Clinton-Dix Skips Packers OTAs
Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is skipping organized team activities, Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams writes. 
The 2016 Pro Bowl selection has yet to comment on his absence, but Williams speculates he could be looking for an extension as he plays 2018 under his fifth-year option worth $5.96MM.
Clinton-Dix has yet to miss a game in his four-year career, and has started every game in each of the last three seasons. He enjoyed his best season in 2016, when he earned Second Team All-Pro honors after snagging a team-best five interceptions. Though he logged three picks in 2017, the Packers also allowed the fourth-most passing touchdowns and ranked in the bottom ten in passing yards allowed.
Green Bay isn’t letting the absence slow down their program. “It’s voluntary. So the guys that are here are the guys that we’re worried about,” defensive passing game coordinator Joe Whitt told Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
NFC Notes: Julio, Panthers, Bucs, Rams
As expected, Julio Jones reportedly did not attend the opening day of Falcons organized team activities, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter.
He adds head coach Dan Quinn will address the situation on Tuesday and did not respond to questions about the reports that Jones wants an update to his contract. Though he is absent, the two sides appear amenable and are likely to work things out in due time.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio speculates Jones, who has three years left on his current deal, could be trying to get the team’s attention after Matt Ryan‘s new contract is set to pay the quarterback ($30MM) twice the amount that Jones is to receive ($14.25MM). His current deal slots him in as the No. 8 receiver on the pay scale, behind players like Jarvis Landry, Sammy Watkins and Davante Adams.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap says that the word “update” could mean the Falcons moving money forward in Jones’ contract to make the team’s key player happy. On a team in win-now mode, the move could be seen as avoiding potential chemistry issues in the locker room. A recent example of this, according to Fitzgerald, is a similar situation with Antonio Brown and the Steelers.
“The Steelers twice moved money forward in Brown’s contract to prevent a player from being unhappy. In 2015 the Steelers moved $2 million from 2016 up to 2015 and in 2016 they moved $4 million from 2017 into 2016. Overall the team fronted him $4 million and then extended him in 2017.”
Regardless of what the course of action Atlanta chooses to pursue, it is unlikely to hinder it from fielding one of the top three receivers in the league in 2018.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- The Panthers sale to David Tepper is expected to go through without “any surprises,” Houston Texans owner Bob McNair told ESPN’s David Newton. Tepper needs 24 votes — 23 with the absence of former Panthers GM Jerry Richardson — on Tuesday when the 31 NFL owners convene. Richardson is unlikely to attend, but nothing has been set in stone.
- Florida Football Insiders posted a list of potential free agent targets for the Buccaneers, and named DeMarco Murray and Kenny Vaccaro as possibilities. Murray would make for a solid one-two punch with rookie running back Ronald Jones, while Vaccaro would bring a veteran presence to a shaky pass defense.
- Linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, the Rams‘ fifth-round pick, underwent surgery on his foot and is expected to return sometime during training camp, head coach Sean McVay told ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry (Twitter link). Okoronkwo starred at Oklahoma in 2017, earning Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Big 12 after logging 17.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
Russell Shepard To Sign With Giants
After being released by the Panthers early last week, Russell Shepard didn’t need long to find a new home. The wide receiver took to Instagram on Monday and announced he is signing with the Giants. It’s a one-year deal worth $1.3M that can be worth up to $2M with incentives, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Shepard joins a loaded offense that includes Odell Beckham, Sterling Shepard, Evan Ingram and first-round pick Saquon Barkley. The fourth-year pass catcher likely slots in as the team’s No. 3 or 4 receiver with the newly signed Cody Latimer.
Shepard signed a three-year deal with the Panthers last year, but his time in Carolina came to an end after just one season. The Panthers approached him about a pay cut, but he refused, leading to his release. Shepard never found a groove with the team in 2017, logging just 17 receptions for 202 yards and one touchdown.
He now catches on in New York, whose new general manager Dave Gettleman was the one who inked the receiver to the deal in Carolina. The Giants will need to make a corresponding move once they make the move official. No financial terms have been made available.
Jets Sign Chris Herndon
The Jets announced they have agreed to terms with fourth-round tight end out of Miami Chris Herndon on Monday. That leaves just first-round quarterback Sam Darnold as the lone player from the team’s draft class to be signed. 
Herndon starred out of the slot in 2017 as a junior, catching 35-of-43 targets to lead all college tight ends with an 81.4% catch rate from the slot. He tallied 40 total receptions in his final season and found the end zone four times.
