Steelers Expected To Sign Sam Sloman

The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to sign free-agent kicker Sam Sloman, pending a physical, to an undisclosed deal on Thursday, according to a source. Sloman kicked for the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans as a rookie last season. The 23-year-old seventh-round pick of the Rams made 72.7 percent of his field-goal tries with LA […]

Jonathan Taylor Is The Guy In Colts Backfield

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor's late-season surge in his rookie year made it obvious that he is the team's starter heading into 2021, and The Athletic's Zak Keefer expects Taylor to get the bulk of the carries. The team will have some plays scripted for Marlon Mack and Nyheim Hines, but the running game […]

Chris Herndon Has Struggled With Playbook

New York Jets tight end Chris Herndon not only lost some first-team repetitions at minicamp to Ryan Griffin and Tyler Kroft, but the former fourth-round pick also struggled to pick up the new playbook. The 25-year-old was supposed to be the team's tight end of the future when they drafted him in 2018, but he […]

Mike Williams To Man The X Position In Offense

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams will be manning the X receiver position that Michael Thomas played in the New Orleans Saints scheme in new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi's scheme. Lombardi is excited about using Williams' skill set this year and expects big things from him. It should all boil down to a lot […]

Isaiah McKenzie The Leader For Return Duties

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie is the current leader to be the team's new kick and punt returner this year, but on offense he's likely to serve as the No. 5 receiver as a chess piece for offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. In eight games last year in which all five Bills receivers were healthy, […]

Jacob Hollister Could Surpass Dawson Knox

Buffalo Bills tight end Jacob Hollister's athleticism and connection with quarterback Josh Allen -- the two played together at Wyoming -- could give him an opportunity in 2021 if Dawson Knox continues to falter early in the season. Hollister moved around well during spring practices and will be worth keeping a closer eye on in […]

Emmanuel Sanders Could Have A Big Role

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, not Gabriel Davis, could step into John Brown's role in the offense when all four of the starting wideouts are healthy. The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia isn't confident that Buffalo wants to put too much on Davis' plate, which makes Sanders intriguing. Davis was on the field 35 percent less […]

Zack Moss Could Take Over The Backfield

Buffalo Bills running back Zack Moss loss the first six weeks of his rookie season due to a turf-toe injury, giving a lot of opportunities to Devin Singletary. In eight games where all things were equal with Moss and Singletary, Moss saw 52.97% of the snaps, while Singletary saw 47.21%. Moss had 20 more rushing […]

Josh Allen's Rushing Production May Be Dwindling

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is coming off the board at the start of the fourth round in single-quarterback leagues, but is he worth that cost as the second signal-caller behind Patrick Mahomes? Allen made major improvements as a passer in 2020 that helped elevate him to the elite QB1 level, but as he's progressed […]

Damien Harris The No. 1 In New England?

ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss said on Sirius XM NFL Radio that he views New England Patriots running back Damien Harris as the team's "decisive" No. 1 back heading into the 2021 season. Harris and Sony Michel are expected to be some sort of one-two combination in New England's backfield, but Michel has really disappointed so […]

A.J. Brown Still Recovering From Offseason Surgeries

Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown (knees) was not able to take the field for offseason workouts after having offseason surgery on both of his knees, but he remains focused on getting healthy for the 2021 season. Brown had his second straight 1,000-yard season in 2020 and was named to the Pro Bowl after catching […]

Ryan Ramczyk Receives Big Five-Year Extension

The New Orleans Saints signed All-Pro right tackle Ryan Ramczyk to a five-year, $96 million contract extension on Wednesday, according to sources. Ramczyk will receive $19.2 million per season. The deal will take him through the 2026 season and will make him the new highest-paid right tackle in the league. The 27-year-old was an All-Pro […]

Andrew Whitworth Likely In His Final Season

Los Angeles Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who is entering his 16th NFL season, hinted that the 2021 season would likely be his last. "So this year, to me, it feels like this is it. This is like, I've put everything into trying to play this season and play at the level I want to," […]

Jaydon Mickens, Justin Watson On The Bubble

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers Jaydon Mickens and Justin Watson have seen their stock fall this offseason. Mickens was the primary returner on punts and kickoffs in 2020, but his future is uncertain after the team drafted rookie Jaelon Darden as a potential replacement. And Mickens didn't exactly stand out in return duties last year. […]

Giovani Bernard Likely To Serve In Pass-Catching Role

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Giovani Bernard looked impressive in voluntary organized team activities and at Tom Brady's unofficial workouts, and he's most likely to serve as the team's third-down and pass-catching back while Ronald Jones II and Leonard Fournette battle for primary ball-carrying duties. Bernard has averaged 42 catches per season in his eight-year […]

