Jamaal Charles To Visit Saints
Running back Jamaal Charles will visit the Saints on Wednesday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). We haven’t heard much about Charles since the end of the season, but he may finally get a chance to find an NFL home for 2018. 
After an exceptional, albeit injury-riddled, career with the Chiefs that included four Pro Bowl selections and two First Team All-Pro nods, Charles signed a one-year deal with the Broncos last year. Coming off multiple knee surgeries, he joined a crowded backfield that included C.J. Anderson and second-year back Devontae Booker and never established himself as the dominant force of years past.
Last year, Charles tallied 69 carries for 296 yards and a touchdown. The 31-year-old was a healthy scratch to close out the year and expressed his frustration with the team.
In addition to Charles, the Saints are also looking at old friend Tim Hightower, according to Nick Underhill of The Advocate (on Twitter). Hightower was spotted on the practice field Tuesday morning as he auditioned with the team’s running backs.
The Saints will be without Mark Ingram for the first four games of the season thanks to his suspension. The Saints have said that they’re comfortable with their remaining group – which includes Alvin Kamara, Trey Edmunds, Daniel Lasco, and roster hopefuls Boston Scott and Jonathan Williams – but they are giving some thought to adding some veteran reinforcement.
Pats Owner: “No Truth” To Gronk Trade Talk
The internet was abuzz with unsubstantiated rumors of Rob Gronkowski potentially being traded last week. On Tuesday, Patriots owner Robert Kraft felt compelled to set the record straight and let everyone know that such talk was “hogwash.” 
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Kraft even went so far as to say “that was never in the works…that was just completely made up.” One could be forgiven for being skeptical about that part of Kraft’s statement. After Gronkowski threatened to retire in the offseason – potentially because of his unhappiness with the “Patriot Way” – it would have made sense for the Patriots to explore a Gronkowski trade.
Although Gronkowski (and Tom Brady) reported to the Pats last week, the duo is not expected to reappear for team practices until July. Between now and September, you can expect the Pats and Gronkowski to discuss some revisions to the tight end’s contract. If those talks don’t produce results, the Gronk trade speculation could pick up once again.
Taylor Lewan Skipping Titans’ Minicamp
The Titans’ mandatory minicamp is underway, but Taylor Lewan is not on the practice field. The offensive tackle is staying away from the team as he pushes for a new contract. 
“As we start the mandatory veteran minicamp, we were informed by the representatives for Taylor Lewan that he would not be attending the camp,” GM Jon Robinson said in a statement. “We have had several constructive conversations over the last 5-6 weeks about his contract status. He is currently under contract, and we are working to keep Taylor as part of this organization for a long time.”
Lewan previously indicated that he would not hold out this summer, but his plans have clearly changed. Lewan may be looking for a deal that puts him near top of the heap for all left tackles, and he specifically referenced Nate Solder‘s new contract when discussing his own situation in late May.
“I’m a professional athlete. Obviously you’re going to see those things,” Lewan said in reference to lucrative deals for other offensive tackles. “I see Nate Solder getting the contract he did. That’s awesome.”
Lewan, the former No. 11 overall pick in the 2014 draft, will earn $9.341MM in 2018. He graded out as the seventh-best tackle in the NFL in 2016 and placed 16th last year, according to Pro Football Focus.
Broncos’ Clinton McDonald Takes Pay Cut
Broncos defensive tackle Clinton McDonald accepted a pay cut of $3MM for 2018, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. However, he can earn that back via $2MM in base salary and a $1MM roster bonus by being on the 53-man roster ($140,625/game) and 46-man roster ($46,875/game) for the full season. 
The Broncos’ likely requested the pay cut because of the shoulder injury that has kept the veteran from participating in OTAs. Per the terms of his free agent deal with Denver, McDonald had to pass a physical on or before June 11 in order to guarantee his $4MM salary for 2018. Because he was unable to get the medical greenlight, he is guaranteed just $1MM this year.
McDonald, 31, split time with Chris Baker in Tampa last year and recorded five sacks with 18 tackles. The sack total is impressive, though the advanced analytics at Pro Football Focus were not high on him.
The Broncos project to start Domata Peko in the middle with McDonald and Zach Kerr and/or Kyle Peko in support. DeShawn Williams, who signed a futures deal with the club in January, will also fight to make the final cut, but his path to the 53-man roster may be challenging unless McDonald is unable to play up to par this summer.
Cardinals’ David Johnson Skipping Minicamp
Cardinals running back David Johnson is skipping this week’s mandatory minicamp, league sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Still, there have been discussions regarding a new contract and both sides are hopeful that a deal will come together. 
Johnson scheduled to earn a base salary of $1.8MM in the final year of his deal. After losing the 2017 season to injury, Johnson is understandably concerned about his financial security. If Johnson were to suffer another serious injury this year, he would be left without a safety net and a fairly low floor in free agency, despite all of his past accomplishments.
Even if Johnson gets back to his old form, the Cardinals are armed with the franchise tag, which can be used twice over. In a best case scenario, Johnson may be subject to the whim of the organization and under their control through 2020. If the Cards were to use the franchise tag on Johnson twice (a third tag would likely be too expensive to consider), he would not be in line for unrestricted free agency until the age of 29.
By skipping Tuesday’s practice, Johnson will be subject to a fine of about $14K. It then climbs to roughly $28K on Day 2, and $42K on day three. All in all, Johnson may wind up forfeiting $84K+ if he misses all three days this week. That’s chump change for many players, but that’s not necessarily the case for Johnson, who has earned just $2.3MM in salary over the first three years of his career, despite being one of the best running backs in the game.
