13 hours agoThe San Francisco 49ers signed free-agent defensive end Darryl Johnson to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday. Johnson, 26, was drafted in the seventh round by the Buffalo Bills in 2019 and has also spent time with the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks. He was in training camp with Carolina last year, which means he's familiar to 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who was the interim head coach for the Panthers after Matt Rhule was fired in 2022. In a corresponding move, the team waived wide receiver Shae Wyatt, an undrafted rookie out of Tulane. In four years in the NFL, Johnson has racked up only 34 tackles (23 solo), two sacks, six tackles for loss and five QB hits in 38 games (one start). He's played only seven games in the last two seasons with Carolina and Seattle.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Matt Barrows

13 hours agoSan Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is among those who think quarterback Trey Lance looks better and more comfortable this year than he did at this point a year ago when he was still adjusting to a 2021 broken finger that threw off his mechanics. "I'm not gonna lie to you — I think Trey looks significantly better than he did last year. I really do," Kittle said. "He just looks comfortable back there. He just looks like he's having fun." Lance is set to join Kittle and others at Tight End University, the annual summit held by Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, later this month. The 23-year-old is looking fully healthy and comfortable this offseason, but the bad news is he's likely headed for the bench to begin the 2023 season, as long as Brock Purdy (elbow) is ready to go.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Matt Barrows

14 hours agoThe Athletic's Matt Barrows writes that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has looked like the best player on the field the past two weeks during organized team activities and minicamp. Aiyuk had his fifth-year option picked up by the team at the end of April after he posted his first 1,000-yard receiving season while adding a career-high eight touchdowns on 78 receptions (114 targets) in 17 regular season games in his third NFL season. The 25-year-old pass-catcher stepped up in a big way with Deebo Samuel having a down year, but it could be difficult for Aiyuk to match those numbers in 2023 in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense with a full year of quarterback Brock Purdy (elbow) under center. Fantasy managers should avoid paying too much for Aiyuk's big 2022 season and instead consider him a solid WR3.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Matt Barrows

14 hours agoSan Francisco 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold took all of the first-team repetitions at the first day of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, while Trey Lance led the second-team group and Brandon Allen handled the third team. Darnold and Lance have been alternating throughout the spring, and Lance is expected to get first-team reps on Wednesday. Darnold went 4-for-7 in 11-on-11 sessions, while Lance went 6-for-9 on his attempts. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has been impressed with Allen's ability to pick up the offense despite signing after the offseason program started. The Niners really like both Darnold and Lance, but as long as Brock Purdy (elbow) is ready for the start of the regular season, as expected, the second-year QB will be the starter for San Fran under center.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Matt Barrows

14 hours agoSan Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel wants to make amends for a subpar season in 2022 after describing last year as "awful" while acknowledging that a sometimes-prickly contract negotiation was a distraction that left him "being the eight ball" when the season started. He finished with 864 combined yards in 13 games, a step down from 1,770 scrimmage yards in 2021. Samuel isn't quite in excellent shape right now, but he intends to be on Day 1 of training camp this summer. The 27-year-old dealt with nagging injuries along the way in 2022 as well, which likely slowed him down. It's great that Samuel is motivated to bounce back this year, but the presence of running back Christian McCaffrey will likely continue to limit Samuel's fantasy ceiling. Despite his down 2022 campaign, Samuel remains a strong WR2 in fantasy.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Matt Barrows

1 day agoPittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Allen Robinson II (foot) has been able to participate in team drills over the past week. Robinson had surgery to repair a broken foot and began the offseason working individually. Last week he began working in on 11-on-11 team drills. The Steelers traded for Robinson in April and are expecting to have him play out of the slot in the upcoming season. Robinson has turned in two straight disappointing seasons and will be tough to trust in 2023 while playing on his third team in as many years.--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: TribLive.com

1 day agoCleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (abdomen) took part in 11-on-11 drills in Tuesday's OTAs. Cooper had core muscle surgery in February after playing through the issue for part of the 2022 season. His ability to participate fully on Tuesday is a good sign as he should be able to open training camp. Cooper is primed for a solid year as Cleveland's WR1 heading into 2023.--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: Mary Kay Cabot on Twitter

1 day agoBaltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers suffered a "minor tweak" during OTAs on Tuesday, according to head coach John Harbaugh. The Ravens presumably are just being cautious with their first-round rookie as they gear up for a revamped passing attack under new OC Todd Monken in 2023. According to Harbaugh, Flowers is expected to be able to suit up for mandatory minicamp next week. Flowers is a decent flier late in redraft leagues this season while he remains a high-potential rookie stash in dynasty formats.--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Zrebiec on Twitter

