3 days agoChicago Bears rookie first-round wide receiver
Rome Odunze (hamstring) is dealing with hamstring tightness and will sit out of Saturday's rookie minicamp practice. It's likely nothing to worry about in the long run, but it's also not a great start for Odunze as he looks to get going as a top-10 pick in this year's NFL draft. It's something to keep an eye on with the 21-year-old from Washington as we get deeper into the offseason and closer to training camp. The Bears took Odunze at No. 9 overall to give rookie quarterback
Caleb Williams more weapons in the passing attack in addition to established veterans
DJ Moore and
Keenan Allen. Odunze was extremely productive in college and is ultra-athletic on the football field, but it's going to be tough for him to produce consistent numbers in Chicago's offense in his rookie season as long as both Moore and Allen stay healthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Chicago Tribune - Dan Wiederer
4 days agoThe Tennessee Titans signed first-round offensive tackle JC Latham to his four-year, fully-guaranteed rookie deal on Friday worth $26.04 million. The deal was confirmed by his agents Drew Rosenhaus, Ryan Matha and Jason Rosenhaus. The contract also includes the standard fifth-year player option for first-round picks. The 21-year-old offensive lineman was taken by the Titans with the seventh overall pick out of Alabama. He will be a huge upgrade for an offensive line that was in need of serious help this offseason and should start from Day 1 in his rookie season, at least at right tackle. The addition of Latham in 2024 should have an immediate positive impact in fantasy for young quarterback
Will Levis and the rest of Tennessee's option as they enter their first season without workhorse back
Derrick Henry.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
4 days agoThe Denver Broncos signed rookie quarterback
Bo Nix to his rookie deal on Friday, according to a source. As is the case with all first-round selections, Nix will have a fifth-year team option attached to his first NFL contract. Needing to add more competition to their QB room this offseason after getting rid of
Russell Wilson, the Broncos reached for Nix, the former Oregon signal-caller, with the 12th overall pick in last month's NFL draft. The Broncos have admitted that Nix could probably benefit from sitting and learning a year, but it's not like Denver already has a veteran starter in place. Nix,
Jarrett Stidham and
Zach Wilson will all compete for the starting gig in training camp and the preseason. At best, Nix would be a low-end QB2 in superflex leagues if he's starting out of the gates in Week 1 in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
4 days agoThe Las Vegas Raiders signed veteran Gardner Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract this offseason, yet 2023 fourth-round pick
Aidan O'Connell is the early favorite to handle QB1 duties in 2024, according to head coach Antonio Pierce. "Aidan's earned the right to go
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4 days agoUndrafted free-agent quarterback
Jack Plummer signed with the Carolina Panthers on Friday, according to NFL.com. The 24-year-old spent four seasons at Purdue, one season at California, and one season and Louisville during his college career. Overall, he threw for 9,728 yards, 68 touchdowns, and 31 interceptions in 45 games (38 starts). Plummer is highly unlikely to take the QB2 job behind
Bryce Young from
Andy Dalton, but he could earn the QB3 role and stick around on the practice squad during the 2024 campaign. For now, he's nowhere near the fantasy football radar in any format.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com
4 days agoAtlanta Falcons quarterback
Kirk Cousins (Achilles) is working his way back from a Week 8 Achilles tear from last season, and reports out of Atlanta suggest he is making great progress. "Kirk is every day improving," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. "He's been
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4 days agoFree-agent wide receiver
Zay Jones is signing with the Arizona Cardinals, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The 29-year-old went on visits with the Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys this week, but he ultimately landed in a spot where he can compete for targets right away. Jones was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars after they selected LSU wideout
Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but there's a real chance his situation is better in Arizona. Rookie
Marvin Harrison Jr. is expected to occupy the WR1 role right away, but Jones is almost certainly slated to start in three-wide sets, and he might even beat out
Michael Wilson to start in two-wide sets. He and tight end
Trey McBride could battle it out to be
Kyler Murray's No. 2 option in the passing game. Pencil in Jones as at least a deep league flex option in 2024.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Ian Rapoport
4 days agoThe Carolina Panthers released veteran running back
Tarik Cohen, who was attempting a comeback from a series of injuries that derailed his time as a Pro Bowl return man with the Chicago Bears. Cohen hasn't played in a regular-season game in the NFL since 2020, and it remains to be seen if he'll latch on with another club this offseason. The 28-year-old was a former fourth-round pick in 2017 by the Bears out of North Carolina A&T. He was never much of a ball-carrier at 5-foot-6, 181 pounds, but he excelled as a returner and as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Cohen suffered an ACL tear in Week 3 of 2020 and also tore his Achilles in May of 2022. He spent most of last year on Carolina's practice squad but missed two months with a hamstring injury.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
4 days agoJacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said that wide receiver
Gabe Davis (knee) is working through an injury, so the team hasn't been able to see much from him yet after adding him in free agency this offseason. Davis missed the postseason last year with the Buffalo Bills due to a knee injury that he suffered in the Week 18 season finale against the Miami Dolphins, and apparently it's still an issue. While we don't expect the injury to keep him from participating in training camp or being ready for the start of the 2024 season, it's bad news for a player looking to learn a new offense in Jacksonville. The 25-year-old is another strong offensive situation in Jacksonville, but he'll face competition for targets from
Christian Kirk and Brian Thomas and tight end
Evan Engram, likely making him a boom/bust fantasy option yet again.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Florida Times-Union - Demetrius Harvey
4 days agoWhen asked who would be calling the team's offensive plays in 2024, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson remained non-committal. "Don't play a game until September. So, we've got some time," Pederson said. Offensive coordinator Press Taylor was responsible for calling most of the team's plays in a disappointing 2023 season, so Pederson is seriously considering taking back those duties in 2024. A lot of the team's offensive struggles in the second half of last year had to do with the fact that quarterback
Trevor Lawrence was playing injured, and that they were missing one of their top receivers in
Christian Kirk. The Jaguars finished with 339.5 total yards per game (13th in the league) and 22.2 points per game (tied for 13th).
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Juston W. Lewis
4 days agoThe New York Giants signed No. 6 overall pick, wide receiver
Malik Nabers, to his rookie deal on Friday. The deal is a four-year, $29,207,750 fully guaranteed deal that includes an $18,062,000 signing bonus and a fifth-year team option. The Giants passed on adding competition for quarterback
Daniel Jones in this year's NFL draft and instead gave Jones big-time receiving help with perhaps the most explosive and athletic wideout in this year's strong class of receivers. The 20-year-old from LSU will immediately slot in as New York's No. 1 pass-catcher in 2024. He was wildly productive for the Tigers and should be heavily targeted as he transitions to the NFL, but he won't turn 21 until later this summer and could struggle for consistency if Jones continues to struggle as a passer. Fantasy managers in single-year leagues shouldn't be relying too heavily on Nabers in his rookie season in a Giants offense that has had its share of problems with Jones leading them.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
4 days agoChicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus officially named rookie quarterback
Caleb Williams as the team's starting QB on Friday at rookie minicamp. Everyone already knew that Williams would be Chicago's starting signal-caller when they selected him first overall in last month's NFL draft
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5 days agoGreen Bay Packers wide receiver
Alex McGough, a former USFL MVP who transitioned from quarterback this offseason, could use his pure athleticism to secure a roster spot prior to the 2024 campaign, head coach Matt LaFleur told the media. McGough spent all of 2023 operating as Green Bay's No. 3 quarterback. "He's a really athletic guy," LaFleur explained. "He spent a lot of time on the scout team running receiver routes, and he did such a great job. We feel like he's such a talented athlete, [so] why not give him a chance there? He's a smart guy, works his tail off. I think he can contribute [on special teams] as well. We felt like that might be his best chance here." These comments suggest that the Packers place great value on McGough's athleticism and don't want to risk losing someone like him, even if his impact is limited to special teams in 2024.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: Zach Kruse
5 days agoFree agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore still wants to play football but is waiting for the right opportunity, he told NFL insider Josina Anderson. "I know the value I still bring," Gilmore said. "If you watch the tape, I feel like I played well the last two years, and literally almost played every snap last year." Indeed, Gilmore was impactful in 2023. He started all 17 games for the Cowboys, registering two interceptions, 13 passes defended, 68 tackles, and one forced fumble. He's still a starting-caliber defender who could justify holding out for a specific opportunity, perhaps with a contender.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: Josina Anderson
5 days agoIndianapolis Colts running back
Evan Hull could still earn the backup role despite some speculation suggesting the job belonged to
Trey Sermon. According to James Boyd of The Athletic, "it remains unclear" who will operate as the No. 2 option behind
Jonathan Taylor in 2024. He notes that while Sermon may be the early favorite, the former 49ers draft pick has just 78 carries for 346 yards and one touchdown in his career. Whoever takes over as Taylor's backup will be filling big shoes. Last season, that role belonged to
Zack Moss, who finished the year with 986 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns. Moss is now in Cincinnati, leaving a competition of sorts for Sermon and Hull. As a rookie last year, Hull mustered just one rushing yard and six receiving yards.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: James Boyd
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