Giardi: NFL Notebook - Patriots rookies making a mark; plus, some of the game's best players are unhappy

The Notebook is back.

We're nine practices into Patriots training camp. Now is a good time to check in on the rookies. As an overview, I've been impressed with their level of maturity. It's a well-spoken group; their willingness to learn is evident during practice, and there is a good energy about them.

Will Campbell: Up until Wednesday's practice, Campbell had been fine. He's shown to be an above-average run blocker during the padded practices we've seen, and while exposed at times as a pass blocker, it's not anything I didn't expect. The two sacks allowed on Wednesday were concerning, and he was beaten on another play as well, but Drake Maye sidestepped the rush. Campbell had more issues on Friday and was beaten on back-to-back reps by Truman Jones. Welcome to life as an NFL left tackle.

“Josh McDaniels told me a couple weeks ago, ‘You don’t lose. You learn or you win.’ I’m a rookie. I’m out here learning. Some things that I do in college don’t work out here. It’s a different league, so finding what works for me out there. Everything that you do that doesn’t go your way is something that you learn from. It doesn’t count as a loss.”

TreVeyon Henderson: He's explosive. Period. On the turf Friday, he had a couple of carries where his quickness and ability to get to full speed, or something close, opened the eyes. Henderson doesn't strike me as someone you want to give a steady diet of carries between the tackles - he's slighter than Stevenson and Gibson - but with his receiving ability, McDaniels will get him the necessary touches.

Kyle Williams: He's had an inconsistent camp, with a few drops that are borderline maddening (part of his reputation coming out of college). But there isn't a single receiver on this roster that can stress a defense down the field like Williams can, and Maye has been willing to try him out (to mixed results). He has a chance.

Jared Wilson: Talk about a quick ascension. After being limited throughout the spring, Wilson has already become the starting left guard. Nothing is guaranteed at the start of August, but the offensive staff loves his combo of size, strength, athleticism, and intelligence. I've seen him have some issues with power, and his time at center had some exchange issues. The arrow, however, is pointing up.

Craig Woodson: After a slow start to camp, he's been getting more run with the top two units. I'm also starting to see some of the foot speed and quickness that would allow Woodson to get some snaps in the slot. 

Joshua Farmer: Nothing to see here yet. Farmer has been out all week with an undisclosed injury. While vet Khyiris Tonga has been a handful for the interior OL so far, the Pats could use the rookie to get on the field and earn some snaps.

Bradyn Swinson: Had a quiet start to camp but has recently started to flex his pass-rushing muscles. He had what I would have recorded as a sack (vs UDFA Jack Conley) in Friday night's scrimmage. He also showed up in 1-on-1s earlier in the week, beating former collegiate teammate Campbell on one rep. That said, he's found himself behind the likes of Truman Jones on the depth chart. The one thing I have noticed - and Swinson spoke to it - is how often he's asking questions of Harold Landry. 

Andres Borregales: Been coming on after a slow start that had me wondering why exactly they drafted another place kicker (3rd try in 5 years). Journeyman Parker Romo has struck the ball better to this point, although the former University of Miami product took to the in-stadium practice nicely, drilling 42 and 53-yard field goals.

Marcus Bryant: Has been lining up as the second team left tackle with Vederian Lowe on PUP. His feet have appeared slow at times, but I don't think he's looked out of place. He's 2-2-4 in one-on-ones. That doesn't suck. The practice squad would be ideal, but let's see what it looks like vs. Washington and Minnesota. Those joint practices will be a big tell.

Julian Ashby: I have not seen one bad snap to this point.

Kobee Minor: Hadn't noticed him all that much, even with injuries keeping Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis sidelined. Then came Friday's in-stadium practice. He deflected a Maye pass that Robert Spillane picked off. That was Maye's first INT of the summer. Minor was also competitive on several other reps vs. Stefon Diggs. You have my attention, sir.

Efton Chism: He got open a couple of times Friday, but Maye didn't see him. He also had a bad drop. Chism continues to get opportunities, but I need to see more, especially in team periods. 

Lan Larison: Scored a touchdown in the scrimmage, but then had a ball go right through his hands that got intercepted. That took points off the board. Undrafted guys on the bubble can't do that. 

Gee Scott: UDFA tight end has probably been the best of the flotsam and jetsam they have behind Henry and Hooper.

Jack Conley: Just don't see the necessary foot speed to survive on an island at tackle.

C.J. Dippre: TE got 240K as a UDFA but hasn't made an impact.

Elijah Ponder: The UDFA edge rusher is 6'3", 261 pounds. When I say he's built like a brick bleephouse, trust me. Ponder is precisely the kind of project I'd want on the practice squad. Good athlete.

A MAN CAN DREAM

After months of no progress on a contract extension, Terry McLaurin has asked the Washington Commanders to trade him. McLaurin's contract has just one year remaining, and his base salary pays him $15.5 million. That's chump change for a receiver of his caliber. The AAV of that current deal places him 18th at the position.

However, a similar player in age and production, Courtland Sutton, probably hurt McLaurin's bargaining position. Sutton just re-upped with the Broncos. The deal is worth up to $92 million over four seasons (AAV of $23 mil). The reporting around McLaurin's wants is not too detailed, but the sense I've gotten is that he wanted something closer to what D.K. Metcalf reeled in from the Steelers (5 years, $150 million).

Here's McLaurin's case. He has made a pair of Pro Bowls during his first six seasons in the league. When you consider the lists of quarterbacks he played with before Jayden Daniels, McLaurin's consistency is noteworthy. 

He's averaged over 80 catches, 1100 yards, and almost 7 touchdowns a season.

