NFL, NFLPA End Bargaining Session Early
The NFL and NFLPA were set to meet from Wednesday through Friday, but the get-together is already over, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). The plan, for now, is for the two sides to reconvene on July 29.
One source described the meetings as “productive,” though the decision to cap the scheduled three-day meeting after just one day is curious, to say the least. There’s a lot of issues to be hammered out, including the idea of an 18-game season. The union opposes the idea, even though the NFL would like to institute a 16-game limit for each individual player.
“I don’t see an 18-game schedule — under any circumstance — being in the best interest of our players,” NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said. “If somebody wants to make an 18-game proposal, we’ll look at it. I haven’t seen anything that makes me think that it would be good for the players.”
Of course, the union will also be after a larger share of the revenue, while owners are hoping that the players – in a roundabout way – will contribute money towards stadium projects and relocations.
Ravens Sign Miles Boykin
The Ravens’ rookies report for training camp on Wednesday and Miles Boykin will be among those in attendance. Per a club announcement, the Ravens have signed the third-round wide receiver to his rookie deal, putting a bow on their 2019 draft class. 
Boykin was dealing with a hamstring strain earlier this summer, but the hope is that he’ll be healed up for camp. The 6’4″ Notre Dame product offers tremendous size and and athleticism for the position and big things could be in store for him as one of Lamar Jackson‘s targets. Last year, Boykin set new collegiate career highs with 59 catches for 872 yards and eight touchdowns.
Here’s the full recap of the Ravens’ draft class, via PFR’s tracker:
- 1-25: Marquise Brown, WR (Oklahoma): Signed
- 3-85: Jaylon Ferguson, DE (Louisiana Tech): Signed
- 3-93: Miles Boykin, WR (Notre Dame): Signed
- 4-113: Justice Hill, RB (Oklahoma State): Signed
- 4-123: Ben Powers, G (Oklahoma): Signed
- 4-127: Iman Marshall, CB (USC): Signed
- 5-160: Daylon Mack, DT (Texas A&M): Signed
- 6-197: Trace McSorley, QB (Penn State): Signed
Cardinals Sign Jalen Thompson
The Cardinals have officially signed fifth-round supplemental draft pick Jalen Thompson, according to a team announcement. The Cardinals were at the 90-man roster maximum heading into Wednesday, but a spot opened up for the defensive back when the Cardinals dropped Desmond Harrison following his alleged assault of a woman. 
[RELATED: Cardinals Release Desmond Harrison]
Thompson was far and away the best talent in this year’s supplemental draft class and wound up as the only player selected in the second-chance draft. The Packers and Texans also showed interest in the youngster, but the Cardinals won out. It’s not clear if the Packers or Texans placed bids on Thompson, but we do know that their draft priority (Nos. 10 and 26, respectively) was behind the Cardinals’ (No. 4).
Thompson attained freshman All-America status in 2016, was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection as a sophomore, and wrapped up his Cougars career with six INTs. In 2018, he picked off two passes, made 66 tackles and forced a fumble.
Some in the Cardinals organization believe that Jalen Thompson is a better safety prospect than Deionte Thompson, the club’s fifth-round pick in April. If J. Thompson can impress this summer, there could be big things in store for him in Arizona.
Cardinals Release Desmond Harrison
Well, that was fast. Just moments after an arrest warrant was issued for offensive tackle Desmond Harrison, the Cardinals released him, per a team announcement. 
North Carolina authorities have charged Harrison with assault on a person by strangulation and assault on a female by a male. Not much is known about the incident outside of that, but the Cardinals wasted little time in showing the 25-year-old the door.
Harrison, 25, opened the 2018 season as the starter at left tackle before Greg Robinson took over in the second half of the season. This year, Harrison was expected to be a key sub in Cleveland, but the Browns waived him after he missed multiple team meetings. The Cardinals claimed him with the hope that they could get him on the right track, but things clearly did not work out.
Harrison routinely found himself in trouble throughout college and his reputation kept him from being drafted last year. Even though there’s a dearth of quality tackles throughout the league, the Redskins were the only other known team to have placed a claim on him.
