Biggest Takeaways from First Week of Mandatory NFL Minicamps

All across the National Football League, players reported for minicamps over the past week or so. For many of those players, it wasn't about wanting to.

No, they had to, because voluntary camps have transitioned into mandatory ones.

For at least one Pro Bowler, not showing up for those mandatory minicamps came at a very high price—it cost him his job.

It's there that we'll begin our look at the biggest takeaways from the first week of mandatory workouts. For some, it's news involving a big-name player. Or maybe it's a lesser name that could have a huge impact on their team's fortunes this season.

Whatever the reason, these are the June stories that will shape the tales we tell as summer turns to fall.

In Chip We Trust?

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

That Pro Bowler mentioned in the intro who now finds himself in search of a job? It's Philadelphia Eagles guard Evan Mathis, who was embroiled in a dispute with the team over his contract, which would have paid the 33-year-old a base salary of $5.5 million in 2015 and $6 million the following season.

Well, that dispute has now been settled—the Chip Kelly way. With Mathis' outright release from the team.

It was something of a curious move by the Eagles. Yes, Mathis is well on the wrong side of 30, but we're talking about a two-time Pro Bowler who hasn't finished outside the top two at his position in the rankings at Pro Football Focus since 2010.

Mathis' release wasn't hugely surprising, however. Not in the kingdom of King Chip the First, Supreme Ruler of Phillyos.

After all, it's hardly the first head that's rolled since Kelly took over the team. Nick Foles. LeSean McCoy. DeSean Jackson. All were shown the door as Kelly remakes the team in his image.

All the moving and shaking caught the attention of tight end Zach Ertz, according to Geoff Mosher of CSN Philadelphia:

"

If you go against Chip, I’ve think we seen … if you don’t buy in, we’ve seen what happens. Not to say that as a threat in any way, but we want guys that love the process each and every day, whether its June 1 or January 1 or February 6, whatever day the Super Bowl is.

We need guys that are going to come in each and every day and work and I think that’s what we’re building right now.

"

How all the new pieces in Philadelphia will fit together in 2015 is a huge question mark, but one thing's for sure: Whether the Eagles sink or swim in 2015, the credit (or blame) is going to fall squarely in one place.

King Chip.

Sam Bradford's Rehab

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Among the myriad moves Kelly has made over the past few months was the trade with the Rams that sent Nick Foles to St. Louis and brought Sam Bradford to the City of Brotherly Love.

As ESPN.com's Field Yates reported, with Bradford entering the final year of his old-CBA rookie deal—a contract that will have paid Bradford almost $80 million when it expires—the upcoming season is very important for both player and team:

"

The Eagles traded for Sam Bradford this offseason with the presumptive next step being him stepping in as the starter under center (once he is healthy from a torn ACL suffered last preseason). But 2015 -- the final year of his current deal -- serves as an evaluation period for his candidacy as a viable long-term solution.

"

As Yates mentioned, Bradford is working his way back into shape from an ACL tear. Actually, he's working his way back from two—he tore the same ACL about halfway through the 2013 season.

Still, tight end Zach Ertz told ESPN.com's Phil Sheridan that he's been impressed with how Bradford throws the football:

"

The guy can put it wherever he wants. It’s fun running deep and having faith the ball’s going to be exactly where it needs to be. On that 50-yard completion, I didn’t have to do too much – just run as fast as I could. He put the ball exactly where he needed to.

"

Of course, Bradford's arm isn't the issue, and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft has yet to be cleared for full participation in practice. However, Kelly told Nate Davis of USA Today that Bradford's rehab is right on schedule.

"Sam's done a great job, whether it's in the meeting room, it's in the weight room, in the team meetings," Kelly said. "You can see he has those (leadership) skills."

Kelly had better hope Bradford has more than just leadership skills. In addition to Foles, the Eagles also gave the Rams their second-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft.

Duke Johnson Turning Heads

David Richard/Associated Press

The Cleveland Browns turned a head or two in the 2015 NFL draft when they selected Miami running back Duke Johnson in the third round, despite the presence of a pair of young running backs in Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West.

Well, now it's Johnson's turn to turn heads.

Reporting from Browns OTAs, ESPN.com's Adam Caplan wrote that "Duke Johnson has been the most impressive of their RBs. Versatility and explosiveness shows. Will be an interesting RB camp battle."

Johnson has also impressed running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery, who told ESPN.com's Pat McManamon that he intends to take full advantage of Johnson's versatility in 2015:

"

He gives you another dimension. He creates one-on-one problems. We hope he can be a little bit like the kid [Giovani] Bernard in Cincinnati. If he can do that for us, that gives us a different perspective on how we approach the field and gives us a chance to move people around and taking advantage of a mismatch.

"

Yes, it's still early. Many a time we have heard of a player shining in shorts and shells, only to see that player vanish once the hitting starts.

