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
1 month agoNew England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo and director of scouting Eliot Wolf were among those from the organization attending USC's pro day last Wednesday and then Michigan's pro day on Friday, giving them a closer look at quarterbacks
Caleb Williams (USC) and
J.J. McCarthy (Michigan). Mayo and Wolf will likely be at LSU's pro day this Wednesday for
Jayden Daniels and at North Carolina's on Thursday to watch
Drake Maye. Many pundits project the Patriots taking a QB with the No. 3 overall pick in next month's NFL draft, and their scouting schedule only reinforces that thought. New England move on from
Mac Jones this offseason, trading him to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and are fully expected to bring in a rookie signal-caller in the draft to compete with
Jacoby Brissett for the starting gig in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN Boston - Mike Reiss
1 month agoAccording to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, speaking on Saturday's edition of SportsCenter, the Bengals are reportedly "willing to listen" to offers for wide receiver
Tee Higgins. Cincinnati tagged Higgins almost immediately after the end of the 2023-24 campaign, which wasn't surprising to anyone. But the latest update on Higgins doesn't mean the team is actively shopping him, nor does it imply other clubs have called about him. The wideout struggled last season, amassing 656 yards and five touchdowns off 42 catches. He was also limited to only 12 games due to various ailments. With that said, no matter where Higgins ends up, he must stay healthy to get back to the 1,000-yard receiving mark. Yet, if he remains with the Bengals, which is still possible despite the a recent trade request, he'll need
Joe Burrow (wrist) to stay on the field, something that's been an issue for the signal-caller since entering the league.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Chris Roling
1 month agoFree-agent defensive tackle Austin Johnson agreed to a one-year deal with the Bills. The 29-year-old could earn up to $4 million, and the announcement comes after he recently visited the Cardinals on Friday. Johnson started every game for the Los Angeles Chargers during the 2023-24 campaign, totaling 46 tackles, a forced fumble, and two passes defensed. Johnson may not see as much action this season, so it's hard to tell what kind of impact he'll have from an IDP standpoint. However, the move at least adds depth for a club that had issues keeping guys healthy on the defensive side of the ball last season.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Ian Rapoport
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