NFL

2023 NFL mandatory minicamp tracker, highlights: Stars on Super Bowl contenders skip workouts; rookie QB watch

by
SaC Bot
June 13, 2023

USATSI

The roster-building portion of the NFL offseason is mostly over. Free agency is behind us, as is the 2023 NFL Draft. We also know the full week-by-week schedule for the upcoming season.

All that’s left is to see these teams in action on the field, and that’s what last week was and this week will be for. After going through voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) throughout May, we’re in the thick of mandatory minicamps. Nine teams conducted theirs last week, and there were plenty of noteworthy storylines, highlight-reel plays and overall takeaways.

Twenty-one more teams will have their entire rosters on the field this week. They’ll go through two to three days of workouts before having one final break. Then the grind of the 2023 campaign begins with the start of training camp in late July.

Below you’ll find the mandatory minicamp schedule for all of the participating teams as well as real-time highlights, updates and analysis from around the league, beginning Monday.

Minicamp highlights

Here are the 21 teams holding mandatory minicamps this week: The Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coaches and players will speak at the conclusion of practice.

Who showed up? Who didn’t?

Every June, we see players skip out on mandatory minicamp for one reason or another. It could be a trade request. It could be a contract issue. Whatever it is, they accept the potential fines that come with not attending in hope of receiving whatever it is they desire.

On Monday, two Pro Bowlers and a Super Bowl champion did not report to their respective teams: Giants running back Saquon Barkley, Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter and Patriots defensive tackle Lawrence Guy.

Meanwhile, Bills star wideout Stefon Diggs was at the team facility Monday and Tuesday morning, but left before practice, according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Josina Anderson. And speaking of Super Bowl contenders from the AFC, Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones didn’t report, either. Here’s what we know about each of their situations:

Stefon Diggs’ arrival and then departure from mandatory minicamp has many confused and head coach Sean McDermott “very concerned.” Diggs signed a massive extension last offseason, so it’s unknown what is prompting him to miss mandatory workouts, although Josh Allen told reporters Tuesday that it is “not football related.” Here’s the latest on the Diggs situation.
Chris Jones did not report to Chiefs mandatory minicamp on Tuesday as he seeks a contract extension, per ESPN, which Kansas City is open to doing this summer. Jones, who has averaged more than 11 sacks per season over the past five years, signed a 4-year deal worth $80 million ($60 million guaranteed) in the summer of 2020. He has a base salary of $19 million this season, per Spotrac.
Saquon Barkley has yet to sign his franchise tag, so he’s not allowed to participate in team activities and won’t be fined as a result. The bigger issue is if Barkley will sign at all, as the two-time Pro Bowler said he has considered sitting out the season if a long-term deal is not reached.
Danielle Hunter is planning on skipping mandatory minicamp as he seeks a new contract. The Vikings have reportedly been fielding trade calls for Hunter, who has racked up at least 10.5 sacks in each of his past three full seasons.
Lawrence Guy reportedly has a new agent, and now the veteran wants an adjustment to his contract, which he signed in March of 2021.

A few disgruntled players who have reported to minicamp are Cardinals All-Pro safety Budda Baker and Bengals offensive tackle Jonah Williams, both of whom requested trades earlier this offseason.

Rookie QB watch

The Panthers, Texans and Colts are all conducting minicamp this week, which means three of the top four picks in the 2023 NFL Draft are in action. Let’s check in on how Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson performed in their first full-team practice session:

One of the Panthers’ best defensive players might have summed it up best when asked about Young.

“He walks around with this humble-but-I-know-I’m-the-shit type of swag,” edge rusher Brian Burns said of Young on Tuesday.

Young took the “next step” in his development last week when he opened team drills as the starting quarterback, and it was more of the same during his first mandatory minicamp practice. Based on reporters in attendance, it was a solid day for the former Alabama standout. He did have a ball batted down during a live drill — something people were worried about based on his historically small stature for an NFL QB — but reporters on scene noted that was one of the only times that has happened during sessions open to the media. Frank Reich doesn’t seem concerned, either.

“He’s very sharp for a young quarterback coming in,” new Panthers running back Miles Sanders said of Young. “I don’t know what Nick Saban was doing over there at Alabama, but he’s doing a very good job. … [Young’s] reaction, pocket presence and decision-making is basically everything that’s been standing out to me.”