Still, this news is worth keeping in mind as the summer progresses, especially for a Cleveland club that's going to have to run the ball a lot to win football games in 2015.

Dezaster on the Horizon?

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

C'mon. That's a fine play on words, that is.

Of course, it's doubtful that fans of the Dallas Cowboys think it's funny. Nor do they find humor in the contract impasse between the team and wide receiver Dez Bryant taking a dark turn in recent days.

As ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports, Bryant didn't mince words on the NFL Network when asked if his holdout could stretch from the summer to the fall.

"This is no rumor; it's legit," Bryant said.

Bryant's agent, Tom Condon, tried to bit more diplomatic spin on the star receiver's comments.

"I'm just not going to comment about that," Condon said. "Our goal is still to get something done on a long-term basis by the deadline."

As Mortensen points out, this is a strategy that has some precedent—in the Dallas organization, no less:

"

A source cited the option of "pulling an Emmitt Smith," referring to the Cowboys' Hall of Fame running back who missed the first two games of the 1993 season. In that situation, the team gave in when it began the season with two losses, and Smith was signed to a new deal favorable to his side of negotiations. The Cowboys overcame that 0-2 start to win their second straight Super Bowl.

"

It's also an unlikely, albeit distressing possibility.

Yes, Bryant is unhappy that he's slated to play 2015 under the franchise tag after leading the NFL in touchdown catches last season. Yes, it wasn't that long ago (2010) that we saw Vincent Jackson hold out for the first 10 games of a season over a contract beef.

However, Bryant would be leaving a lot of money on the table by holding out, and the two sides have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal.

If that date comes and goes, things could get interesting.

Beantown Boot for Brandon LaFell

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

It happened with little fanfare, but wide receiver Brandon LaFell quietly had a very nice season for the New England Patriots in 2014. His 74 receptions, 953 yards and seven touchdowns were all career bests, and he even caught a touchdown pass in the Patriots' Super Bowl XLIX victory.

However, LaFell has been conspicuously absent from OTA practices, and as Shalise Manza Young of The Boston Globe tweeted, the 28-year-old was spotted at a recent charity event sporting a walking boot on his left foot.

LaFell battled a toe problem at the end of last season, and it could be that he had surgery to remedy the issue. Or perhaps someone dropped an anvil on his foot. Who knows?

It's not like the Patriots are going to tell anyone anything about anything ever.

However, it is only June, so there's not much point in getting deflated about LaFell's prospects in 2015 just yet.

Yes, I went there.

Danny Looking Dandy

John Cordes/Associated Press

When the San Diego Chargers selected Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft, many fantasy football enthusiasts drooled over the possibility of a huge role for Gordon with the Bolts in 2015.

Gordon is going to see the ball plenty this year, but maybe not as much as some think—at least if Danny Woodhead has anything to say about it.

Woodhead, who topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage for the Chargers two years ago, missed most of last season due to a broken leg and ankle injury. However, the 30-year-old has reportedly looked like his old self in OTAs.

Woodhead told ESPN.com's Eric D. Williams that it feels great to be back in action, and that despite hitting the age where many backs fall off the proverbial cliff, he still has more than a little left in the tank:

"

It would be hard to go out there and try and execute if you’re not sure about what you can do. I want to be the same person, and I think I am. That’s the main thing -- getting comfortable and going out and doing it, and then showing yourself that you can do it again. ...

I don’t feel that old. I don’t feel like I’m on my last legs. I feel really good. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve had less touches than a lot of 30-year-old running backs, but I feel really good. I don’t feel like I’m slowing down.

"

For all the yards that Gordon racked up at Wisconsin in 2014, there were a couple of areas in which the youngster sometimes struggled: catching passes and blitz pickups.

Both of those just so happen to be specialties of Woodhead's.

Andre Johnson Feeling Luck-y

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Indianapolis Colts came within a game of the Super Bowl last year (guys, take the banner down—it's embarrassing), and the team added a pair of veteran weapons on offense this spring in running back Frank Gore and wide receiver Andre Johnson.

The 33-year-old wideout has wasted no time acclimating himself to catching passes from an honest-to-goodness NFL quarterback.

According to Mike Wells of ESPN.com, it didn't take long for Johnson and Andrew Luck to get on the same page.

"There's no thinking," head coach Chuck Pagano said. "One knows where the other's going to be. They know the exact spot to put it."

General manager Ryan Grigson, on the other hand, praised the professionalism that both Johnson and Gore have brought to the organization:

"

I just like how they're all business. Those guys are all business. They have Father Time in the rearview mirror. Andre, his catch radius at 229 pounds, 6-3 and change? That guy is impressive. He just goes about his business. He's out here working. He doesn't say a peep. Neither does Frank. They just work. They're not prima donnas by any stretch. They are hungry for a (Super Bowl) ring and that's why they're here. They're lead-by-example type of guys, which we really love.