McLaurin accrued almost $800k in lost wages from offseason bonuses and fines. He put a stop to that by reporting to camp but was immediately placed on PUP with an "ankle" injury. He was hopeful his arrival in DC would spur action, but the Commanders think his age - McLaurin turns 30 in September - needs to be factored into the overall guarantees.

McLaurin spoke to reporters about a month ago.

"I've been pretty frustrated, I'm not going to lie. Everything that has transpired up until this point has been disappointing and frustrating. I want to continue my career here. I've created my life here. My wife and I bought our first home here. This has been somewhere I've always wanted to be."

Now I know what you're thinking, and yes, if Washington considers moving on from McLaurin, the Patriots should call (as they did on Brandon Aiyuk and Metcalf). I'd guess the trade price would be similar to what the Steelers gave up for Metcalf (2nd and 7th rounders this past draft, while getting a 6th back). Something to consider, however, is that while the Pats have upwards of $60 million in salary cap space this year, they're currently over the cap for 2026 (a lot of those 2024 re-signings like Dugger and Onwenu take big jumps). My sense is the Pats would like to roll over much of what they have remaining to become cap compliant and be able to address whatever needs they need filled.

SAME AS IT EVER WAS

Trey Hendrickson showed up in Cincinnati earlier this week. Still, he's no closer to getting the new money he wanted from the organization than he was when he was sitting poolside in Jacksonville. 

"Things are exactly the same (with the contract)," he said during a seven-minute media session. "What I'm not going to do, is as best I can, avoid being a distraction."

Per reports, the two sides have agreed on years and average annual value, but are not in the same ballpark when it comes to guaranteed dollars. And let's face it, that's really the only thing that matters. Were it not for the 250K in fines (as mandated by the CBA), Hendrickson would no doubt have remained in Florida. 

"There's no blueprint on what to do, how to do it," Hendrickson said. "We're just going to stand true to what Team Hendrickson means to us and move forward from there."

Last year, Ja'Marr Chase took the same approach as Hendrickson, showing up but not participating until days before the regular season opener against the Patriots. He played poorly in that loss, and the Bengals dug themselves an early hole. Not even a five-game winning streak to close the campaign was enough to get them into the postseason (they finished 9-8). Now, they risk the possibility of another slow start, though Hendrickson believes he'll be ready to go when - if? - a deal gets completed.

"I'm always ready," the 30-year-old said. "I think that's something I take a lot of pride in: training hard in the offseason, getting bigger, faster, stronger. How I train, I'm not worried about. If I'm going to be ready, I'm not worried about it. Hopefully, everything works out so that we don't have to worry about anything like that."

Hendrickson is entering the last year of his deal, with a base salary of $15.8 million. Another 30-year-old, T.J. Watt, just signed a new contract with $108 million in guarantees, and Micah Parsons is on deck for megabucks somewhere...

ABOUT THAT

The public posturing between Parsons and the Cowboys has jumped from uncomfortable to downright ugly in the last two weeks. On Friday afternoon, Parsons took the next step, taking to social media to tell the world he no longer wants to play for Dallas.

"Yes, I wanted to be here," he wrote. "I did everything I could to show that I wanted to be a Cowboy and wear the star on my helmet. I wanted to play in front of the best fans in sports and make this Americas team once again. The team my pops and I grew up cheering for way up in Harrisburg, PA.

"Unfortunately I no longer want to be here. I no longer want to be held to close door negotiations without my agent present. I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line for the organization our fans and my teammates. I no longer want narratives created and spread to the media about me. I had purposely stayed quiet in hopes of getting something done."

The two sides have been talking extension for some time, and as noted by Parsons, therein lies a big part of the problem. Jerry met with his star defender during the off-season, and has told sources he believed the two were close to reaching a deal. Parsons disputes that, saying he was under the impression that the two men were just talking, and instructed Jones to speak to his agent, David Mulugheta. Jones did, but only to tell Mulugheta he thought a contract was already done, and he has since avoided communication with Parsons' camp.

The support for Parsons from his teammates was immediate. Many changed their social media profile photos to Parsons, and Ceedee Lamb posted this.

Never a dull moment at The Star.

WHAT WE'RE LEARNING AT CAMPS

- Jalon Walker, who went 15th overall to Atlanta, has been lining up exclusively on the edge after being more of an off-the-ball linebacker at Georgia. Head coach Raheem Morris has given Walker tapes of Dwight Freeney and Elvis Dumervil, among others, for the shorter in stature Walker (6'2") to study. 

- Seattle has taken second-rounder Nick Emmanwori and played him a majority of his snaps in the slot. The 6'3, 230-pounder tested off the charts athletically at the combine, but his numbers there didn't mesh with what scouts saw on his tape. By putting him closer to the line of scrimmage and not having him have to see the whole field, the Seahawks believe they can get the athlete and player to marry and become a force in Mike Macdonald's defense. 

- Travis Hunter is spending somewhere between 65 to 70% of his practice time playing wide receiver in Jacksonville. Head coach Liam Coen has been straightforward about the reps, noting that Hunter is unrefined as a route runner while already being "ready" to play NFL cornerback. Coen isn't ready to commit to what Hunter's workload will look like come the regular season, but this will be fascinating to see how it plays out and how much the former Colorado star can handle.

- Some believe Green Bay is a legit Super Bowl contender (I'm not there yet). But the Packers currently have an open competition at left tackle between Rasheed Walker and Jordan Morgan. Walker has started a majority of the games there the last two years and allowed just three sacks and four pressures in 2024-25. Morgan, on the other hand, was moved to right guard after being an LT at the University of Arizona, and started a few games there before getting hurt. Morgan then began camp at guard before now getting a crack at unseating Walker.