Latest On Panthers TE Greg Olsen
When Panthers GM Dave Gettleman gets back from vacation this week, his first order of business will be to work on an extension with linebacker Thomas Davis, a source tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Meanwhile, the team has not discussed a new deal with tight end Greg Olsen and Gettleman has yet to show any indication that he is willing to give him a reworked contract. 
Olsen is hoping for a new deal that will reflect his status as one of the game’s most productive tight ends. The 32-year-old is scheduled to earn base salaries of $6.5MM in the next two seasons while counting for $10.35MM and $9.75MM on the Panthers’ salary cap in those respective years. The three-year extension that Olsen signed prior to the 2015 season included a $12MM signing bonus, so the Panthers might not be so quick to give him additional money for the next two years.
Recently, when discussing his contract situation, Olsen did not rule out the possibility of a training camp holdout. Over the weekend, agent Drew Rosenhaus also hinted at the possibility, cautioning that players like Olsen do not want to “exercise” their “leverage” unless it’s necessary. If Olsen skips camp, he’ll be docked $40K for every day he misses.
Davis, 34, said earlier this summer that he is hoping for an extension that will take him beyond 2017. The veteran is coming off of his second straight Pro Bowl appearance after totaling 106 tackles, three picks, and two fumble recoveries.
NFL Window Nearly Closed For Greg Hardy
Greg Hardy was scheduled to participate in last weekend’s Spring League Showcase, but he did not take the field with the other NFL hopefuls in California. Instead, Hardy is choosing to focus on his MMA training, agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Mike Florio of PFT. 
Hardy still hopes to get a chance in the NFL, Rosenhaus says, but both the player and his rep are being realistic about the odds. The agent is hoping that the former Panthers and Cowboys defensive end will get a call from an interested team in the next month, but there’s no reason to think that there will suddenly be a groundswell of interest.
Hardy received zero bites from any teams last offseason after starting 12 games for the Cowboys in 2015. He’s now even further removed from live action but he’s just as toxic as he was before from a PR perspective. There’s also the matter of his perceived attitude problem. Even when he was bestowed with a second chance with the Cowboys, Hardy was reportedly irritable and frequently late for practice.
As talented as he is, teams feel they have little incentive to kick the tires on Hardy. Barring a miracle, it sounds like Hardy will be devoting himself to cage fighting full time rather than pursuing a return to the gridiron.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott Involved In Fight
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was involved in a late-night incident at a Dallas bar Sunday, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. The news was first reported by 105.3 FM The Fan in Dallas. 
[RELATED: Elliott To Receive Suspension For Domestic Violence Accusations?]
Elliott was not arrested or detained following the altercation, but this is terrible timing for the running back as he faces a potential suspension for accusations of domestic violence. The NFL has been known to levy punishments even when the legal system does not see fit to do so and this bar fight may increase the likelihood of a multi-game suspension.
According to a statement from the Dallas Police, officers were called to a disturbance on Sunday in which a 30-year-old male victim said he was assaulted but he did not know who hit him. The victim was taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries. No arrests were made and nobody was listed as a suspect, but the investigation is ongoing.
Last week, it was reported that that Elliott could face a one- or two-game suspension from the league. It would make sense for the NFL to levy its punishment sooner rather than later so that Elliott can have time before Week 1 to go through the appeals process, but this latest incident could gum up the works even further.
PFR Glossary: Supplemental Draft
If you weren’t paying close attention, you might have missed this year’s supplemental draft entirely. That’s because all 32 NFL teams passed up the opportunity to select either of the two players who were eligible. Although this year’s draft lacked excitement, we’ve been getting lots of requests from readers in recent days to break down the supplemental draft and explain how it works. 
The supplemental draft allows NFL 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. For example, if a team selected a player in the sixth round of the supplemental draft this year, they would have had to give up their 2018 sixth round selection.
The 2017 draft marked the second consecutive year in which there were no players chosen in the supplemental draft. No one came off of the board in 2016 either, and that was a bit of a surprise since Purdue defensive tackle Ra’Zahn Howard was up for grabs. Howard wound up signing with the Texans after the draft ended (he even received a signing bonus), but he was dropped before the team dropped down to a 75-man roster.
