RADIO
Steelers Expected To Use Transition Tag On Le'Veon Bell
2/15:All indications are that the Pittsburgh Steelers plan to use the transition tag on running back Le'Veon Bell by the deadline on March 5. It's expected to have a value of $9.5 million to $14.5 million for one season and gives the Steelers a chance to match any offer he'd receive on the open market. Pittsburgh doesn't plan on matching any offer to retain Bell, but only to trade him. However, even if the Steelers find a taker in a trade, they'd need Bell to sign the transition tag first, which is highly unlikely. This situation continues to get uglier, but Bell won't be playing in Pittsburgh in 2019 no matter what. Despite having 1,229 rushing attempts in five seasons, Bell is in the prime of his career and has reached the 1,000-yard mark three times. He's one of the more versatile backs in the NFL and should remain an RB1 in his next home.Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Gerry Dulac
Pierre Garcon To Hit The Open Market
2/14:The San Francisco 49ers will not pick up the 2019 option on wide receiver Pierre Garcon, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. The 32-year-old declining wideout played in just 16 total games in his two seasons in San Francisco and missed eight games last season with shoulder and knee issues. The Niners will be hit with $7.2 million in deal money and will save $1.075 million on the salary cap. Garcon, who will turn 33 in August, plans on continuing his career, but he's unlikely to have a robust market given his age and injuries the last two years.Source: NFL.com - Kevin Patra
Keke Coutee Fully Healthy
2/14:Houston Texans wide receiver Keke Coutee, who dealt with hamstring injuries off and on his entire rookie season, is fully healthy again in the offseason and is excited going into his second season. "I'm feeling great," Coutee said. "I'm feeling really good. I'm feeling like myself." He managed to play in only six games in 2018 and had 28 receptions for 287 yards and one touchdown. Coutee also had 11 catches for 110 yards and a score ono 14 targets in the wild-card playoff loss to the Colts. With DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller on the outside, Coutee could have a big year in his second season out of the slot in a dangerous offense. He might fly under the radar in drafts, too, making him an attractive sleeper.Source: Houston Chronicle - Aaron Wilson
Jaguars Sign Josh Lambo To Extension
2/13:The Jacksonville Jaguars signed kicker Josh Lambo to an undisclosed four-year contract extension on Wednesday. He has missed only three of 41 field-goal attempts and three of 44 extra points since he joined the team in 2017. Lambo is the only kicker in franchise history to have back-to-back seasons with a field-goal percentage of at least 90. He made 19 of his 21 field-goal tries last season and has made six of his seven tries from 50-plus yards with the team. He missed the last three games with a groin injury but should be fine for 2019. While Lambo has been an accurate kicker with the Jags, he's not particularly enticing in fantasy in an offense that could struggle again to move the football consistently.Source: ESPN.com - Michael DiRocco
Christian Kirk Optimistic For OTAs
2/13:Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk (foot) is optimistic about his chances of participating in organized team activities this spring. The wideout broke his foot in Week 13 against the Packers and finished the year on Injured Reserve after a promising rookie campaign. "I’m feeling great," Kirk told 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Burns & Gambo on Wednesday. "Recovery’s going well, just being patient and making sure all aspects of my body’s 100 percent when I step back on the field during OTAs." Kirk led the team in receiving yards before his injury and was second to Larry Fitzgerald in yards (590) and third in catches (43). In his second season under new head coach and offensive mind Kliff Kingsbury, Kirk has a real chance to break out if the team fixes their offensive line issues.Source: Arizona Sports - Logan Newman
Tight End A Priority For Lions
2/13:The Detroit Lions are determined to make the tight end position a priority in 2019 after whiffing on their free-agent targets last year and seeing Eric Ebron finish second in the NFL in touchdowns (13) with the Colts after they released him. "This is a position of need," general manager Bob Quinn said. "We know that." Detroit was second to last in tight end receptions (45) in 2018 and blocking tight end Levine Toilolo led the group with 21 catches for 263 yards. Toilolo and Luke Willson are free agents and aren't expected to be re-signed. The free-agent class of tight ends is rather weak, but the draft class is strong, so the Lions may go that route. As many as three tight ends could go in the first round of the draft.Source: Detroit Free Press - Dave Birkett
Jets Expected To Move On From Isaiah Crowell
2/13:New York Jets running back Isaiah Crowell is not expected to return after the team signs a free-agent running back next month. He has $2 million fully guaranteed if he's on the roster by the third day of the new league year (March 15), so he'll likely be cut by then. Crowell just turned 26 years old, but he's not in the team's future after running 143 times for 685 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and six touchdowns in 13 games in 2018. The former Brown had a few big games on the ground but didn't do much outside of that, and the Jets would like to pair a free-agent signing with Elijah McGuire moving forward. Crowell is still young and should latch on elsewhere, but it's unlikely to be in a lead role.Source: New York Daily News - Manish Mehta