"

Glowing OTA reports generally should be taken with a grain of salt, but if Gore and Johnson can stay healthy and produce at a level close to what we've come to expect from the Pro Bowlers, the Indianapolis offense is going to be scary in 2015.

Maybe even scary enough to finally take the air out of the Patriots.

Yep. Went there again.

What Can Brown Do for You?

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Last year, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver John Brown was a surprise star for the team as a rookie, reeling in 48 passes for 696 yards and five touchdowns after making all kinds of waves in his first NFL camp.

Well, Brown apparently really enjoys turning heads, because once again Redbirds OTAs have been all about the 5'10", 179-pounder.

In fact, Darren Urban of the team's website wrote that Brown is "being primed to be a star":

"

It didn’t hurt that Michael Floyd protected a hamstring issue late in OTAs and minicamp, giving Brown more reps. But with a little stronger frame and an understanding of what it means to be an NFL wide receiver, Brown is in a good place with his career and in this offense.

"

It isn't just Urban, either. Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Sean Tomlinson also sees big things in store for Brown in 2015:

"

A healthy (Carson) Palmer will boost Brown’s growth, and the 10 pounds of added muscle should make him a more well-rounded receiver. He’ll be able to power through contact, fighting off opposing cornerbacks who jam him at the line of scrimmage.

He has the tools to ascend and one day match (Larry) Fitzgerald’s production under Arians’ watch. Palmer told Alex Flanagan of NFL Network he expects “huge things” from Brown in 2015.

He’s not alone.

"

Arizona head coach Bruce Arians does like his receivers speedy.

A Positive Adrian Peterson Report!

Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

It's been a long time since fans of the Minnesota Vikings saw a report regarding star running back Adrian Peterson that didn't make them wince.

Well, supporters of the Purple and Gold, buck up! There's some good news where the 30-year-old is concerned.

While speaking with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Peterson said he expects to do something in 2015 that he's never really done in the NFL.

Be heavily involved in the passing game.

"With Coach [Norv] Turner's offense, there's so much that he throws out there," said Peterson. "So I'll be more involved in the pass game, being out wide and presenting myself for a checkdown."

That would be a bit of a departure for Peterson. Over the past four seasons, Peterson has averaged only 30 targets a year. He's managed only five receiving scores in eight NFL seasons.

Dump-offs to All Day certainly aren't going to hurt Teddy Bridgewater's chances of continuing to develop in Year 2.

Martin or Sims? Sims or Martin?

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

There are a number of clouded backfield situations across the NFL. The Cleveland Browns. The New York Jets. And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

There's been more than a little speculation that Tampa head coach Lovie Smith might be ready to hand the reins in the ground game over to second-year pro Charles Sims. At least that was the opinion of ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas a few weeks ago:

"

Doug Martin has been the starter the past three seasons. But he's coming off a disappointing season and the coaching staff and front office don't seem sold on a player they didn't draft. They did draft Charles Sims last year and the coaches are very high on him. Sims could end up beating out Martin.

"

However, it appears that someone forgot to tell the Muscle Hamster that he was finished as the Bucs' lead back. As Joe Kania of the team's website reported last week, Martin showed up to OTAs a lean, mean running machine:

"

“Competition out here helps us all,” Martin said in a one-on-one with Buccaneers.com Team Insider Casey Phililps on Thursday. “If you don’t have anybody that’s pushing you then who’s going to make you better? We have Bobby (Rainey), Mike (Jenkins), Dominique (Brown) the rookie, and all of the other running backs – Charles Sims. Everybody’s pushing each other and we’re all going to be better because of it.”

"

Remember, Martin did top 1,400 yards on the ground for the Buccaneers back in 2012. And for all of Sims' prowess as a receiver, he averaged all of 2.8 yards a carry last year.

Rather than a changing of the guard, this could be a case of the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Corey Liuget Gets PAID

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

We'll close this look around OTAs with some good news.

Well, it was good news for San Diego Chargers defensive end Corey Liuget. And his agent. And his accountant.

As NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported (via NFL.com's Chris Wesseling), Liuget hit the proverbial jackpot last week, inking a five-year, $58.5 million extension that includes $30 million in guarantees.

In a statement on the team website, general manager Tom Telesco said it was an easy decision to make:

"

Corey is a consummate team player who goes about his work in an unselfish manner. His preparation and dedication to the game and the Chargers has been evident since day one. Corey is talented, tough and durable, and plays a very important role in our defense. This extension is another reflection of our commitment to investing in our core players and homegrown talent.

"

It's hardly a surprise that the Bolts wanted to lock up a talented young defensive end who's only 25 years old. However, the size of the deal raised a few eyebrows, given that Liuget has never recorded more than seven sacks in a season and ranked a so-so 25th among 3-4 ends in 2014, per Pro Football Focus.

Eyebrows went up across the NFL too. Because for every team with a star defensive end set to hit free agency next year, the baseline for negotiations just went up.