Gronk Won’t Hold Out From Patriots
Patriots training camp will get underway soon and Gronk will be in the building. When the Pats convene on July 25, Rob Gronkowski will report on time, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 
We could see some notable training camp holdouts elsewhere – including Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell – but we won’t see any theatrics from Gronkowski. The tight end has been pushing for a revised contract, but he’ll show up for work with the hope that the team will do right by him.
Gronk, who is signed through the 2019 campaign, is scheduled to earn a base salary of $8MM in 2018. New England has reportedly been working on “tweaking” his deal, but nothing has been agreed upon just yet.
It is is expected that the Pats and Gronk will reach an accord similar to the one from 2017. Last year, Gronk’s deal was revised to give him a base salary of $5.25MM with opportunities to earn incentives at three different levels. With a First-Team All-Pro selection, Gronk maxed out his bonus package at $10.75MM.
Gronk stands to carry the highest cap number of any tight end in the league this year, but you can expect the two sides to boost that number even further in the coming weeks. And, while that all plays out, Gronkowski will be in Foxborough and ready to work.
Jaguars Sign Rookie Taven Bryan
The Jaguars agreed to terms with first round defensive tackle Taven Bryan on a four-year deal worth $10.2MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. His deal includes a $5.5MM signing bonus. 
Bryan, the No. 29 overall pick in the draft, was one of a handful of stragglers in the backend of the first round. Reportedly, the contract of Seahawks rookie running back Rashaad Penny held up negotiations for Bryan and others.
While the three players selected at pick Nos. 23-25 (Patriots offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn, Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore, and Ravens tight end Hayden Hurst) each garnered significant fourth season base salary guarantees, Penny — who was chosen with the 27th overall pick — actually saw his fourth season salary guarantee percentage decrease when compared to 2017’s No. 27 selection, Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White.
Interestingly, Bryan actually did better on his fourth-year guarantee than some of the other players around him, according to Rapoport. It appears that Bryan’s hard line on negotiations paid off and talks still managed to wrap before rookies were set to report in Jacksonville.
Bryan, a 6’5″, 293-pound defensive lineman, had career highs in tackles (37), tackles for loss (6), and sacks (4) in his final year at Florida. He’s slated to serve as the Jags’ first defensive tackle off of the bench behind Marcell Dareus and Malik Jackson this year.
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 2018, Boselli was denied entry in his 12th year of eligibility and his second year as a finalist.
Ravens Place Marshal Yanda On PUP List
The Ravens have placed guard Marshal Yanda on the PUP list, a source tells ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). It’s an unfortunate setback for the former All-Pro after he missed the majority of 2017 with an ankle injury.
Yanda’s outlook from this point forward isn’t immediately clear. The good news is that he has triumphed in the face of adversity before. In 2016, he missed three games and was held back by a nagging shoulder injury. Despite that, Yanda still graded out as the NFL’s best guard, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus.
The Ravens are already looking to keep it together on the offensive line following the departure of center Ryan Jensen in free agency. Losing Yanda for any period of time would hurt, and the additions of rookie offensive linemen Orlando Brown, Greg Senat, and Bradley Bozeman likely won’t be enough to bridge the gap.
Baltimore has counted on Yanda up front throughout this decade, prioritizing his next deal over Kelechi Osemele despite Yanda being much older. His most recent two 16-game seasons ended in first-team All-Pro honors. At 33, Yanda remains the Ravens’ most important blocker.
Players can be taken off the PUP list during training camp, but if Yanda were to be placed on the reserve/PUP list at the regular season’s outset, he would have to miss six weeks.
Matt Skura moved into the starting lineup for Yanda last season, but Baltimore is planning to try him at center come camp. The Ravens also have Jermaine Eluemunor, a 2017 all-rookie pick despite making two 2017 starts, in the mix, along with guard/tackle James Hurst and Alex Lewis. The latter missed all of last season due to injury.
Steelers Hope To Keep Bell Beyond ’18
Le’Veon Bell‘s agent says the running back is unlikely to be in Pittsburgh after the 2018 season. Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, meanwhile, is still hoping to keep Bell in place for years to come. 
[RELATED: Bell’s Agent Says He’ll Likely Leave In 2019]
“Even though we could not reach a long-term contract agreement with Le’Veon Bell, we are excited he will be with the team in 2018,” Colbert said in a statement. “We worked very hard to find common ground, but we were unable to accomplish that prior to today’s deadline. Le’Veon will play this season under the exclusive franchise tag designation. After the 2018 season is completed, we again will attempt to work out a long-term contract with Le’Veon in the hope that he will continue his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Bell will indeed be with the team for 2018, but until he formally signs his tag, it’s anyone’s guess as to when Bell’s 2018 season will start. The good news for Steelers fans is that Bell vowed on Twitter to make 2018 his “best season to date.” If taken literally, Bell would have to play in all 16 games in order to turn in a career year, so that could be an indication that Bell will be in uniform for Week 1.
Although Bell may be disappointed with today’s outcome, he’s still set to earn $14.5MM for the 2018 season. The running back would miss out on more than $900K for every game that he misses, so it would behoove him to sign his tender in advance of September.
Bell’s Agent: “Likely” Last Year With Steelers
As expected, the Steelers and Le’Veon Bell did not agree to an extension before Monday’s deadline. With that, Bell’s agent Adisa Bakari says the running back is not long for Pittsburgh. 
“His intention was to retire as a Steeler. But now that there’s no deal, the practical reality is, this now likely will Le’Veon’s last season as a Steeler,” Bakari said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). “It became clear the Steelers wanted to pay the position, not the player.”
