Vikings’ Danielle Hunter To Report To Minicamp
7:47pm: The Pro Bowl defensive end completed a medical checkup at the Vikings’ facility Monday, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling (on Twitter), clearing the way for participation at the team’s minicamp.
11:40am: Danielle Hunter will join the Vikings for the start of mandatory minicamp (Twitter link via James Jones of NTAF). Hunter has been hoping for a new deal, but it sounds like he’ll be a good sport and dodge the potential fines for skipping. 
Last year, we heard that Hunter would demand a trade if the Vikings didn’t give him a fresh contract. It’s not clear where things stand, but the defensive end wouldn’t necessarily be negotiating from a position of strength. Hunter had 14.5 sacks in both 2018 and 2019. But, last year, he didn’t play at all due to a herniated disk in his neck. At last check, GM Rick Spielman said his rehab was going well and expected him to be on track for the start of the season.
Before the injury, Hunter graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7-ranked edge rusher in the league, ahead of Cameron Jordan, Myles Garrett, Demarcus Lawrence, and a host of other big names. As it stands, the Vikings have him locked up through 2023, thanks to the five-year, $72MM extension he inked a few years back.
That deal gives him $12.15MM in base salary for each of the next three years, plus ~$14MM in potential bonuses. Hunter’s an elite pass rusher when he’s healthy, so he wants a better deal to match.
Marcus Maye To Join Jets’ Minicamp
Marcus Maye will be on hand for the start of the Jets’ three-day minicamp (Twitter link via SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano). It’s a promising sign for Gang Green and their star safety, who is pushing for a new deal. 
The Jets cuffed Maye earlier this year with a franchise tender worth $10.61MM. Meanwhile, he wants an extension (and a sizable pay bump). There’s mutual interest there, but there’s been little news on that front in recent months. Even though Maye might be frustrated with the progress, he won’t hold out during the mandatory period.
The Jets drafted two safeties — Auburn’s Jamien Sherwood in Round 5 and Florida State’s Hamsah Nasirildeen in Round 6 — in April. Meanwhile, there’s also 2020 third-round pick Ashtyn Davis and veteran Lamarcus Joyner, who is shifting from cornerback back to safety. The Jets needed the depth, but they’re also bracing themselves for the possibility of life without Maye.
Maye’s asking price jumped this year when the Broncos made Justin Simmons the NFL’s first $15MM-per-year safety. Several other safeties are also signed to deals worth $14MM+ per year. Maye has yet to make a Pro Bowl, but he graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 safety last season. He also has youth on his side, having just turned 28.
Maye, a four-year starter for the Jets, finished last year with 88 stops, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.
Broncos Audition Shaquem Griffin
Shaquem Griffin will audition for the Broncos’ during their minicamp this week (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9News). Griffin has reportedly drawn interest from multiple teams this offseason, but this marks his first known tryout. 
Griffin, the twin brother of cornerback Shaquill Griffin, has been one of the NFL’s most inspiring stories. Despite losing his left hand at the age of 4, he earned first-team all-American Athletic Conference at Central Florida. Then, he heard his name called in 2018 when the Seahawks drafted him in the fifth round.
Griffin has spent most of his career as a special teamer with some time as a true linebacker. Now, he’s hoping to transition to a full-time edge rusher. He’s suited up for a total of 46 games for the Seahawks across three seasons with one start — against the Broncos in the 2018 season opener. All in all, he’s notched 25 total tackles, one sack, and one pass defensed.
Laquon Treadwell Visits Jaguars
Laquon Treadwell will participate in the Jaguars’ minicamp as a tryout player, per a club announcement. He’ll be joined by a handful of other roster hopefuls, including cornerbacks Simenon Thomas and KeiVarae Russell and offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins. 
