Reshad Jones Reports To Dolphins Minicamp
11:30am: Speaking to reporters today, Jones said that the holdout is “behind him” and it’s now “all about football” (Twitter link via Armando Salugero of The Miami Herald). Furthermore, the safety said he will not hold out from training camp.
Recently, it was reported that Jones was mulling the idea of an in-season holdout if he did not get a pay raise, but it seems unlikely that Jones will go that route if he is committing to show for training camp.
9:19am: Reshad Jones‘ practice boycott is over, at least for now. After skipping out on the first day of June’s mandatory minicamp, the safety is in the building today, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (via Twitter). 
[RELATED: Dolphins Skeptical Of Dion Jordan’s Situation?]
Today marks Jones’ first appearance at the Dolphins’ practice facility as he also stayed away from voluntary OTAs in May. Despite having two years remaining on his current contract, the 28-year-old is pushing to renegotiate the terms. After earning his first Pro Bowl selection in 2015, Jones apparently feels like now is the time to strike.
He is ostensibly looking to be paid like one of the top safeties in the NFL, but that will be quite the uphill battle for him since strong safeties are not paid as highly as free safeties. As far as strong safeties go, Jones is actually the highest paid one in the NFL, so long as you count him as a free safety these days. As it stands today, Jones is slated to earn base salaries of $7.225MM in 2016 and $7.06MM in 2017, with cap hits of $8.203MM and $8.038MM, respectively.
While Jones continues to pout, the Dolphins have been publicly upbeat about the group of safeties that have been participating this offseason. Of course, they’d much rather have Jones in the fold and they’d like to avoid the in-season holdout that he is reportedly mulling. However, caving into those threats and reworking Jones’ deal with two years to go would set a bad precedent for the team going forward. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Dolphins hold their ground and force Jones to play out the ’16 season on his current deal before discussing a new one.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Panthers, Vikings, Saints, Falcons
Panthers coach Ron Rivera admits that Fletcher Cox‘s massive new deal with the Eagles doesn’t help the Panthers’ cause in trying to lock up Kawann Short, Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review writes.
“This is the hard part right now is what’s going on in the league,” Rivera said. “I think some of these contracts are unbelievable as far as what I’m seeing and hearing.”
Word is that the Panthers may not be willing to go above $15MM/year for their standout defensive tackle. Cox, meanwhile, will average nearly $17.2MM per season on his new deal with a great deal in the way of guarantees early on in the pact.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- The Vikings can’t seem to find the right counterpart for Harrison Smith at safety, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, who lists Michael Griffin, Andrew Sendejo, Anthony Harris, Antone Exum, and Jayron Kearse as contenders for the job. Right now, there’s no word as to whether the Vikings could look out-of-house to help bolster the group. Griffin, 31, is the most experienced of the bunch by far, and given that he excels in coverage, he might be the favorite to line up opposite Smith. “One thing I try not to do, especially in OTAs where we’re not in pads, is try to jump to some kind of conclusion of who should be the starter,” said head coach Mike Zimmer of the competition. “I’ll kind of let that play out in camp.”
- Veteran defensive end Darryl Tapp tried out for the Saints on Tuesday, as Evan Woodbery of The Times Picayune tweets.
- The Falcons are trying out wide receiver Donatella Luckett, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- UDFA tight end Ben Braunecker has a real good shot to make the Bears‘ roster, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Braunecker was seen working with Chicago’s second-team offense during OTAs.
- The Bears are trying out tight end Ryan Taylor and defensive lineman Marquise Jackson, according to Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
Jets Notes: Fitzpatrick, Wilkerson, Revis
It’s June and that means it’s about the time of year for Hall of Famer Joe Namath to drop some scorching hot contrarian takes on the Jets in an effort to get his name back in the local tabloids. This time around, Broadway Joe assessed the Jets’ quarterback situation and – shockingly – he took the exact opposite position of everyone else in the football world.
“I think Geno [Smith] is going to be the starting quarterback no matter if [Ryan] Fitzpatrick comes back or not,” Namath said (via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter on Twitter).
While you weigh the skills of Smith versus one of the league’s better quarterbacks in 2015, here’s a look at the latest on the Jets:
- Jets coach Todd Bowles says the team does not have a “drop-dead deadline” on the Fitzpatrick situation, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. The coach added that he has no problem with the situation lingering until training camp. The Jets reportedly aren’t comfortable offering Fitzpatrick a one-year deal worth $12MM, while Fitzpatrick himself is content to wait out the club in the hopes of landing a better deal. The stare down continues with no end in sight.
- When asked about Muhammad Wilkerson, Bowles said that his absence from minicamp will not be a distraction (link via Cimini). “That would be his prerogative. Business is business. We’d love to have him here, but if he feels like he doesn’t want to be here, that’s on him. I’ve got a team to coach,” Bowles said.
