are expected to sign veteran outside linebacker Connor Barwin, a source tells Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The addition of Barwin will give the G-Men some much-needed depth at the position and a quality veteran presence. 
Barwin’s relationship with linebackers coach Bill McGovern likely helped to foster the deal. The two worked together in Philadelphia, where Barwin played as a starter from 2013-2016 and earned a Pro Bowl nod. McGovern was Barwin’s positional coach for his first three years with the Eagles.
This has been a surprisingly quiet offseason for Barwin. In June, Barwin was included on our list of the best remaining free agents, but there weren’t a lot of calls made on the 31-year-old. In, April that the linebacker visited with the Cardinals, and Rams general manager Les Snead had expressed interest in bringing him back for a second season in Los Angeles. Otherwise, there were no other reported workouts or visits for the former second-rounder.
The Giants’ rotation at edge rusher is headlined by standout Olivier Vernon, but there are lots of question marks outside of that. Barwin probably stands a good chance of making the cut as a reserve – particularly since he does his best work in a 3-4 scheme – but he’ll have to prove himself between now and September.
Following a four-year stint with the Eagles, Barwin signed a one-year, $6.5MM deal with the Rams last offseason. He managed to put up solid numbers for his new team, compiling 34 tackles and five sacks in 14 games (13 starts). However, advanced metrics weren’t kind to the nine-year veteran, as Pro Football Focus ranked Barwin as the third-worst pass rusher in the NFL among 106 candidates.
AFC West Notes: Raiders, Mack, Chiefs
Tony Sparano changed the Raiders‘ culture during his time in Oakland, Vic Tafur of The Athletic writes. Sparano, who died unexpectedly over the weekend, didn’t win when he was at the helm of the Raiders, but he earned the respect of his players through his hard work and love of the game.
“He is up close and personal and blunt,” defensive end Justin Tuck once said. “He treats like you a man. I like his coaching style. … He is honest. There is no B.S. with Coach Sparano.”
Sparano worked for nine NFL teams in 19 seasons and he touched innumerable lives during his years on the sidelines. Success is largely measured by wins and losses in football, but Sparano achieved a great deal even when the record of his team did not show it.
Here’s more from the AFC West:
- There’s reason to believe that Khalil Mack could take an aggressive approach towards his negotiations with the Raiders, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets. Corry notes that Mack is represented by Joel Segal, who represented running back Chris Johnson‘s during his holdout with the Titans in 2011. If Mack has the same resolve as Johnson, the Raiders may not see him until he gets a new deal. For reference, Johnson’s holdout in 2011 was not resolved until early September.
- Good news for the Chiefs. Center Mitch Morse, linebacker Dee Ford, and running back Spencer Ware are expected to practice with the team and will not go on the PUP list to start camp (via the Associated Press). “All those guys, everybody else is good,” head coach Andy Reid said. “Again I just want to see on the field and we’ll kind of monitor as it goes but, yeah, they all should be ready to go.”
- Broncos linebacker Shane Ray received some unexpected good news this week. He won’t have to undergo another wrist surgery and the team believes that he is not in danger of missing games.
- Earl Thomas to the Chargers? Don’t bet on it.
Odell Beckham Jr. To Report To Giants
Odell Beckham Jr will report on time to Giants training camp on Wednesday, Kim Jones of NFL Network tweets. This news was largely expected as OBJ told reporters in June that he would not hold out. 
“He wants to play football, he wants to win,” a source close to Beckham told Jones.
In June, it was reported that the Giants and OBJ have yet to start serious extension discussions. One month later, we have yet to hear about any new developments on that front. Beckham is likely frustrated by the lack of talks, but he’ll put his best foot forward in an effort to compel the new regime to give him a mammoth extension.
Beckham’s three full seasons all rank in the top five in Giants history and he’s on pace to become the club’s best all-time wide receiver. He’s looking for a monster deal to match, and that probably means a package of at least $90MM with substantial guarantees. The Giants want to get a deal done, but Beckham’s injury history and maturity issues are giving them some pause.
OBJ is set to earn nearly $8.5MM in 2018 before, theoretically, hitting the open market. Of course, it’s highly unlikely the Giants will allow Beckham to get anywhere near free agency. Realistically, Beckham can be retained via the franchise tag for the following two seasons, keeping him under club control through the 2020 season.
Lions, Browns Audition Jude Adjei-Barimah
Jude Adjei-Barimah is on the workout circuit. This week, the cornerback audition for the Browns and Lions, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. 
[RELATED: Lions Unlikely To Keep 3 Quarterbacks]
The former Bucs corner a combined 62 tackles in 2015 and 2016. Last year, he missed the entire season with a knee injury. Barimah, who just turned 26, was medically cleared shortly before he was non-tendered by the Bucs in February. We haven’t heard his name much in recent months, but he could be on the verge of finding work.
Adjei-Barimiah averaged 53% playtime on defense for the Bucs and played on roughly a third of the their special teams during his two seasons with the club. Whether he signs with the Browns or Lions or another team, he’ll likely be ticketed for lots of ST work.
Browns Sticking With Josh Gordon
Josh Gordon is dealing with some sort of setback, but the Browns have no plans to move on from him, a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). On the whole, Pelissero hears that Gordon has had a great offseason while demonstrating that he is “on his way to recovery.”
[RELATED: Browns Place Gordon On NFI List]
The circumstances leading to Gordon’s absence from the start of training camp are still not quite clear. The NFL says that Gordon is not under suspension and the wide receiver did not have any slip ups or failed tests, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, the team has placed him on the NFI list and the league hasn’t explicitly denied that Gordon has run afoul of the substance abuse policy.
