NFL Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Kirk Cousins, Michael Oher and More

The summer heat giving way to NFL training camps has a way of kickstarting the rumor mill anew.

An old friend like the mill received quite a rest after the chaos of the draft, where the anticipated Myles Garrett-led class came to fruition with little in the way of surprises.

The mill starting up again means fans need to come back, though, especially as it now centers on contracts, camp appearances and other important details like whether franchise players will stick it out with current teams.

Below, let's keep pace with some of the opening offerings from the mill before it hits full speed once again.

Landry's Contract

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Miami Dolphins wideout Jarvis Landry is one of the more important names to watch this summer.

Landry, should he slip to market after next season, would be one of the hottest names available, which is what happens when a guy with north of 200 catches and 2,000 yards over his past two seasons escapes his former team.

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins haven't been proactive on this front, either: "With two weeks before training camp, there’s nothing percolating on the Jarvis Landry contract front at the moment. Miami still hasn’t made an offer to extend his deal beyond this season, although it’s certainly possible that could change in the coming weeks."

Now, normally this wouldn't be the biggest ordeal—the team can just start talking to him about an extension when he arrives at camp, right?

One problem. Landry has made it clear he won't talk to the team about an extension once Week 1 gets underway.

Maybe this isn't a major ordeal for the Dolphins because they plan to slap a franchise tag on him next year if the contracts don't go the way they'd prefer. Rest assured, though, the rest of the league will keep a close eye on the situation.

Target hog underneath or not, Landry is the type of young wideout who can excel in most systems, and at least a handful of teams wouldn't mind doling out the cash he'd ask for on the open market.

Oher-Panthers Drama Continues

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

From the sound of it, the marriage between offensive tackle Michael Oher and the Carolina Panthers isn't over yet.

Oher has been mostly absent from the team since suffering a concussion last year and missing 13 games. The team wouldn't mind having the 31-year-old veteran back to help protect quarterback Cam Newton, but his lengthy recovery from a head injury has been marred by hiccups, including getting arrested in April.

After an appearance at mandatory minicamp in June, Oher's future fell under the silent umbrella again until a Wednesday report from ESPN.com's David Newton: "Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Michael Oher plans to report to training camp on July 25, a league source told ESPN on Thursday."

It's a start to mending the relationship and Oher getting a chance to prove he should get to play out the rest of his three-year deal inked in 2016. That said, his starting right away at right tackle isn't assured—Matt Kalil now mans the left edge, and second-round rookie Taylor Moton isn't going to be easy to beat on the right.

At the least, a team like the Panthers looking for a major turnaround over the course of one offseason shouldn't mind the added competition Oher's return could bring. Once he shows up, it'll be interesting to see if he can compete and to what extent.

The Cousins-Redskins Dance

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Feel free to call Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins the king of the rumor mill.

Cousins has been a fixture of the rumors market for years now because of his inability to come to terms on a long-term deal with the front office.

It's quite the interesting scenario at this point. The Redskins paid him almost $20 million on a tag in 2016 and now they'll pay almost $24 million on a tag this year because they haven't wanted to cave and give him a deal at market value.

It seems like a wash at this point, though, at least given the above numbers. And Cousins dropped another 4,917 yards and 25 touchdowns against 12 interceptions last year. Sure, he threw a crippling interception to end the season, but one could argue he's better than at least a fourth of the starters in the league right now—meaning he's going to eventually make his money on the market no matter what.

That might explain this note from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

Call it the smart move by Cousins. The Redskins aren't going to pay him almost $35 million on another tag next year, and he's still going to post quality numbers as he heads for the age of 29, even if his offense lost someone like DeSean Jackson and added Terrelle Pryor.

Barring a huge turn in talks, look for Cousins to happily pass the upcoming deadline to do a deal with Washington. The negotiations have strung both parties along to the point where one more year under a tag isn't going to ruin anything for Cousins, provided he can avoid an injury.

If Cousins plays under the tag and leads Washington to the playoffs, it's only going to be harder for the Redskins to keep him in town.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com.