Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and defensive end Mario Williams were both absent from Tuesday's veteran minicamp, according to the Miami Herald, but it was Reshad Jones' absence that aroused some interest.
Suh skipped voluntary workouts when he was with the Detroit Lions before showing up for the next round in May. Williams, however, missed practice Tuesday due to a personal issue, according to the Herald. The Dolphins get an extra veteran minicamp due to an offseason coaching change.
Jones is skipping for a reason. Per the Herald, he will not report to anything prior to training camp without a new deal. Jones has not publicly stated his intentions for training camp yet.
"Reshad is the most productive safety in the NFL right now," a source close to Jones told the newspaper. "And so what he wants is to be paid like it. He wants some security."
New Dolphins coach Adam Gase told reporters there is no reason to get upset about the players who aren't there. When asked specifically about Jones, he had this, via the Herald:
"We'll see how things go when we get to June."
Jones was Miami's best defensive player last season and at the age of 28, he made his first Pro Bowl in 2015. Jones signed a $30.81 million contract back in 2013 and is set to earn more than $7 million in each of the next two seasons. Among all safeties, Jones has the seventh-highest average per-year salary. If the list is broken down into players considered "strong" or "free" safeties, Jones is No. 1 among strongs -- this according to salary-cap site, Spotrac.
Since leverage in the NFL can be fleeting and Jones holds some power over the new coaches who want to get off to a fast start, there is no better time to capitalize. At this point, most fans understand why and when players jockey for more security and stability so long as it doesn't have a major impact on the season.
In Jones' case, we shall see. Players truly serious about a new deal can miss training camp practices and that's when heads really start to turn.