Schefter hears Gordon’s “leave is a pro-active, defensive gesture to get extra counseling to try to ensure he does not have any of the setbacks that have marked his past.” Only time will tell whether that’s truly the case, but for now, the Browns remain committed to keeping the talented wide receiver in the fold.
Bills’ LeSean McCoy To Report To Camp
Bills running back LeSean McCoy is reporting to training camp with the rest of the team’s veterans on Wednesday, sources tell Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Unless McCoy’s status changes with the league, the team is expected to treat him like any other player. 
McCoy, of course, is not quite like every other player. The running back’s ex-girlfriend was badly beaten in a home invasion earlier this month and she has intimated that McCoy may have played a role in the incident. If the allegations have merit, McCoy could face jail time and his NFL career could be in serious jeopardy.
McCoy, 30, denies any involvement, saying he was in Miami at the time of the invasion. But, his ex-girlfriend says the assailant demanded specific jewelry items from Cordon, items Graham said were gifts from McCoy to his ex and items he’d demanded back on “many occasions.” Court records over the past year show McCoy and Cordon argued over jewelry while additionally indicating McCoy attempted to have Cordon removed from the home and retrieve items that belonged to him.
A police investigation is ongoing, as is an NFL inquiry. So far, McCoy has not been charged with any crime and all parties involved are acting with that in mind.
No Surgery For Broncos’ Shane Ray
Good news for Shane Ray. Despite a diagnosis to the contrary earlier this summer, the Broncos linebacker will not need an additional surgery on his wrist, Ian Rapoport and James Palmer of NFL.com hear (Twitter link). Ray is not expected to miss any games, Mike Klis of 9News hears (on Twitter), and he may even be cleared for the start of training camp.
While awaiting surgery, Ray stuck to his rehab plan, so his timetable for return looks like it will come up quicker than anticipated. That’s excellent news for the Broncos and also for Ray, who is scheduled for free agency in 2019 after the Broncos declined his fifth-year option.
The 2015 first-rounder had a disappointing season in 2017, compiling only 16 tackles and one sack in eight games (seven starts). In 2016, however, he tallied eight sacks on 58% playing time. Ray is far from a lost cause and now that he’s healthy, he could have a chance to secure his future in Denver, or a better payday elsewhere.
The Broncos fortified their edge rushing corps by drafting Bradley Chubb with the No. 5 pick earlier this year, adding additional depth to a unit that already includes All-Pro Von Miller and Shaquil Barrett. This year, Ray will earn a base salary of ~$1.7MM before hitting the open market.
Cardinals’ David Johnson Reports To Camp
Cardinals running back David Johnson has reported to training camp, the team announced on Monday morning. It’s a big development for Arizona after Johnson opted to skip the team’s mandatory minicamp in June.
[RELATED – Extension Candidate: David Johnson]
Johnson scheduled to earn a base salary of $1.8MM in the final year of his deal. After losing the 2017 season to injury, Johnson is understandably concerned about his financial security. If Johnson were to suffer another serious injury this year, he would be left without a safety net and a fairly low floor in free agency, despite all of his past accomplishments.
By skipping minicamp, Johnson was fined more than $84K. Missing training camp would have resulted in even more substantial fines, and that’s not something Johnson wanted to mess with. Over the first three years of his career, Johnson has earned $2.3MM in salary. That’s not chump change, but the fines would have hurt him more than other players who are pushing for new deals.
Johnson was arguably the league’s best offensive player in 2016 as he racked up more than 2,100 yards from scrimmage and scored 20 touchdowns. He remains one of the NFL’s premier talents at running back, despite missing the majority of the 2017 campaign with a dislocated wrist.
The Cardinals would like to lock Johnson up, but his lost 2017 season likely complicates negotiations. The Cardinals can also afford to exercise patience thanks to the franchise tag, which would pay Johnson $11.9MM in 2019.
Browns Place Josh Gordon On NFI List
Josh Gordon will not be with the Browns as training camp gets underway. Details are murky at this time, but what we do know is that Gordon has not been suspended by the NFL – at least not yet.
There is currently “no timetable for his return,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. McCarthy added that the league will “address the matter at the appropriate time.”
For now, Gordon will be placed on the non-football illness reserve list until he is ready to return, GM John Dorsey announced. For his part, Gordon released a statement indicating that the camp absence is a part of his treatment program:
To my Cleveland Browns and NFL Family,
I am reaching out to you all personally and letting you know that I am not only doing great physically but mentally as well. You will notice that I will not be in Cleveland for the start of training camp. Rest assured, this, too, is a part of my overall health and treatment plan. I appreciate the awesome support I have received from teammates, friends, fans, and the Browns organization. Just like you, I am excited to start the season and I have every intention of being ready and available to join my teammates soon to help bring winning football to our fans.
With the help of the NFL, NFLPA, and the Browns’ organization, I have been able to utilize the resources available to me that will ensure my well-being on and off the field. By continuing to follow the plan set up by our medical director and his team and taking this time before this season starts, we believe it will help me maintain the progress I’ve made for not only today but for many years to come.
Thank you all for your patience, love, and support! Go Browns!
Sincerely,
Josh Gordon
Gordon first joined the Browns as a second-round pick in the 2012 supplemental draft. All in all, he has appeared in 40 games and recorded 179 receptions for 3,089 yards and 15 touchdowns. In 2013, he led the league with 1,646 receiving yards.
When he’s on the field, he’s one of the best wide receivers in the game. However, off-the-field troubles have kept him off the gridiron for much of his career. If Gordon violated the league’s substance abuse policy again, there could be a lengthy suspension coming his way.