- Count cornerback Darrelle Revis among the Jets players that disagree with Namath and want to see Fitzpatrick back with the team ASAP. “We want him back, we want to see him walk in this locker room,” Revis said Tuesday (link via Seth Walker of the New York Daily News). “Ryan is a big part of our success. He definitely is. He came here, he’s broken a bunch of records in the quarterback category. And he was a big part of our offense. This has been going on all offseason and we’re waiting for him to come back and play.”
- Jets backup center Wesley Johnson has a fractured bone in his hand/wrist area, a source tells Cimini. No surgery will be necessary, however, and the hope is that he will be back by training camp.
Latest On Eugene Monroe, Ravens
On Tuesday, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that he was holding tackle Eugene Monroe out of practice because the team was trying trade him. Now, it sounds like we’ll have a resolution in short order, one way or another. The expectation is that Monroe won’t be on the team by the end of Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. In fact, Monroe could even be traded or released by the end of today. 
[RELATED: Ravens Notes: Weddle, RBs]
In the first half of the offseason, the Ravens operated as though Monroe would be their starting left tackle in 2016. However, that all changed in the first round of the draft when they tapped Notre Dame left tackle Ronnie Stanley with the No. 6 overall pick. Monroe held a great deal of promise when the team signed him to a five-year, $37.5MM contract prior to the 2014 season, but ever since then he has struggled to stay healthy, appearing in only 17 regular season games.
The Ravens also aren’t thrilled about Monroe’s off-the-field efforts to push the legalization of medical marijuana. However, it’s Monroe’s lack of durability and the presence of Stanley that are really driving the team’s efforts to move him. The Ravens would have tried to trade Monroe sooner, but the team first had to wait for him to get medical clearance and that did not happen until recently.
If the Ravens are forced to cut Monroe, it will leave them with $2.2MM in dead money with $6.5MM in cap savings this year. They’d also be on the hook for a combined $4.4MM in dead cash the next two seasons, though they’d save $13.5MM in that time. It might not come to that for Baltimore, though, as teams reportedly have inquired about Monroe. If healthy, the 90-start veteran should be able to improve someone’s offensive line.
With Monroe likely on the outs, the Ravens auditioned free agent O-lineman Todd Herremans yesterday.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos Sign Brandon Marshall To Four-Year Extension
The Broncos have announced the signing of linebacker Brandon Marshall to a four-year, $32MM contract extension that includes $20MM in guarantees and $10MM at signing. Denver now has Marshall under its control through the 2020 season.
[RELATED: Broncos Formally Sign Rookie Paxton Lynch]
The Broncos and Marshall had spent a large chunk of the offseason working on an extension. Prior to today’s accord, Marshall was slated to play out the season on a one-year, $2.533MM restricted free agent tender before hitting the open market. He’ll still earn that salary in 2016 before his extension kicks in the following season.
Marshall finished last season with 102 tackles and made it clear to team management that he was a must-keep player. Last month, PFR’s Sam Robinson analyzed Marshall as an extension candidate and accurately predicted that he would approach, but not top, DeAndre Levy’s four-year, $33.7MM pact with the Lions. The Broncos opted to let Danny Trevathan – last year’s team leader in tackles – leave in free agency for a four-year, $24.5MM deal with Chicago, but they clearly hold Marshall in higher esteem.
With Marshall’s extension in the books, the Broncos will now turn their attention to new deals for fellow stars Von Miller and Emmanuel Sanders. Recently, Broncos GM John Elway confirmed that he is gunning to get contracts hammered out for all three players in the coming weeks.
“The ideal thing would be to get all three of them done (by mid-July). That’s the goal. That would be nice if we could do that,” Elway said.
While things are getting a little bit chippy between Miller and the Broncos, the feeling has been that a new deal for Marshall was only a matter of time. The veteran has always spoken highly of the team and made it known that he wants to play out his career at high altitude.
“I love it here. I love it here, man,” Marshall said recently. “Ever since I got here, in 2013, they’ve treated me like family, even when I was on the practice squad. It just shows, I’m really all about ball, getting better and being with the team. … To stay away, that’s not me. I feel comfortable being here.”
Mike Klis of 9News first reported the deal. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Saints DE Hau’oli Kikaha Suffers Torn ACL
JUNE 14: Unsurprisingly, Saints head coach Sean Payton said today that 2016 is likely lost for Kikaha. As of now, it remains unknown what type of procedure Kikaha will have to undergo to repair his knee, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. In better news, Payton doesn’t see this as a career-threatening injury.
JUNE 9: Awful news for Saints defensive end Hau’oli Kikaha as he has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports). Given the severity of the injury, Kikaha is likely done for the season.
