2 hours agoGreen Bay Packers wide receiver Alex McGough, a former USFL MVP who transitioned from quarterback this offseason, could use his pure athleticism to secure a roster spot prior to the 2024 campaign, head coach Matt LaFleur told the media. McGough spent all of 2023 operating as Green Bay's No. 3 quarterback. "He's a really athletic guy," LaFleur explained. "He spent a lot of time on the scout team running receiver routes, and he did such a great job. We feel like he's such a talented athlete, [so] why not give him a chance there? He's a smart guy, works his tail off. I think he can contribute [on special teams] as well. We felt like that might be his best chance here." These comments suggest that the Packers place great value on McGough's athleticism and don't want to risk losing someone like him, even if his impact is limited to special teams in 2024.Source: Zach Kruse
2 hours agoFree agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore still wants to play football but is waiting for the right opportunity, he told NFL insider Josina Anderson. "I know the value I still bring," Gilmore said. "If you watch the tape, I feel like I played well the last two years, and literally almost played every snap last year." Indeed, Gilmore was impactful in 2023. He started all 17 games for the Cowboys, registering two interceptions, 13 passes defended, 68 tackles, and one forced fumble. He's still a starting-caliber defender who could justify holding out for a specific opportunity, perhaps with a contender.Source: Josina Anderson
2 hours agoIndianapolis Colts running back Evan Hull could still earn the backup role despite some speculation suggesting the job belonged to Trey Sermon. According to James Boyd of The Athletic, "it remains unclear" who will operate as the No. 2 option behind Jonathan Taylor in 2024. He notes that while Sermon may be the early favorite, the former 49ers draft pick has just 78 carries for 346 yards and one touchdown in his career. Whoever takes over as Taylor's backup will be filling big shoes. Last season, that role belonged to Zack Moss, who finished the year with 986 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns. Moss is now in Cincinnati, leaving a competition of sorts for Sermon and Hull. As a rookie last year, Hull mustered just one rushing yards and six receiving yards.Source: James Boyd
2 hours agoThe Athletic's James Boyd has Indianapolis Colts tight end Jelani Woods projected as the team's starting tight end in May because he remains bullish on his potential, despite the fact he was sidelined all of last year due to hamstring injuries. Woods should be healthy for organized team activities, and his next-level athleticism will mesh perfectly with head coach Shane Steichen's play-calling to create mismatches all over the field. He's also big enough to block when needed, and Kylen Granson can continue to use his speed and route-running to help move the chains. Mo Alie-Cox will remain in the mix as a seasoned veteran. While Woods should have a bigger pass-catching role if he can stay on the field, this could once again be a frustrating committee situation at TE for fantasy managers.Source: The Athletic - James Boyd
2 hours agoThe Dallas Cowboys signed rookie offensive tackle Tyler Guyton to his rookie deal on Thursday. In addition to Guyton, Dallas locked up rookies Cooper Beebe, Maris Liufau, Caelen Carson, Ryan Flournoy, Nathan Thomas and Justin Rogers. The only rookie that remains unsigned now is second-rounder Marshawn Kneeland. Guyton was selected 29th overall in the first round after Troy Fautanu and Amarius Mims came off the board earlier in the first round. The 6-foot-8, 322-pounder has excellent physical traits and the potential to play tackle at the next level, but it remains to be seen if he'll eventually develop as a starting-caliber left tackle. When the 22-year-old did enter the starting lineup at Oklahoma, he only played on the right side.Source: ESPN Dallas - Todd Archer
3 hours agoThe Las Vegas Raiders signed first-round rookie tight end Brock Bowers to a fully guaranteed four-year deal on Thursday that is worth $18.1 million. He'll receive $10 million via a signing bonus and the standard fifth-year team option as a first-round pick. The Raiders held off on reaching for a quarterback in the first round in last month's draft and instead took one of the best players in the entire draft in Bowers at 13th overall. The 21-year-old was the highest-selected tight end since Kyle Pitts in 2021 and is athletic enough as a tight end to play pretty much anywhere on the field. Bowers set a school record at Georgia with 26 touchdowns in his time there and is the complete package. Even with Michael Mayer in town, Bowers should take over as the team's top pass-catching TE in his rookie year.Source: The 33rd Team - Ari Meirov
9 hours agoThe Los Angeles Rams surprisingly selected Michigan running back Blake Corum in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft despite breakout star Kyren Williams racking up 1,350 total yards and 15 touchdowns in 2023. In a media availability, generalread more...