Treadwell, who just turned 26 today, came into the league as the No. 23 overall pick in the 2016 draft. That didn’t pan out for the Vikings. He caught just one pass as a rookie, and never topped 302 yards during his four years in Minnesota. The Vikes declined his fifth-year option, leading him to the Falcons last year. He was used sparingly in Atlanta, recording just six grabs for 49 yards in five games. On the plus side, two of those catches were for touchdowns.
The Jaguars’ WR depth chart is headlined by D.J. Chark, veteran Marvin Jones, and Laviska Shenault. Currently, the Jaguars count 12 receivers on their 90-man roster, including notable names like Phillip Dorsett and return man Pharoh Cooper. No one’s expecting the Ole Miss product to fulfill his draft day expectations, but he could have a chance to make a dent with Urban Meyer & Co.
Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore Skips Mandatory Minicamp
Stephon Gilmore is holding out. The cornerback skipped the start of the Patriots’ minicamp and he’ll be keeping his distance for the full three-day period (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). 
Gilmore is rehabbing from a partially torn quad, but that’s only part of the story. Gilmore wants a new contract — he’s currently slated to make $7MM in base salary, which puts him outside of the top 20 for his position. Meanwhile, his $16.265MM cap figure is the highest of any corner, thanks to the Patriots’ previous adjustments to his deal. When the two sides were in a similar spot last year, the Pats agreed to accelerate $4.5MM of his pay.
The Pats inked Gilmore to a five-year, $65MM deal in 2017. That was a whopping contract at the time for the historically stingy Patriots, but it’s proven to be one of the best values in the entire league. Gilmore was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. Meanwhile, Jalen Ramsey, Marlon Humphrey, and Tre’Davious White have all moved the market with $17MM+/year extensions.
Eagles Sign Nick Mullens
The Eagles have signed Nick Mullens, per a club announcement. The quarterback 
will join Jalen Hurts and Joe Flacco on the depth chart to compete for a backup job.
Mullens, 26, started out as an undrafted free agent with the 49ers in 2017. Since then, he’s made 16 total starts with a 25-22 TD-INT ratio and thrown for upwards of 4,440 yards. On the flipside, he has a 7.9 career yards-per-attempt figure. The 49ers chose to go in a different direction this offseason, choosing not to tender Mullens for $2.1MM. Jimmy Garoppolo will return as the likely starter — despite all the speculation to the contrary — with first-round pick Trey Lance waiting in the wings.
The Eagles, meanwhile, had a QB spot open after cutting undrafted free agent Jamie Newman. If the Eagles carry three QBs, Mullens could slot in as the QB3. There’s also the possibility that he outperforms Flacco, or even Hurts — new head coach Nick Sirianni says he’ll hold an open competition for the top job this summer.
Panthers To Work Out Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix will try out for the Panthers during their minicamp this week (Twitter link via PFT). The veteran safety missed all of 2020, but he could be an interesting addition to Carolina’s secondary.
Clinton-Dix is best known for his time with the Packers. The 2014 first-round pick earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2016 with 80 tackles, five interceptions, and seven passes defended. Midway through 2018, he was traded to Washington where he didn’t make a ton of noise in his nine starts. In 2019, he joined up with the Bears, starting in all 16 games and notching 78 tackles with two interceptions.
Last year, was set to play for the Cowboys on a one-year, $3.75MM deal. However, after earning more than $2MM in guaranteed money, the safety missed the final cut. Since then, Clinton-Dix has been working out on his own and waiting for his next opportunity. His May audition for the Texans didn’t produce a contract, but this week’s workout with the Panthers could be his ticket back to the field.
Latest On Patriots’ Cam Newton
Cam Newton is set to participate in Patriots minicamp, including his full complement of reps this week (Twitter link via Jim McBride of the Boston Globe). That’s good news for the quarterback after he was forced out of OTAs earlier this month with a hand injury.
[RELATED: Were Patriots In On Julio Jones?]
Newton reportedly banged his hand against a teammate’s helmet, resulting in a painful bone bruise. The injury was said to be fairly minor from the get-go, though it could have impacted his availability for these early practices. Meanwhile, Newton needs the on-field time as he battles for the starting job with first-round pick Mac Jones.
