March 6, 2026
The Buffalo Bills are releasing wide receiver
Curtis Samuel on Friday, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. The move comes a day after Buffalo agreed to send two draft picks to the Chicago Bears in exchange for receiver
DJ Moore. It's not like Samuel was a big contributor last year, though, as he played in only six regular-season games and caught seven of his nine targets for 81 yards and one touchdown. In his first year in Buffalo in 2024, the 29-year-old caught 31 of 46 targets for 253 yards and one touchdown in 14 regular-season games (two starts). The former second-round pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2017 out of Ohio State will look to latch on with another team this offseason as veteran receiver depth. Samuel most likely won't be on the fantasy radar in the majority of leagues in 2026, even if he lands in a favorable environment.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
March 6, 2026
The Las Vegas Raiders are widely expected to take Indiana quarterback
Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in April's 2026 NFL draft, but "their preference is to not start him immediately," according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. The Raiders are releasing veteran
Geno Smith after a disastrous 2025 season as the starter, but they will be looking for another veteran QB in free agency to serve as the bridge to Mendoza. It's more reason to temper expectations for Mendoza in his first year in the NFL in single-year leagues, but this news shouldn't mean all that much for his dynasty/keeper value long-term. Mendoza was the Heisman Trophy winner last year and led Indiana to an undefeated season and national championship while throwing for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. He added276 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Mendoza might be Vegas' Week 1 starter this fall, but he has all the attributes of a future star in the league.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
March 6, 2026
The Miami Dolphins are expected to release kicker
Jason Sanders (hip) after the two sides could not agree on a new contract, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Sanders will leave the team with a streak of 27 straight made field goals, including going 9-for-9 on his last 50-plus-yard field goals. However, he did not kick at all last year due to a hip injury that he suffered in training camp. The Dolphins drafted the 30-year-old in the seventh round in 2018 out of New Mexico, and he's converted on 84.6% of his 221 field-goal attempts for the team in the last seven seasons. The Dolphins will now likely go with
Riley Patterson to begin the 2026 season after he impressed last year in Sanders' place. If fully healthy, Sanders should attract plenty of interest on the open market for teams looking for an upgrade at placekicker.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
March 6, 2026
Penn State running back
Nicholas Singleton (foot) injured his foot during Senior Bowl practices and was unable to participate in any on-field drills at the NFL Combine, adding further uncertainty to how the rookie running back class stacks up behind Notre Dame's
Jeremiyah Love. While Singleton's four years at Penn State never fully lived up to the immediate flash he put on tape as a true freshman in 2022, the Combine would have been a place for him to potentially separate himself from the pack, as his strength lies in his athleticism. Love is almost certainly slated to come off the board within the first ten picks, but then there might not be another running back selected within the first 50. With no clear consensus on the rest of the class, Singleton is likely to find his way into the mid rounds of rookie drafts based on his physical profile.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 6, 2026
USC wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane measured in at the NFL Combine at almost 6'5" and 200 pounds, and he proceeded to test out of the gym. His 40" vertical and 10'9" broad jump were both among the upper echelon at the position, while his 4.47 40-yard dash looked effortless for a player of his size. Lane will likely need to add strength to contend with the physicality of the NFL game, particularly in dealing with press coverage, but his size and athleticism could make him an early red-zone weapon. As a toolsy prospect with solid collegiate production, he makes for an intriguing pick in the later rounds of dynasty rookie drafts.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 6, 2026
Alabama wide receiver
Germie Bernard has seen his stock rise slightly after a solid showing at the NFL Combine. While his athletic testing numbers didn't pop off the screen, he confirmed most of what he showed on tape as a versatile receiver with good size and movement skills. His 4.48 40-yard dash came in slightly slower than what ended up as the fastest average ever by the position, but as one of the only wide receivers to participate in the 3-cone drill, his 6.71 seconds was the best of the week. Bernard drew a surprising on-air comparison to Offensive Player of the Year
Jaxon Smith-Njigba for his size and testing numbers, but he likely profiles best as a reliable second option on most NFL offenses.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 6, 2026
Three-year veteran quarterback
Tommy DeVito has reached an agreement on a two-year, $7.4 million deal to return to the New England Patriots, per his agent Sean Stellato and NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Devito served as the team's emergency third quarterback in 2025 after being claimed off waivers. With
Joshua Dobbs still under contract for 2026, Devito could compete for the primary backup role behind
Drake Maye or bolster the room similarly to his first year in New England. The deal includes a guaranteed $2 million, about half the amount guaranteed to Doubs when he signed a similar two-year pact before the 2025 season.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Adam Schefter
March 6, 2026
Washington running back Jonah Coleman was at the NFL Combine, where he conducted interviews, but he did not participate in any drills other than the bench press, where his 22 reps ranked third at the position. The trend of saving workouts for individual pro days has become more prevalent, especially for players who might not dazzle with their testing numbers, but in a class with no obvious RB2 behind
Jeremiyah Love, fantasy managers are looking for anything a prospect can do to separate themselves from the pack. While Coleman's game speed does show up at times on his film, a solid 40-time could help to strengthen his claim as the second running back selected in both the NFL and fantasy drafts. Washington's pro day is scheduled for March 16 and could bring clarity to many draft boards.
