2 weeks agoThe New England Patriots and safety Kyle Dugger agreed to a four-year, $58 million contract extension on Sunday, according to sources. Dugger will get the long-term deal he desired after having the transition tag placed on him this offseason. The contract is worth up to $66 million and contains $32.5 million in guaranteed money. The 28-year-old former second-round pick in 2020 out of Lenoir-Rhyne had a career-high 109 tackles (71 solo), 1.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, five QB hits, two interceptions, seven passes defended and a forced fumble in 17 starts last year in his fourth season in the NFL with the Patriots. Coming off the best season of his career, Dugger will be in play in IDP fantasy drafts at the defensive back position this fall.Source: NFL Network - Mike Garofolo
2 weeks agoAccording to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, speaking on Friday's edition of NFL Live, the Dolphins are "trying pretty hard" to land free agent wideout Odell Beckham Jr. "They've made him at least one contract offer, possibly two," reported Fowler. "There has not been that financial gulf bridged." The 31-year-old sat out in 2022 after injuring his knee in Super Bowl LVI. However, he returned for the 2023-24 campaign, amassing 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns in 14 regular season games. Nonetheless, Beckham could wait things out before signing with a team. But if he lands in Miami, he could have difficulty getting routinely involved.Source: Adam Stites
2 weeks agoAccording to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, free agent wide receiver Tyler Boyd doesn't appear to be heading to the Steelers. "From what I have been told, Boyd was extremely interested in Pittsburgh at the beginning of the free-agency process," wrote Kaboly. "But the offer wasn't something he was comfortable with." It's only April, so it is possible both sides could revisit things after the NFL Draft. However, Boyd should have more than a few teams willing to sign him, with recent reports suggesting that the Chiefs, Chargers, Dolphins, Lions, and 49ers have expressed interest in bringing him in. With that said, the 2016 No. 55 overall pick is coming off a down year, amassing 67 catches for 667 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games. Yet, Boyd should still command attention from fantasy managers heading into the 2024-25 campaign, although his outlook is contingent on where he lands during the offseason.Source: Allison Koehler
2 weeks agoThe Athletic's Bruce Feldman believes that Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner is an ideal fit for the Atlanta Falcons with the No. 8 overall pick in this year's NFL draft. The Falcons can use a pass-rushing spark, and Turner was the most disruptive player for Alabama's defense last year, recording 14.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks to go with 13 QB hurries and two forced fumbles. What the 21-year-old lacks in size (6-foot-3, 247 pounds), he makes up for in explosiveness and pure athleticism. "He's violent with his hands and is the best pass rusher we've faced the last two years. He's freaky athletically. We thought he was very versatile," one coach said.Source: The Athletic - Bruce Feldman
2 weeks agoThe Athletic's Bruce Feldman has the Tennessee Titans (at No. 7 overall) stopping the position-player run early in the first round of this year's NFL draft by selecting Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt. That will especially be the case if the Titans think quarterback Will Levis has a legitimate chance to be the long-term QB. Alt is the best offensive-line prospect in this year's class and would give Tennessee a strong foundation up front after they took Peter Skoronski in 2023. The 21-year-old Alt impressed at the scouting combine and won't turn 22 until after his rookie year. "I like him a lot. He's as good as I've coached against in a long time. He's athletic. He's big. He's strong. He moves his feet real well. He's never in a bad position and he's never on the ground. Some of these guys, you can get them moving. This dude always had his pads square and played with low pad level," one coach said.Source: The Athletic - Bruce Feldman
2 weeks agoThe New York Giants haven't hid the fact that they will consider taking a quarterback in this year's NFL draft with Daniel Jones (knee) coming back from an ACL tear, but The Athletic's Bruce Feldman writes that they'll have their choice of two stud wide receivers in Washington's Rome Odunze and LSU's Malik Nabers if they stand pat at pick No. 6 overall. But after drafting blazer Jalin Hyatt last year, Feldman believes they'll go for the bigger and more physical Odunze. The 21-year-old is a former track standout and is very explosive. He had 92 catches for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023, and his ball skills are elite. However, landing with Jones and the G-Men might not be the most attractive spot for Odunze's immediate fantasy football value in his rookie year. But Odunze's contested-catch abilities and ability to play both inside and outside make him very attractive.Source: The Athletic - Bruce Feldman
2 weeks agoThe Los Angeles Chargers are an obvious candidate to swing big at the wide receiver position in this year's NFL draft after trading away Keenan Allen and cutting Mike Williams this offseason, which is why The Athletic's Bruce Feldman is predicting the Bolts take Ohio State wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fifth overall pick. The 6-foot-3, 208-pound Harrison checks every box and is the consensus top receiver in this class with good length, strength, burst, polish and competitiveness. The 21-year-old is the most complete of any receiver to come out of Ohio State in the last decade, which is saying something, and he'd have immediate weekly starting potential for fantasy football managers if quarterback Justin Herbert was throwing to him in Year 1. Harrison is one of two players in this draft that Feldman would say is the closest to a "sure thing."Source: The Athletic - Bruce Feldman
