Mandatory Minicamps have opened up all around the NFL this week and it's like our first breath of football air into a new season.

However, some of your favorite players will not be in attendance as class begins due to hold-outs in hopes of a new contract.

Here are some of the top-notch talents that are holding out in hopes of that shiny new contract and their current contract that they're under:

Aaron Donald: DE- Los Angeles Rams

Current Contract: Final year of his rookie contract of 4 years/$10,136,500

Age: 27

Donald has proven that he is one of the most dominate, disruptive defensive players in the league and he wants to be paid like one NOW. In his first four seasons in the NFL he recorded 39 sacks, nine forced fumbles, and 147 total tackles. This year he's due to make a little under $7 million dollars.

 

David Johnson: RB- Arizona Cardinals

Current Contract: Final year of his rookie contract of 4 years/$2,919,373

Age: 26

David Johnson is one of the most electrifying running backs in the league and he's coming off a wrist injury which caused him to miss 15 games in 2017. Johnson may not be in attendance this week but it's said that he'll be there next week for a three-day minicamp and does expect to sign an extension before the season begins. This is good news for Cardinal fans.

 

Julio Jones: WR- Atlanta Falcons

Current Contract: Three years remaining on a 5 year/$71,256,045

Age: 29

Julio Jones is looking to get a bump in his salary to keep up with the other wide receivers in his elite class, cough Antonio Brown, cough. While Jones is making $10.5 million this year Brown is making $16.75 million. The numbers add up for Julio and he wants a new deal to keep up with his buddy AB.

 

Khalil Mack: DE- Oakland Raiders

Current Contract: Final year of rookie contract (4 years/$18,676,999). This year he's due to make $13,846,000

Age: 27

Mack the sack is what they call Khalil, okay well, maybe they don't but they could and probably should. He's been a beast when it comes to getting after the quarterback since he entered the league in 2014. Since then, he's recorded 40.5 sacks and double-digits the previous three seasons. This dude is in the prime of his career and is in line to make top-notch dollars, maybe somewhere around what Von Miller got in 2016-6 years/$114,100,000 averaging just under $20 million a year. Mack and Aaron Donald are probably looking to outdo that deal even, I wouldn't be surprised if both organizations are waiting to see what the other does with their stud pass rusher.

 

Le'Veon Bell: RB- Pittsburgh Steelers

Current Contract: Franchise Tag at $14,544,000

Age: 26

This is an interesting case with Le'Veon Bell because when healthy he's one of the most dynamic running backs the league has ever seen. He's got outstanding patience as a runner, hands like a wide receiver, and elite agility like stuff that video games are made of. Problem is he hasn't been healthy and the Steelers love him but are hesitant to make a sizable investment in a running back who has had a torn MCL and PCL and also a foot problem. Oh yeah, and he's been suspended twice before, first time was for two games and the second time was for four games.

 

Earl Thomas: Safety- Seattle Seahawks

Current Contract: Final year of a 4 year/$40 million dollar contract

Age: 29

The vaunted "Legion of Boom" is crumbling before our eyes. The first piece to go was corner back Richard Sherman this off-season and dynastic safety Earl Thomas may be the next to go. Here's the tweet that Thomas put out announcing that he wouldn't be attending camp or any team activities for that matter:

 

He does have a valid point, especially when it comes to the uncertainty of the NFL injury wise and he wants to make sure he has some reliable money that he can count on for the next few years. He's been one of, if not the game's best safety over the past few years and he deserves a new deal with more security. I understand where he's coming from as he's pushing towards 30.

 

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