--Patrick McGrathSource: NFL
March 6, 2026
The Minnesota Vikings are doing simple contract restructures of star wide receiver
Justin Jefferson and left tackle Christian Darrisaw to clear salary cap space for the 2026 season, sources told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. The Vikings must get under the salary cap before the start of the new league year next Wednesday. Jefferson managed to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the sixth straight season to begin his career, but his 1,048 receiving yards were a new career-low as he caught 84 passes on 141 targets for a career-low two touchdowns in 17 starts. The 26-year-old and the rest of Minnesota's offense were held hostage by injuries and inconsistent play by quarterback
J.J. McCarthy. The four-time Pro Bowler and former Offensive Player of the Year should still be considered a high-end WR1 in fantasy, but he could be more volatile again in 2026 if McCarthy or a new QB doesn't raise the level of play in the Vikings' offense.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
March 6, 2026
The Cleveland Browns restructured quarterback
Deshaun Watson's contract on Friday to ease his $80.716 million salary cap charge in 2026, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Browns are converting up to $44.745 million of his $46 million base salary into a signing bonus, leaving him with the veteran minimum of $1.255 million for this year. The move is expected to free up around $36 million in cap space. Cleveland is also expected to restructure the contracts of other players, including Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward. The 30-year-old Watson is heading into the final year of the five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract that he signed back in 2022. Watson did not play at all in 2025 after having two surgeries to fix a torn Achilles he suffered in 2024. He's expected to compete for the starting QB job in 2026 with
Shedeur Sanders, but the Browns are expected to bring in more competition via free agency. There's no guarantee Watson ever takes another snap with the Browns.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mary Kay Cabot
March 6, 2026
The Washington Commanders are re-signing kicker
Jake Moody to a one-year deal on Friday, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Moody spent time with the Commanders, San Francisco 49ers, and Chicago Bears in 2025 in his third year in the NFL. The 26-year-old former third-round selection by the Niners in 2023 out of Michigan played in six games with Washington, going 10-for-11 on his field-goal tries and 10-for-11 on extra points. Overall, he made 19 of 23 field-goal attempts (2-for-2 from 50-plus yards) and went 15-for-16 on extra points in nine games. Moody will enter the 2026 season as the Commanders' starting placekicker, but fantasy managers should be able to find more consistent options in 12-team leagues. Moody has a career 78% success rate on his 82 field-goal attempts through three seasons in the NFL.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
March 6, 2026
The New Orleans Saints restructured tight end
Juwan Johnson's contract on Friday to free up $6.29 million in salary cap space for the 2026 season, according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN. The Saints converted part of Johnson's base salary into a signing bonus. In the first season with Kellen Moore as the head coach in New Orleans, Johnson had career-highs in catches (77), targets (102), and receiving yards (889) while scoring three times in 17 games in his sixth year in the league. The 29-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Penn State showed nice chemistry with young quarterback
Tyler Shough last year, and he should enter 2026 fantasy football drafts this fall as a decent low-end TE1 option with a strong floor if you decide to wait at the position.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Katherine Terrell
March 6, 2026
The New Orleans Saints and running back
Alvin Kamara (knee) agreed to an adjusted contract on Friday, lowering his salary cap number for the 2026 season by $8 million, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. It's not a standard base salary-to-bonus conversion, but it will provide cap flexibility if he's not with the team. Specifically, $10.155 million of Kamara's salary was converted. It's a situation to monitor for the 30-year-old back, who played in a career-low 11 games in 2025 due to a knee injury. Kamara finished with a career-low 471 rushing yards and only one touchdown on 131 carries, adding 33 receptions on 39 targets for 186 yards and no touchdowns through the air. He has a lot of tread on his tires with 1,674 rushing attempts in his nine seasons in the NFL, and regardless of where he's playing in 2026, Kamara's fantasy stock will be way down, possibly in a timeshare.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Mike Garafolo
March 6, 2026
The Las Vegas Raiders are releasing quarterback
Geno Smith, barring a trade before the start of the new league year next week, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. The Raiders will open up $8 million in salary cap space this year by releasing Smith while taking on $18.5 million in dead money. Smith had a disastrous season in Vegas in 2025, completing 67.4% of his passes for 3,2025 yards, 19 touchdowns, and a league-leading 17 interceptions in 15 starts. The 35-year-old made back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 and 2023, but that feels like ages ago at this point. The veteran signal-caller will now hit the open market as a bridge option for a QB-needy NFL team. Returning to the New York Jets is a possibility. At best, Smith will be competing for a starting job under center this summer. He'll be avoidable in all single-QB leagues in 2026, even if he wins a starting gig.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
March 6, 2026
The Dallas Cowboys are closely monitoring the situation with Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby and remain "very interested," according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Crosby is "drawing serious interest around the league," and the Baltimore Ravens are another team to watch. General managers believe the Raiders are willing to work on a deal. The Chicago Bears have also been mentioned as a team to keep an eye on in the Crosby sweepstakes. The 28-year-old five-time Pro Bowler hasn't officially requested a trade, but it's believed that he doesn't have the heart to go through another rebuild in Vegas, and he definitely wasn't happy with the front office shutting him down for the final two games in 2025. The Raiders want two first-round picks and a player in a package for Crosby, which is a high asking price, but they just may get it from a team like Dallas that desperately needs to improve its pass rush. Crosby is one of the premier pass-rushers in the NFL and has 44.5 sacks in the last four seasons.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
RADIO
