All but six NFL teams have fully opened training camp, leaving just the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers to launch camp Friday. 

But with so much action taking place in camps throughout the country, the league has officially woken up after about a six-week snooze.

Headlines are being made, and here's a rundown of what you need to know from Thursday in camp-land. 

Michael Thomas Is MIA at Saints Camp

When the New Orleans Saints kicked off training camp Thursday in Metairie, Louisiana, the league's most prolific pass-catcher was not present. 

All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas has reportedly been negotiating a new contract with the team for weeks. General manager Mickey Loomis said in mid-June that the two parties have "had some conversations," ESPN's Dianna Russini reported soon thereafter that the team is "comfortable making [Thomas] the highest-paid receiver in the game," and Yahoo's Charles Robinson reported earlier this week that the 26-year-old wants to be the first $20 million-per-year wideout. 

And that isn't wild. 

Pro Football Reference has reception rate statistics dating back to 1992, and Thomas' 2018 reception rate of 85.0 percent is the highest among receivers with 100 or more catches in that 27-year stretch. No other player is within seven points of that mark. And that's no fluke. He's also the only player in league history with 300-plus catches in his first three seasons.

He's going to get his cash, but with so much money on the line, it's easy to see why this is lingering. The question now is how long he'll stay away. The Saints owe Drew Brees $21.3 million in 2020 dead-cap money regardless of whether he's on the roster, so they probably aren't excited about making a potential nine-figure commitment to anybody right now. 

Carson Wentz Is Good to Go but Will Have His Workload Managed

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has missed back-to-back playoff runs because of major season-ending injuries, but it looks as though he's recovered from back issues in time to give it his all in training camp and the preseason. 

Asked by ESPN's Sal Paolantonio if the team would monitor Wentz's workload for precautionary reasons, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson did say "a little bit," per Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith. But he still made it clear the 2017 Pro Bowler is "good to go" and added that "we're not gonna hold back," according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. 

It's fair to wonder if those messages are somewhat contradictory, which is why we'll have to wait for reports from Eagles practices to become more enlightened on the team's approach with its highly paid franchise signal-caller. 

For now, though, the word on Wentz is promising. 

Ezekiel Elliott Misses His Flight

Members of the Dallas Cowboys reported today for a flight to the team's initial training camp site in Oxnard, California. And according to NFL Network's Jane Slater, the league's reigning leading rusher wasn't on that plane. 

That doesn't mean Ezekiel Elliott is a holdout just yet, and Slater notes that "players have chosen to fly on their own in the past." Zeke has the means to get to Southern California by Friday morning.

But this isn't a good sign because his contract has been the subject of speculation throughout the offseason and Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported earlier this month that the two-time Pro Bowler "has privately said that he will hold out of training camp unless he gets a new contract."

Elliott has to report to camp by August 6 to accrue a season toward free agency, but the team can start fining him Friday. 

Now, we wait. 

Marrone on Ngakoue: "We’re Trying to Get This Thing Done"

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue's holdout spanned into a second day Thursday, but the star pass-rusher's name still came up at Jags camp. 

"We've been talking to him," Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said of Ngakoue before the team's first camp practice Thursday, according to ESPN's Michael DiRocco. "It's just between Yannick and his agent, management, contracts, but he's working hard. He's trying to get this thing done. We're trying to get this thing done. We're excited for him. He's going to come. He will report. I don't know when. I know it'll be before a certain date, and when he comes we'll be excited about it."

That oughta give Jaguars fans some peace of mind, because the 24-year-old is a critical puzzle piece in Jacksonville. 

Still, the problem right now could be that the Jaguars have less than $10 million in salary-cap space, according to Spotrac.

Time to Prepare Yourself for Ereck Flowers on the Blind Side in Washington

Yeah, that's not the headline Washington Redskins fans want to see. Here's a live look. 

But it's time to face the reality that star left tackle Trent Williams isn't with the team at training camp, and Les Carpenter of the Washington Post reported Thursday that Redskins head coach Jay Gruden "still has not talked to" Williams. 

Carpenter added that the plan in the interim is for mega-bust Ereck Flowers to replace Williams, who reportedly demanded a trade or release last month. 

Flowers was a top-10 pick in 2015, but he was often a turnstile during a disappointing three-plus-year stretch with the Giants. 

"To say Flowers struggled during his tenure with the New York Giants would be an understatement," wrote Mark Chichester of Pro Football Focus earlier this offseason. "From Week 1 of the 2015 season to Week 2 of the 2018 season (his last appearance for the Giants), Flowers allowed a colossal 180 total quarterback pressures—which were 20 more than the next closest offensive lineman in that span—while his 65.4 pass-blocking grade was good for just 74th among all offensive linemen with at least 300 snaps in that span."

