1 month agoThe Minnesota Vikings are signing edge rusher Jihad Ward and linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. Ward spent last season with the New York Giants, and he posted a career-high five sacks. The former second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft has struggled to develop into a high-end pass-rusher, but he'll provide depth behind Jonathan Greenard after the loss of Danielle Hunter. Grugier-Hill has played for five teams since entering the NFL in 2016, racking up 338 tackles, six sacks, three interceptions, eight passes defended, and 34 run stuffs in 115 games. The Vikings appear to be in a period of transition, so these veterans should help ease the growing pains in 2024.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Kevin Seifert - ESPN
1 month agoThe Houston Texans are re-signing defensive end Derek Barnett to a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The 27-year-old was claimed off waivers last November and racked up 19 tackles and 2.5 sacks in six games for Houston. Barnett was originally a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles after he broke Reggie White's school record for career sacks (33.0) at Tennessee. He did not develop into the star Philadelphia hoped for, producing 21.5 sacks in his first 72 games with the organization. In Houston, he'll be utilized as a rotational pass-rusher for a unit that now looks to be stacked with talent. Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter, and Denico Autry all had at least seven sacks last year.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Jeremy Fowler
1 month agoNew York Jets right tackle Morgan Moses (pectoral) said he had surgery six weeks ago to fix a torn pectoral muscle that he tore in Week 4 and played through last year. Despite having surgery in the offseason for a significant injury, Moses said, "Yes, sir, 100 percent," when asked if he'll be ready to go in training camp this summer. The 33-year-old former third-round selection in the 2014 NFL draft by the Washington Commanders out of Virginia spent the first seven seasons of his career in D.C. and will be returning to the Jets after playing for them in 2021. He has started 144 of the 152 games he's appeared in over his 10-year NFL career and should open the 2024 campaign as the Jets' starting right tackle as he looks to protect quarterback
Aaron Rodgers.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN New York - Rich Cimini
1 month agoNew Orleans Saints linebacker Nephi Sewell (knee), who tore his ACL in Week 17, is not expected to be ready to go for training camp this summer, according to head coach Dennis Allen. Given the timing of Sewell's injury late last year, nobody should be expecting him to be ready for training camp, let alone the start of the 2024 regular season. The 25-year-old was a depth linebacker for the Saints last year while also contributing on special teams. In the 16 games he appeared in, Sewell didn't make any starts and finished with 15 tackles (11 solo) and one forced fumble. He entered the NFL with the Saints in 2022 as an undrafted free agent after playing college ball at both Nevada and Utah.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Katherine Terrell
1 month agoFree-agent running back
D'Onta Foreman is signing an undisclosed deal with the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, according to sources. Foreman has played for three different teams -- the Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears -- in each of the last three seasons. The 27-year-old former third-round pick of the Houston Texans in 2017 out of Texas filled a complementary role with the Bears in 2023 and had 109 carries for 425 yards (3.9 yards per attempt) and four touchdowns while adding 11 receptions for 77 yards and another score in nine games (eight starts). He could mix in more with
Jerome Ford early in 2024 in Cleveland if
Nick Chubb (knee) is eased in, but at best, Foreman will likely be an RB4/5 type in fantasy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Bleacher Report - Jordan Schultz
1 month agoThe New Orleans Saints re-signed safety Johnathan Abram to an undisclosed deal on Wednesday after re-signing defensive back Ugo Amadi on Tuesday. The Saints lost some depth in their secondary this year by releasing safety Marcus Maye and letting cornerbacks Isaac Yiadom and Lonnie Johnson Jr. to move on in free agency, so keeping both Abram and Amadi allows them to keep some of their depth intact. Abram, a 27-year-old former 27th overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019 out of Mississippi State, played in just nine games (three starts) for the Saints last year and had 26 tackles (14 solo), an interception and a forced fumble. He hasn't lived up to his first-round draft stock in his five NFL seasons, mainly because of injuries.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NewOrleans.Football - Mike Triplett
1 month agoMichigan quarterback
J.J. McCarthy visited with the New York Giants last week, which included dinner with the front office and a tour of the team's facilities, according to sources. The Washington Commanders will fly out to Ann Arbor to have dinner with McCarthy on Thursday night, the night before his pro day workout, according to multiple sources. Although it would be a big surprise if the Commanders took McCarthy with the second overall pick in this year's NFL draft, they are doing their due diligence on him anyway. The Giants could be right in the wheelhouse at No. 6 overall to take McCarthy as the heir apparent for the struggling
Daniel Jones, while the Minnesota Vikings (No. 11), Denver Broncos (No. 12) and Las Vegas Raiders (No. 13) are all candidates to trade into the top-10 picks to take McCarthy next month.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Bleacher Report - Jordan Schultz
1 month agoOhio State wide receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr., who is the consensus top receiver prospect in this year's NFL draft, will not work out at his school's pro day on Wednesday. Harrison also chose not to participate in this year's NFL scouting combine in February in Indianapolis. He likely believes is college tape is the best things for teams to use to evaluate him for the upcoming draft, which is probably true. Running a slow 40-yard dash time could allow the other top-tier receivers in this year's draft to compare more favorably next to Harrison. As of right now, the 21-year-old wideout is projected to come off the board fourth overall to the Arizona Cardinals next month. Regardless of where Harrison lands, he should immediately be in play for fantasy managers in his rookie season in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Pro Football Talk - Michael David Smith
