Today’s minor moves:
The NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement’s language on draft pick contracts ensures that rookie signings are a breeze, so it’s no surprise that most clubs have already locked up their 2017 class. In fact, only 12 of 253 draft choices (roughly 4.7%) are still without a contract. Here’s a look at those players who remain unsigned:
Unsurprisingly, the majority of the unsigned draft picks are first-rounders. Players chosen within the top 32 selections, and especially those selected in the top 10, can often exert more leverage in negotiations in order to extricate more favorable terms. Offset language (or lack thereof) or the timing of signing bonus payment — the issue that held up Joey Bosa‘s talks with the Chargers in 2016 — could be on the table.
Other issues could be holding up negotiations between certain players. The Raiders, for example, haven’t signed any of their top three picks, which could indicate a specific contract sticking point that needs to be worked out. Saints offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk, meanwhile, is battling a hip issue, and New Orleans wants him to pass a physical before signing. Cornerbacks Gareon Conley (Raiders) and Jourdan Lewis (Cowboys) are each facing legal situations which could be holding up talks.
Panthers tight end Greg Olsen has already indicated his desire for a new contract, and during today’s appearance on Adam Schefter’s Know Them From Adam podcast, Olsen didn’t rule out the idea of skipping training camp in an effort to land a reworked deal.
“I think it’s early right now,” Olsen said regarding a training camp holdout. “As the summer goes on and we get some feedback from the organization on how they feel, we’ll make the best decision we can. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that we feel very strongly about where we should be in that totem pole of top tight ends. I’d be hard pressed to find anybody who could make a reasonable argument to the contrary.
“This is not a negative environment,” Olsen added. “I’ve gone to all the OTAs, to all the minicamps. This is not by any means a toxic environment or a situation where the two sides seem fighting or anything like that. Has nothing to do with that. It’s just strictly, business should reflect productivity, in our opinion.”
Olsen, 32, agreed to a three-year, $22.5MM extension prior to the 2015 campaign, and since that time has continued to produce as one of the NFL’s best tight ends. During that two-year span, Olsen has ranked first among tight ends in receiving yards and approximate value while finishing a close second in receptions. He’s topped 1,000 yards receiving in each of the past two years, and has maintained his status as the most reliable weapon in Carolina’s offense.
Olsen’s $7.5MM annual average salary currently places him seventh among tight ends, just behind the likes of Charles Clay and Zach Ertz, while the Seahawks’ Jimmy Graham leads the way at $10MM/year. Olsen is scheduled to earn base salaries of $6.5MM from 2017-18 while counting for $10.35MM and $9.75MM on the Panthers’ salary cap in those respective ye
Jets linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin turned himself into Manhattan authorities after being charged with misdemeanor assault stemming from an incident in a New York club in early April, according to a report from TMZ.
Jean Lopez accuses Mauldin of punching him after he spilled champagne on the Gang Green defender, reports Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Lopez, who claims to have suffered several broken bones in his face, also filed a civil suit against Mauldin earlier this month. Both Mauldin and his lawyer have denied the charges, but Mauldin could face up to a year in prison if convicted.
Mauldin, a third-round pick in 2015, could be subject to a league-imposed suspension (even if he’s not found guilty of assault). The 24-year-old hasn’t registered much production thus far in his NFL career, as he’s managed only 6.5 sacks as a backup in two seasons. Mauldin is signed through the 2018 campaign with cap charges below $900K in each season.
The Jaguars have claimed center Demetrius Rhaney off waivers from the Rams, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter link). In a corresponding move, Jacksonville has waived offensive lineman Parker Collins.
Rhaney, who turns 25 this week, gives the Jaguars yet another interior offensive line option who will compete for a reserve role throughout the summer. Jacksonville has already targeted guard/center this offseason, spending a second-round pick on Cam Robinson — who figures to slide to guard now that veteran left tackle Branden Albert has reported to Jaguars camp — and signing free agent Earl Watford. With Robinson, center Brandon Linder, and right guard A.J. Cann entrenched in starting roles, Rhaney’s best chance to make Jacksonville’s roster is to beat out Watford, Patrick Omameh, Jeremiah Poutasi, and others for a backup job.