2 weeks agoWith quarterback Kirk Cousins now with the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell needs a new QB to utilize a talented group of receivers, and The Athletic's Bruce Feldman is hearing the Vikes are very interested in Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, who went 27-1 as the Wolverines starter and led the team to the national title last year. Feldman is even suggesting the Vikings could trade all the way up to No. 4 overall with the Arizona Cardinals to take McCarthy in this year's NFL draft. The 21-year-old didn't put up the gaudy stats that the high-end names in this year's draft did, but he has honed pro-style footwork and threw 44 touchdowns to only nine picks in two seasons as the starter. McCarthy can also run, going for nine TDs and more than 500 yards on the ground. Landing in Minnesota would probably give him the most short- and long-term fantasy upside.Source: The Athletic - Bruce Feldman
2 weeks agoThe Kansas City Chiefs agreed to terms to re-sign defensive end Mike Danna to an undisclosed three-year deal on Friday, according to a source. The Chiefs will bring Danna back after he had career-highs in combined tackles (50) and sacks (6.5) while also recording seven tackles for loss and 13 QB hits in 16 regular-season starts for the Super Bowl champions in his fourth year with the team. Kansas City originally drafted the 26-year-old pass-rusher in the fifth round (177th overall) in 2020 out of Michigan, and he's tallied 128 tackles (68 solo), 17 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, 39 QB hits and four forced fumbles in 59 games (23 starts) in his four years in the league. Danna will continue to be a starter for KC in 2024 but isn't much of a fantasy asset in IDP leagues.Source: NFL Network - Mike Garofolo
2 weeks agoThe Athletic's Bruce Feldman predicts that the New England Patriots will take North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick in this year's NFL draft after the Washington Commanders go with LSU QB Jayden Daniels. The Pats areread more...
2 weeks agoFree-agent defensive tackle Teair Tart signed an undisclosed deal with the Miami Dolphins on Friday, according to a source. Tart spent the 2023 season with the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans, combining to record 24 tackles (17 solo), one sack and eight tackles for loss in 13 games (nine starts). The 27-year-old began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent out of Florida International in 2020 with the Titans. He spent the first three years of his NFL career in Tennessee and has totaled just 79 tackles (49 solo), 2.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, 14 QB hits, one interception, seven passes defended and a fumble recovery in 47 games (36 starts) over four seasons. If Tart makes the Dolphins roster in 2024 out of training camp, he'll serve as interior defensive line depth.Source: Bleacher Report - Jordan Schultz
2 weeks agoThe New York Giants agreed to terms on an undisclosed deal with free-agent running back Dante Miller on Friday, pending a physical. The 5-foot-9, 200-pounder has not played since 2022 at South Carolina, but he'll give the Giants some additional backfield depth in 2024 behind Devin Singletary, Gary Brightwell, Eric Gray, Jashaun Corbin and Deon Jackson. Miller will simply be hoping to impress the Giants' coaching staff this offseason and during training camp this summer in order to win a roster or practice squad spot. He has never appeared in an NFL game and is unlikely to become a big part of the team's offense, even if he somehow wins a spot on the 53-man roster.Source: Giants.com - Dan Salomne
2 weeks agoThe Arizona Cardinals hosted Ohio State star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. on a top-30 visit on Friday, according to a source. The Cardinals hold the fourth overall pick in this year's NFL draft, and Harrison is widely considered to be at the top of the receiver class in 2024. Arizona is a prime candidate to trade down early in the first round for the second year in a row, but if they stand pat, adding the top receiver in this year's class would be tempting to give quarterback Kyler Murray a top target moving forward. If Harrison were to land in the desert, he'd instantly become the team's No. 1 pass-catcher among a receiving corps that currently includes Michael Wilson, Chris Moore and Greg Dortch. The 21-year-old's fantasy value will depend on where he lands, but most likely he'll be in play in weekly lineups in his rookie campaign.Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
2 weeks agoThe Athletic's Bruce Feldman is projecting the Washington Commanders taking LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NFL draft. General manager Adam Peters is reportedly enamored with Daniels, and the team traded last year's starter, Sam Howell, to the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. "I tell people this: Outside of Patrick Mahomes, I haven't coached against someone like this. He's just very hard to defend. We tried to force him to run it to take it out of his hands. The throws he makes and the timing he has, I thought was second to none. He throws the deep ball extremely accurately," one coach said. Daniels has above-average arm strength and all kinds of athleticism, but one of the biggest concerns about him is his size and whether he'll hold up health-wise at the next level.Source: The Athletic - Bruce Feldman
2 weeks agoWashington quarterback Michael Penix has been a rising draft prospect since his pro day, and scouts believe in his elite arm talent. The Athletic's Dane Brugler projects the Las Vegas Raiders taking Penix at 13th overall in the first round of this year's NFL draft as an upgrade over both Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell. Penix's health is a polarizing subject in draft circles -- he had four season-ending injuries at Indiana -- but he was healthy for the Huskies and got positive medical evaluations at the scouting combine. "His arm talent is as good as I've ever seen. He can throw every single ball on a rope. I just wanted to blitz him. I felt like he didn't handle pressure as some others. We lived and died by the blitz, but he got his yards," one coach said.Source: The Athletic - Bruce Feldman