9 hours agoThe New Orleans Saints signed No. 14 overall pick Taliese Fuaga to his rookie deal on Thursday, according to NFL insider Ari Meirov. The first-round offensive tackle inked a fully guaranteed four-year deal worth $17.3 million. His contract includes a $9.4 million signing bonus and a fifth-year option. Pro Bowl right tackle Ryan Ramczyk (knee) has an uncertain future after a series of knee injuries, so there's a chance Fuaga could be a Day 1 starter on the Saints' offensive line. If not, he'll likely develop behind Ramczyk with the intention of taking over at some point in his rookie or sophomore campaign. The 22-year-old was a First-Team All-American at Oregon State in 2023 and was a consensus first-round prospect during the pre-draft process.Source: Ari Meirov -- 33rd Team
9 hours agoThe Chicago Bears signed undrafted rookie quarterback Austin Reed on Thursday, according to NFL.com. Reed had a monster college career, passing for 8,084 yards, 71 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions in his two seasons at Western Kentucky. Before his move to WKU, he threw for 7,464 yards, 78 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions in two years at West Florida and won a Division II National Championship. The 24-year-old spent six years in college and was not among the 11 quarterbacks selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he'll now have an outside chance of competing with Tyson Bagent for the QB2 job behind No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.Source: NFL.com
10 hours agoDetroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has vastly exceeded expectations since being traded from the Los Angeles Rams to Detroit ahead of the 2021 season. The former No. 1 overall pick has thrown for 12,258 yards, 78 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions through his first 48read more...
10 hours agoDespite the Tennessee Titans signing veteran wide receiver Tyler Boyd this week, head coach Brian Callahan and the organization still have hope for third-year wideout Treylon Burks. "We've made very clear to Treylon that the signing of Tylerread more...
11 hours agoThe Houston Texans acquired wide receiver Ben Skowronek from the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, according to sources. The Rams were set to waiver Skowronek, but the Texans swooped in before he hit waivers to get something done to add receiving depth behind Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Robert Woods, Noah Brown, John Metchie III and others. The 26-year-old Skowronek was the Rams' seventh-round pick in 2021 and has mostly been limited to a role on special teams in his three years in the NFL. That will likely continue to be the case with his move to Houston, and he won't be on the fantasy radar at all. In his three years in the NFL in LA, Skowronek only had 58 receptions for 575 yards and one touchdown on 93 targets in 45 games (12 starts).Source: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
11 hours agoBuffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox likely knows a reduced role is on the way again for him in 2024, although he is a favorite of quarterback Josh Allen's in the locker room, so it remains to be seen how much he'll be on the sidelines in favor of second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid. Allen may need to rely on Kincaid more to pick up a big amount of slack to keep the offense moving with an unproven receiver unit this year. Buffalo moved away from heavy usage of 12 personnel early in 2023 and mostly settled into 11 personnel. If that's the plan again in 2024, it will be interesting to see how they divvy up the snaps between Kincaid and Knox. Either way, unless Kincaid misses time with an injury, it's going to be hard to justify starting Knox outside of two-TE leagues.Source: The Athletic - Joe Buscaglia
12 hours agoIn what is the weakest wide receiving corps the Buffalo Bills have had in several seasons, rookie second-round wideout Keon Coleman should start right away in his first NFL season alongside veteran Curtis Samuel and Khalil Shakir. Coleman has a lot of potential, but asking a 21-year-old to produce in a way he never has at a higher level of football seems like asking for too much, too soon, according to The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia. Depth is also an issue for this unit, with journeyman veteran Mack Hollins as their top reserve. Coleman has good size at 6-foot-3, 213 pounds, but his lack of production at Florida State made him a polarizing draft prospect. The good news is that he's going to have his opportunities right away, although that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be a starting fantasy option on a weekly basis right away.Source: The Athletic - Joe Buscaglia
12 hours agoBuffalo Bills running back James Cook bounced back from being benched last year and enters his third season in the NFL in 2024 as the unquestioned lead back with a giant gap between him and either Ty Johnson or rookie Ray Davis. Cook should continue to push toward some of the heaviest involvement the Bills have seen in recent years out of their top back. Johnson's game is similar to Cook's, so he'll likely have a game-day role when Cook needs a breather. The Bills are hoping Davis can add power and short-yardage ability, something the team has been wanting to add for years to the backfield. The 24-year-old Cook had a 1,000-yard rushing season in 2023 but added just two rushing TDs. What Cook lacks in scoring opportunities, he could make up for with his pass-catching abilities and sheer volume in 2024.Source: The Athletic - Joe Buscaglia