2 days agoIndianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver
Adonai Mitchell continues to flash his potential during organized team activities this offseason and made one of the plays of the day on Thursday during a 7-on-7 period. The highlight-reel play explains why the Colts took a swing on Mitchell in the second round of the draft despite just one year of big-time production in college. He had 55 catches for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023 at Texas and ranked first among receivers in this year's draft class with 81.8% of his catches resulting in a first down or touchdown. "He's been making a ton of plays out here the past couple of days," head coach Shane Steichen said. The 21-year-old is certainly one to watch, but his production could be sporadic in his rookie campaign if all of
Michael Pittman Jr.,
Josh Downs and
Alec Pierce can stay healthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - James Boyd
2 days agoNew England Patriots kicker
Chad Ryland isn't a roster lock in 2024 after his difficult rookie season after being selected in the fourth round in 2023. The Patriots signed
Joey Slye to compete with Ryland for the kicking job this summer. During organized team activities on Wednesday, he made four of his five field-goal attempts, with his lone miss coming from just beyond 40 yards. The 24-year-old didn't get all that many opportunities to kick field goals in his first year in the NFL in an atrocious Patriots offense, and he made just 64 percent of his 25 attempts. The booter from Maryland has plenty of leg, but he's going to need to be more consistent to lock down the kicking job in 2024. Even if he holds off Slye, Ryland can be ignored in most fantasy football leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chad Graff
2 days agoNew England Patriots wide receiver
Tyquan Thornton, a second-round pick in 2022, is putting together a productive stretch of offseason practices during voluntary organized team activities. Thornton has impressed before during offseason workouts, although it has yet to translate to regular-season production. He was arguably the most active receiver on the field in the practice open to the media on Wednesday. The 23-year-old so far has been labeled a bust, and things won't get easier in 2024 with a new regime in town and after the Patriots took rookies
Ja'Lynn Polk and
Javon Baker in this year's draft. Thornton entered the offseason as a potential roster cut, but if he continues to show out during offseason practices, he should stick around as receiver depth in New England. Thornton has been limited with injuries in his first two seasons and has only 35 catches in 22 games.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chad Graff
2 days agoNew England Patriots veteran quarterback
Jacoby Brissett, who spent a year running offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt's offense with the Cleveland Browns, is definitely ahead of the other QBs on the team during offseason workouts. Brissett has run the offense smoothly and is smart about distributing the football. So far, he's gotten all the No. 1 QB reps in practices open to the media, and it's clear the other QBs, including first-round rookie
Drake Maye, look to Brissett for advice and tips on the offense. Maye, the No. 3 overall pick, will likely still make his NFL debut in 2024, but at this point, it would be a surprise if Brissett isn't starting in the Week 1 regular season opener. Maye, who will surely benefit from some time learning from Brissett, should only be drafted in dynasty/keeper leagues this fall.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chad Graff
2 days agoSeattle Seahawks new head coach Mike Macdonald said "his practice habits are awesome" when discussing wide receiver
Jaxon Smith-Njigba's big day at organized team activities this week. The feeling inside the organization was that Smith-Njigba really improved in that regard as his rookie season progressed, along with his wrist healing later in the year. After Seattle selected him with the 20th overall pick last year out of Ohio State, the 22-year-old caught 63 of his 93 targets for 628 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games (three starts). While those numbers might have been a bit disappointing for some given his draft pedigree, you also have to remember he did it with both
DK Metcalf and
Tyler Lockett ahead of him on the receiver depth chart. Seattle may be impressed with his work ethic, but it's probably going to take an injury to one of Metcalf or Lockett to take the next step for fantasy managers.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Brady Henderson
2
days
agoIt's
clear
that
the
Detroit
Lions
want
second-year
running
back
Jahmyr
Gibbs
to
be
more
involved
in
their
offense
in
2024
after
he
rushed
for
almost
1,000
yards
as
a
rookie
and
finished
third
in
the
league
in
yards
per
carry
(5.2).
Heading
read more...