A seventh-round pick in 2014, Rhaney had appeared in all 32 games for the Rams over the past two seasons. However, most of Rhaney’s work has come on special teams, where he’d played 237 snaps from 2015-16. Rhaney did start one contest in 2015 (and played 123 offensive snaps that year).
Letroy Guion can’t seem to stay on track. On Wednesday, the Packers defensive lineman was arrested for a DUI in Hawaii, as Sam Spangler of KHON writes. 
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Guion was already set to serve a four-game ban for violating the league’s PED policy. Now, Guion could be facing legal consequences and an even longer ban. Considering all of his missteps, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Packers cut ties with Guion this summer.
Guion, who turned 30 today, made 15 starts for the Packers last year and racked up 30 total tackles. After his PED ban, Guion agreed to a restructured deal which took his offseason roster bonuses and delayed them until Weeks 9 and 15 of the season. The bonuses were also reduced in value from $400K each to $300K. When factoring in his suspension, that slip-up cost him about $600K. This DUI is only going to compound the issue and could potentially cost him his job in Green Bay.
The veteran was also suspended three games in 2015 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
Here’s a look at the NFC:
The Patriots gave David Harris more money than the Jets were offering on a reduced deal, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Harris agreed to a two-year, $5MM deal with the Pats on Wednesday morning, giving the veteran linebacker a chance at winning his first ever Super Bowl.
Florio also hears that the terms of Harris’ deal were already agreed upon before he touched down in New England. The purpose of the Wednesday visit was to ensure that it was a good fit for both sides and it didn’t take long for everyone to feel comfortable about the union.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
Some good news for former Ravens safety Matt Elam as the grand theft and domestic battery charges against him have been dropped (Twitter links via Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun). The charges stemmed from an incident back in May. 
According to court documents, there was insufficient evidence exists to prove the charges against Elam. Apparently, the victim did not cooperate with the state’s investigation and there was a lack of independent evidence to verify the allegations.
Elam is not out of the legal woods yet, however, as he is still facing charges from his February arrest in Miami. Elam was cuffed while allegedly holding 126 grams of marijuana and three grams of oxycodone. He was charged with possession of more than 20 grams of cannabis, possession of cannabis with the intent to sell or deliver, and possession of a controlled substance.
Elam struggled as a starter in his first two NFL seasons and he missed the entire 2015 campaign thanks to a biceps tear in training camp. After losing much of last year to a knee injury, Elam showed very little in the nine games that he did appear in. The Ravens made no attempt to re-sign the safety for the 2017 season and everyone else in the league stayed away from him following the arrest for drug-related charges.
Even if Elam is found not guilty for the remaining charges against him, he is still not off the hook in the eyes of the league office. The free agent may receive a suspension from the NFL, which will further hurt any efforts to return to football.
Lions president Rod Wood isn’t balking at the idea of making Matthew Stafford the league’s highest-paid player, as ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein writes.
“I’m comfortable in getting a deal done with him, and we’ll see where that ends up,” Wood said. “It’s going to be whatever it takes, I think, to make it happen from both sides, and whether he becomes the highest-paid or not, it’ll be a short-lived designation because, as [general manager] Bob [Quinn] said, and I think it’s true, if you’re in the top whatever of quarterbacks, when your time comes up, your time comes up and then somebody else’s time comes up, and they become the highest-[paid player]. It’s a premium position, and you need to have a very, very good player at that position to be credible and be competitive, and I think we do have that, and we’re working on getting a deal done.”
Wood’s comments come on the heels of Quinn expressing confidence in an extension getting done before the quarterback hits free agency next year. While it’s true that the mantle of “highest-paid player” never lasts long, it’s somewhat surprising for Wood to show his hand in this fashion in the midst of major negotiations.
Here’s more from Detroit: