4 weeks agoArizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins may not be looking for a trade out of town after all. "I see everybody telling me to stay. Who said I wanna go? Who said I wanna leave?" Hopkins said on his official Instagram account on Monday. The Cardinals brass was saying they didn't expect to trade Hopkins during the NFL draft last week, and they stuck to their word and held onto him. When he was on the field last year, the 31-year-old veteran had 64 catches for 717 yards and three touchdowns, but he played in just nine games due to a six-game PED suspension and an injury late in the year. Nuk will be the team's top receiver if he stays in the desert for one more season, although he could be without quarterback Kyler Murray (knee) for around half the season.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Ari Meirov

4 weeks agoBaltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen was a first-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, meaning the team had the option to extend his rookie contract for one more season. The team declined that option today, meaning Queen will likely hit free agency at the start of the 2024 offseason. Baltimore traded for former Bears linebacker Roquan Smith near the trade deadline during the 2022 NFL season, so in all likelihood, this will be Queen's last year with the team. Queen has racked up 321 tackles and 10 sacks in his first three seasons in the NFL, but Smith is a clear upgrade and the positional value of off-ball linebackers is declining, similar to the valuation of running backs.--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Ian Rapoport

4 weeks agoFree-agent running back Jerick McKinnon is expected to re-sign with the Kansas City Chiefs, according to general manager Brett Veach. While nothing is certain for now, Veach alluded to the possibility of bringing McKinnon back during a media availability session. McKinnon served as the primary pass-catching back for the Super Bowl-champion Chiefs squad last year. The 30-year-old secured 56 of his 71 targets for 512 yards and nine receiving touchdowns, adding 291 yards and a score on the ground. His touchdown total is likely unsustainable, but he could have plenty of flex appeal in deep PPR leagues if he is brought back by the team.--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Ian Rapoport

4 weeks agoThe Denver Broncos picked up wide receiver Jerry Jeudy's fifth-year option on Monday, according to sources. It's not a big surprise. The Broncos received plenty of interest from others teams want to trade for him this offseason, but Jeudy remains a big part of Denver's future despite underwhelming so far in his three NFL seasons after being taken with the 15th overall pick in 2020. The 24-year-old did set career-highs in catches (67), receiving yards (972) and touchdowns (six) in 15 games (14 starts) in 2022, but many fantasy managers were expecting more out of him in his first season working with quarterback Russell Wilson. There's still upside to be had here if Wilson can rebound from one of his worst professionals seasons, especially in new head coach Sean Payton's offense.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport

1 month agoCincinnati Bengals tight end Irv Smith Jr. looks entrenched as the team's starting tight end for 2023. Drew Sample is a capable backup, but The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. thinks two more potential contributors should be added. Re-signing Mitchell Wilcox is an option. Smith has teased with his potential before, but he'll need to stay on the field for a full season if he wants to emerge as a post-hype breakout player in fantasy football. The 24-year-old played in just eight games (one start) with the Minnesota Vikings in 2022 and finished with a disappointing 25 receptions on 36 targets for a career-low 182 yards and two touchdowns. Overspending on Smith in fantasy this fall wouldn't be wise.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Paul Dehner Jr.

1 month agoThe Cincinnati Bengals took running back Chase Brown out of Illinois in the fifth round at pick No. 163 overall on Saturday. He projects more as a ball-carrying first- and second-down back than a third-down back you'd expect to complement Joe Mixon. "He'd be an effective pass-catcher," offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. "He's still a better runner than he is a catcher at this point, but he's got the skills to perform in the passing game." Brown admitted that he needs to improve his pass protection, and he's probably not a realistic threat to steal touches away from Mixon in his rookie year. Depending on if the Bengals bring in another veteran at the position, Trayveon Williams could be asked to step up in the team's third-down role with Samaje Perine now in Denver.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Paul Dehner Jr.

1 month agoCincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver Charlie Jones, who was taken in the fourth round at No. 131 overall on Saturday, could have an immediate impact on special teams in the return game. Jones was the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Year in 2021 for Iowa and has two return touchdowns in his career. He could also be thrust into a prominent receiving role out of the slot if any of Cincy's big three receivers goes down with an injury in 2023. The 24-year-old wideout has the potential to be the team's slot receiver of the future once Tyler Boyd's contract expires following this season. Jones brings positional versatility with deep speed (4.43-second 40) and impressive contested-catch ability.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Paul Dehner Jr.