Soon after landing Jones, head coach Bill Belichick said that Newton would be slotted as the starter until further notice. That’s a familiar refrain in the NFL, though younger guys often go on to beat out the established vets ahead of them.
Newton didn’t exactly inspire confidence in his first season with the Pats. The longtime Panthers star threw for just eight touchdowns against ten interceptions. On the plus side, he completed 65.8% of his passes, which was a better showing than most of his NFL seasons. The Pats still re-upped Newton, but his one-year carries just $3.5MM in guarantees.
This Date In Transactions History: Texans Extend Benardrick McKinney
Today marks the three-year anniversary of Benardrick McKinney‘s five-year, $50MM extension with the Texans. If you forgot to get the inside linebacker a gift, that’s alright. He probably doesn’t need much in the way of gadgets and home furnishings for his new Miami-area pad. 
McKinney, a 2015 second-round pick out of Mississippi State, emerged as one of the Texans’ top defenders in his sophomore NFL season. He was solid as a rookie, but as a second-team All-Pro nod in 2016, he finished out with 129 tackles, five sacks, and a forced fumble, ensuring that he would see a sizable pay bump in the offseason. His 2017 stat sheet wasn’t quite as gaudy – 95 tackles and three sacks – but he was still impressive and placed as Pro Football Focus’ No. 24 ranked linebacker in the NFL.
Because he was a second-round pick, the Texans didn’t have the fifth-year option as a safety net. By 2018, McKinney was set to enter his walk year, when he could potentially send his sticker price through the roof. McKinney, meanwhile, was 25 and wanted the security of a multi-year deal. It was the right time for both parties to come to the table and the Texans were happy to oblige. The deal also gave them a clearer picture of their budget as they considered an extension for Jadeveon Clowney (though they ultimately couldn’t make it work).
McKinney went on to earn a Pro Bowl nod in 2018 and racked up 100+ tackles again in 2019. Last year, however, a shoulder injury limited him to just four games. Then, the Texans were in a bit of a pickle as they had to replace franchise icon J.J. Watt. Earlier this year, they shipped McKinney to the Dolphins for edge rusher Shaq Lawson. In cap terms, the deal was pretty much a wash. But, on the field, the Texans effectively swapped Watt and McKinney for Lawson and newcomer Christian Kirksey.
Now, McKinney is set to start alongside Jerome Baker, who just landed a sizable extension of his own. When McKinney was at his best, he formed one of the league’s best run-stuffing tandems with Zach Cunningham. This Dolphins duo has the potential to be even better, if McKinney can match Baker’s strides in pass coverage.
Dolphins To Extend Jerome Baker
The Dolphins and Jerome Baker have agreed to an extension (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The linebacker is now inked for another three years at a max value of $39MM. The deal includes $28.4MM guaranteed, though it’s not clear how much of that is fully guaranteed at signing. 
Just recently, Baker told reporters that the Dolphins “haven’t really” approached him about a new contract this offseason. Apparently, he was playing coy. Baker has quietly turned himself into a solid starting linebacker for the Dolphins, averaging 119 stops over the past two seasons. He also showed a knack for pass rushing last year, compiling seven sacks. Now, he has a contract to match his performance.
Previously, Baker was set to make $2.433MM in 2021. His new deal gives him an average annual value of $13MM/year, ahead of fellow ‘Fins inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney. In terms of new money, Baker now ranks as one of the ten highest-paid ILBs in the NFL.
The Dolphins believe in Baker, though he did miss ten tackles last year while ranking as a middle-of-the-pack LB, per Pro Football focus. Still, the Dolphins are clearly encouraged by his evolving coverage and pass rushing skills.
“I definitely look myself in the mirror and know what I need to do to get better,” Baker said earlier this month (via Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald). “For me, locking in on the run game, being one of those linebackers that secures the inside, not just in the pass game but in the run game.”