Yup, for now, that's the guy manning the blind side in D.C. 

Bobby Wagner Watches Seahawks Practice

Not sure if you'd call this a holdout, but veteran Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner isn't hurt and still isn't practicing despite being present at camp.

Joe Fann of NBC Sports Northwest reported Thursday that the four-time first-team All-Pro "will likely sit out till he gets a new deal."

We'll see about that, as it's at least a good sign that Wagner is in attendance. Rapoport reported prior to camp that Wagner "may not put himself in harm's way," and it appears that's the approach.

He says he wants to become the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL, and his team just spent $140 million on a four-year extension for quarterback Russell Wilson. And while Wagner might deserve that money based on his resume, he's already seven years into his career. 

You can see why the Seahawks might want to tread carefully. They'd be buying a stock that is almost certainly peaking. 

Mike Daniels Pays His First Visit to Cleveland

The moment the Green Bay Packers stunningly released defensive lineman Mike Daniels, the Cleveland Browns came to mind. 

Cleveland hosted Gerald McCoy in May before he joined the Carolina Panthers, and current Browns general manager John Dorsey was in Green Bay when the Packers drafted Daniels in 2012. And now, naturally, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Daniels paid his first visit as a free agent to Cleveland. 

The Browns are clearly all-in right now, and Daniels has the experience and talent to be a crucial piece of the puzzle. The team has Larry Ogunjobi and Sheldon Richardson slated to start at defensive tackle, but as Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski pointed out in his analysis Wednesday, "the rest of the group interior is poor at best."

Daniels saw his numbers decline a bit during an injury-impacted 2018 campaign with the Packers, but the 30-year-old was a Pro Bowler in 2017. He'd benefit from a reduced role as part of Cleveland's rotation, but look for the Browns to face serious competition for him. 

Fitzpatrick and Ballage Get the First Shot at Starting Jobs in Miami

At least that's the way it appears based on how the Miami Dolphins approached the beginning of their first training camp practice Thursday. 

Per Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post, Ryan Fitzpatrick, not Josh Rosen, opened camp with the first-team offensive unit, while Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reported that second-year running back Kalen Ballage took the first snap in team drills. 

Yeah, it's only July 25. But Fitzpatrick has seemingly maintained an edge over Rosen throughout the offseason, and it's worth noting that the veteran quarterback also praised Ballage Thursday for his work ethic this offseason. 

The Arizona State product still has plenty of work to do in a battle with 2016 third-round pick Kenyan Drake, but Ballage's average of 5.3 yards per attempt in 2018 was nearly a yard better than Drake's 4.5 mark, and in the month of December, he had four 13-plus-yard runs to Drake's one. 

The Dolphins might not be good this year, but they could at least entertain us with training camp position battles at key positions. 

Ed Oliver Has "A Long Way to Go"

There are obviously high hopes for Ed Oliver in Buffalo after the Bills spent a top-10 draft pick on the tantalizing defensive lineman in April, but the three-time All-American was rarely dominant as a pass-rusher at Houston, let alone as a run-stuffer. 

In other words, he might need some time. 

On the second day of Bills camp, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott admitted as much, telling BNblitz.com's Vic Carucci that Oliver has "a long way to go" in his transition from American Athletic Conference to the AFC East. 

Oliver has drawn comparisons to reigning Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, but don't expect that level of dominance in 2019. It's probably a good thing the Bills still have Star Lotulelei, Harrison Phillips and Jordan Phillips on the roster. 

Russell Okung Is Dealing with a Medical Condition

As we got deeper into camps nationwide, we also got plenty of injury updates Thursday. Here are some of the notable developments on the health front from the day that was:

• Los Angeles Chargers left tackle Russell Okung opened up on Twitter about his recovery from a serious health issue. He's waiting to be cleared for practice, but his focus is understandably broader as he recovers from a pulmonary embolism due to blood clots. 
• High-ceiling second-year Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley tweaked his right hamstring in the team's second padded practice, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. And while the team expects him back quickly, hamstrings are always a bit tricky with receivers.
• It's a little concerning that Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr., who flopped at the combine just 17 months ago, failed a conditioning test at the start of training camp. Per ESPN's Jamison Hensley, so did edge-defender Shane Ray. 
• After a very brief stint on the physically unable to perform list, star Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt (knee) was on the practice field Thursday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
• New York Giants tight end Evan Engram (hamstring), Washington Redskins running back Derrius Guice (knee) and Philadelphia Eagles running back Ronald Darby (knee) are good to go. 
• The same can't be said for Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills (foot), Denver Broncos wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton (hamstring) or key Detroit Lions defenders Darius Slay and Damon Harrison (non-football injury list).