[RELATED: Saints Sign Roman Harper]
Unfortunately, this is not new territory for Kikaha as he also suffered two ACL tears in college. The 2015 second-round pick was able to come back strong from both of those ACL tears, but he is surely frustrated with this latest setback.
In his final season at Washington, Kikaha led the nation with 19 sacks and had at least one sack in 13 of his 14 games. The strong performance in his final year marked a tremendous comeback for Kikaha, who torn his ACL as a frosh in 2011 and again as a medical redshirt freshman in 2012.
Last year, the 23-year-old (24 in July) appeared in 15 games and made 11 starts for New Orleans. In that time, he racked up 4 sacks, 50 total tackles, two passes defended, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC East Notes: Jordan, Gilmore, Jets, Colon
Will Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore show for training camp as he pushes for a new contract? Gilmore said he’ll get there “whenever I get there,” (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News). When asked if that means he could miss the start, he said, “We’ll see.” If Gilmore does skip out on camp, he’ll be docked $40K per day.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- Omar Kelly of The Sun Sentinel wonders if the Dolphins should balk at paying Dion Jordan‘s ~$1.7MM bonus. Word has it that the Dolphins are open to giving Jordan another chance, but sources tell Kelly that the team was curious about the timing of Jordan’s bid for reinstatement. The former No. 3 overall pick was eligible to apply for reinstatement in late April but he didn’t kickstart the process until June. Jordan is due his hefty roster bonus on the fifth day of training camp and the Dolphins might not be inclined to pay it if Jordan isn’t truly committed to football. Kelly suggests that Miami could push Jordan to re-work the contract and have the roster bonus moved or even eliminated since he would be unlikely to command that same kind of money on the open market.
- Much of the Jets‘ quarterback shuffle will hinge on second-year quarterback Bryce Petty, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. If Ryan Fitzpatrick returns, there is a belief in NFL circles that the Jets could keep all four quarterbacks – Fitzpatrick, Smith, Petty,and rookie Christian Hackenberg – on the roster. However, if Petty proves he can be the No. 2 QB, the team could cut Smith. Or, if Petty struggles mightily, the Jets could drop him and just keep Smith and Hackenberg as the backups. If the team does not sign Fitzpatrick, then Petty must prove his worth or the team might have to look into signing a veteran signal caller.
- No surprise here, but Jets offensive lineman Willie Colon says that if he does play football in 2016, it will be his last season in the NFL. “If I do go back on the field, it’s going to be my last year. I just know it is,” Colon told Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday. “But the ego and the [guts] I have, if I do get back, I want to go out like Clint Eastwood — I want to go out firing and shooting. If it doesn’t happen, I’m going to move on and get a recorder just like you.” The 33-year-old guard suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2015 and only saw time in six games.
- The Bills have a kicking battle worth keeping an eye on, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW writes. The Bills have been pitting veteran kicker Dan Carpenter against UDFA Marshall Morgan. Morgan boasts a big leg while Carpenter has made his name on accuracy. Meanwhile, kickoff specialist/punter Jordan Gay is also in camp and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be given an opportunity to kick field goals. If he isn’t given that chance, then he faces an uphill climb to make the cut.
NFC East Notes: McFadden, Mayowa, Giants
Earlier today, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett announced that two notable players are dealing with injury issues. Offseason acquisition Benson Mayowa will undergo a very minor knee scope and will miss minicamp, but should be OK for most or all of training camp (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). Furthermore, running back Darren McFadden has a broken elbow and will miss two months while he recovers (Twitter link via Gil Brandt of NFL.com). The good news is that both players should be healed up well in advance of the regular season.
Here’s more out of the NFC East:
- In a recent mailbag, a reader asked ESPN.com’s Todd Archer to weigh in on the Ronald Leary situation. Archer feels that if a deal were to materialize for the offensive lineman, it would happen later on in training camp when injuries start popping up. The Cowboys value Leary and their offensive line depth, so they’ll be holding out for a good deal. Archer adds that Dallas would rather wait for a potential compensatory pick in 2018 than settle for a fifth- or sixth-rounder for the 2017 draft.
- James Kratch of NJ.com ran down seven Giants players to watch in minicamp this week, including undrafted rookie Donte Deayon. The cornerback out of Boise State made lots of plays during OTAs and if he keeps it up, he could put himself in the mix for a roster spot. Deayon still has a long road to make the 53-an roster, but Kratch writes that he’s a camp underdog that could stick.
- Cornerback Josh Norman figures to be one of at least eight new starters for the Redskins in 2016, though only Norman and safety David Bruton are new to the team, Rich Tandler of RealRedskins.com writes. Bruton, however, is not guaranteed to start at strong safety and he will probably compete with Duke Ihenacho who missed most of the 2015 season. They’ll look to fill the hole left by Trenton Robinson, who started seven games at strong safety in 2015 but is no longer with the team.
