3 weeks agoThe New England Patriots signed free-agent tight end
Mitchell Wilcox on Monday, the team announced on X. Originally undrafted out of the 2020 class, Wilcox has spent the last four years with the Cincinnati Bengals. In 48 career games, the South Florida product has hauled in 29 of his 35 targets for 211 yards and one touchdown. The Patriots re-signed
Hunter Henry to a three-year, $27 million deal this offseason, so the TE1 role is occupied in Foxborough. Wilcox could have the chance to compete with
Austin Hooper for the TE2 job, but Hooper is likely the favorite to back up Henry. That said, Wilcox can be ignored in fantasy football.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: New England Patriots On X
3 weeks agoSan Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Brandon Aiyuk has not formally requested a trade from the organization, but he is still in the thick of trade rumors this offseason. When asked whether or not the team has received calls regarding a trade for Aiyuk,
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3 weeks agoUniversity of Texas running back
Jonathon Brooks (knee) is the odds-on favorite to be the first running back off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The 20-year-old has -110 odds to be selected first, with Florida State's
Trey Benson (+220) and Michigan's
Blake Corum (+400) trailing behind him. Brooks sat behind
Bijan Robinson and
Roschon Johnson during his first two collegiate seasons, but he broke out as a redshirt sophomore in 2023 with 187 carries for 1,139 yards and rushing 10 touchdowns to go along with 25 receptions for 286 yards and one receiving score. He suffered a torn ACL on November 11, but if he's the first ball carrier drafted, fantasy managers can assume the team who selects him is comfortable with his medical report.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: DraftKings
3 weeks agoDallas Cowboys quarterback
Dak Prescott is entering the final year of his deal in 2024, and he and the organization have not begun contract negotiations. The former fourth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft threw for a career-high 36 touchdowns in 2023, but Dallas suffered another disappointing playoff defeat in the NFC Divisional Round. On his contract situation, Prescott said "I'm not trying to be the highest paid necessarily. We'll wait until the negotiations begin and obviously want to put this team in the best situation." If the 30-year-old is willing to take a home team discount, it could help his chances of reaching a new deal. Star wide receiver
CeeDee Lamb and edge rusher Micah Parson will be up for new deals soon, meaning the Cowboys have a lot to figure out over the next few offseasons.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Ari Meirov -- 33rd Team
3 weeks agoThe Denver Broncos are acquiring former No. 2 overall pick
Zach Wilson from the New York Jets on Monday, according to sources. The Broncos are expected to send a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Jets for Wilson and a 2024 seventh-round selection, with the teams dividing his guaranteed camp roster bonus. The Broncos released
Russell Wilson this offseason and were heading into this week's NFL draft with
Jarrett Stidham as their starter under center in 2024. Wilson now has a much better shot at playing time with a change of scenery in 2024 after being benched in his final season with the Jets, but it doesn't necessarily mean he'll beat out Stidham in training camp. The move to acquire Wilson also won't preclude the Broncos from selecting a QB in this year's draft, possibly as early as the first round.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
3 weeks agoQuarterback
Matt Ryan officially announced his retirement from professional football on Monday as a member of the Atlanta Falcons, the team that drafted him third overall in 2008 out of Boston College. Ryan spent 14 of his 15 NFL seasons in Atlanta, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2008 and an MVP award in 2016. In his lone trip to the Super Bowl in the same season he won his MVP award, the Falcons blew a 28-3 lead at halftime to lose to the New England Patriots. He made just 12 starts for the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 and threw for 3,057 yards, 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The 38-year-old four-time Pro Bowler ends his career as Atlanta's all-time leader in passing yards (59,735) and passing touchdowns (367). Ryan ranks seventh all-time in passing yards (62,792) and ninth in TD passes (381) as a future Hall of Famer.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Falcons
3 weeks agoFree-agent cornerback Levi Wallace signed an undisclosed deal with the Denver Broncos on Monday, according to a source. Wallace had six interceptions and 24 passes defended over the last two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He'll give the Broncos some added secondary depth this week just ahead of the start of this year's NFL draft on Thursday evening. The 28-year-old entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Alabama in 2018 with the Buffalo Bills, and he spent the first four seasons of his career in Buffalo before playing for the Steelers the last two years. In his six seasons combined, Wallace has 305 tackles (236 solo), seven tackles for loss, 12 interceptions, 54 passes defended and one fumble recovery in 83 games (70 starts).
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Bleacher Report - Jordan Schultz
3 weeks agoCincinnati Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard (ankle) was held out of two games in 2023 due to a right-ankle injury that required significant offseason surgery. Hubbard said that he had a complete deltoid reconstruction in his ankle and tight-rope procedure to fix his ankle. He said his ankle bothered him as early as training camp, and it became more severe later in the year. Through the first nine weeks of 2023, Hubbard ranked 28th in the NFL in pass-rush win rate as an edge rusher. But when he returned to the field in Week 12 until the end of the season, he ranked 49th out of 54 players in that category. The good news is that the 28-year-old says he'll be ready for training camp this summer. However, it's fair to wonder about how effective he'll be rushing the passer in 2024 after coming off a pretty significant surgery.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Ben Baby
3 weeks agoThe New England Patriots are listening and taking calls from teams looking to move up to the No. 3 overall pick in the first round of Thursday's NFL draft. General manager Eliot Wolf is running point on the team's draft, but sources are saying president Jonathan Kraft is heavily involved in the decision-making process. Most people think the Patriots will ultimately stay at No. 3 and take a quarterback of the future after moving on from
Mac Jones this offseason. Teams like the Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants and Denver Broncos would be the most likely to trade up to No. 3 to take a QB. If the Patriots stay put and select third overall, whatever rookie signal-caller they take would be competing with veteran
Jacoby Brissett for the starting gig under center this fall.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
3 weeks agoESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver
Rashee Rice is expected to be disciplined by the NFL, resulting in at least a multi-game suspension. Rice is currently facing eight charges after he and another driver of a speeding car allegedly caused a crash involving a half-dozen vehicles in Dallas last month. He turned himself into police last week before being released on bond. The looming suspension for Rice could push the Chiefs, who own the No. 32 pick in this week's NFL draft, to keep a close eye on receivers in the draft. KC would have been expected to look for receiver help even before Rice's off-field troubles. They had the most drops in the league (38) in 2023. Rice was quarterback
Patrick Mahomes' favorite target outside of tight end
Travis Kelce last year, but his fantasy stock is going to take a hit going into 2024 with a suspension looming.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
3 weeks agoESPN New York's Rich Cimini writes that it sounds as if New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas is serious about adding a quarterback on Day 3 of this year's NFL draft, saying he'd love to create "a quarterback factory" like the Green Bay Packers did in the 1990s. The dream is to find a late-round gem, and the Jets hold the final pick in the draft (No. 257 overall). The Jets hosted Tulane's
Michael Pratt, Florida State's
Jordan Travis and Samford's Michael Hiers, with each QB being a potential Day 3 pick. Kentucky's
Devin Leary and Tennessee's
Joe Milton III could also be candidates. Douglas hasn't had much luck in his career drafting quarterbacks, either, so it's surely something he'd like to change.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN New York - Rich Cimini
3 weeks agoGeorgia tight end
Brock Bowers is the odds-on favorite to be taken by the New York Jets with the 10th overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, according to ESPN draft experts. If that happens, it would be the first time in 16 seasons that quarterback
Aaron Rodgers has been gifted a first-round pick at receiver or tight end. General manager Joe Douglas referred to Bowers as a "Swiss Army knife." The Jets are also interested in offensive tackles -- Notre Dame's Joe Alt, Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga and Washington's Troy Fautanu are thought to be their top preferences -- but they could take a receiver in the unlikely event one of the top three falls to 10th overall. If the Jets do take Bowers, he could have immediate fantasy value in his rookie year as long as Rodgers stays healthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN New York - Rich Cimini
3 weeks agoESPN New York's Jordan Ranaan says there's little doubt the New York Giants want to add a quarterback in the upcoming NFL draft. The Giants have had almost all of the top QBs in this year's class in for visits and either had private workouts or the team's most important decision-makers attended their pro days. Multiple general managers think QBs will be taken with each of the top four picks. The Giants have the No. 6 pick. It would be costly for the G-Men to jump into the top five, especially since the thought in league circles is that the Vikings are eyeing a trade up. There is a strong belief by some in the league that North Carolina QB
Drake Maye is the Giants' guy. The physical talent is there with Maye, but he's also going to be more of a project than the other top QB options in this year's draft. Sitting a year behind
Daniel Jones would be ideal.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN New York - Jordan Raanan
3 weeks agoThe New England Patriots quietly brought in free-agent tight ends
Brycen Hopkins,
Sean McKeon and
Mitchell Wilcox in for workouts late last week, which could reflect on their desire to add another layer to the tight end depth chart of
Hunter Henry,
Austin Hooper and
La'Michael Pettway. Hopkins has only 13 receptions on 19 targets for 196 yards and no touchdowns in his four NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. McKeon ended the 2023 season on Injured Reserve due to an ankle injury and has only six catches on 11 targets for 38 yards and one touchdown in his four NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Wilcox has 29 catches on 35 targets for 211 yards and one touchdowns in his three years with the Cincinnati Bengals.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN Boston - Mike Reiss
3 weeks agoNew England Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf said he doesn't think the team currently has a wide receiver that "can beat the backside coverage every single time." The Patriots are most likely to draft their quarterback of the future with the No. 3 overall pick, but they could pair him with a receiver with their next pick at No. 34 overall. ESPN's Field Yates believes South Carolina's
Xavier Legette, Florida State's
Keon Coleman or Florida's
Ricky Pearsall could all be good fits. Legette caught 71 passes for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns last year and "has some of the best run-after-catch skills in the class," according to Yates. Coleman's size (6-foot-3, 213 pounds) makes him a top red-zone performer. Pearsall caught 65 passes for 965 yards and four touchdowns in 2023.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Field Yates
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