The latter part of Bakari’s quote pretty much sums it up. The Steelers have shown a willingness to make Bell the highest-paid running back in the NFL in terms of yearly average, but Bell has been pushing for a deal to compensate him as a world-class rusher who is also a high-end receiver. Meanwhile, he wanted a long-term deal to have more weight than the average NFL contract, which means high guarantees and heavy cash flow in the early years.
At last check, the Steelers were offering Bell roughly $13.3MM per season on a multi-year extension. Bell’s camp, meanwhile, asked for $17MM per year. The two sides were talking right up until the deadline, but the gap was too large to bridge.
In 2018, Bell’s $14.5MM salary will make him the top breadwinner at the running back position. However, the highest paid RB on a long-term deal is still Falcons star Devonta Freeman ($8.25MM/year). Cardinals running back David Johnson may top him with a new extension this summer, but he has less juice to work with after Bell did not reach an accord.
If Bell continues to play at a high level, he’ll be in line to revolutionize the running back market next year in free agency.
No Deals For Bell, Lawrence, Ansah, Or Joyner
None of this year’s franchise tagged players agreed to extensions with their respective teams before Monday’s deadline. That means Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah, Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, and Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner will all play on their tags in 2018. 
Over the weekend, we heard that deals were unlikely for any of the four players. However, we’ve been surprised in the past. You may recall the 2016 franchise tag extension deadline in which Muhammad Wilkerson and the Jets agreed to a buzzer-beating deal after weeks of reports indicating that it would not happen (the Jets certainly wish it hadn’t happened now).
There was no surprise this year, so the four franchise tagged players are all entering contract seasons at the following rates:
- Ezekiel Ansah – $17.1MM
- DeMarcus Lawrence – $17.1MM
- Le’Veon Bell – $14.5MM
- Lamarcus Joyner – ~$12MM
This marks the first ever franchise tag for Ansah, Lawrence, and Joyner. For Bell, this is the second go ’round and it’s incredibly unlikely that the Steelers will consider a third tag, no matter how good he is in 2018.
Per league rules, extension talks cannot resume between the team and the tagged player until after the 2018 season has concluded.
Giants Sign Sam Beal
The Giants signed supplemental draft choice Sam Beal, according to a team announcement. The Giants selected the former Western Michigan cornerback with their third-round pick in last week’s second chance draft. 
The Giants have yet to sign two of their draft picks, including No. 2 overall selection Saquon Barkley, but they didn’t have any real hangups in getting Beal to sign. Beal will play under a four-year rookie deal with a salary to match the equivalent slot in the 2018 draft.
The supplemental draft hasn’t been a major event in the NFL in recent years, but Beal’s potential had scouts buzzing. Many expected Beal to be in the first round conversation in 2019 had he stayed in school. Instead, Beal opted to go pro one year early and the Giants were happy to pounce on him.
By selecting Beal, the Giants fortified a cornerback group that is without Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The Giants did not take a cornerback in the spring draft, Beal gives them a young and talented prospect behind starters Eli Apple and Janoris Jenkins. Meanwhile, the arrival of Beal will put pressure on the Giants’ other reserve corners, a group that includes free agent additions William Gay, Teddy Williams, and B.W. Webb plus holdover Donte Deayon.
One Giants beat writer thinks that Beal won’t be able to make a real impact until the second half of the season, at the earliest. Time will tell whether Beal can get caught up on the playbook quickly and make a difference in the fall.
Steelers, Le’Veon Bell In Negotiations
The franchise tag extension deadline is roughly one hour away, and it’s not clear whether the Steelers and Le’Veon Bell are close on a new deal. However, they are at least talking, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. A deal is considered to be a longshot at this time, Rapoport notes, but there is a good-faith effort being made by both parties. 
If no deal is reached by 4pm ET/3pm CT, Bell will play out the 2018 season on the $14.5MM franchise tag. The Steelers will not be able to resume extension talks until after the season is over, and Bell will almost certainly opt to test the open market.
Bell is after a deal that reflects his performance as an elite running back who also provides the production of a No. 2 wide receiver. That means a game-changing contract for RBs that also includes a hefty guarantee and significant cash flow. So far, the Steelers have been unwilling to come close to his demands.
Last year, the Steelers offered Bell a $60MM deal with $42.5MM coming in the first three years of the pact with unknown guarantees. Bell, meanwhile, is said to be seeking $17MM per year. Recently, the Steelers upped their offer to more than $13.3MM per season.
Cowboys, Lawrence Will Not Reach Deal
No surprise here, but the Cowboys and DeMarcus Lawrence will not reach agreement on an extension before Monday’s 4pm ET/3pm CT deadline, Todd Archer of ESPN.com hears (on Twitter). Instead, Lawrence will play out the 2018 season on his $17.143MM franchise tag. 
Lawrence, 26, had 14.5 sacks in 2017. That total was the most by a Cowboys player since DeMarcus Ware had 19 in 2011. The Cowboys also notched 38 sacks as a team, giving them their highest total overall since ’11. Despite some bumps early on in his career, including back issues, Lawrence underscored his importance to the club with a big campaign last year. He also did not miss any games in ’17.
It is believed that Lawrence is gunning to top Olivier Vernon‘s five-year, $85MM deal with the Giants and his agent – the same one that represents Vernon – wants at least $17MM/year. For what it’s worth, Lawrence’s ’17 sack total nearly doubled Vernon’s total from his contract year. He also graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 3 ranked DE, putting him behind only Cameron Jordan and Von Miller amongst edge rushers.
Apparently, that’s a bit too rich for the Cowboys’ blood at this time. As a result, the Cowboys will not be able to reopen negotiations with Lawrence until January 2019.