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
1 month agoSeattle Seahawks quarterback
Geno Smith will enter the 2024-25 campaign as the team's starter. New head coach Mike Macdonald has avoided the topic since taking over. However, he finally addressed the situation with NFL Media's Tom Pelissero. "Very confident in Geno," said MacDonald. "Geno's going to be our starter." The signal-caller had a down season in 2023-24, throwing for 3,624 yards, 20 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also completed just 64.7% of his throws, a significant reduction from the previous year. But Smith was the 2022 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, so if anyone can turn things around, it's him. Yet, if he struggles during the season, he could find himself sitting behind
Sam Howell, who was acquired by the Commanders just over a week ago. For now, fantasy managers shouldn't reach for Smith in drafts. With that in mind, while the 33-year-old might struggle at times, especially under a new head coach, he'll likely have more than a few productive fantasy showings.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Tom Pelissero
1 month agoThe New York Jets and free-agent pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney have remained in constant contact after the two sides met, with one source describing the Jets as "highly motivated" to try and secure a deal with Clowney. In addition to the Jets, both the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens remain interested in Clowney as well after his 9.5-sack season in Baltimore in 2023. The 31-year-old former first overall pick by the Houston Texans in 2014 out of South Carolina is in high demand on the free-agent market after producing one of his best seasons as a professional last year. In addition to his 9.5 sacks, he had 43 tackles (24 solo), nine tackles for loss, 19 QB hits, five passes defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 17 regular-season games (15 starts). It proved that Clowney still has it in him, but the three-time Pro Bowler's injury history isn't going away.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Bleacher Report - Jordan Schultz
1 month agoNew York Giants head coach Brian Daboll said there's no guarantee that quarterback
Daniel Jones (knee) will be ready for Week 1, but Daboll said "when he gets back, he'll be the guy." The Giants are sticking with Jones as their starter, but he's coming off a torn right ACL in 2023 and might not be ready to go for the start of the 2024 season this fall. The 26-year-old had a career year in Daboll's first season as head coach in 2022, but Jones disappointed behind a terrible offensive line last year before blowing his knee out. Jones resumed throwing in early February and could take part in 7-on-7 drills this spring, but it appears now there's a chance that
Drew Lock could be under center for the G-Men in Week 1. Jones is only one year into his four-year, $160 million extension and the Giants could be forced to move on if he doesn't improve in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Mike Garofolo
1 month agoThe Philadelphia Eagles signed former Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots quarterback
Will Grier to an undisclosed one-year deal on Saturday, according to sources. In the last week, the Eagles have now added Grier and former Pittsburgh Steelers QB
Kenny Pickett to their QB room behind starter
Jalen Hurts. Grier was originally a third-round pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2019 out of West Virginia. The 28-year-old has only made two starts in the NFL, and they came back in his rookie season in 2019 in Carolina, when he went 28-for-52 for 228 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions. In addition to Hurts, Pickett and Grier, the Eagles also have
Tanner McKee in their quarterback room. Grier and McKee figure to battle for No. 3 duties this summer.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
1 month agoThe Kansas City Chiefs traded star defensive back L'Jarius Sneed to the Tennesse Titans on Friday in exchange for a 2025 third-round and 2024 seventh-round pick. Once the trade was completed, Sneed signed a four-year, $76 million contract extension with the Titans. The deal includes $55 million guaranteed. Sneed requested a trade after Kansas City placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on him before free agency, which ultimately led him to be moved this offseason. The 27-year-old racked up 78 tackles, two interceptions, one fumble recovery, and 14 passes defensed over 16 games for the Chiefs in 2023. Sneed instantly boosts the Titans' secondary and gives Tennessee a top shutdown corner heading into the 2024 season.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Jordan Schultz
1 month agoThe Carolina Panthers agreed to terms on an undisclosed deal on Friday with former Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals safety Nick Scott, according to a source. Scott was the Rams' seventh-round selection (243rd overall) in 2019 out of Penn State. The 28-year-old defensive back spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Rams before spending last season with the Bengals. In his five years in the league, Scott has racked up 214 tackles (136 solo), four interceptions, nine passes defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 81 games (27 starts). He had 57 tackles (35 solo) in 17 games played (10 starts) for Cincy last year. Scott will compete for a reserve role in Carolina's secondary in training camp this summer.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
1 month agoThe Buffalo Bills are signing veteran center Will Clapp, according to Ari Meirov of the 33rd Team. The 2018 seventh-round pick out of LSU began his career with the New Orleans Saints before spending two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. He has 65 games of NFL experience (21 starts). The Bills recently released Pro Bowl center Mitch Morse, so Clapp will add depth to the position. Connor McGovern is likely the favorite to start at center in
Josh Allen's offense this year, but Clapp could make a push for extra reps during training camp.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Ari Meirov -- 33rd Team
1 month agoThe Los Angeles Rams are re-signing defensive lineman Larrell Murchison to a one-year deal, according to Ari Meirov of the 33rd team. Murchison was a fifth-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans out of N.C. State, but he was released by the organization midway through the 2022 season. L.A. claimed him off waivers, and he went on to record two sacks in his team debut against the Denver Broncos on Christmas Day. Overall, the 26-year-old has totaled 37 tackles, two sacks, and seven run stuffs through his first 44 NFL games. Following the retirement of Aaron Donald, the Rams keep depth on the defensive line with this move.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Ari Meirov -- 33rd Team
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