March 1, 2026
Ohio State wide receiver
Carnell Tate ran an official 4.53-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine on Saturday in Indianapolis, according to NFL.com. Tate, who stands at 6-foot-2, 192 pounds, is considered one of the top players at his position for the upcoming 2026 NFL draft, but his 40 times were disappointing, all things considered. He's expected to run again at Ohio State's pro day on March 25, so perhaps he can beat his combine time. Most likely, Tate's 40-yard dash times won't negatively impact his draft stock as an expected first-round selection. He helped the Buckeyes win the national championship in 2024, when he had a career-high 52 catches for 733 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games. Last year, Tate had 51 catches for 875 yards and nine scores in just 11 games played.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL.com
March 1, 2026
ESPN's Rich Cimini writes that the New York Jets are a team to watch involving Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who reportedly is available for trade this offseason. Jets defensive coordinator Brian Duker was the Dolphins' passing-game coordinator and is familiar with Fitzpatrick. The 29-year-old five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro had 82 tackles (59 solo), his first career sack, one interception, six pass breakups, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in 14 starts in 2025 in his first year back with Miami and his eighth season in the NFL. The Jets need a lot of other help on both sides of the ball going into the 2026 season, but Fitzpatrick would certainly be a veteran presence for a secondary and defense that made history by becoming the first team ever without an interception for the entire season in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN New York - Rich Cimini
March 1, 2026
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby (knee) "probably wouldn't garner a Micah Parsons-like trade package." The Dallas Cowboys sent Parsons to the Green Bay Packers last fall for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. A team source said a few weeks ago that Crosby's chances of returning in 2026 "were relatively small," but Crosby doesn't plan on requesting a trade. "I think the price is too high. I'm not sure they really want to move him at this point. But that could change," an executive from an NFC team said. Fowler reports that at least a dozen teams have shown interest in Crosby in recent weeks. Crosby is three years older than Parsons and is coming off a knee injury that caused the Raiders to shut him down for the final couple of weeks in 2025. The 28-year-old five-time Pro Bowler should be healthy entering Week 1 of the 2026 season, and wherever he's playing, he'll be a strong No. 1 defensive end in IDP fantasy formats.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
March 1, 2026
The Tennessee Titans are "seeing if there's interest and whether they can get trade value out of" quarterback
Will Levis (shoulder), according to Dan Graziano of ESPN. Levis, who missed all of the 2025 season after having right-shoulder surgery, is heading into the final year of his four-year, $9.54 million contract that he signed in July of 2023. The 26-year-old has no clear path to returning to starting QB duties in Tennessee after the club drafted
Cameron Ward with the first overall pick last April. Levis was drafted by the Titans' previous front office and coaching staff, so they don't have much invested in him. If his shoulder injury is a thing of the past, QB-needy NFL teams could have some interest in bringing Levis on board, at least as a QB2 option for depth. The former second-rounder in 2023 out of Kentucky displayed questionable decision-making and mostly struggled in his 21 starts in two seasons, throwing for 3,899 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Dan Graziano
March 1, 2026
Former New Orleans Saints quarterback
Derek Carr retired abruptly last offseason, but he made it clear recently that he'd be willing to come out of retirement to play for a Super Bowl contender. However, the New Orleans Saints haven't heard from a team that wants to make a deal for Carr, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio believes that Carr's best chance to chase a Super Bowl ring in 2026 is to wait for a season-ending injury to a QB playing for a contender, and then hope that team has interest in trading for him. If nothing happens before this year's trade deadline, Carr might need to ask the Saints to release his rights, which would make him a free agent. The 34-year-old veteran is a four-time Pro Bowler, but he went to the postseason only twice in his 11 NFL seasons. In a career-low 10 games with the Saints in 2024, Carr completed 67.7% of his passes for 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Talk - Mike Florio
