Darnold, Donald become holdouts as clubs open camp
There was no sign of Sam Darnold as the New York Jets opened training camp.
The No. 3 overall pick in the NFL draft officially became a contract holdout when the team began its first practice of the summer Friday without its prized rookie quarterback.
Darnold joins Chicago linebacker Roquan Smith, the No. 8 choice, as the only unsigned picks from the entire draft.
Under the NFL’s labor agreement, contract holdouts are uncommon because deals are slotted based on draft position. Darnold will receive a four-year, fully guaranteed contract worth $30.247 million, including a $20 million signing bonus.
The dispute hangs on contract language. If a player is cut during his rookie contract, offset language provides the team with financial protection. Not having offset language allows a player to receive his salary from the team that cut him, as well as get paid by another team that signs him.
Offset language is common in rookie deals. Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick by Cleveland, and Josh Allen, seventh pick by Buffalo — the quarterbacks drafted before and after Darnold — have offsets in their contracts.
The 21-year-old Darnold is expected to compete for the Jets’ starting job with 39-year-old Josh McCown, the incumbent who is coming off the best season of his career, and Teddy Bridgewater, working his way back from a severe knee injury nearly two years ago.
Rams: Aaron Donald did not report for the first practice of training camp, the star defensive tackle’s second consecutive year holding out.
The NFL defensive player of the year is seeking an enormous new contract from the Rams, who are in active discussions with Donald’s agents. Donald is due to make nearly $6.9 million this season in the fifth year of his rookie deal.
Titans: Locked up twotime Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan with a deal making him the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman for the moment.
The team did not disclose terms, but multiple reports say it’s a five-year deal worth $80 million with $50 million guaranteed. That tops the four-year, $62 million deal Nate Solder got from the Giants in March.
Lewan, 27, was the 11th overall selection out of Michigan in 2014.
Falcons: Agreed to a fiveyear, $75 million contract extension with left tackle Jake Matthews. The 26-yearold Matthews was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2014 draft. He has started in each of his 63 games while serving the key role of protecting quarterback Matt Ryan.
Chargers: Cornerback Jason Verrett, who has been plagued with knee injuries the past two seasons, suffered an injury — possibly a torn Achilles tendon — during conditioning drills Friday.
Verrett, a former firstround pick and Pro Bowler, has had two knee operations that forced him to miss almost all of last season and most of the 2016 campaign.
Verrett joins tight end Hunter Henry as the second Chargers player to be lost for the 2018-19 season.
Texas’ 2020 class was started when four-star quarterback Hudson Card pledged to the Longhorns on May 25. The 6-foot-2, 167pound athlete from Lake Travis is the No. 2-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the nation, per 247Sports Composite, and No. 16 on the Next 25. Card spent his sophomore season at wide receiver. He’ll become the starting quarterback for the Cavaliers in 2018.
The 2019 class is essentially halfway done as the dead period ends. Tom Herman’s program holds 13 commitments. The targets for the rest of the class, for the most part, are already identified and have been offered scholarships.
The Longhorns are beginning to identify their top targets in the 2020 class. Here is an early look at the top target at each offensive position for 2020:
Malik Hornsby, quarterback, Houston Austin
FYI: 6-2/175; 4 stars; No. 3 dual-threat QB in nation Offers: 13 Other targets: Young
It’s possible Texas will close up shop at quarterback after the commitment of Card. But it hasn’t stopped the pursuit of Hornsby, who camped at Texas after Card committed. The Longhorns took two quarterbacks in the 2018 cycle and are taking only Roschon Johnson in the 2019 class. Two quarterbacks aren’t out of the question, and Hornsby is on record as saying he doesn’t mind being part of a two-quarterback class. Landing Card and Hornsby would be a home run for Texas in the 2020 class, as the two are the best quarterback prospects in the Bryce state. The decision is likely to depend on how the quarterback depth chart shakes out the next two seasons.
Zachary Evans, running back, Galena Park North Shore
FYI: 5-11/203; 5 stars; No. 1 on Next 25 Offers: 34 Other targets: Mookie Cooper, Kendall Milton
The best player in Texas is the top target in the 2020 class, and the Longhorns are in good position. Evans is the highest-rated running back from the state since Adrian Peterson. He already excels among his peers, even at elite national camps with the best 2019 prospects from around the nation. He began his career as a slot receiver, and that versatility gives him three-down potential. He can also split wide in the slot, as with NFL teams that are starting to use athletic running backs in empty sets. Evans has his choice of schools, and this recruitment will last well into his senior season.
Demond Demas, wide receiver, North Forest
FYI: 6-4/200; 5 stars; No. 2 on the Next 25 Offers: 48 Other targets: Troy Omeire, Ja’Quinden Jackson, Joel Williams
Texas is chasing 2019 offensive tackle Javonne Shepherd from North Forest. The team that lands Shepherd is in great position to add Demas, the state’s top wide receiver prospect and a long jump champion. Shepherd is looking hardest at Texas and Texas A&M. Demas holds offers from nearly every major program in the nation. His combination of height, frame and freakish athleticism make him a coveted prospect in the 2020 class. No other player in the state has a higher upside than Demas. He’s raw as a route runner and pure wide receiver, but he was named District 11-4A Division I newcomer of the year as a freshman and offensive MVP of the same district as a sophomore.
Seth Figgins, tight end, Westlake Village (Calif.)
FYI: 6-6.5/225; 3 stars; No. 6-ranked tight end in nation
Offers: 5
Chad Lindberg, offensive tackle, Clear Creek
FYI: 6-6/306; 4 stars; No. 5 on the Next 25 Offers: 32 Other targets: Jaylen Garth, Geirean Hatchett, Chris Morris
Lindberg is the best in-state offensive lineman in Texas for the 2020 class because of his combination of length and athleticism. He moves well for a young prospect his size and is developing the lower-body strength to handle power rushers. He’s a dominant run blocker with a mean streak and was identified early by the Texas staff as the top priority at offensive tackle. Garth, a teammate of Roschon Johnson’s at Port Neches-Groves, could be the next 2020 prospect to pledge to Texas. His 6-4 frame means he could switch from high school offensive tackle to guard in college. Both players are high on the Longhorns, but Lindberg is more likely to take his time before choosing a school.