Harrison will now be subject to waivers, but it would be a surprise to see any team place a claim on him in the next 24 hours.
Cardinals’ Harrison Charged With Assault
Cardinals offensive tackle Desmond Harrison has been charged with assault on a person by strangulation and assault on a female by a male, as Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports writes. North Carolina police have issued a felony arrest warrant for the 25-year-old, who just recently joined his new team. 
The Browns waived Harrison in June after he repeatedly missed team meetings and left coaches with the impression that he was unreliable. It was a surprising release given that Harrison spent the first half of 2018 as the team’s starting left tackle.
Harrison’s talent is undeniable, but off-the-field trouble has been an issue throughout his career. He was suspended at the University of Texas three times before transferring to West Georgia and went undrafted despite solid pre-draft workouts.
Just last month, Harrison told the Cardinals’ website that he was ready to turn over a new leaf.
“I’ll just show that with my actions,” Harrison said. “My guys are going to hold me accountable, as well as the coaches.”
Eight NFL Draft Picks Remain Unsigned
With training camp on the horizon, there are still eight unsigned NFL draft picks left, as shown in PFR’s tracker: So far, 244 of this year’s 254 selections have inked their deals.
Here’s the complete breakdown, sorted by round:
First Round (5)
- 49ers, 1-2: Nick Bosa, DE (Ohio State)
- Jets, 1-3: Quinnen Williams, DT (Alabama)
- Buccaneers, 1-5: Devin White, LB (LSU)
- Giants, 1-6: Daniel Jones, QB (Duke)
- Panthers, 1-16: Brian Burns, DE (Florida State)
Second Round (1)
- 49ers, 2-36: Deebo Samuel, WR (South Carolina)
Third Round (1)
- Giants, 3-95: Oshane Ximines, LB (Old Dominion)
Seventh Round (1)
- Vikings, 7-250: Austin Cutting, LS (Air Force)
As expected, the first round (five) leads the way in stragglers. It’s also worth noting that four of the five remaining unsigned first-round picks are repped by CAA: Bosa, White, Jones, and Burns. Last July, CAA had five of the seven unsigned players in the top 10, so it’s clear that the power agency is driving a hard bargain over key issues such as offset language.
The Broncos seemed to have a logjam earlier this week when Drew Lock (No. 42) overall pushed for a quarterback premium while guard Dalton Risner (No. 41 overall) refused to take less money than the player drafted behind him. They slashed this list from 11 to nine by agreeing to terms with their second-rounders on back-to-back days.
Cutting, meanwhile, is now allowed to defer his military service while he plays professional football, so a deal should be signed any day now.
AFC East Notes: Pats, Gronk, Jets, Anderson
Will Rob Gronkowski come out of retirement to rejoin the Patriots? There’s a “40% chance” of that happening, a source close to the tight end tells Mike Florio of PFT.
Much has been made about Gronkowski’s apparent weight loss, but the tight end claims that he’s lost only 18 pounds since the Super Bowl. Assuming that only a fraction of that weight is muscle mass, it might not be hard for Gronk to get back into football shape, should he decide to retake the gridiron.
Florio speculates that a direct appeal from Tom Brady to Gronkowski could convince the veteran to give it one more go. Furthermore, while coach Bill Belichick isn’t crazy about players cherry picking their activity participation, he believes that Belichick has taken a softened stance and would not stand in the way of Gronkowski rejoining the team later this year.
While we wait to see what happens with everyone’s favorite party animal, here’s more from the AFC East:
- Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson can cash in with a huge 2019 season, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. Anderson had 50 catches for 752 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games last year. More importantly, he averaged 15 yards per catch and showed that he is one of the best deep threats in the league. New coach Adam Gase has already said that he wants to better utilize Anderson’s blazing speed, so he could set himself up for a sizable payday in 2020.
