The Matthew Judon situation appears to be escalating.
The New England Patriots outside linebacker didn't participate in Tuesday's training camp practice, and our Phil Perry reports Judon wasn't even at the team facility in Foxboro.
Judon is seeking a new contract from the Patriots as he enters the final year of his deal making $6.5 million in base salary, and Perry reports there's a "sizable gap" between what Judon wants and what New England has offered him.
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Judon was present at Monday's practice but didn't participate, watching team drills early in the session while sitting on an overturned trash can. The 31-year-old had "animated" discussions with head coach Jerod Mayo, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and director of player personnel Matt Groh before leaving the field early.
Judon recently told Marc Lewis' Shut Up Marc podcast he wrote out his own contract terms and sent them to New England's front office, and that the team has yet to respond. He also expressed his frustration with the "business of football" and made a plea to the Patriots to give him a new deal.
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"I don't want to be the villain. I don't want to be the bad guy. But it's like -- shoot, bro. Like, help me out," Judon told Lewis. "You've got the most cap (space) in the league right now, bro. And then with that, they don't even get the money. So, what the hell are y'all doing with it? Like, y'all literally just not using it."
New England currently has the second-most salary cap space in the NFL with approximately $43.5 million, according to Over the Cap, and already has handed out new deals to several players this offseason. But the Patriots might be wary of paying up for Judon after he missed 13 games last season due to a biceps injury.
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While Judon and the Patriots seem to be at odds, Perry added there's still hope of finding common ground.
"There is a real willingness and openness on both sides to get something done," Perry said in a post-practice recap video with our Tom E. Curran. "... What I've been told is, even though he's not here and something hasn't been worked out, both sides are 'good,'"
"... I still think there is a chance for them to get something done between the two sides to find a middle ground. I do not think that Matthew Judon is going to be imminently traded."