Lawrence Guy's contract situation remains unresolved as Patriots camp nears opening

BOSTON -- In terms of high-profile drama, the Patriots figure to be lacking in any such situation when veterans officially report to training camp on Tuesday.

Still, one situation that certainly bears watching is the status of Lawrence Guy, a respected veteran defensive lineman who skipped mandatory minicamp due to issues with his contract.

Those issues remain unresolved, so the presence or absence and/or status of Guy this week figures to be a primary storyline.

The 33-year-old Guy is entering the third year of a four-year contract he signed prior to the 2021 season, one that pays him a $2 million base salary with up to $1.5 million more in bonuses. None of that money, though, is guaranteed.

Guy was the team's 2021 Ron Burton Award Winner, and he was also the team's nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award that same year. Named to the team's 2010s All-Decade Team at defensive tackle and a team captain in 2020, Guy has played in 93 regular-season games and eight playoff games since joining the Patriots in 2017.

If Guy wants to hold out of training camp to prove his point, it will be costly. The new CBA fines players $50,000 per day for each day missed. Guy could avoid those fines by reporting but being physically unable to perform.

Whatever the case may be, Guy has earned the respect of his teammates and his head coach during his seven seasons in New England, with the team even awarding him his unearned bonus money after the 2018 season. That's why his minicamp absence was so notable, and it's why it will be interesting to see how both sides proceed this week.