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Early Thursday morning, ESPN's Adam Schefter began reporting what we've all suspected since Maurice Jones-Drew failed to show up for the start of the Jaguars off-season program back in April: The star halfback, who boycotted the entire offseason program (including mandatory mini-camps) in protest of his current deal, won’t be showing up for training camp when his teammates report today.

As Pro Footballtalk.com's Mike Florio pointed out, the news comes a day after new owner Shad Khan essentially declared, as a philosophical matter, “Read my lips. ... No new contracts.”

“There’s more than 50 players under contract,” Khan told the Florida Times-Union. “There are other people under contract in management, coaches. Does that mean if you do it for one, you do it for everybody? Where do you draw the line?”

Jones-Drew, the NFL’s leading rusher last season, can be fined $30,000 a day for his absence although incoming head coach Mike Mularkey has declined to say if he will impose the fine.

Jaguars general manager Gene Smith previously said the team wants Jones-Drew to honor the final two years of his contract and isn’t going to give him a new deal. Khan made it obvious that continues to be the team’s position.

“There’s no decision here," Khan told Times-Union staffer Vito Stellino on Wednesday.

“It’s his choice. There’s been very little for us to do rather than wait on whatever he might choose to do."

Jones-Drew has two years left on a five-year, $31 million frontloaded deal he signed in 2008. He received $21 million the first three years and is scheduled to make $9.4 million the final two years. After running backs Chris Johnson, Ray Rice and Arian Foster recently signed more lucrative deals, Jones-Drew feels he is underpaid.

As Stellino suggested, the danger of a long holdout is Jones-Drew wouldn’t know the team’s new system and might not be in football shape and could be liable to injury.

“My only concern is learning the system,’’ Mularkey said of Jones-Drew. “It would be difficult to come in and jump right in the huddle for anybody who isn’t here. I think veterans know what kind of shape [they have to be in]. Especially in this kind of heat. Football shape is different, especially if you don’t get some banging early.’’

Mularkey said Rashad Jennings, who spent last season on injured reserve, will replace Jones-Drew as the starter.

“He took all the snaps with the ones in the offseason. We’ll rotate because it’s difficult to be an every down back in this league so we’ve got the players who can rotate in there. When the first team goes the first time, Rashad Jennings will be in there."

Now the questions become obvious: How long will Jones-Drew's holdout last? How quickly can he get up to speed on the offense once he returns?

And perhaps most importantly from a Fantasy perspective, how much will it cost Jones-Drew in terms of overall role and contribution this fall?

The answer to all the questions is equally obvious: Much depends on how long the holdout lasts.

So it's worth noting that ormer teammate Fred Taylor recently said he doesn't think Jones-Drew is going to blink unless the Jaguars come off their strong stance that they won't even talk contract.

"Pride gets involved," Taylor said. "Someone has to give. ... I don't think Maurice will be the first one to show his hand. Possibility it'll go into training camp or even further. ..."

According to CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman, Jones-Drew is angry and ready to test the will of the Jaguars brass.

"I'm getting the feeling Jones-Drew may be willing to push the envelope a bit in terms of when he shows up," Freeman said after talking to sources close to MJD.

Freeman went on to suggest, however, this is a battle the diminutive tailback can't win. "Jones-Drew knows this," Freeman added, "and he'll likely come to his senses."

While one could argue a 27-year old Jones-Drew might actually benefit from sitting out the rigors of both training camp and pre-season play, the fact a new coaching staff is coming on board is a concern.

The presence of a healthy Jennings another worry.

Working behind Jones-Drew, the former Liberty standout played sparingly as a rookie, rushing 39 times for 202 yards and a touchdown in 15 games. But in 2009, Jennings' opportunities increased, and in a November victory over the New York Giants, something happened that hadn’t happened in his NFL career. He got back-to-back carries.

On the first, he rushed for 19 yards. On the second, he scored a five-yard touchdown.

After a strong finish to the 2010 season, Jennings entered last year’s training camp with high aspirations. Many expected he would get more carries as the Jaguars tried to give Jones-Drew more rest than he had in the past.

Those plans changed in the third game of the preseason. Jennings in that game sustained a knee injury, and on September 3 -- eight days before the regular-season opener -- he was placed on injured reserve.

Now, opportunity knocks again -- even if it's just for a limited time.

So, there's no shortage of information to process as Jones-Drew takes time off and Khan gets an opportunity to re-think his entire position with regard to the whole contract issue

As Florio pointed out, Khan's question about where you draw the line is easily answered: "You draw the line on a case-by-case basis. If, for example, one of your employees led the league in rushing at a time when the offense had nothing else, you consider rewarding him.

"Especially when you have $25 million in cap space."

It's a valid argument. We'll be watching to see if the hard-line stance on either side softens over the coming month. In the meantime, we'll all get a good look at Jennings.