Of course, that’s not to say that the supplemental draft is a pointless exercise. In 2015, the Rams selected Clemson offensive tackle Isaiah Battle with a fifth-round choice. The 6’6″ tackle has yet to break out, but he did spend time on the Rams’ 53-man roster and practice squad. Currently, he is on the Chiefs’ 90-man roster and looking to make the final cut.
In the past, teams have found some gems in the supplemental draft. In 2011, the Raiders selected Ohio State quarterback and future standout NFL receiver Terrelle Pryor. In 2012, the Browns used a second round pick to take the talented and troubled Josh Gordon. Other supplemental draft alums include quarterback Bernie Kosar (Browns, 1985), wide receiver Cris Carter (Eagles, 1987), running back Bobby Humphrey (Broncos, 1989), wide receiver Rob Moore (Jets, 1990), nose tackle Jamal Williams (Chargers, 1998), and linebacker Ahmad Brooks (Bengals, 2006).
There wasn’t much to see in these last two supplemental drafts, but next year’s iteration could give way to future NFL stars.
Note: This is a PFR Glossary entry. Our glossary posts explain specific rules relating to free agency, trades, or other aspects of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
NFL Suspends Vikings WR Michael Floyd
The Vikings will not have Michael Floyd to start the season. The wide receiver has been suspended for the first four games of the 2017 campaign, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Floyd recently completed a stint in house arrest stemming from his DUI conviction. During the house arrest, Floyd failed a drug test for alcohol. The wide receiver blamed kombucha (a fermented tea) for the positive result and the Vikings supported his claim. He received just one day in jail for his infraction, but it will still be a while before he takes the field thanks to the four-game ban.
It was expected that Floyd would serve no less than a two-game suspension for driving while intoxicated. However, the league has gone for an even harsher penalty in light of how drunk he allegedly was at the time of the arrest. NFL policy allows lengthier bans when in cases where a player’s blood alcohol content is above .15. Floyd’s was at .217, a level that put him into Arizona’s “Super Extreme DUI” category.
The Vikings have Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Jarius Wright, and Laquon Treadwell as their top receivers, but Floyd is pushing to make the cut as the WR5 on Minnesota’s depth chart. The one-time Cardinals WR2 faces competition from Isaac Fruechte and late draft picks Rodney Adams and Stacy Coley for a roster spot.
Floyd will be eligible to return to the Vikings’ active roster on Monday, October 2 following the team’s October 1 game against the Lions. Between now and then, he will be eligible to participate in all preseason practices and games.
NFL Suspends Rams WR Mike Thomas
Rams rookie wide receiver Mike Thomas has been suspended for the first four games of the season, per a club announcement. Thomas’ ban stems from a violation of the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances. 
The Rams selected Thomas with their final pick in the 2016 draft, a sixth-round selection at No. 206 overall. Thomas’ roster spot was anything but guaranteed and today’s news puts him in real jeopardy of not making the cut. The Rams have at least four locks to make the team at wide receiver in Robert Woods, Tavon Austin, third round pick Cooper Kupp, and fourth round pick Josh Reynolds. Pharoah Cooper and a host of other WRs are also vying to stick on the 53-man roster.
Last year, Thomas appeared in 15 games as a special teamer. He returned nine kicks for 180 yards, good for an average of 20 yards per return. His longest kick return was a 41-yard effort against the Falcons in December.
Redskins Fighting Over Kirk Cousins’ Value
We have a new management structure in Washington, but it appears that everyone is not on the same page. With days to go before the extension deadline, there is internal disagreement over Kirk Cousins’ true value, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. 
[RELATED: Why The Transition Tag Isn’t A Real Option For The Redskins In 2018]
The top decision makers in D.C. have not been aligned on Cousins’ value for years now. In 2015, Jay Gruden had to slug it out with the front office to have Cousins slotted in as the team’s No. 1 quarterback over Robert Griffin III. Heading into the 2016 season, the Redskins missed on an opportunity to sign Cousins to a relatively reasonable multi-year deal, opting instead for the softer commitment of a one-year franchise tender. This time around, Cousins has grounds to become the league’s highest-paid player and management is split on the best course of action.