Ryan Fitzpatrick Has Made Positive Impact On Offense

According to Washington Football Team linebacker Jon Bostic, the addition of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has had a noticeable positive effect on the offense this offseason. "You can see just how much of a step that offense has taken already," Bostic said. "I think he's really, really going to help those guys out." The 38-year-old gunslinger, […]

Kyler Murray Expects Big Things From A.J. Green

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray expects new wide receiver A.J. Green to have a big year in 2021. "I expect A.J. to have a big year," Murray said. "I know a lot of people are sleeping on him. I know a lot of things have been said about him maybe not being able to do […]

Kyle Pitts Signs Rookie Deal

The Atlanta Falcons signed first-round tight end Kyle Pitts to a four-year rookie deal worth a fully guaranteed $32.9 million. The deal also comes with a fifth-year option. Pitts was the No. 4 overall pick in this year's NFL draft and was reportedly being force-fed targets during the team's minicamp. He's expected to be a […]

J.J. Arcega-Whiteside On The Bubble

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside will be on the bubble in training camp. The Athletic's Bo Wulf thinks the chances of Arcega-Whiteside ever becoming a useful NFL receiver are low because of his meager production in the first two years of his career. But with a wide receiver specialist as a head coach, the […]

Adrian Killins Jr. Likely To Work As Slot Receiver

Philadelphia Eagles running back Adrian Killins Jr. is a running back in name only and will likely spend training camp working as a slot receiver. Along with Killins, The Athletic's Bo Wulf projects that Jason Huntley, Jordan Howard and Elijah Holyfield won't make the final roster cut behind Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Kenny Gainwell and […]

Tyler Kroft Has A Shot At The Starting Gig

New York Jets tight end Tyler Kroft was one of the bigger surprises of the spring and saw a lot of time with the starting unit. Kroft could beat out Chris Herndon if Herndon doesn't break out of the funk he was in last year. With Mike LaFleur valuing tight ends heavily after coming from […]

Joe Mixon Set For Large Workload

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon is expected to have the largest workload of his career with Giovani Bernard no longer in town. The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. expects Mixon to have another 15 to 20 receptions. Samaje Perine will give Mixon a breather when needed, and rookie Chris Evans should earn a portion of […]

C.J. Uzomah Expected To Be Starting Tight End

Cincinnati Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah is expected to be the team's starting tight end in 2021, but that is assuming that he does well coming off his Achilles injury. Uzomah was a full participant and was declared 100 percent healthy during organized team activities, so that's a good start. If healthy, he's a much […]

Cameron Jordan Feels Rejuvenated

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan, who ranks second in Saints history with 94.5 career sacks in 10 seasons, said he feels rejuvenated this year and is "more hungry now than ever." The soon-to-be 32-year-old is the longest-tenured player on the team with Drew Brees and Thomas Morstead no longer around. He said he […]

Harrison Smith Wants To Remain In Minnesota

Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith, who saw his streak of five straight Pro Bowl appearances end last year, is entering the final year of a contract he signed back in 2016. Smith said that he would like to sign a contract extension that would keep him in Minnesota for several more years. "I don't have […]

Cam Newton, Mac Jones Set For Legitimate QB Battle

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton and rookie first-rounder Mac Jones are set for a legitimate QB competition this summer. Jones, 22, was fast-tracked in organized team activities and mandatory minicamp and, up until the final day of minicamp, even looked better than Newton. Jones has had his rookie mistakes, but he's been accurate and […]

Demaryius Thomas Hangs Up His Cleats

Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, the second leading receiver in franchise history, announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday. The former first-round pick and first wideout taken in the 2010 draft emerged as the team's No. 1 receiver when quarterback Peyton Manning arrived in Denver. Thomas earned five straight Pro Bowl selections […]

Mecole Hardman Has Made Improvements

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman has the best opportunity to be this offense's breakout player of the year in 2021. Through minicamp, Hardman showed that he has made sizable improvements, whether it's his route-running, his consistency catching the ball or his overall demeanor when on the practice field. "I think he's hungrier than […]

Patrick Mahomes Focusing On Short And Intermediate Passes

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes focused more on short and intermediate passes during organized team activities and mandatory minicamp after re-watching tape of the Super Bowl loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mahomes completed 64 percent of his 130 passes between 10 and 20 yards downfield last regular season, but he thinks he can […]

Tee Higgins To “Play A Huge Role” In Offense

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is "going to play a huge role" this season, according to offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. While most fantasy managers saw enough from the former Clemson wideout during his rookie campaign to retain their excitement, things became a bit uneasy after Ja'Marr Chase was selected with the No. 5 overall […]