- This week, the Jets added to their analytics department with the hire of Matt Sheldon as their new director of football research and strategy (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). Sheldon held the same title under Adam Gase with the Dolphins in ’17 and ’18. It’s a sign that the Jets are putting greater emphasis on advanced stats and also another sign of Gase’s serious influence in the organization.
Broncos Hit Snag In Drew Lock Negotiations
The Broncos’ negotiations with second-round picks Drew Lock and Dalton Risner have hit a snag, as Mike Klis of KUSA writes. Lock, the No. 42 pick, is seeking a “quarterback premium,” meaning that he wants more money than his draft slot dictates. Meanwhile, Risner, the No. 41 overall choice, doesn’t want to take less money than the player behind him. 
Heading into the draft, many believed that Lock would be selected in the first round. His unexpected slide landed him in the eager arms of John Elway, who traded back into Round Two to grab him. From a career perspective, Lock is in a solid situation as the heir apparent to Joe Flacco‘s starting job. However, his camp is looking to recoup some of the money that was lost by his drop.
What this effectively means is that Lock and Risner (the team’s expected starting left guard) might not be in attendance for the first meeting for rookies on Wednesday or practice on Thursday. It’s unlikely that either situation will result in a prolonged stalemate, but stranger things have happened in the NFL.
This Date In Transactions History: Tony Boselli Retires
On this date in 2003, one of the most underrated offensive linemen in the history of the game called it a career. Tackle Tony Boselli, the first ever draft pick of the Jaguars, retired at the age of 31. 
Soon after being drafted with the No. 2 pick in the 1995 draft, Boselli established himself as one of the best players in Jacksonville. He earned five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 1996-2000 with three First-Team All-Pro selections coming in 97-99. The Jaguars reached the postseason in four of their first five seasons in existence, and Boselli played a huge role in their success.
Unfortunately, injuries started to chip away at Boselli in 2001 and he appeared in only three games that season. In February 2002, the Jaguars made Boselli one of their five exposed players for the Texans’ expansion draft. With the very first pick, Houston took on Boselli’s $6.883MM cap figure, but they did not get the All-Pro they were expecting.
”I am retiring because of medical reasons, specifically my left shoulder, which did not continue to improve to the point where I could play,” said Boselli as he announced his retirement.
Boselli’s career was relatively short, but highly impactful. In seven seasons with the Jaguars, Boselli allowed only 15.5 sacks and cemented his legacy as one of the Jaguars’ most important players of all-time.
Boselli signed a one-day deal to retire with the Jaguars in 2006 and became the first inductee into the team’s Hall of Fame. Still, the football Hall of Fame eludes him. In 2019, Boselli was denied entry in his 13th year of eligibility and his third year as a finalist.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Lawrence, Giants
Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence is expected to start training camp on the physically unable to perform list, though he hopes to be “ready by Week One,” as Mike Florio of PFT writes.
The Cowboys certainly hope that’s the case, though recovery from labrum surgery can be tricky. Lawrence was playing through the injury in 2017 and 2018 and didn’t miss any time due to the injury, so he could bounce back quicker than most from the operation.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- Giants tight end Rhett Ellison may be a candidate for release, Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com opines. Ellison’s contract puts him in some jeopardy – he’s set to count for a $5.75MM hit with a potential for $3.25MM in savings if he’s cut. However, the Giants tend to rely on two tight end sets and No. 1 TE Evan Engram has suffered four injuries in the last eleven months. Dunleavy also listed outside linebacker Kareem Martin as a potential cut since he was signed to be a starter last year and now profiles as a backup. However, releasing him would save just $1.1MM against $4.83MM in dead money.
- Melvin Gordon‘s threat to hold out from the Chargers could be a canary in the coal mine for the Giants and Saquon Barkley, Dunleavy writes. Barkley is still on his rookie contract, but when that deal draws to a close, he could very easily stare down the G-Men the way that Gordon is doing to the Bolts. Other teams have downplayed the value of RBs, but GM Dave Gettleman has publicly lavished Barkley with effusive praise, which may impact future negotiations. The GM has said that Barkley has been “touched by the hand of G-d” and has also routinely shrugged off anti-RB analytics.