2 days agoIndianapolis Colts cornerback Chris Lammons (foot) has a boot on his left ankle/foot and is not practicing during organized team activities this week. Lammons entered the NFL in 2019 with the Miami Dolphins after being an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina. The 28-year-old defensive back spent his first year in South Beach before playing for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2020-22 before spending last year with the Colts, where he had just six tackles (four solo) and one pass defended in four games (one start). Lammons will be hoping to get back on the field by the time mandatory minicamp starts next month as he looks to earn a spot on the active roster following training camp and the preseason. He has only 32 combined tackles in 46 career NFL games (one start) since 2019.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - James Boyd
2 days agoSeattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald said that linebacker Jerome Baker (lower body, wrist) won't be back with the team until training camp this summer while recovering from a wrist injury and a couple of lower-body issues. Baker injured his wrist in the Week 18 regular-season finale last year and is also dealing with a lower-body ailment, so the Seahawks won't push him until late July for the start of training camp. The 27-year-old's absence in offseason workouts will allow rookie fourth-rounder Tyrice Knight some more repetitions heading into his first NFL season. When healthy, Baker profiles as a starter in the middle of Seattle's defense. Baker has recorded 100-plus combined tackles in half of his six seasons and had 78 tackles (51 solo), 1.5 sacks, four QB hits, two interceptions (one returned for a TD) and three passes defended in 13 regular-season games (12 starts) in 2023.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: FOX 13 Seattle - Curtis Crabtree
2 days agoNew York Jets head coach Robert Saleh said wide receiver
Xavier Gipson still has "first dibs" on the kick-return job this year, but that it's also an "open competition" involving former Pro Bowl return man
Tarik Cohen. Saleh said the soon-to-be-signed running back is an "explosive playmaker" and remembers it being "a nightmare" trying to defend with the Chicago Bears. Cohen could be intriguing with the league's new kickoff rules, starting in 2024, but the 28-year-old speedster is going to need to finally stay healthy to put himself in a position to make an impact for the Jets on special teams. Gipson, a former undrafted free agent out of Stephen F. Austin, returned 33 punts for 319 yards and a touchdown and 22 kickoffs for 511 yards in his rookie campaign in 2023 as the Jets' primary return specialist.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NJ Advance Media - Andy Vasquez
3 days agoThe Baltimore Ravens have officially moved former quarterback
Malik Cunningham to wide receiver this offseason after signing him off the New England Patriots' practice squad last December to reunite him with former college teammate
Lamar Jackson. Last year, the Ravens cross-trained Cunningham as a QB, receiver and special teams contributor, and he played in one game, taking four snaps at receiver in the Week 18 regular season finale. At organized team activities this spring, the Ravens are immersing the 25-year-old at the receiver position, and the Ravens think he has transitioned well to wideout. Cunningham has the athleticism, but he still faces an uphill battle to stick at the position. If anything, he'll likely continue to be a special teams option for Baltimore in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com - Kevin Patra
3
days
agoSan
Francisco
49ers
wide
receiver
Ricky
Pearsall
(undisclosed)
is
reportedly
working
through
an
injury
and
wearing
a
non-contact
jersey
at
OTAs.
However,
Matt
Barrows
of
The
Athletic
reports
that
his
injury
has
not
held
him
out
of
practice
or
slowed
him
down.
That
read more...
3 days agoLos Angeles Rams wide receiver
Puka Nacua is coming off arguably the greatest rookie season ever for a wideout. He posted 105 receptions for 1,468 yards and six touchdowns, and he set a rookie record for receiving yards in a postseason game (181). It's difficult to project a better season of production in Year 2, but Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said he has improved this offseason. "You can definitely see he's made strides. He's moving better. I know he feels more comfortable," LaFleur said. "He's in year two and that's what you expect from all the players, but you know that you're going to get it from Puka because he's just made of the right stuff." Nacua is being drafted as a mid-to-late first-round pick in PPR leagues, and if
Cooper Kupp takes another step back, he could compete for an overall WR1 finish in fantasy football. Los Angeles did not add legitimate target competition in free agency or the 2024 NFL Draft.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Rams Wire
3 days agoIndianapolis Colts wide receiver
Michael Pittman Jr. (knee) did not participate in Thursday's OTA practice, but Joel A. Erickson of Indy Star said it was for precautionary reasons. Pittman banged knees with a defender last week and limped off the field, but he is expected to be "fine". The former second-round pick has posted at least 88 receptions, 925 yards, and four touchdowns over the last three seasons, but he'll face more target competition this year. The Colts selected
Adonai Mitchell in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and 2023 third-rounder
Josh Downs is expected to have an expanded role. All that said, Pittman should remain the WR1 for
Anthony Richardson and post at least low-end WR2 numbers in his fifth NFL campaign.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Joel A. Erickson
3 days agoBaltimore Ravens outside linebacker David Ojabo (knee) suffered a partially torn ACL in Week 3 of last season, but he is expected to be a full participant at some point in training camp later this summer. The 2022 second-round pick suffered a torn Achilles in the pre-draft process leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft, or he likely would've been a first-rounder. Through two NFL seasons, he has accumulated seven total tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles in just five games. Hopefully, he can stay healthy in 2024 and show what he can do as at least a situational pass-rusher.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com
3 days agoThe New York Giants waived running back
Gary Brightwell (undisclosed) with an injury designation on Thursday, according to NFL.com. The former 2021 sixth-round pick by the G-Men out of Arizona has remained on the roster over the last three seasons, but his time looks to be coming to an end. So far in his career, Brightwell has rushed 41 times for 164 yards and one touchdown and caught 11 passes for 92 yards in 37 games. He played 100 snaps on special teams last year. With Brightwell out of the building,
Devin Singletary,
Eric Gray, and
Tyrone Tracy Jr. now have less competition for touches.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com
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