1 month agoThe Atlanta Falcons have released offensive lineman Justin Shaffer, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN. Shaffer was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Falcons out of the University of Georgia, and his stint with the team is set to end after just two seasons. The 25-year-old has been on and off Atlanta's practice squad during his career, and he has not appeared in a regular season game. He'll likely get a chance with another franchise, but it'll likely be on a cheap, one-year deal with the possibility of him being released before the 2024 campaign begins.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Mike Rothstein
1 month agoVeteran safety Cody Davis is retiring from the NFL, according to his X account on Thursday. Davis originally went undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2013, but he was signed by the St. Louis Rams as a free agent and spent five years with the organization. He then played two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars before four years with the New England Patriots. Overall, the 34-year-old compiled 117 tackles, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions, and eight passes defended in 144 games over 11 years. He was primarily a special teamer and depth player, so it's not a significant loss for the Patriots heading into 2024.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Cody Davis
1 month agoFree-agent wide receiver
Olamide Zaccheaus has agreed to terms to sign with the Washington Commanders, according to John Keim of ESPN. Zaccheaus was originally undrafted out of Virginia in the 2019 class, and he spent four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before one year with the Philadelphia Eagles last season. Overall, the 26-year-old has hauled in 104 passes for 1,492 yards and 10 touchdowns through his first 72 NFL games. With
Terry McLaurin and
Jahan Dotson on the roster and Washington likely to take shots on wide receivers in next month's draft, Zaccheaus is unlikely to have a path toward fantasy success in 2024, barring injury. He's likely just a depth piece for a franchise looking to rebuild on the fly.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: John Keim
1 month agoFormer Washington Huskies wide receiver
Rome Odunze has upcoming meetings with the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears at their respective facilities, he told Brady Henderson of ESPN. The 21-year-old is projected to be selected in the early first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and most analysts rank him just behind Ohio State's
Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU's
Malik Nabers. He is coming off a 92-catch, 1,640-yard, 13-touchdown season in 2023, and he impressed at the NFL Combine. Arizona holds the No. 4 pick, New York holds the No. 10 pick, and Chicago owns the No. 1 and No. 9 overall picks. Oduzne will be a highly sought-after fantasy football rookie next year regardless of his landing spot, but target competition in Chicago and New York could make it tough for him to have a massive breakout in his first season as a pro. That said, he's viewed as an elite prospect, so anything is possible.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Brady Henderson
1 month agoAlthough LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. stands in the shadow of teammate
Malik Nabers for the upcoming NFL draft, the 6-foot-2 7/8, 209-pounder is viewed as a possible top-20 pick in April. "He's about as naturally talented as you can find at the position," NFL Network's Bucky Brooks said. "Big, fast, physical. Runs great routes. Natural catcher. Does a really good job of watching the ball into his hands. He can shine." The biggest question for Thomas is whether he can step outside the shadow of Nabors and be an alpha dog for an NFL team. Because he didn't work out at LSU's pro day on Wednesday, Thomas may not have answered that question completely, but it doesn't mean that a receiver-needy team won't be willing to take him in the first round in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com - Eric Edholm
1 month agoLSU quarterback
Jayden Daniels had a solid workout during his school's pro day on Wednesday after he chose not to throw at the NFL scouting combine in February. Daniels measured in at 6-foot-3 5/8 and 210 pounds with 9 3/8-inch hands. He didn't run a 40-yard dash or do any other athletic testing, but he completed 52 of his 56 passes. Most of Daniels' misfires came on deeper passes and throws outside the numbers. He appeared to improve as his throwing session went on. "I can't say that it's been an A-plus workout, but it's been solid," NFL Network's Bucky Brooks said. Daniels' pro day session might not have been a game-changer for his outlook, but he was pleased with the results as a whole, and he's still expected to be a top-five pick in the upcoming NFL draft, possibly as early as No. 2 overall to the Washington Commanders.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com - Eric Edholm
1 month agoThe Buffalo Bills signed free-agent defensive tackle DeShawn Williams to an undisclosed one-year deal on Thursday. Williams will give the Bills continued depth for their defensive tackle room that went into free agency with just Ed Oliver and Eli Ankou under contract. The 31-year-old Williams played in 16 games (10 starts) for the Carolina Panthers last year and finished with 33 tackles (13 solo) and seven QB hits. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2016 with the Cincinnati Bengals out of Clemson, and the Bills will be the fourth different team he's played for in six seasons. In total, Williams has racked up 148 tackles (72 solo), nine sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 30 QB hits, one interception and nine passes defended in 66 games (44 starts). Williams will be off the IDP fantasy radar.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Alaina Getzenberg
1 month agoFormer Green Bay Packers tight end