Both sides are reportedly comfortable with the idea of Cousins playing out the 2017 season for $24MM. After that, the Redskins could cuff Cousins once again via the $28MM transition tag or the $34MM franchise tag. On Friday morning, we explained why the transition tag probably won’t do much for the Redskins.
Raiders Sign Two Players
The Raiders announced the signings of running back John Crockett and offensive lineman Kareem Are. The team also confirmed the previously reported addition of linebacker Brady Sheldon.
Are was a two-year starter at Florida State and earned an All-ACC Second Team nomination in his final year on campus. He participated in the Raiders’ rookie minicamp in May as a tryout player and, like Sheldon, he finds himself with a contract here in July.
Crockett’s initial entry into the league came when he signed with the Packers as an undrafted free agent in May 2015. Unfortunately, he has been slowed by injury in the NFL and was forced to miss the entire 2016 season. He has nine carries for 21 yards in the NFL with all attempts coming over the course of two games as a rookie. As a senior at North Dakota State in 2014, Crockett set school records for all-purpose yards (2,419), rushing yards (1,994) and rushing attempts (368).
The Raiders’ roster is now back to the 90-man max following some roster shuffling earlier this month.
Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott To Receive Ban?
There is a “growing sense” that Ezekiel Elliott could be hit with a short suspension in the coming weeks, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (video link) reports. The Cowboys running back is personally bracing for the possibility that he could miss the start of the 2017 regular season. 
[RELATED: DeAngelo Williams Rules Out Four Teams, Including Cowboys]
The Cowboys open the season against the rival Giants before facing the Broncos in Week 2. At this time, Schefter gets the feeling that Elliott will miss one, if not both of those games. Still, the NFL has yet to make a final determination on the matter and nothing will be decided until the investigation is wrapped up.
Last year, a woman accused Elliott of abusing her on two separate occasions in 2016. He was never arrested or charged for either supposed incident, but the NFL requires much less evidence to levy punishment than the American legal system. Given the league’s ugly history with domestic violence, they are not taking the accusations against the young star lightly.
Elliott, 22 later this month, ran for a league-leading 1,631 yards off of 322 carries last year with 15 touchdowns. He supplemented that incredible stat line with 32 catches for 363 yards and one score.
Latest On Redskins, Kirk Cousins
The Redskins are looking to lock up Kirk Cousins beyond his one-year, ~$24MM deal, but they are doing so with the knowledge that they can also retain him in 2018 via the transition tag or the franchise tag. The $28MM transition tag would be the cheapest option, but it would not disincentivize teams from signing Cousins to an offer sheet, nor would it give the Redskins any compensation if they choose not to match. 
[RELATED: Redskins, Cousins OK With One-Year Deal]
In fact, the transition tag might not be a viable option for the Redskins at all. Two GMs tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) they believe some team out there would use a mammoth roster bonus on Cousins in 2018 to make it hard for the Redskins to match.
Between next year’s projected cap increase and the insane amount of rollover possessed by some teams, it could be very difficult for the Redskins to yank Cousins back after applying the transition tag. The 49ers, who have been connected to Cousins for some time now, will be rolling over nearly $67MM in cap space for 2018. The Browns and Jaguars, two more teams with serious question marks under center, will be rolling over $50MM and $44MM, respectively. The Redskins project to have $54.7MM cap room in 2018, but their rollover amounts will pale in comparison to those clubs and others, putting them at a relative disadvantage.
The Redskins’ only viable approach next offseason might be to use franchise tag. With the exclusive tag, the Redskins can keep teams away from the quarterback and guarantee that he will be in the building for the 2018 season. By using the non-exclusive franchise tag, the Redskins will have the first right of refusal and, if they decline to match an offer sheet, they will be entitled to two first-round picks from the team that signs him. In either case, they’re looking at a one-year, $34MM tender.
Cousins’ camp is well aware of the available cap room that will be out there in 2018 and that is certainly having an impact on negotiations. It has been suggested that a full guarantee of $52MM – the combined value of this year’s franchise tag and next year’s transition tag – could be the floor for talks. Instead, Cousins’ team could be pushing for upwards of $58MM guaranteed at signing, plus aggressive cash flow to give Cousins 70% or more of his money in the first three years of the pact.
If the two sides cannot reach agreement by Monday, they will not be allowed to discuss an extension until after the 2017 season. Right now, an accord seems unlikely.