Dez Drama
When it comes to getting paid, Dez Bryant doesn’t mess around.
Like many disgruntled players before him, the Cowboys wide receiver is holding out for a new contract—even if it means missing regular season games. Bryant’s agent Tom Condon said he isn’t bluffing: “With my conversations with him he is willing to miss regular season games."
It’s rare for holdouts to stretch into the regular season but not unprecedented. Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith took that approach in 1993 by sitting out the Cowboys’ first two games. Smith’s story did have a happy ending, though. The Cowboys went 0-2 in his absence but bounced back to win their second straight Super Bowl. Smith rushed for 1,486 yards and was named the NFL MVP.
By botching DeMarco Murray’s free agency and failing to address running back in the draft, the Cowboys have become painfully one-dimensional on offense. Take Bryant out of the equation and Dallas is left with a quarterback with a balky back (Tony Romo), an aging tight end (Jason Witten) and some other spare parts. None of that screams “Super Bowl contender.”
Several players in contract disputes caved this week (see Tashaun Gipson and Eric Weddle) so they wouldn’t get fined for missing minicamp. Because Bryant hasn’t signed his franchise tender yet, the fine doesn’t apply to him. The same goes for Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who also skipped mandatory minicamp this week.
Bryant’s franchise tag is worth $12.82 million, which computes to roughly $800,000 per game. Among wide receivers, only Calvin Johnson will earn more this season.
With so much money at stake, owner Jerry Jones is confident Bryant will come to his senses and return before the season opener against the Giants. “I have no doubt that he'll be leading the way against the New York Giants," said Jones. "We just know how competitive Dez is and how much he wants to beat the Giants and how much he wants to support his teammates."
2016 has the potential to be a massive year for free agent wide receivers with Bryant, T.Y. Hilton, Alshon Jeffery, Julio Jones, and Demaryius Thomas all expected to hit the market. When asked about a contract extension, Hilton recently said, “If [the Colts] want to pay me, they’ll pay me.” Meanwhile, Peyton Manning has urged Denver’s front office to get Thomas squared away.
Thomas and Bryant both received the franchise tag and have until July 15 to sign long-term deals. Bryant’s current ADP on Yahoo is 9.4, making him a late first-rounder. We’ll see if that changes in the coming weeks.
Mathis, Eagles Part Ways
Eagles head coach Chip Kelly is a man of action. He proved it again by cutting All-Pro guard Evan Mathis.
The Eagles offered the two-time Pro Bowler a $1 million raise but Mathis never gave it much thought. Fed up by the cat and mouse game, Kelly canned Mathis just before the start of mandatory minicamp.
Of course, Kelly spun a different tale, telling reporters that Mathis asked to be released, though he later admitted it was a “money issue.”
Former teammate Malcolm Jenkins didn’t mince words in his criticism of Mathis: “If you don't want to be on the team, then by all means go somewhere else.” Jason Kelce was a little more supportive: “[Mathis] hasn't made this at all a distraction to the team, he hasn't ever been a bad teammate.”
Several teams have inquired about Mathis including the Bills, Dolphins, Patriots and Rams. Mathis would have earned $5.5 million this year and it sounds like he’ll be looking for at least that much in free agency.
The Eagles may not have thought so, but Mathis is worth his high asking price. The 33-year-old received PFF’s second-highest grade for an offensive guard last season.
Philadelphia’s impressive stable of halfbacks can’t be thrilled by the downgrade at left guard. Mathis’ replacement, Allen Barbre, played just 33 snaps last season. Right guard will be just as chaotic with Andrew Gardner, Dennis Kelly and Matt Tobin all vying for playing time. That spot used to be occupied by Todd Herremans but Kelly cut him after a lackluster 2014 campaign.
Bennett Arrives at Camp
Teams across the NFL had their mandatory minicamps this week. For players like Martellus Bennett, that meant accepting defeat.
The Pro Bowl tight end stayed clear of OTAs, hoping the gesture would get the Bears’ attention. Though he certainly deserved one after leading all tight ends in receptions last year, Chicago never offered him a raise. That meant Bennett could either A) holdout and face a $72,920 fine or B) suck it up and go to minicamp.
Bennett chose the latter. The 27-year-old defended his contract demands by offering a unique perspective on capitalism: “I think every American, every person in the whole world should be trying to get a new contract. And if they’re not, it’s silly.”
ESPN’s Rich Campbell said Bennett looked rusty in his return to practice on Tuesday but it shouldn’t take long for him to get up to speed. The real question is, what will Bennett’s role be?
From a target perspective, the Bears lost Brandon Marshall this offseason but gained Eddie Royal and Kevin White. Alshon Jeffery remains Jay Cutler’s No. 1 target. Royal presents more of a threat than White. He mostly operates out of the slot, which is where Bennett made his bacon as Cutler’s check-down man last season. Besides, White is currently No. 4 on the wide receiver depth chart behind Jeffery, Royal and Marquess Wilson.
Cutler may need a strong training camp to keep his job. Last month, offensive coordinator Adam Gase called Jimmy Clausen a “perfect fit” for the Bears’ offense. If Clausen isn’t the answer, the Bears could always look elsewhere for quarterback help. Mike Glennon is a possibility. The Buccaneers don’t need him anymore after drafting Jameis Winston with the No. 1 pick.