Josiah Deguara signed an undisclosed one-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday, according to a source. Deguara will head to the AFC after spending the first four years of his NFL career playing for the Packers. Green Bay took him in the third round (94th overall) in 2020 out of Cincinnati. In his four years with the team, he recorded 47 catches on 58 targets for 436 yards and only two touchdowns in 50 games played (10 starts). In 15 regular-season games (four starts) in 2023, the 27-year-old caught just eight passes for 65 yards and no scores. Deguara will mostly be useful to the Jaguars for his blocking skills on offense and on special teams, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to make an impact catching the ball behind
Evan Engram, the team's top pass-catching tight end.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Bleacher Report - Jordan Schultz
1 month agoThe Los Angeles Rams re-signed linebacker Michael Hoecht to an undisclosed deal earlier this week. Hoecht didn't receive any offers from other teams this offseason after the Rams placed a right-of-first-refusal tender on him. The 26-year-old entered the NFL in 2021 with the Rams as an undrafted free agent out of Brown University and he has 124 tackles (74 solo), 10.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 20 QB hits and two forced fumbles in 51 games (26 starts) in his three seasons in the league. Last year he started in all 17 regular-season games for LA and recorded a career-high 81 tackles (45 solo), a career-high six sacks, seven tackles for loss, 11 QB hits and a forced fumble.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson
1 month agoThe Kansas City Chiefs will sign rugby star
Louis Rees-Zammit to an undisclosed deal on Friday, according to sources. After working out and impressing the Chiefs' coaching staff earlier this week, the two sides have agreed to terms. Rees-Zammit will be playing running back/wide receiver as he attempts to make Kansas City's roster this summer. The 23-year-old played in the NFL's player pathway program earlier this year and also visited with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Denver Broncos before the Chiefs agreed to sign him. Rees-Zammit, who has played rugby in Wales, England, is an interesting addition for the Super Bowl champions, but he's probably a long shot to have any real kind of notable role if he actually makes the 53-man roster out of camp.
UPDATE: The Chiefs signed Rees-Zammit to a three-year contract that includes some guaranteed money and a signing bonus.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Bleacher Report - Jordan Schultz
1 month agoFree-agent running back
J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) is scheduled to visit with the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The former Baltimore Raven suffered a torn Achilles early in the 2023 campaign, but he was cleared for football activities this week, so he will likely start drawing more interest on the free-agent market. Originally a second-round pick by Baltimore in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, Dobbins posted 805 rushing yards and nine scores on just 134 attempts (6.0 YPC) as a rookie, but he missed the entire 2021 campaign with a torn ACL. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry in 2022 and saw his 2023 season end after just eight rushing attempts with an Achilles injury. Given his injury woes early in his career, it's fair to be concerned about his future production. Regardless of his landing spot, he's likely to be eased into action, meaning his fantasy upside is capped early in 2024.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Adam Schefter
1 month agoThe Seattle Seahawks are looking to make some additions to their offensive line this offseason. Recently, Seahawks general manager John Schneider said the team has a lot to figure out on the o-line. This team is without left guard Damien Lewis and right guard Phil Haynes who both left for free agency. Possibly, the Seahawks use the 16th overall pick in the draft to add some offensive line. It appears Seattle is still looking to compete next season with
Geno Smith slated to be under center. Most of the Seahawks offensive weapons are back, but this team could be in serious trouble if they don't patch up their o-line soon.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Bob Condotta
1 month agoThe Detroit Lions have re-signed quarterback
Nate Sudfeld on Wednesday. The 30-year-old served as the backup to
Jared Goff during the 2022 season. He was slated to compete with
Teddy Bridgewater, but he has retired this offseason. That being said, Sudfeld figures to compete with
Hendon Hooker for the backup job in Detroit next season. The former sixth-round pick has played in six games since debuting in 2017. Sudfeld won't offer any fantasy value heading into next season.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Adam Schefter
1 month agoFormer LSU wide receiver
Malik Nabers impressed at the University's Pro Day on Wednesday, running an unofficial 4.35 40-yard dash and excelling in both the vertical jump (42") and broad jump (10'9"). The 20-year-old is coming off a spectacular junior campaign consisting of catching 89 passes for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns. His excellent athletic testing numbers certainly won't hurt his draft stock, and many analysts believe he could be taken ahead of
Marvin Harrison Jr. in the 2024 NFL Draft next month. Nabers has visited or will visit with the Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, New York Jets, and New York Giants this week.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Katherine Terrell -- ESPN
1 month agoFree-agent edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney is signing a two-year, $24 million contract with the Carolina Panthers, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The 2014 No. 1 overall pick spent last season with the Baltimore Ravens, and it was one of the best campaigns of his career. He tied a career-high with 9.5 sacks and did not miss a game for the first time since 2017. The 31-year-old still has plenty of ability, but his surroundings in Carolina won't be as strong as they were with the Ravens. The South Carolina native is now closer to home, and he'll look to help the struggling franchise accelerate its rebuild in 2024.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Adam Schefter
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