March 1, 2026
Rival teams expect the Buffalo Bills to "strongly address wide receiver in the coming weeks," according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Multiple league executives are linking Green Bay Packers wideout
Romeo Doubs and Seattle Seahawks receiver/return man
Rashid Shaheed to the Bills. The Indianapolis Colts'
Alec Pierce will likely be out of Buffalo's price range, and he's also not expected to reach the open market. Shaheed is also being linked to the Las Vegas Raiders, with new head coach Klint Kubiak looking to bring him over after coaching him in Seattle in 2025. Doubs could be a good fit with the San Francisco 49ers. Doubs will probably be the more consistent fantasy option in 2026, and a move to Buffalo would make him very intriguing after he put up a 55-724-6 line in 16 regular-season games last season. He'd be the favorite for WR2 duties for the Bills behind
Khalil Shakir.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
March 1, 2026
As of Saturday morning, "it doesn't sound close" as far as the Indianapolis Colts and quarterback
Daniel Jones (Achilles) on a long-term contract extension, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN. If the Colts can't get a deal done with Jones by Tuesday's tag deadline, it "sounds like they'll put the transition tag on him." However, that means wide receiver
Alec Pierce could hit free agency, and another team could sign Jones to an offer sheet. Graziano thinks the Colts will still push to get a long-term deal with Jones done. Jones would receive $43.9 million on the franchise tag and $37.8 million on the transition tag. Locking Jones into a long-term deal is also the best way to get Pierce to want to return in 2026 and beyond. Even though the 28-year-old signal-caller suffered a torn Achilles in the second half of last year, he'd be in high demand if he were to reach the open market after having a bounce-back campaign in Indy before his injury.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Dan Graziano
March 1, 2026
The Miami Dolphins would prefer to trade quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa, although that would mean picking up a significant portion of his $54 million in fully guaranteed salary this year. ESPN's Dan Graziano expects the Dolphins to release Tagovailoa by the third day of the new league year, when $3 million of his 2027 salary would become fully guaranteed, based on conversations with other teams. Graziano goes on to explain that Miami will "almost certainly designate him as a post-June 1 cut" to help defray some of the $99.2 million in dead money it will cost to release him. If he's traded, the Minnesota Vikings might make the most sense as they look for an insurance policy for
J.J. McCarthy. Tagovailoa, the fifth overall pick in 2020 out of Alabama, threw for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns, and a career-high 15 interceptions in 14 starts in 2025 before being benched for
Quinn Ewers. At best, Tagovailoa, who might be one concussion away from retirement, will be competing for a starting gig elsewhere in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Dan Graziano
March 1, 2026
There have been "zero indicators" that the Jacksonville Jaguars will use the franchise tag on impending free-agent running back
Travis Etienne Jr., sources with knowledge of the situation told John Shipley of Sports Illustrated. It doesn't mean that the Jaguars aren't open to re-signing him, but it's becoming pretty clear that Etienne is going to test the market this offseason. After the Dallas Cowboys signed RB
Javonte Williams to a deal that guarantees him $16 million over the next two seasons, Etienne's market will "likely be north of $8 million a year." The 27-year-old had arguably the best year of his career in 2025, and he's one of just four players to have over 3,750 rushing yards and 1,300 receiving yards since debuting in 2022. Last year, Etienne rushed for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns on 260 carries (4.2 yards per tote), and he added 36 catches for 292 yards and six TDs in the regular season. He could have even more fantasy appeal in 2026, depending on where he lands and what his role will be.