- On Monday night, the Eagles announced that they have signed standout defensive tackle Fletcher Cox to a massive multi-year extension. Earlier today, we rounded up some of the reactions to the deal and the potential fallout that could occur for other defensive linemen from around the NFL.
Ravens Wrap Up Draft Class
The Ravens announced that they have signed third-round pick Bronson Kaufusi. Kaufusi was the team’s last unsigned rookie and the Ravens have now inked their entire 2016 draft class. 
[RELATED: No ACL Tear For Ravens’ Breshad Perriman]
Kaufusi, a defensive end out of BYU, went on a Mormon mission before starting college and is one of the oldest player’s in this year’s class at 25 years old. Before he landed on the NFL radar, Kaufusi his split time between football and basketball. Once he zeroed in on football, he attempted to drop down in weight and shift to outside linebacker, but that experiment did not work out. Still, Kaufusi impressed as a bookend and despite projections that he would go in the fourth or fifth round of this year’s draft, he wound up being selected with the seventh pick in the third round.
The Ravens selected Notre Dame tackle Ronnie Stanley at No. 6 overall, but that reportedly wasn’t their plan heading into draft night. The Ravens were said to have Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil rated as their top tackle, but the infamous gas mask bong video scared them off. For what it’s worth, GM Ozzie Newsome says that Stanley was their top-rated tackle all along. He also hinted that the team got wind of some off-field issues regarding Tunsil:
“The thing that I’m so proud of, . . . our scouts get a lot of information,” Newsome said. “When things happen, a lot of the times we’re not surprised. We took the best player, the player that was rated the highest on the board at that point. I cannot neglect the importance of the work that our scouts do in the fall and in the spring getting information for us.”
Here’s the full rundown of the Ravens’ 11-man draft class:
- 1-6: Ronnie Stanley, T (Notre Dame)
- 2-42: Kamalei Correa, DE/OLB (Boise State)
- 3-70: Bronson Kaufusi, DE/OLB (Brigham Young)
- 4-104: Tavon Young, CB (Temple)
- 4-107: Chris Moore, WR (Cincinnati)
- 4-130: Alex Lewis, T (Nebraska)
- 4-132: Willie Henry, DT (Michigan)
- 4-134: Kenneth Dixon, RB (Louisiana Tech)
- 5-146: Matt Judon, DE (Grand Valley State)
- 6-182: Keenan Reynolds, QB/WR (Navy)
- 6-209: Maurice Canady, CB (Virginia)
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC South Notes: Saints, Panthers, Short
Running back C.J. Spiller says he’s ready to live up to the billing he received when he inked a four-year, $16MM deal with the Saints last March, Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate writes.
“When I’m 100 percent and able to do what I’m able to do, I know I can flourish in this offense,” Spiller said. “This offense is built for my type of skill set. I wouldn’t want to be in any other one — a great head coach that knows how to put players in position to make plays, and then you’ve got a quarterback that’s a future Hall of Famer, that knows how to win matchups and to take advantage of each and every play. I’m just happy that I have a chance to revamp or redeem myself and give this team hopefully 100 percent.”
Last season, Spiller amassed only 112 yards on a meager 36 carries and caught 34 passes at just 7.0 yards per reception before being placed on IR in December.
Here’s more from the NFC South:
- Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short “checked in” at the beginning of minicamp, a source tells Joe Person of the Charlotte Observe (Twitter link). Short is skipping OTAs in the hopes of landing a new contract, but with those talks reportedly on hold, Short may have thought it wise to make an appearance with the team, especially given that head coach Ron Rivera has subtlety voiced his displeasure at Short’s absence.
- Falcons defensive coordinator Richard Smith said that undrafted rookie outside linebacker Ivan McLennan has some pass rush ability and he’s a player to watch at minicamp, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. McLennan will be fighting for a roster spot at strongside linebacker and could push 2014 seventh-round pick Tyler Starr for a place on the team. The linebacker played two years of JUCO football before spending the past two seasons at Washington State. He racked up 15 sacks and 34.5 tackles for losses over his collegiate career.
- More from Ledbetter who wonders if there is a sleeper in the Falcons‘ cornerback group. The most intriguing player fighting for a spot is C.J. Goodwin, a 6’4″ former basketball player and wide receiver who is looking to make it as a CB. Atlanta secondary/senior assistant Marquand Manuel praised Goodwin for his play so far in practice and noted that he was able to stay with Julio Jones in man-to-man coverage.
- The Saints are trying out a pair of UDFAs today in outside linebacker Royce LaFrance (Tulane) and linebacker Chris Weatherd (Tennessee), as Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune tweets. Defensive tackle Lawrence Virgil is also in the house as a tryout invitee (link).