Tom Brady Arrives At Gillette Stadium
Tom Brady is in the house. One day prior to the Patriots’ next round of offseason practices, Brady was spotted at the team’s fantasy camp for fans at Gillette Stadium, as Doug Kyed of NESN.com writes. 
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Brady has not explicitly confirmed that he’ll participate in practices on Tuesday, but it certainly sounds like he will after owner Robert Kraft said that he expected Brady to suit up this week. It’s still not clear why Brady has been away from the team, which has led to speculation that the quarterback is angling for a new deal and/or is at odds with head coach coach Bill Belichick.
For what it’s worth, Kraft says “nothing’s changed” with regards to their relationship and “everything is good.” Brady also said that he skipped OTAs, in part, to spend more time with his loved ones.
“Part of this offseason for me is certainly about still preparing for what’s ahead in my next journey, my next mountain to climb with this group of teammates, but it’s also [acknowledging] that a lot of people are getting the short end of the stick in my life — certainly my wife and my kids,” Brady said in May. “Football is year-round for me. It’s a lot of thought, a lot of energy and emotion put into it, but I need to invest in them, too. My kids are 10, 8 and 5. They’re not getting younger, so I need to take time so I can be available to them, too. … I’ve really spent the last two or three months doing those things, and I think I’m really trying to fill my tank up so that when I do go back, I can go back and I think I’ll actually be, in my mind, a better player, a better teammate, because I’ll be really rejuvenated.”
Brady’s decision to skip OTAs came as a shock, but it won’t necessarily hurt his play on the field. Even at age 40, Brady was terrific last year as he led the NFL in passing yards on the way to his third MVP trophy.
Bears To Re-Sign TE Zach Miller
The Bears have re-signed tight end Zach Miller to a one-year contract, according to Mike Florio of PFT. It’s unclear whether Miller will be able to take the field in 2018 – or ever again – but the new deal will provide Miller with additional financial security either way. 
It’s a split contract, according to Florio, which will pay Miller $458K even if he cannot play this year. If he is somehow able to take the field, he’ll make $790K.
Last year, doctors told Miller that he was at risk for losing his leg after he severely dislocated his left knee and tore his popliteal artery. Thankfully, after nine surgeries, Miller’s knee is safe.
Miller has said that he would like to play football again, though he acknowledges that he may be facing an uphill battle.
“[If it doesn’t happen], then that’s just the way it goes and we’ve got to move on and do something else,” Miller said back in February. “Physically I’ve been through a number of surgeries or whatever it may be. I can recover from that. But the mental aspect is something you’ve got to learn how to work it, how to block out some stuff and really just stay positive, which I’ve done a pretty good job doing.”
In all likelihood, an NFL comeback is not in the cards for Miller this season. Instead, this appears to be a class move by the Bears in order to take care of one of their own players.
Miller, who spent the first three seasons of his career as an afterthought in Jacksonville, did his best work over the past three seasons with the Bears starting in 2015. In 2016, Miller caught a career-high 47 passes and 486 yards with four touchdowns. Last year, he was on pace for similar stats with 20 grabs for 236 yards and two TDs before his painful injury in October.
Dez Bryant Unlikely To Sign Until July
Dez Bryant likely won’t sign with a club before training camp begins in July, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Rapoport is told the wide receiver has received plenty of interest, but he’s staying patient until he finds the right opportunity. 
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The right opportunity, for Bryant, means a winning club with the right offense that will give him a one-year prove-it deal. Bryant has been unable to find the one-year deal he is seeking after rejecting a three-year, $21MM offer from the Ravens.
Rapoport’s report indicates that there is in fact a decent market for Bryant. Previously, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter heard that many teams were unwilling to consider the veteran, even at the league’s minimum salary.
Right now, it’s hard to say where Bryant will land. He has lobbied for the 49ers to sign him, but there has been no word of interest from SF. The Bills and Packers, meanwhile, do not appear to have him on the radar, despite the belief of some that he would be a logical fit. As Rapoport notes, a wide receiver injury in practice could open up a door somewhere for Bryant.
Bryant’s dropoff in performance is certainly a factor in his unemployment, but the perception that he has been difficult in the locker room is probably also a barrier to a deal. Even in a down 2017, Bryant managed 69 catches for 838 yards and six touchdowns.
Dolphins, Bobby McCain Agree To Extension
The Dolphins have made Bobby McCain the league’s highest-paid nickelback. McCain has agreed to a four-year, $27MM extension with the team that includes $13MM guaranteed, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 
McCain, a fifth-round pick back in 2015, was slated to enter the final year of his contract. After the Dolphins carved out an additional $17MM thanks to Ndamukong Suh‘s post-June 1 release, the Dolphins quickly moved to put their cap room towards a new deal with the talented young corner.
McCain, 25 in August, has appeared in every Dolphins regular season game over the last three years. Last year, he set new career highs in interceptions (two), passes defensed (seven), and total tackles (45). Pro Football Focus ranked McCain as the 46th best qualified cornerback in the NFL in 2017. He was easily the Dolphins’ best cornerback according to the advanced metrics (and by any measure, really), as he outperformed outside starters Xavien Howard and Cordrea Tankersley.
McCain’s deal bests the four-year, $20MM deal ($8MM fully guaranteed) signed by Patrick Robinson with the Saints this offseason. Although McCain is five years younger than Robinson, it’s impressive that he came away with more considering Robinson’s stellar 2017 performance and the fact that McCain did not have the added leverage of the open market.
The Dolphins project to return Howard and Tankersley as their starters on the outside with McCain covering the slot. First-round safety Minkah Fitzpatrick – who formally inked his rookie deal on Friday – will start in between along with standout strong safety Reshad Jones.
NFL Suspends 49ers WR Victor Bolden
49ers wide receiver Victor Bolden has been suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. For his part, Bolden denies knowingly taking anything banned by the league. 
“Unknowingly, I used a supplement that was on the NFL’s banned substance list. As a professional athlete, I take full responsibility for not verifying the ingredients of the supplement,” Bolden said in a statement issued by the team. “In the future, I will be much better educated when choosing what to put in my body. It hurts to know that I will not be on the field with my team for the first four games of the season.”
The suspension means that Bolden will be out of action until Week 5 when the Niners take on the Cardinals. Before that, he’ll miss contests against the Vikings, Lions, Chiefs, and Chargers.
Bolden, 23, hooked on with the Niners last year as an unrestricted free agent. He wound up returning 19 kicks for 396 yards (20.8 yards per attempt) and four punts for 23 yards.
Bolden’s suspension could give Kendrick Bourne, Max McCaffrey, Richie James, Aaron Burbridge, and other roster hopefuls at the wide receiver position an opportunity to make the initial cut. The Niners project to have Pierre Garcon, Marquise Goodwin, Trent Taylor, second-round pick Dante Pettis, and Aldrick Robinson as their top five WRs.
Adonis Alexander To Enter Supplemental Draft
Virginia Tech has dismissed cornerback Adonis Alexander from its football program due to academic issues, as Andy Bitter of The Roanoke Times writes. Now, Alexander will enter the NFL’s Supplemental Draft, according to agent Andy Ross (on Twitter).
“We wish Adonis the very best as he determines the next steps he wishes to pursue,” head coach Justin Fuente said in a press release.
Alexander’s tenure at Virginia Tech was marred by off-the-field issues. The senior missed three games over the course of his collegiate career due to suspensions and at least one of those bans stemmed from marijuana use. In April, he was forced to watch spring practice from the sidelines as he was ordered to focus on his studies.
As a freshman in 2015, Alexander impressed scouts as he intercepted four passes at the safety position. He followed up with a strong sophomore campaign, but he found himself at odds with coaches in 2017 and was hit with a two-game ban for not living up to the “expectations” of Fuente. He was also held back by a hamstring injury suffered in November.
The supplemental draft allows teams to select players who, for one reason or another, were barred from entering the regular draft in the spring. When a team selects a player in the supplemental draft, they forfeit the corresponding pick in the regular draft next year.
It remains to be seen whether a team will sacrifice a 2019 draft pick in order to take a flier on Alexander, who has lots of baggage to go along with his size and talent. No team has made a selection in the supplemental draft in the last three years.
Browns Meet With Mychal Kendricks
The Browns will meet with linebacker Mychal Kendricks on Friday, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The Browns scheduled a visit with Kendricks earlier this week and his powwow with the team means that his previous meetings with the Vikings and Raiders have not yielded a deal – at least, not yet. 
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Kendricks, ostensibly, is looking for a decent payout on his next deal. He also says that he’s looking for significant playing time.
“I kind of understood the situation,’ Kendricks told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “It’s something that I’ve been asking for. … I didn’t ask to be released but I asked for a trade a year prior to this. So, yeah, I’m trying to be in a situation where I can play a big role and really contribute.”
With the Browns, Kendricks would join a linebacker group that is presently headlined by Jamie Collins, Christian Kirksey, Joe Schobert, and James Burgess. The Browns may also represent his best opportunity at a big payday as they are armed with a league-high $71MM in cap space. That’s significantly more money to work with than most teams and nearly $20MM more than the Colts, who have the second-most cap room in the NFL.
Last year, Kendricks had 51 tackles and two sacks in 15 games for the Eagles. He also earned a start in the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory and finished the game with four tackles.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/1/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Sherman Badie
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Jaeden Graham
- Waived/injured: DL Joey Ivie
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Chris Board
- Waived: DE Da’Sean Downey
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived from injured reserve: TE Zach Conque
Packers Notes: Lewis, Bell, McCarthy
Not every late offseason signing makes the cut, but it sounds like Marcedes Lewis will probably be a keeper for Green Bay. The veteran tight end’s one-year, $2.1MM deal includes a $500K signing bonus, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. Lewis will also earn another $500K bonus if he’s on the team’s opening day roster.
Lewis, a powerful run blocker, figures to do the dirty work while Jimmy Graham racks up yards in Aaron Rodgers‘ offense. The 34-year-old wasn’t expecting to be released by the Jaguars this year, but he did manage to find a landing spot with another contender.
Here’s more from Green Bay:
- Offensive tackle Byron Bell also seems fairly likely to make the final cut given the terms of his contract. Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets that Bell will earn a $500K signing bonus on his one-year deal. He’ll see $850K in base salary with an overall cap charge of $1.712MM. The Packers signed Bell earlier this week, which could signal that right tackle Bryan Bulaga is behind schedule in his recovery.
- Historically, the Packers have been shy in free agency. Under the watch of GM Brian Gutekunst, the team appears to be more willing to make outside additions. Head coach Mike McCarthy is in favor of the change in philosophy. “I think it goes back to Brian’s comments and just the conversations we had,” McCarthy said (via Ryan Wood of USA Today). “Player acquisition is a 12-month process, and there’s definitely a pool of players that come available at this time of year.”
- Rodgers may seek a player option in his next contract with the Packers.
Chargers Sign Derwin James
The Chargers have wrapped up their entire draft class. On Friday, the Chargers inked first-round safetyDerwin James (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). 
Per the terms of his slot as the 17th overall pick, James will earn $12.39MM over the course of his four-year deal. The pact includes a $7.1MM signing bonus as well a fifth-year team option, since James was a first-round choice.
James made a name for himself immediately at Florida State when he tallied 91 total tackles and 4.5 sacks as a true freshman. A knee injury cost him the bulk of his sophomore year, but he returned last year and put up 84 tackles, two interceptions, eleven passes defended, and a sack. Early on in the draft process, some anticipated that James would go in the top ten. At No. 17, the Chargers may have gotten a steal.
James projects to start at free safety for the Chargers, joining Jahleel Addae in the middle of the secondary. They’ll be flanked by cornerbacks Jason Verrett and Casey Heyward.
Using PFR’s draft pick signing tracker, here’s the full rundown of the Chargers’ 2018 draft class:
- 1-17: Derwin James, S (Florida State): Signed
- 2-48: Uchenna Nwosu, LB (USC): Signed
- 3-84: Justin Jones, DT (North Carolina State): Signed
- 4-119: Kyzir White, S (West Virginia): Signed
- 5-155: Scott Quessenberry, CB (UCLA): Signed
- 6-191: Dylan Cantrell, WR (Texas Tech): Signed
- 7-251: Justin Jackson, RB (Northwestern): Signed