--Keith HernandezSource: Sports Illustrated - John Shipley
March 1, 2026
The Miami Dolphins are expected to work on long-term contract extensions for running back
De'Von Achane, center Aaron Brewer, and linebacker Jordyn Brooks this offseason, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN. The Dolphins have a new general manager and a new coaching staff and are "likely entering something of a rebuild," but they want to build around core players like Achane. Wide receiver
Jaylen Waddle is also viewed as a core player, but he's already signed long-term. The 24-year-old Achane was easily the team's most productive offensive player in 2025 in another disappointing season. He was a first-time Pro Bowler after rushing for a career-high 1,350 yards and eight touchdowns on 238 carries over 16 games. Achane added 67 catches for 488 yards and another four scores on 85 targets. He led the league with 5.7 yards per carry and should firmly be in the RB1 mix in 2026 for the heavy volume as Miami's clear lead back.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Dan Graziano
March 1, 2026
The Minnesota Vikings informed defensive tackle Javon Hargrave that, barring a trade, he will be released at the start of the league year this month, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Hargrave's release will save the Vikings $10.9 million against this year's salary cap. The 33-year-old veteran was set to enter the final year of the two-year, $30 million contract he signed with the team in March of last year. The former third-rounder of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2016 out of South Carolina State did not live up to expectations in his first year in Minnesota, recording 52 tackles (18 solo), 3.5 sacks, six QB hits, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble in 16 games played. Hargrave is a two-time Pro Bowler and had 18 total sacks from 2022 to 2023, so he should be able to latch on pretty quickly with another team that is looking for interior defensive linemen.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
March 1, 2026
The Minnesota Vikings informed running back
Aaron Jones Sr. that, barring a trade, they will release him at the start of the new league year this month, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Jones' release will save the Vikings $7.75 million against the 2026 salary cap. The 31-year-old veteran was scheduled to make $9 million in base salary this year. In his second year in Minnesota in 2025, Jones was limited to 12 games due to injuries and ran for just 548 yards and two touchdowns on 132 carries. He added 28 receptions for 199 yards and another touchdown on 41 targets through the air. If Jones is traded or cut,
Jordan Mason would be in line for RB1 duties, barring any additional offseason additions via free agency or the NFL draft. Jones' days as an RB1 could very well be over, but he should attract interest on either the free-agent or trade market as a versatile veteran back.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
March 1, 2026
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that Detroit Lions running back
David Montgomery "wants out." Montgomery is owed only $6 million in 2026 and is still on the right side of 30 years old, which should make him attractive on the trade market. The "word out of Indy" is that the Lions would "want a decent Day 3 pick" (potentially a fifth-rounder) in exchange for Montgomery. Fowler adds that the Seattle Seahawks would make a lot of sense for Monty if they don't re-sign impending free-agent RB
Kenneth Walker III. The 28-year-old has seen his role shrink in Detroit in each of the last two seasons behind do-it-all back
Jahmyr Gibbs. In 17 games in 2025, Montgomery had a career-low 158 carries for a career-low 716 rushing yards and eight touchdowns while catching 24 passes for 192 yards as a receiver. If he finishes out his contract in Detroit, he'll most likely be a distant No. 2 behind Gibbs again.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
March 1, 2026
Mississippi State wide receiver
Brenen Thompson showed off his speed at the NFL scouting combine on Saturday by running a 4.26-second 40-yard dash, which is likely to end up being the fastest at this year's combine, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN. It was the third-fastest time by a receiver since 2003, matching Jerome Mathis' time in 2005. Only
John Ross and
Xavier Worthy posted faster times. Thompson, who stands at 5-foot-9 and 164 pounds, set a school record in 2025 in his lone season at Mississippi State with 1,054 receiving yards. Before joining Mississippi State, he played two seasons at Oklahoma and one at the University of Texas. Thompson had 12 catches of at least 30 yards last year and averaged 39.8 yards per touchdown in his collegiate career. He's not a consensus top-10 wideout in this year's draft class, but Thompson's performance on Saturday certainly raised some eyebrows.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Legwold
March 1, 2026
The Indianapolis Colts have made it clear to impending free-agent wide receiver
Alec Pierce that "he will be a Colt," either through the franchise or transition tag, or via a long-term deal, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Pierce seems to be a logical tag candidate, but multiple people connected to the situation also think quarterback
Daniel Jones (Achilles) is a prime candidate for the tag. It could be an issue for the Colts if they tag Pierce but can't reach a long-term extension with Jones. But tagging Jones ensures the QB will be around in 2026, which would appeal to Pierce. A franchise tag for Pierce would cost around $27 million for 2026. If he reaches free agency, he "would command a massive contract." After a breakout year in which he led the Colts in receiving, Pierce would easily top $20 million per year on the open market. The 25-year-old's fantasy value for the 2026 campaign will be the most stable if he sticks in Indy and continues to build chemistry with Jones.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
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