He suffered a knee injury in his final collegiate game and has been limited throughout the offseason. Jets head coach Todd Bowles said the team expects to take it slow with the athletic pass catcher, who did take part in some drills during the team’s rookie minicamp.
The Jets don’t have much at the tight end position, with Eric Tomlinson and Clive Walford as the only players projected above Herndon at the position, according to roster resource.
Le’Veon Bell To Skip OTAs
In a long-expected move, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell will reportedly not attend organized team activities which begin on Tuesday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes. 
Again, this is not a shocker. Once Pittsburgh franchised the star running back for a second straight season it was anticipated that he would not be showing up as he seeks a new deal. The two sides have until July to reach a long-term contract.
As of late March, contract talks were on hold, and it’s unclear if the two sides have resumed negotiations since. Bell has already said he has no plans to sit out the 2018 season, but he will likely stay away until the preseason is concluded. In 2017, Bell reportedly turned down a contract offer that included $42MM in the first three years of the deal. If he remains on the franchise tag, Bell could earn $14.5MM in 2018.
In an interview with Fowler in March, Bell said: “We’re not coming to a number we both agree on — they are too low, or I guess they feel I’m too high. I’m playing for strictly my value to the team. That’s what I’m asking. I don’t think I should settle for anything less than what I’m valued at.”
Bell has been among the league’s best backs since entering the NFL in 2013. He has three 1,000-yard rushing campaigns to his name and has also added 312 receptions. The three-time Pro Bowl back and two-time First Team All-Pro will undoubtedly be looking for a top-of-the-line contract that exceeds the $41.25MM over five seasons that Devonta Freeman is currently earning.
Dalvin Cook Ahead Of Schedule
In late April, it was reported Vikings running back Dalvin Cook was on track to be ready for training camp in July. In an interview with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero on Sunday, head coach Mike Zimmer confirmed that report and added that the second-year back is ahead of schedule. 
“He’s done really well. He’s ahead of schedule and we’re excited about where he’s at. I think he’ll get in OTAs some but it’ll be limited until we get to training camp.”
The Florida State product got off to a hot start in 2017, rushing for 288 yards in Minnesota’s first three games. In Week 4 against Detroit, however, Cook tore his ACL and was lost for the remainder of the season. He returned to the field and participated in some on-field drills when the team held their voluntary workouts in April.
With Cook returning and the addition of Kirk Cousins in the offseason, Minnesota appears to have improved upon an offense that ranked in the top 10 in points in 2017. When Cook returns, he will share the load with Latavius Murray, who rushed for 593 yards and seven touchdowns following the team’s Week 9 bye week.
Extra Points: Rams, Manziel, Eagles, Colts
The majority of the 2018 NFL Draft class is now signed, but that’s not the case in Los Angeles. The Rams have yet to sign a single pick.
Should fans be concerned? To put it simply, no.
This isn’t new to the team, as Michael David Smith of PFT writes, as it likes to address financial planning with its players before giving them a large signing bonus. Like in years past, the Rams rookies will all generally sign at once sometime in the next few weeks.
“One of the things that we think is important with that is bringing the rookies in as a group, having them live together as a group, and not having any real differentiation between the first-round pick and the undrafted rookie,” Demoff said. “They’re in the hotel together. They’re eating meals together. They’re doing things together. And then [by the time] they all scatter, we’ll sign their contracts. They’ll leave knowing the contract’s done, so they don’t have to worry about that headache when they go on vacation.”
So no need to panic Rams fans. This is par for the course.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- The Eagles signed running back Matt Jones earlier in the week. The Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski has the details at two years for $1.5MM, none of which are guaranteed (Twitter link). He joins a crowded backfield that includes Jay Ajayi, Corey Clement and Darren Sproles.
- The Colts have had visits from Kenny Vaccaro, Tre Boston and Bashaud Breeland in recent days. Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star tweets, however, the meetings were merely informational and no signings are imminent.
- And we’ll also make pitstop in the CFL, where Johnny Manziel is not guaranteed to start for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith writes. Smith quotes head coach June Jones, who praised current starter and former Oregon standout Jeremiah Masoli. “Let me tell you something right now, he’s got his work ahead of him to beat out Jeremiah,” Jones said of Manziel. “He’s got a lot to catch up on, but he’ll spend the time to get that done. I know he will because he’s already learned that lesson.” Though Masoli has the leg up, it won’t be long before Manziel is given the reins, given he can stay out of trouble.
