It’s June, which means NFL practices have started. Sort of.
Mandatory minicamps got underway this week for most teams — Robert Saleh notably canceled the Jets’ practices after a positive showing at voluntary camp earlier in the month — to give veterans and rookies the chance to vibe in helmets and shorts. These preliminary workouts are more about laying a foundation for the season than any vital Xs and Os, but they still serve a purpose in team building.
There are a few notable veterans who’ve opted to sit these early practices out. Contract disputes mean some valuable starters are skipping these workouts in an effort to press their teams to either offer the long-term extensions they’re seeking or trade them to another franchise that will. And while it’s too soon to be worried about any of these holdouts affecting the regular season, these absences could plant the seeds for roster management turmoil down the road.
So who’s sitting out mandatory minicamp work?
Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Evan Engram
The three most notable absences from June workouts aren’t technically holdouts because they aren’t under contract. Barkley, Jacobs and Engram were each franchise tagged this offseason to keep them from hitting the free agent marketplace. That secures their rights for one year at a cost of the average salary of the top five highest-paid players at their positions.
But none of these three players have signed that tender, delaying that decision in hopes of a more lucrative long term contract extension. Each player is coming off a breakthrough season and has until July 17 to either agree to a new deal, accept their franchise tags or reject them. Barkley has specifically said he won’t sign the $10.1 million pact the Giants are offering and has suggested he could extend his holdout well into the 2023 offseason.
Chris Jones, DT, Kansas City Chiefs
Jones is coming off yet another monster season as an irreplacable cog in the Chiefs front seven. He’s also heading into the final season of a four year, $80 million contract signed in 2020. After a 15.5-sack campaign and his first first-team All-Pro selection, he’s in great position to push Kansas City for a new deal.
Danielle Hunter, EDGE, Minnesota Vikings
Hunter’s name has swirled in trade rumors as a Vikings team in the middle of a minor reset sheds veteran contracts. The three-time Pro Bowler has 45.5 sacks in his last 56 games but has just one season left on his contract with Minnesota. Hunter turns 29 in October, which could make this offseason his last opportunity to earn a multi-year contract and the large guarantees that would come with it.
Lawrence Guy, DT, New England Patriots
Guy has been a staple of Bill Belichick’s defensive front since 2017. His presence re-routing running plays and occupying blockers has been paramount to the success of the players around him. But at age 33 he’s looking for a raise over his $2 million base salary. The Patriots have nearly $15 million in salary cap space with which to play, per Over The Cap.
Connor Williams, C, Miami Dolphins
Williams is set to make $6.5 million this season, but only $2 million of that is guaranteed as he hits the end of a two-year, $14 million pact with the Dolphins. He performed capably after moving from guard to center in his first season in Miami and, at 26 years old, makes a pretty solid case for an extension to remain part of Mike McDaniel’s offense.