Broncos To Shop Case Keenum
2/13:The Denver Broncos will shop quarterback Case Keenum on the trade market after agreeing to acquire Joe Flacco from the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday, according to a source. Keenum is guaranteed $7 million this year. If they can't find a taker for him, they could release him, which would mean clearing up $11 million in salary cap space but absorbing $10 million in dead money. No matter which way this goes, Keenum will likely be playing elsewhere in 2019, but we'll have to wait and see if a team is desperate enough to use him as a starter. The soon-to-be 31-year-old threw for 3,890 yards, 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in his first and likely only season in Denver. He wasn't of much help to fantasy owners.Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Steelers Won't Trade Antonio Brown Within Division
2/13:The Pittsburgh Steelers will not trade wide receiver Antonio Brown to the Ravens, Browns, Bengals or Patriots. Most teams are hesitant to trade a star player within their division, so this isn't a surprise. The Patriots continue to dominate the league, so it also makes sense why the Steelers wouldn't want to help them as they seek to boost a position of need this offseason. It seems inevitable that Brown will be playing for another team in 2019, and he's believed to want to play for the 49ers. Brown's fantasy value would probably remain the highest if he stayed in Pittsburgh, but the elite wideout will likely remain a high-end WR1 wherever he winds up.Source: CBS Sports - Jason La Canfora
Broncos Trading For Joe Flacco
2/13:The Denver Broncos agreed in principle on a trade with the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday to acquire quarterback Joe Flacco, according to league sources. The trade can't officially be processed until the new NFL league year begins on March 13. When the deal is officially completed itread more...
Cardinals Sticking With Josh Rosen
2/12:Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said that quarterback Josh Rosen "is our guy" amid speculation that the Cardinals might draft Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick this year. Kingsbury is known to be enamored with Murray and Rosen had a terrible rookie season in the desert as the starter for most of the year. To be fair, Rosen didn't have much talent around him, but he's a work in progress and is unlikely to turn things around drastically in his sophomore campaign. It'd still be surprising if the Cardinals took a signal caller at No. 1 overall when they have so many other glaring needs on their talent-poor roster.Source: The Arizona Republic - Bob McManaman
Bucs An Option For Matt Bryant
2/12:Free-agent kicker Matt Bryant said that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a real option for him when free agency kicks off. The 43-year-old believes he could play another three seasons in the NFL. He missed three games last year due to various injuries, but he made 20 of his 21 field goals and 33 of his 35 extra points for the Falcons. The Bucs recently signed Phillip Anderson, but Bryant would be the favorite for kicking duties in 2019 if they were to sign him.Source: ESPN.com - Vaughn McClure
Antonio Brown Ready To Move On
2/12:Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown said on his official Twitter account on Tuesday that it's "time to move on and forward." Brown has already requested a trade and appears adamant about playing somewhere else in 2019 after continuing to butt heads with the organization and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. There's no guarantee that he'll land in a situation better for his fantasy production than Pittsburgh, but the 30-year-old has the talent to succeed anywhere, as he's posted six straight seasons of 100-plus catches and 1,000-plus receiving yards. Brown should remain a high-end WR1 no matter how the situation plays out, but his ceiling might not be as high with another team.Source: Twitter
Lions Open To Drafting Quarterback At No. 8
2/12:Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn said on Monday that the team is open to selecting a quarterback with the No. 8 pick of this year's draft, even with Matthew Stafford on the roster. "We're in a position now with the eighth overall pick that the whole draft board is really wide open to us. We're not going to really eliminate any prospects," Quinn said. Even though Stafford had one of his worst seasons in 2018, the team is still standing by him as the starting quarterback. Detroit is probably unlikely to actually select a QB that early, but weirder things have happened before. They could also be a candidate to trade down and secure more draft picks later on.Source: ESPN.com - Michael Rothstein
Texans To Release Demaryius Thomas
2/12:The Houston Texans are expected to release wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (Achilles) on Tuesday, according to a source. Thomas tore his left Achilles in Week 16 and it's too early to give a timetable on when he might return, but as an aging receiver coming off a serious injury, he's not expected to have many suitors on the open market. After being traded from the Broncos to Houston, Thomas had a disappointing 23 catches (33 targets) for 275 yards and two touchdowns in seven games before his season-ending injury. He's also struggled with drops in his career and will now fight to prove his health before signing with another team.Source: NFL Network - James Palmer