1 month agoThe Carolina Panthers traded top wideout DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears in order to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the draft to take quarterback Bryce Young. Nobody can match Moore's individual production, but Carolina's receiverread more...

1 month agoCarolina Panthers quarterback Matt Corral, last year's third-round pick, fired off a post on Instagram not long after the team took Bryce Young first overall in the first round last Thursday night with a quote that included not staying "in a place where no one sees your value." General manager Scott Fitterer said Corral showed up this spring at 220 pounds (15 more than his rookie year) and looked like a different player. The 24-year-old could stick around as the third-stringer behind Young and Andy Dalton, but this situation is worth watching this offseason. Corral is also recovering from a Lisfranc foot injury and may not be fully ready for organized team activities later this month.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Joseph Person

1 month agoThe Carolina Panthers took quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick in last week's NFL draft, but he'll be eased into the starting role this summer. When the team takes the field for their first full-squad organized team activities later this month, quarterback Andy Dalton will take the first-team repetitions. "He'll have to earn it. Obviously, that's the way it should be. We'll know when the right time is," head coach Frank Reich said. The Panthers don't want to overwhelm Young too soon while giving him a chance to learn the offense. Young is a quick study, though, so it shouldn't take him too long before he's running the first-team offense. It would be a big surprise if Young isn't the starter in Week 1 of his rookie season.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Joseph Person

1 month agoThe Jacksonville Jaguars declined the fifth-year option for edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson on Monday, according to a source. Chaisson now enters a contract year in 2023 with an opportunity to cash in on the open market next offseason with a big season. He played in just nine games (zero starts) for Jacksonville in 2022 due to a knee injury and finished his third year in the NFL with only 10 tackles (seven solo), one sack and two QB hits. Chaisson has exactly three sacks in his three seasons with the Jags, also compiling a total of 60 tackles (39 solo), seven tackles for loss and 15 QB hits in 40 games played (11 starts). The 23-year-old will need to step up if he wants a chance to stay in Jacksonville beyond this season.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport

1 month agoThe Buffalo Bills signed free-agent running back Latavius Murray to an undisclosed one-year deal on Monday. Murray will stay in the AFC in 2023 for his 10th NFL season after spending time with the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos last year. He joined Denver for 12 games in 2022 after playing in just one contest with the Saints. In his time in Denver, he had 160 carries for 703 yards and five touchdowns, adding 26 receptions for 124 yards. The 33-year-old had a decent 4.4 yards per carry for the Broncos, but in Buffalo he's unlikely to see many opportunities as running back depth behind James Cook, Damien Harris and Nyheim Hines. Murray should be left to the waiver wire in most leagues to start the 2023 season.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Bills Twitter

1 month agoBaltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen could be a potential trade candidate, according to The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec. It might be insane to think that the Ravens would trade the former first round pick. However, the Ravens have been dancing around the idea of picking up Queen's fifth-year option. The stud linebacker is going to need an extension soon, but are the Ravens willing to give it to him? They recently signed Roquan Smith to a huge extension. It'll be interesting to see if the organization is willing to give two linebacker hefty extensions. It's also worth noting that the Ravens selected Clemson linebacker Trenton Simpson in the third round of this year's draft. The addition of Simpson might be enough to make Queen expendable. For now, the Ravens will attempt to use all three linebacker on their defense, which could make for a dangerous unit.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic

1 month agoFree-agent safety Adrian Amos might be back with the Green Bay Packers soon. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters they aren't closing the door on Amos returning to the team. The Packers have failed to address the safety position with Rudy Ford and Darnell Savage at the top of the depth chart. Amos has spent each of the last four seasons with Green Bay. The 30-year-old has been a reliable option for them, so it wouldn't be shocking to see the organization decide to bring him back. It sounds like the Packers continue to remain in communication with Amos.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic

1 month agoCincinnati Bengals tight end Irv Smith Jr. is expected to be the primary option at tight end for this offense heading into next season. It was a bit surprising to see the Bengals pass on drafting a tight end during the most recent NFL Draft. Hayden Hurst left for the Carolina Panthers in free agency. That left Drew Sample and Smith as the primary tight ends on this roster. It appears that the Bengals are completely fine with their current situation at tight end. To be fair, this offense is loaded at wide receiver, so they might not target the tight end spot frequently next season. Regardless, it appears Smith has the No. 1 spot at tight end locked up right now.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic