1 month agoBoth San Francisco 49ers tight end
George Kittle and cornerback Charvarius Ward had core-muscle surgery this offseason and will be back, fully cleared, in time for training camp this summer, according to general manager John Lynch. It's worth noting, but for Kittle's sake, it's probably not going to have any effect on his 2024 fantasy value unless he suffers a setback during offseason training. The 30-year-old former fifth-round selection in 2017 out of Iowa has made the Pro Bowl in five of his seven NFL seasons and led all tight ends with 1,020 receiving yards in 16 regular-season games in 2023 while also catching 65 passes for six touchdowns on 90 targets. Despite undergoing offseason surgery, Kittle should be considered a no-doubt, top-five fantasy tight end this fall.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NBC Sports Bay Area - Matt Maiocco
1 month agoSan Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said the team is actively talking with wide receiver
Brandon Aiyuk about a long-term contract extension and there have been no trade discussions, despite reports to the contrary. Lynch said the team would be OK with Aiyuk playing on the fifth-year option in 2024. Given all the 49ers' other star players on both offense and defense, it might be hard for the organization to keep the 26-year-old former first-rounder past the 2024 campaign. Aiyuk now has back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and posted a career-best 1,342 receiving yards and 75 receptions for seven touchdowns in 16 regular-season starts in 2023. With at least one more season in the Bay Area coming, Aiyuk should be a highly sought-after WR2 in fantasy drafts this fall.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NBC Sports Bay Area - Matt Maiocco
1 month agoWhen asked how realistic it was for him to be a potential trade-up team in the upcoming NFL draft, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said, "realistic." The Broncos will consider the possibility and also noted, "it's good to be Monti (Ossenfort) right now." Ossenfort is the general manager of the Arizona Cardinals, who currently hold the No. 4 overall pick. Denver currently sits at No. 12 overall and have
Jarrett Stidham as their starting QB after releasing
Russell Wilson this offseason. Even if they don't trade up in the first round to take a high-end QB, it's a good bet the Broncos will select a quarterback at some point in this draft, and he'll likely compete with Stidham for the starting job in training camp this summer.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
1 month agoMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said that he's happy to have veteran quarterback
Sam Darnold on the team this year. "I think his best football is ahead of him because of how he handled the last couple of years," O'Connell said. The Vikings head coach points out that he saw growth with Darnold's fundamentals as he worked as
Brock Purdy's backup in San Francisco last year, and he's excited to get to work with him in Minnesota. The Vikings signed the former first-rounder to a one-year, $10 million deal this offseason, and depending on what the team does in the upcoming NFL draft, Darnold could open the year as the starter under center in Week 1. He'll have one of the best receivers in the game in
Justin Jefferson to work with if he's starting, but Darnold will still be a midrange QB2, at best, in fantasy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network
1 month agoMiami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said at the NFL owners meetings that the Dolphins made an offer to free-agent wide receiver
Odell Beckham Jr., but "business takes time." There remains a gap in the financials on both sides, but the door remains very much open if Beckham decides he wants to sign with Miami in 2024. The 31-year-old veteran wideout had a good visit with the team last Thursday, but the two sides weren't able to work something out. OBJ, who is no longer in peak form after several serious lower-body injuries, caught only 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. If he were to land in South Beach, he'd likely serve as the No. 3 behind
Tyreek Hill and
Jaylen Waddle, leaving him limited deep opportunities down the field.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Miami Herald - Daniel Oyefusi
1 month agoThe Chicago Bears will host USC quarterback
Caleb Williams for a visit at Halas Hall in the first week of April, at which point the Bears will get their medical evaluation of Williams. The Bears traded
Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, signaling that they will almost certainly hold onto the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL draft to select Williams as their future franchise signal-caller. Williams didn't work out at the scouting combine in Indianapolis and didn't disclose any medical information, either, so the Bears will get a closer look at their future QB soon. Not only does the 22-year-old have the most long-term upside of any passer in this year's class, but the Bears have upgraded their offense this offseason so that hopefully Williams can come in and hit the ground running from Day 1.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Adam Jahns
1 month agoPittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reiterated that quarterback
Russell Wilson "has pole position" to be the team's starting QB in 2024. And "when it's time to compete,
Justin Fields will be given an opportunity to show his capabilities," Tomlin said. The head coach also said that Fields "oozes talent." The Steelers are going to run with the more experienced 35-year-old Wilson over Fields to open the 2024 campaign after signing Wilson to a one-year deal this offseason. Wilson had a nice bounce-back campaign in 2023 with the Denver Broncos, throwing 26 touchdowns and only eight interceptions in 15 games, but he'll be looking over his shoulder in the Steel City and doesn't exactly have a ton of receiving options to work with in what's expected to be a run-first offense under Arthur Smith. Although Fields is set to start as the backup, he has way more QB1 upside in fantasy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
1 month agoBuffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane recently said that the organization is likely to exercise the fifth-year option on defensive end Gregory Rousseau. This seems like a no-brainer for the Bills as Rousseau has been successful each of his first three seasons. He has totaled 129 tackles and 17 sacks in three seasons with the Bills. The former first-round pick has been relatively healthy and reliable throughout his time in Buffalo. The expectation is that the team will keep him around, assuming Rousseau continues playing at this level of success.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Alaina Getzenberg
1 month agoBuffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane recently said that the organization is open to bringing back safety Micah Hyde. The 33-year-old is currently a free agent but has spent the last seven seasons in Buffalo. Last season, Hyde recorded 54 tackles and two interceptions while earning a PFF coverage grade of 67.2. He's not in his prime anymore, but Hyde can still contribute to an NFL roster. Hyde is currently a free agent and eligible to sign wherever, but it seems plausible that he'd want to continue his career in Buffalo. Otherwise, Taylor Rapp and Mike Edwards figure to be the primary safety options next season.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Alaina Getzenberg
1 month agoLas Vegas Raiders quarterback
Aidan O'Connell has earned a chance to compete for the starting job, according to head coach Antonio Pierce. As of right now, O'Connell and
Gardner Minshew are expected to compete for the starting job next season. However, the Raiders may add another quarterback to the mix during the draft. Last season, O'Connell threw for over 2,000 passing yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 games. He looks like a high-end backup, but probably not someone the Raiders want to rely on all season long.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Pro Football Talk
1 month agoNew England Patriots quarterback
Jacoby Brissett could absolutely be the team's starting QB next season, according to head coach Jerod Mayo. The Patriots don't have much to offer in the quarterback department right now, which gives Brissett a strong chance. Brissett began his career with the Patriots after being taken by them in the 3rd round of the 2016 Draft. Since then, Brissett has bounced around quite a bit. He has started on multiple teams but seems to lose the starting job as quickly as he gets it. His only competition right now is
Bailey Zappe, so Brissett is likely to start right now. However, there is a strong chance that the Patriots use the No. 3 overall pick in the draft to select a franchise quarterback. That being said, Brissett might start the season under center until the rookie is ready to take over.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Around The NFL
1 month agoNew Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn admitted on Saturday that "it'd be fair to envision we'd be taking a quarterback" in next month's NFL draft. "To say where it'll be happening, I think that's a better question for (general manager) Adam (Peters)," Quinn said. The new head coach said there's still a lot of work to do on who the team will take if they decide to stay at No. 2 overall. Washington added veteran QB
Marcus Mariota in free agency and also traded 2023 starter
Sam Howell to the Seattle Seahawks, so they have a clear need at the position heading into 2024. The Chicago Bears are fully expected to take USC QB
Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall, with the Commanders most likely deciding between LSU's
Jayden Daniels and North Carolina's
Drake Maye.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
1 month agoNew England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said quarterback is "the priority right now" with the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft, but he also said "all the options are still open to us." Many pundits are predicting the Patriots will use their highest pick since 1993 to draft a potential franchise signal-caller, especially considering the talent at the position in this year's class. The QB position has remained a question since
Tom Brady left in 2020, but it's still possible Mayo and the Pats go in another direction with the third overall pick. New England took
Mac Jones 15th overall in 2021. He led them to a playoff appearance in his first season, but his stint with the team ended with eight wins in the last two years before he was traded to Jacksonville. If the Pats decide to avoid a QB at No. 3 overall, the best bet would be them trading back in the first round.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com - Coral Smith
1 month agoNFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said the league is in favor of outlawing a version of the "hip-drop tackle," a technique that the NFL says has resulted in an injury rate that is up to 25 times higher than on tackles when it isn't employed. "As gatekeepers of the game, this is something that we have to remove," said Vincent. The competition committee is calling for a 15-yard penalty if a defender grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms and unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and tapping the runner's legs at or below the knee. The NFL Players Association objected to the proposal this week, saying the rule would cause confusion among players, coaches, officials and fans. The proposal will need approval from all 24 NFL owners to pass.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Kevin Seifert
1 month agoFree-agent kicker
Cade York re-signed with the Cleveland Browns on an undisclosed deal on Saturday, according to a source. York will return to the team that drafted him in the fourth round (124th overall) in 2022 out of LSU after he made only 24 of his 32 field-goal attempts and 35 of his 37 extra-point tries in 17 games in his rookie year in 2022. The 23-year-old kicker was cut by Cleveland in training camp last summer and spent the entire year languishing on the practice squads for the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants. The Browns already have
Dustin Hopkins and
Lucas Havrisik at the position heading into offseason workouts, so York will merely be competing for a job in Cleveland this summer. He's off the fantasy radar for now.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mary Kay Cabot
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