C.J. Stroud played with the first-team offense during the opening day of mandatory minicamp, but don’t take that as the former Ohio State signal-caller being anointed as QB1. New head coach DeMeco Ryans made sure to note that Stroud and Davis Mills have been rotating each week, so it was simply Stroud’s turn to run with the ones.

Ryans went on to say that they’ll have an open quarterback competition during training camp, but he likes what he has seen from the No. 2 overall pick so far.

“The best thing I’ve seem from C.J. Stroud in his growth is that he doesn’t make the same mistake twice,” Ryans said Tuesday. “He’s headed in the right direction.”

It was an up-and-down day for Richardson as well as Gardner Minshew, per the Indianapolis Star. During the 11-on-11 portion of practice, the quarterbacks combined for two completions and one interception. Richardson, who split first-team reps with Minshew, also displayed the highs and lows of his game in a 7-on-7 drill. On one play, he threw a 60-yard bomb for a TD. On the next, he got picked off.

Despite the defense winning the day Tuesday, Richardson is embracing the process of becoming a franchise quarterback in Indianapolis.

“I want to learn everything right now, and I tell them, ‘I want to know everything,’ but I can’t because I haven’t seen everything,” Richardson said (via The Athletic). “I haven’t even played my first game yet. It’s just a matter of remembering I’m a rookie, but also just making sure that I can be the best rookie there is.”

OBJ takes the field with Ravens

Lamar Jackson has a massive new contract and some new weapons to throw to entering the 2023 season. One of those playmakers is Odell Beckham Jr., whom John Harbaugh said is fully cleared for the team’s mandatory minicamp but will complete a ramp-up process. Beckham has not played since tearing his ACL in Super Bowl LVI in February of 2022.

Beckham said he doesn’t feel any pain in his knee. “It feels good that if I want to take off running that I can take off running.”

The Ravens have big expectations for Beckham, so much so that Harbaugh compared the 30-year-old joining the Ravens to when then-30-year-old Terrell Owens joined the Eagles in 2004. Harbaugh was the special teams coordinator at the time, and Owens had a massive first season in Philadelphia, racking up 77 catches for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns in just 14 games. The Eagles went all the way to the Super Bowl that year before falling to the Patriots.

“[Owens] came in — all the hype and all the things from a personality standpoint — [and] nobody worked harder at practice, nobody worked harder in the weight room,” Harbaugh recalled Tuesday. “The guy came to special teams meetings. I mean, he was into football.

“So, to me, those kinds of guys reach that level for a reason, and [Beckham] is in a place in his career where I feel like he has a lot to prove, at this point, and I think he feels like he’s going to be the healthiest he’s been in a few years. So, let’s go.”

Joe Burrow: No argument on top QB

About a month ago, the Josh Allen explained why he thought Patrick Mahomes was the “clear No. 1” QB in the AFC right now.

Speaking to reporters from Bengals mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, Joe Burrow took it a step further.

“I don’t think there’s any argument right now: it’s Pat [Mahomes]. Until someone has a better year than he’s has, he’s the one to knock off.”

While Burrow and Allen are two of the top QBs in the NFL, Mahomes remains above the rest. The Chiefs’ signal-caller just won his second NFL MVP and second Super Bowl in his third appearance in the big game. In five years as the starter, Mahomes has a regular season record of 63-16 while averaging 303.3 passing yards per game and having a QB rating of 105.7 — the best mark of all-time.

Like Burrow said: Until the Bengals or Bills (or someone else) can find a way to stop Mahomes, he’ll be the gold standard at the position.

Patriots ‘would love to have’ Hopkins

Speaking to the media Monday, Mac Jones made sure to define specific parameters when discussing the possibility of adding DeAndre Hopkins to his group of weapons. Still, it was obvious how the third-year quarterback feels about All-Pro wideout.

“I think that’s definitely a hypothetical, but I think DeAndre is a great player,” Jones said (via ProFootballTalk). “You watch his film from college all the way through the NFL, he’s done a great job. So obviously, we’d love to have him.”

Following the Titans’ grand attempt to woo him to Tennessee, the dynamic Hopkins is reportedly set to visit the Patriots this week. Just don’t expect Bill Belichick to provide any details.