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NFL Training Camps: Holdout Setting Up Major CBA Battle?

By Jon Dove

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA - MARCH 04: Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams attends the Los Angeles Rams Media Availability on March 4, 2016 in Manhattan Beach, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
MANHATTAN BEACH, CA - MARCH 04: Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams attends the Los Angeles Rams Media Availability on March 4, 2016 in Manhattan Beach, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images) /
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So far this summer, there are several big-name stars sitting out the start of NFL Training Camps due to contract issues. Is this just the beginning of tougher negotiations ahead?

NFL Training Camps are starting to collect a lot of headlines surrounding players looking for new deals. There are a handful of star players who don’t plan on reporting to camp until their demands are met.

This group includes: Aaron Donald (Los Angeles Rams), Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons), Khalil Mack (Oakland Raiders), Earl Thomas (Seattle Seahawks), Le’Veon Bell (Pittsburgh Steelers), rookies Sam Darnold (New York Jets) and Roquan Smith (Chicago Bears).

The Donald situation in Los Angeles has been brewing for a couple years and wasn’t helped by the big-money deal signed by his teammate Todd Gurley this week.

Los Angeles is in a tough spot because they have a handful of younger players who will need new deals in the near future. Paying Donald the money he will likely result in a few of those players heading elsewhere.

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However, Donald is an elite talent and  arguably the best defensive player in the league. His ability to create pressure up the middle makes live miserable for opposing quarterbacks.

Bell and the Steelers are in a similar situation expect for the fact that Bell has been hit with the franchise tag. This gives Bell a high guaranteed salary for this year, but doesn’t provide him with long-term stability.

The Bell negotiates were also impacted by Gurley’s deal which set a new bar for the running back position.

Thomas’ issue appears to be about both money and the makeup of the Seahawks roster. He has seen plenty of his old teammates move on. It seems like this situation will only be resolved with Thomas being traded.

The Raiders and Mack having issues is a relatively new development. It’s hard to imagine the Raiders letting this thing drag out much longer.

Darnold and Smith are in completely different situations. The rookie wage scale is pretty much set, but both players are holding strong on offset language. At this point, it’s not time to panic but that could change if they aren’t signed by this time next week.

All these holds outs signal upcoming problems for the next round of CBA negotiations.

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