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, 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. 
[RELATED: Latest On Earl Thomas, Cowboys]
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.
Cowboys, Zack Martin Nearing Extension
[UPDATE – Martin and the Cowboys reached agreement on a record-breaking extension]
It appears a new deal for Cowboys guard Zack Martin is on the horizon. Speaking at the team’s rookie luncheon, Cowboys VP Stephen Jones insinuated that the club is on the one-yard line in talks. 
“It’s awfully close. I hope he’ll be out at (minicamp) tomorrow,” Jones said (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News).
A new deal for Martin should place him among the league’s highest paid guards, or possibly make him the highest-paid guard in the league. Martin, who has made the Pro Bowl in each of his four NFL seasons, may top new Jaguars guard Andrew Norwell‘s five-year, $66.5MM deal to make him the kingpin of interior linemen. Even if he falls short in total value, it’s hard to imagine that Martin’s average annual value will be much less than Norwell’s $13.3MM per year.
For now, the 27-year-old (28 in November) is on the books for $9.341MM, per the terms of his fifth-year option. If Martin does not sign an extension and turns in another outstanding season, he’ll be in line for a bidding war on the open market next year. That’s a risk the Cowboys are not interested in taking, particularly with DeMarcus Lawrence in a similar position.
Khalil Mack To Skip Raiders’ Minicamp
The Raiders are not expecting star defensive end Khalil Mack for mandatory minicamp this week, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Mack is staying away from the club as he pushes for a lucrative new contract. 
The absence of Mack, who has averaged 12 sacks per season over the last three years, is likely to be a thorn in the side of new head coach Jon Gruden. The Raiders were supposedly on good terms with the edge rusher, but he is turning up the heat as he pressures the club for an extension.
The Raiders finalized Derek Carr and Gabe Jackson‘s extensions in June of last year, but Mack’s may be more complicated. Aaron Donald and Jadeveon Clowney are the same boat and each could be waiting to see if one of the other 2014 first-rounders sets the market.
“We look at Khalil as his own situation,” GM Reggie McKenzie said recently. “We’re not looking at anybody else. We’re just focusing on our guy.”
As it stands, Mack is slated to reach unrestricted free agency following the 2018 season. He’s scheduled to earn $13.846MM, per the terms of his fifth-year option. His deal accounts for nearly 8% of the Raiders’ salary cap, and he is likely seeking a deal that will give him a similar piece of the pie over a six-year span, even as the cap continues to increase.
Barring a new deal, five 4-3 defensive ends will carry a higher cap number than Mack this year: Calais Campbell (Jaguars), Ezekiel Ansah (Lions), Demarcus Lawrence (Cowboys), Olivier Vernon (Giants), and Cameron Jordan (Saints). Last year, Mack graded out as the fifth best edge rusher in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
OBJ Plans To Attend Giants Minicamp
Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. plans to attend the team’s minicamp, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The mandatory minicamp gets underway on Tuesday. 
Beckham participated in a portion of the Giants’ voluntary OTAs earlier this year, but his plans for mandatory minicamp have been unclear. OBJ is pushing for a new contract extension, and some believed that he would skip minicamp and absorb a significant fine in order to send a message to the Giants. Of course, OBJ’s plans could always change and attendance doesn’t necessarily equal participation. The wide receiver still needs to gain medical clearance on the broken ankle he suffered in 2017.
For now, Beckham is slated to make $8.45MM this season. He’s pushing for a multi-year contract that would likely eclipse the deal signed by Bucs star Mike Evans, which would give him upwards of $82.5MM in total. OBJ’s camp will likely ask for a deal in excess of $90MM and could even try for something in the $100MM range, with 40% of the deal fully guaranteed.
In each of his first three seasons, Beckham had more than 90 catches, 1,300 yards, and ten touchdowns. Last year, Beckham’s injury shut him down after just four contests.
Andre Hal Diagnosed With Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
The Texans announced that safety Andre Hal has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Hal is now discussing treatment options with medical professionals. 
“My faith in God and the support from my family, friends, teammates and coaches will see me through this difficult time,” Hal said. “I will not let this diagnosis stop me from fulfilling my dreams and I do not want anyone to feel sorry for me. I know how to beat this and I will beat it.”
Hal, 26, has been with the Texans since entering the league as a seventh-round pick in 2014. Eventually, he cracked the starting lineup and was rewarded with a three-year, $15MM extension prior to the 2017 season. Last year, Hal started in all 16 games for Houston and set a new career high in total tackles (71) while notching three interceptions.
The Texans will miss having one of their best defensive playmakers in the lineup, but football is the furthest thing from everyone’s mind right now.
“The news of Andre Hal’s diagnosis weighs heavy on the hearts of everyone in the Houston Texans family,” head coach Bill O’Brien said. “Andre epitomizes what it means to be a Houston Texan through his leadership, community involvement and team-first attitude. We are confident that Andre’s resiliency and infectious positivity, along with treatment and care from the best medical community in the world, will guide him through his recovery. The entire Texans organization is behind Andre and his family during this difficult time and we look forward to his eventual return to the team.”
Browns, Duke Johnson Agree To Extension
The Browns and running back Duke Johnson have agreed to terms on a long-term contract extension, sources tell Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a three-year addition worth $15.6MM, including $7.7MM guaranteed. 