1 month agoNew Los Angeles Chargers running back
Gus Edwards will have a big role in the offense in his first year with the team, according to The Athletic's Daniel Popper. Head coach Jim Harbaugh, general manager Joe Hortiz and offensive coordinator Greg Roman have all stated their goal of building a reliable running game to help quarterback
Justin Herbert. Edwards brings the Bolts a downhill running style, physicality and proven production in Roman's scheme with the Baltimore Ravens. However, it feels like LA will add at least one more piece at RB this offseason, either in free agency or the upcoming NFL draft. The 28-year-old had 13 rushing touchdowns and 810 rushing yards on a career-high 198 attempts in 2023 in Baltimore, but he also had a career-low 4.1 yards per carry and is certainly going to regress in the TD department in his first year with the Chargers.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Daniel Popper
1 month agoNew York Jets wide receiver
Mike Williams (knee), who is four-plus months removed from surgery to fix a torn ACL, said that he will be ready for Week 1 this fall. Williams tore his ACL in Week 3 with the Los Angeles Chargers last year and missed the rest of the season. The 29-year-old was cut by the Bolts for salary cap purposes this offseason and quickly signed a one-year deal with the Jets worth up to $15 million in 2024. The 6-foot-4, 218-pound former first-rounder will give quarterback
Aaron Rodgers a big target across from
Garrett Wilson, which should allow him to put up some spike weeks for fantasy managers. However, it remains to be seen how effective the oft-injured wideout will coming off his significant knee injury. Most likely, Williams will be a boom-or-bust fantasy receiver in 2024 with plenty of injury risk.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN New York - Rich Cimini
1 month agoThe Baltimore Ravens signed free-agent inside linebacker Chris Board to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday, according to sources. Board is returning to the organization that signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2018 out of North Dakota State to begin his NFL career. The 28-year-old played the first four seasons of his career with the Ravens from 2018-21 before one-year stops with the Detroit Lions in 2022 and the New England Patriots in 2023. He's played in a total of 97 games since entering the league but has made only three starts. In 17 games last year for the Pats, Board had only 10 tackles (seven solo) while mostly playing on special teams. He'll provide the Ravens with a special-teams presence in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Jeff Zrebiec
1 month agoUpdating a previous report, free-agent linebacker Justin Strnad had a change of heart and is now re-signing an undisclosed one-year deal with the Denver Broncos on Tuesday night, according to a source. Strnad was close to finalizing a deal with the Carolina Panthers but chose to stay with the Broncos, the team that drafted him in 2020 in the fifth round (178th overall) out of Wake Forest. The 27-year-old had his best season in his rookie year in 2021, recording 36 tackles (23 solo) in 16 games played (five starts). He's played in a total of 50 games in his three NFL campaigns, but he's made only five starts and is set to continue in a relief role in the linebacking corps and on special teams in Denver in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Mike Garofolo
1 month agoThe Indianapolis Colts re-signed center Danny Pinter (ankle) to an undisclosed one-year deal on Tuesday, according to a source. The Colts decided to bring Pinter back in 2024 despite the fact that he missed all of the 2023 campaign due to broken ankle that he suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles in the preseason. The 27-year-old was drafted by the Colts in the fifth round (149th overall) in 2020 out of Ball State. In his first four seasons, Pinter has started just seven of the 46 games that he's appeared in. The Indiana native should come to training camp this summer with a clean bill of health after undergoing surgery as he looks to earn a bigger role on the Colts' offensive line. Most likely, Pinter will open the year as a backup, with the Colts returning all seven players who started at least one game in 2023.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Indianapolis Star - Joel A. Erickson
1 month agoDetroit Lions defensive end Romeo Okwara announced his retirement from professional football on Tuesday after eight seasons in the NFL. "After some introspection and meditation I have decided to step away from the NFL," Okwara wrote on his Instagram account. The 28-year-old appeared in 16 games for the Lions last year, registering nine tackles, five QB hits and two sacks as part of the team's defensive-line rotation. He was set to be a free agent this offseason. Okwara entered the league in 2016 with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame. He spent his first two seasons with the G-Men before being claimed off waivers by the Lions in 2018. Okwara led the Lions with 7.5 sacks in 2018, and his 23 career sacks rank as the fourth-most by an NFL player born in Nigeria.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Romeo Okwara
1 month agoThe Carolina Panthers agreed to an undisclosed one-year deal on Tuesday with former Denver Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad, according to a league source. Strnad reunites with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero after spending the first three seasons of his NFL career with the Broncos. Last year in Denver, the 27-year-old former fifth-round pick in 2020 out of Wake Forest had just five tackles (four solo) in 17 games played (zero starts). Strnad's best season came in his rookie year in 2021, when he had 36 tackles (23 solo) in 16 games (five starts). Now in the NFC, Strnad will most likely continue to represent linebacking depth while also filling in on special teams for the Panthers.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Charlotte Observer - Mike Kaye
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