Of the eight players who drew the franchise tag earlier this offseason, Ryan Clady of the Denver Broncos and Jairus Byrd of the Buffalo Bills are the only two yet to sign their tenders. Both unsigned players plan to skip mandatory minicamp this week, but the clouds could be breaking on the Clady front.
For the first time since last July, the Broncosreached out to Clady's camp to touch base on his contract, a source informed of the talks told NFL.com's Ian Rapoport on Monday.
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Monday's detente could be a sign that Clady is progressing in his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery. The Broncos had little incentive to jump-start serious negotiations until they were assured Clady's shoulder was getting better.
"He's also rehabbing an offseason surgery, so he technically or physically would not be able to participate in the practices anyway," coach John Fox told Broncos season-ticket holders on a conference call Monday, via the team's official website.
"So he's taking care of business that way, and he's a guy that I know wants to be a Bronco and the Broncos want Ryan Clady, and that's something that will eventually get worked out."
Clady told KDSP-FM on Monday that he "more than likely" will show up for training camp. He's seeking a deal somewhere betweenJoe Thomas' eight-year, $92 million contract and Jason Peters' six-year, $60.657 million pact.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.