Vikings Looking To Extend Barr, Diggs, Hunter
Despite spending heavily on Kirk Cousins this offseason, the Vikings are still intent on trying to keep their core of young players together. This includes Anthony Barr, Stefon Diggs and Danielle Hunter, who the team hopes to extend according to Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. 
Though they hope to get the deals done, the Vikings know that will be a tough task. General manager Rick Spielman said, “We’re still going to try. Is it going to be easy? No.”
Diggs and Hunter are some of the best bargains in the business at the moment, both costing just $1.9MM against the cap in 2018. The Vikings picked up Barr’s fifth-year option in 2017 and he is set to cost $12.3MM in the upcoming season. All three deals are set to expire after the 2018 season.
Scoggins adds that Spielman and team executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski have been planning for this for three years, which led them to signing Everson Griffen and Linval Joseph to extensions despite them having additional years remaining.
Though it might be difficult to keep everyone around, if they are able to crunch the numbers they won’t have any pushback from ownership. Spielman said they have never heard “no” from the Wilfs on a potential deal.
It would be difficult to see the Vikings parting with Diggs, who just authored arguably the most famous play in team history when his touchdown grab vs. New Orleans as time expired sent Minnesota to the NFC Championship game.
Junior Galette Mulling Offers, Retirement
Former Redskins defensive end Junior Galette has three offers on the table but is also considering retirement, the veteran pass rusher wrote in a post on Instagram on Sunday. 
Galette, 30, reportedly had interest from the Rams and Browns earlier this offseason, and in April the Raiders were kicking the tires on the former Saints linebacker who posted double-digit sacks in back-to-back season in 2013 and 2014. Initially, Washington had interest in bringing Galette back, but team senior vice president for personnel Doug Williams shot that down in March.
After those two breakout campaigns in New Orleans, Galette was ravaged by a pair of Achilles injuries that cost him each of the next two seasons. He returned in 2017 with the Redskins and was productive, posting three sacks and managing 25 pressures to grade out as the league’s No. 30 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Galette has also been troubled by off-the-field issues in recent years. He was arrested in January 2014 on a domestic violence charge that was later dropped. A video then surfaced from 2013 showing a man that appeared to be Galette striking a woman with a belt while involved in a beach brawl. A month later, Galette was released from the Saints, who absorbed significant cap penalties. In 2017, he was also arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and failure to comply with police officers.
Draft Pick Signings: 5/11/2018
Here are the rest of Friday’s draft-pick signings:
- In addition to signing Marcus Davenport, the Saints also inked Florida State offensive tackle Rick Leonard (Round 4, pick 127), Wisconsin safety Natrell Jamerson (Round 5, pick 164), Boston College cornerback Karmin Moore (Round 6, pick 189), Louisiana Tech running back Boston Scott (Round 6, pick 201), and LSU center Will Clapp (Round 7, pick 245), The Advocate’s Nick Underhill tweets.
- The Cardinals continued to ink their draft picks to deals, signing Fordham running back Chase Edmonds (Round 4, pick 134), cornerback Christian Campbell (Round 6, pick 182), and offensive tackle Korey Cunningham (Round 7, pick 254).
- The Giants followed suit, signing UTEP guard Will Hernandez (Round 2, pick 34), Georgia linebacker Lorenzo Carter (Round 3, pick 66) and Richmond quarterback Kyle Lauletta (Round 4, pick 108).
- The Panthers also inked cornerback Rashaan Gaulden (Round 3, pick 85) and linebacker Andre Smith (Round 7, pick 234).
- The Bills added another signing in Weber State cornerback Taron Johnson (Round 4, pick 121).
- The Bengals were also busy, tabbing cornerback Davontae Harris (Round 5, pick 151), defensive end Andrew Brown (Round 5, pick 158), quarterback Logan Woodside (Round 7, pick 249) and guard Rod Taylor (Round 7, pick 252).
- The 49ers signed their fifth pick so far in the offseason, inking Kansas State defensive back D.J. Reed (Round 5, pick 142).
- The Patriots added a slew of draft picks to the ranks, signing linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley (Round 5, pick 143), linebacker Christian Sam (Round 6, pick 178), wide receiver Braxton Berrios (Round 6, pick 210), quarterback Danny Etling (Round 7, pick 219), cornerback Keiron Crossen (Round 7, pick 243), and tight end Ryan Izzo (Round 7, pick 250).