With nearly $70MM in cap space, it wasn’t difficult for the Browns to make room for Johnson’s deal. The two sides have been in talks throughout the offseason and a pact came together well in advance of the team’s mandatory minicamp.
If the deal were to start this year, Johnson would be ninth amongst all NFL running backs in terms of annual average value. When the pact kicks in next year, Johnson will probably be just outside of the top ten at his position.
Johnson, 25 in November, has averaged 4.2 yards per carry in his three NFL seasons while playing largely in a backup capacity. In 2017, the Browns often utilized him as a pass-catcher and the results were tremendous. Johnson set new career highs in catches (74) and receiving yards (693) and was a bright spot in an otherwise frustrating season for Cleveland. This year, he’ll serve as the Browns No. 2 ball carrier behind free agent addition Carlos Hyde.
Johnson was initially set to enter the final year of his rookie deal with a modest $2.084MM cap number. He has now received a significant pay bump.
In addition to Hyde and Johnson, the Browns further bolstered the running back group by drafting former Georgia standout Nick Chubb in the second round of last month’s draft.
NFL Suspends Patriots WR Julian Edelman
Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing substances policy, league sources tell Field Yates and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The suspension is now under appeal. 
Edelman, 32, missed all of the 2017 season with a torn ACL. Barring a successful appeal, he’ll have to wait a bit longer to make his return to the field.
Winning an appeal for a PED suspension is tough, but it’s not unprecedented. In 2012, cornerback Richard Sherman made his case and had his four-game ban overturned.
Over the past four seasons, Edelman has averaged 133 targets, 89 receptions, 956 yards, and five touchdowns per year. He was a major part of the Super Bowl-winning squad in 2016, hauling in 98 catches for a career-high 1,106 yards. He was also a force in the postseason, collecting another 21 catches for 342 yards and one touchdown during the Patriots’ three-game run.
The good news for the Patriots is they have a number of options at wide receiver beyond Edelman. The team figures to lean on Chris Hogan, Kenny Britt, Jordan Matthews, and Phillip Dorsett more heavily to start the year while return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson could also see some snaps on offense. Edelman’s ban could improve the odds of others such as sixth-round pick Braxton Berrios, Malcolm Mitchell, and Riley McCarron as they push to make the final cut. Still, this is a definite setback for the Patriots, who already saw Danny Amendola sign with the rival Dolphins.
Edelman is under contract with the club for one more year, per the terms of the two-year, $11MM extension he signed in 2017. If the suspension holds up, he’ll lose out on more than $470K in base pay while missing games against the Texans, Jaguars, Lions, and Dolphins.
Shane Ray To Undergo Wrist Surgery
Broncos edge rusher Shane Ray will undergo wrist surgery which is expected to sideline him for three months, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Given his recovery timeline, Ray may not be available for the start of the 2018 regular season.
The operation was fully expected, as Mike Klis of 9 News recently reported that Ray — who missed eight games with a wrist ailment in 2017 — appeared set for another surgery. For Ray, it’s yet another disappointment in what has already been a discouraging offseason. Denver declined its 2019 fifth-year option on Ray in May, withholding the chance for the 25-year-old to collect north of $5MM in his fifth NFL campaign.
Ray, whom the Broncos selected 23rd overall in 2015, has steadily seen his playing time increase over three pro seasons, and had seen action on nearly three-quarters of Denver’s defensive snaps a year ago before going down with injury. With his wrist hampering him, Ray graded as a bottom-10 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus, and wasn’t able to match or exceed his 2016 production (eight sacks on 58% playing time).
Denver fortified its edge rushing corps by drafting Bradley Chubb with the No. 5 pick earlier this year, and he’ll add depth to a unit that already includes All-Pro Von Miller and Shaquil Barrett. Still, without Ray in tow, it’s possible the Broncos turn to the free agent market in search of another option. Given that they’d likely be looking for players with 3-4 experience, the Broncos might theoretically look at Erik Walden, Willie Young, Ahmad Brooks, Junior Galette, or Connor Barwin.
Ray had been speculatively viewed as a trade candidate given Denver’s depth along the edge, but any deal won’t occur now that Ray is sidelined. Instead, he’s now — depending on how his operation and recovery goes — an (admittedly remote) candidate for the physically unable to perform list. Ray will earn a base salary of ~$1.7MM before hitting the open market next spring.
Tom Brady, Gronk Report To Patriots
As expected, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski were on hand for the Patriots’ Tuesday morning practices. The two stars previously stayed away from voluntary offseason team activities, but it appears that all parties are now on the same page. 
It is widely believed that Gronkowski was abstaining from OTAs in order to push the Patriots for a new contract. No new deal has been reached yet, but that’s likely forthcoming. Gronk, who is signed through the 2019 campaign, is scheduled to earn a base salary of $8MM in 2018, but New England has been working on “tweaking” his deal. The Patriots are expected to add some sort of incentive package to Gronkowski’s pact, as they did last year.
The circumstances behind Brady’s absence are not quite as clear. It has been speculated that the quarterback is angling for a new deal and/or is at odds with head coach coach Bill Belichick. Brady has not confirmed such talk and owner Robert Kraft did his best to sweep those rumors under the rug. Belichick, predictably, has been mum on the subject.
Last year, Brady led the NFL in passing yards en route to his third MVP trophy. While the rumors of discord will continue to swirl in New England, Brady will look to capture his sixth Super Bowl trophy this season.