AFC Quick Hits: Former Patriots and Bills linebacker Brandon Spikes (the subject of last week’s Bump and Run) is facing four charges related to a hit-and-run. He recently sold his 2011 AFC Championship ring for $19,499 on eBay. Coincidence? … New England WR Brandon LaFell wore a protective boot at last week’s OTAs. Don’t expect the Patriots to provide any clues on his status … Video of Tom Brady dancing (poorly) to Fetty Wap’s Trap Queen at the Patriots’ championship ring celebration made the rounds on social media … The Patriots and Chargers were so satisfied with how things went at minicamp they decided to close shop early. Neither team will be on the field Thursday … The Johnny Manziel money sign is no more. The Cleveland quarterback said he’s retiring the famous hand gesture … Manziel fumbled three of six snaps during a brutal sequence at Tuesday’s minicamp. All of those snaps came in shotgun … Pro wrestler Seth Rollins spotted Manziel in the crowd at Monday’s WWE event and called him “Johnny Idiot Face.” We’ll see if that nickname sticks … ESPN’s Adam Caplan said rookie Duke Johnson was the Browns’ “most impressive” running back at OTAs. He’s outplayed both Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West … Speaking of West, the second-year halfback had serious beef with Ben Tate last season. Browns RB coach Wilbert Montgomery said the two would “get into it” in the locker room and at meetings. Tate tried out for the Lions last week but is still looking for work … After skipping OTAs, Tashaun Gipson arrived at minicamp with a hamstring injury. Browns coach Mike Pettine was none too pleased: “It's disappointing to not be here and then show up with an injury.” … Ravens RB Justin Forsett will head to Aurora, Ohio next week to speak at the Rookie Symposium. He’ll be joined by Mike Adams, Larry Fitzgerald, Brandon Marshall and Jordan Matthews … Chiefs safety Eric Berry finished his cancer treatments last month and recently hosted a youth football camp with teammate Travis Kelce. Berry left the team in December after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma … The Titans cut the cord on Shonn Greene, opening the door for second-year RB Bishop Sankey. Greene totaled just 687 rushing yards last season … Bills T Seantrel Henderson missed Tuesday’s minicamp because of travel issues. “You always tell guys, especially when you’re coming up heading north and all that type of stuff, always try to prepare a little bit,” said coach Rex Ryan. “I’ll talk to him about that.”
NFC Quick Hits: Eagles QB Sam Bradford said if he isn’t ready for 11-on-11 drills by the time training camp starts on August 2, something will have gone “terribly wrong.” Bradford is no stranger to things going “terribly wrong” … Eagles TE Zach Ertz got some pointers from former Chiefs and Falcons star Tony Gonzalez this offseason. "I kind of just cold texted him one day, asking if he would be willing to meet with me, sit down and have lunch with me and luckily for me he was willing," said Ertz … Philly Magazine’s Sheil Kapadia expects DeMarco Murray to get about 17 carries a game this season. Last year in Dallas he averaged 24.5 … Bucs running back Doug Martin is dropping his “Muscle Hamster” nickname. He’s also slimmed down to five percent body fat this offseason … The Buccaneers are thinking of using Henry Melton at defensive end. He played defensive tackle with the Bears and Cowboys … Bucs LB Danny Lansanah stole the show at OTAs last week. Teammate Bruce Carter called him an “interception master” … The Buccaneers grabbed Tim Wright off waivers after the Patriots cut him. Tampa Bay was one of ten teams to put in a claim … Panthers left tackle Michael Oher had some harsh words regarding the movie that made him famous. Here’s what he had to say about The Blind Side: “People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie. They don't really see the skills and the kind of player I am” … The Panthers signed LB Thomas Davis to a two-year extension. He was PFF’s fifth overall 4-3 outside linebacker last season … NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan took a stab at guessing the Giants’ backfield distribution. He’s predicting a 45-40-15 split between Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen and Andre Williams … Vernon Davis said the 49ers’ game plan hurt his production last year. “I wasn't really ever a factor in the offense last year," said Davis. "The first game, yeah. But the second game, the tight ends [weren't] really involved as a whole” … QB coach Wade Wilson called Brandon Weeden the Cowboys’ most improved player this offseason. The 31-year-old posted a 85.7 passer rating in 2014 … Roddy White insisted the Falcons won’t throw the ball “35-to-40 times a game” like they did last year. We’ll believe it when we see it … As punishment for “excessive levels of on-field physical contact” at last year’s minicamp, the Seahawks scheduled just one day of minicamp this year … ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky said Matt Blanchard is “far ahead” of rookie QB Brett Hundley. That puts Hundley fourth on Green Bay’s depth chart behind Aaron Rodgers, Scott Tolzien and Blanchard … Justin Blalock, Jason Campbell and Mike Pollak all decided to hang up their cleats this week … Patrick Peterson said he struggled with low blood sugar last season. The Arizona cornerback suffers from diabetes … Adrian Peterson said he’s expecting more targets this year. The Vikings RB has only caught five touchdowns in eight seasons … Former Rams draft pick Michael Sam was placed on the suspended list after leaving his CFL team, the Montreal Alouettes.