1 day agoMinnesota Vikings running back DeWayne McBride signed his rookie deal on Tuesday after the team selected him in the seventh round of the 2023 draft. McBride's signing means that the Vikings have now signed all six of their rookie picks from the draft. The running back out of UAB could have a role behind Alexander Mattison in 2023 if the Vikings end up moving on from Dalvin Cook, a move that has been rumored for much of the offseason. McBride is a solid stash in dynasty leagues.--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: Minnesota Vikings on Twitter

1 day agoThe Athletic's Dan Duggan writes that it would be shocking if New York Giants tight end Darren Waller doesn't lead the team in targets in his first year in the Big Apple in 2023. Waller is the team's most accomplished receiving option, and both head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka have experience in offenses with a tight end as the top pass-catching option. The 30-year-old had well over 1,000 yards receiving in 2019 and 2020 with the Raiders, but he missed 14 total games the last two seasons due to injuries and wasn't as involved last year in the passing game with receiver Davante Adams around. If Waller can stay healthy, he should be able to bounce back as a strong TE1 for fantasy managers.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Dan Duggan

1 day agoNew York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton's two-year, $12 million deal should assure that he's a roster lock heading into the 2023 season, but he could be on the chopping block next offseason if he regresses this year. Slayton saw a significant role in his fourth NFL season in 2022 given all the injuries at the position for the Giants, and he responded with 46 catches for 724 yards and two touchdowns in 16 regular season games (11 starts). The 26-year-old has the ability to stretch the field and make big plays, but he has much more competition this year after the G-Men added Isaiah Hodgins and Parris Campbell in free agency and rookie Jalin Hyatt in the draft. In standard 12-team fantasy leagues, Slayton will most likely go undrafted.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Dan Duggan

1 day agoThe Athletic's Dan Duggan is guessing that New York Giants offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu will win the starting left-guard job this summer in training camp. Ben Bredeson has been the first-team left guard so far in offseason workouts this spring, but there is still plenty of time for Ezeudu to make up ground before the 2023 season starts. If Ezeudu doesn't come through, the Giants could also use a rotation at the position again. John Michael Schmitz has also been working as the starting center this offseason, so that will be his job to lose. The 23-year-old Ezeudu has been recovering from shoulder surgery this offseason after being sidelined for the final nine games of 2022, but he's expected to be ready for training camp.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Dan Duggan

1 day agoNew York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones had 120 carries last year, which ranked fourth-most among QBs. Around half of those carries were designed runs, as he ranked third in the NFL with 56 scrambles. The zone read is likely to remain a big piece of the offense in 2023, so Jones' designed runs aren't necessarily expected to decrease now that he's a $40 million signal-caller. Jones ranked fifth in the NFL with 708 rushing yards at the QB position, and he added seven rushing scores, which carried his fantasy value. If the 26-year-old is going to finish as a low-end QB1 again in his fifth season in the league, he's going to need to continue picking up chunk gains with his legs while improving through the air with more offensive playmakers at receiver.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Dan Duggan

1 day agoNew Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (toe) said he will be ready for training camp "Day 1, full speed." Thomas, who is taking part in organized team activities this week, also said he'll be back to form "just like everyone's used to." It's hard for fantasy managers to take Thomas at his word after the 30-year-old pass-catcher has played in only three games the last two years due to ankle and toe injuries. And even if he's fully healthy in 2023, he'll likely take a back seat to Chris Olave as the teams No. 1 target with new quarterback Derek Carr in town. With all that said, it's nice to see Thomas getting healthy again, and his 16-171-3 line in three games in 2022 gives us some optimism that he can be a value pick in the later rounds of fantasy drafts as a W4/5.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NewOrleans.Football - Mike Triplett

1 day agoDespite cutting three running backs on the roster in the last week, the Denver Broncos aren't expected to make a run at Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook, according to sources. There's no way the Broncos trade for Cook, at least not without a restructured contract. Cook is scheduled to make $11 million in 2023 with a salary cap hit of $14.01 million. Denver only has $11.7 million in cap space. The team has also traded away too many draft picks in the last two years and don't even have a second-rounder in 2024. If Cook is outright released by the Vikes, then there's more of a chance the Broncos will express interest, but it's not guaranteed. The 27-year-old had his fourth straight 1,000-yard rushing season in 2022, but he's entering the age of decline at his position. Cook's fantasy value will continue to plummet in offseason drafts until his 2023 picture is more clear.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: 9 News - Mike Klis