Johnson was arguably the league’s best offensive player in 2016 as he racked up more than 2,100 yards from scrimmage and scored 20 touchdowns. He remains one of the NFL’s premier talents at running back, despite missing the majority of the 2017 campaign with a dislocated wrist.
It’s worth noting that Johnson’s lack of service time may prevent him from a prolonged standout with the Cardinals. He could drum up leverage by abstaining from practices, but staying away from the team during the regular season could cost him the games needed to bring him closer to free agency.
Cowboys’ Randy Gregory To Meet With NFL
Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory is set to meet with the NFL this week, sources tell ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. Gregory is expected to speak with several NFL officials, potentially including commissioner Roger Goodell, in New York to discuss his reinstatement. 
Gregory is being represented by Daniel Moskowitz, who also represented former Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington as he gained reinstatement last year. Teammates Tyrone Crawford, Sean Lee, and Jeff Heath also wrote letters in support of Gregory to the NFL. The support of Cowboys players and brass may help his efforts to get back into the league.
“He is one the smartest people to have played this game,” owner Jerry Jones said recently. “This is a tremendous step. He has had that same IQ since he has had these issues. That’s an issue. This is definitely a medical issue. There is no doubt in my mind about the medical. That is another campaign. It’s a pretty circuitous route. It has a lot of discretionary things to determine. There is a lot of subjectiveness. But he is doing very well. He’s got a lot to play for. He has a new baby. He has a lot going for him. He is very astute about knowing that. He has to do what a lot of us have had to do and that is to do better at 24 and 25 than when you were 20.”
The NFL’s substance-abuse policy states that once the reinstatement paperwork has been filed, “all individuals involved in the process will take steps to enable the commissioner to render a decision within 60 days of the receipt of the application.” There have been times where that time frame has been extended, but barring that, we should be getting a resolution on Gregory this summer.
Raiders Sign DT Ahtyba Rubin
The Raiders have signed defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin, according to an announcement from his agency. Rubin finished the 2017 season with the Falcons but will now look to suit up for the fifth team of his NFL career. 
Rubin was set to enter the final year of a three-year, $12MM deal with the Seahawks in 2017. Instead, he was cut in early September. The Broncos signed him later on that month, but he was cut loose after dressing for two games. In October, he hooked on with the Falcons and went on to appear in ten games as a reserve.
In his first Seahawks season (2015), Rubin amassed 36 tackles, two sacks, and finished fourth among the team’s defensive linemen in snaps. In 2016, he once again had a perfect attendance record in the regular season as he racked up 39 tackles, one sack, and three forced fumbles. However, he wasn’t quite living up to the standards of his deal in Seattle. In his ten games for the Falcons last year, Rubin amassed 15 total tackles and zero sacks.
The Raiders will start Eddie Vanderdous and Justin Ellis in the middle of their four-man defensive line. Second-round choice P.J. Hall projects as the first defensive tackle off the bench, but Rubin could push Treyvon Hester, fifth-round pick Maurice Hurst, and the other DTs this summer.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/11/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S Travell Dixon
- Waived/Injured: S Jonathan Owens
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DT Joey Mbu
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Kenneth Durden, OT Jarron Jones
- Cut: OT Tyler Howell
Cowboys, Zack Martin Agree To Deal
Cowboys guard Zack Martin has secured a brand new deal, and it’s a whopper of a contract. The new pact is a six-year extension that will make him the highest-paid guard in the NFL with the largest guarantee of any guard in league history, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
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We’re still waiting on the exact terms, but this means that Martin has surpassed new Jaguars guard Andrew Norwell with more than $13.3MM in average annual compensation. Martin has also bested Norwell’s $30MM in full guarantees at signing.
“We think he’s one of the best offensive linemen in the league,” Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said recently. “Certainly we think the best offensive guard in the league (and) should be paid accordingly.”
With a new deal in hand, the Cowboys can expect Martin to show for work on Tuesday when the team’s minicamp gets underway. They’ll also enter the 2019 offseason without fear of losing Martin to another team on the open market.
The Cowboys have the key pieces of their world-class offensive line locked up for years to come. Martin is signed through 2024, left tackle Tyron Smith and center Travis Frederick are under contract through through 2023, and right tackle La’el Collins is signed through 2019.
The next order of business for the Cowboys could be to work on a new multi-year deal for edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence. However, Lawrence says he is willing to play on the one-year tag in order to cash in on the 2019 free agency market.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Giants, OBJ, Cowboys
The emergence of cornerback De’Vante Bausby could create an interesting scenario for the Eagles, Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com writes. Last week, Bausby was spotted running with the first-team defense as the nickel cornerback over Sidney Jones. Jones’ spot on the roster is secure, but Bausby’s play could force the Eagles to either carry six cornerbacks or trade one of the CBs ahead of him on the depth chart.
Speculatively, Shorr-Parks wonders if Ronald Darby could be displaced. The Eagles wouldn’t cut him outright, but he would make some sense as a trade candidate since he is entering his contract year.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- The Cowboys are nearing an extension with guard Zack Martin, and that could have major consequences for the rest of the roster. Getting a Martin deal done would give the Cowboys some clarity on whether they have enough cap room to work out a trade (and subsequent extension) for Seahawks safety Earl Thomas, Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram tweets. Thomas plans to hold out from the Seahawks’ minicamp, but there has been no recent movement on trade talks between Seattle and Dallas. In theory, a new deal for Martin could change that.
- Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. reported to the Giants‘ facility for his physical on Monday, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). That’s a sign that OBJ’s “plans” to attend minicamp on Tuesday will come to fruition. It remains to be seen if and when the Giants will reach a new multi-year accord with the dynamic offensive star.