3 days agoCincinnati Bengals wide receiver
Tee Higgins continues to grow frustrated as his trade request from last month has gone unanswered. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Higgins is "pissed" about the lack of a shared vision between himself and the team. Higgins was once said to be seeking a deal similar to
Michael Pittman Jr.'s three-year, $70 million pact, but Cincinnati reportedly never came close to that price tag. This prompted the talented receiver to request a trade, but the Bengals made it clear (via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN) that they have "no plans" to trade him. Therefore, the stalemate continues between Cincinnati and Higgins. One has to wonder if too many bridges have been burned and a holdout might be in the cards.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: Adam Schefter
3 days agoThe Jacksonville Jaguars signed undrafted free-agent wide receiver
Wayne Ruby on Wednesday, according to NFL.com. Ruby played his college football at the University of Mount Union of Division III, and his final three seasons put him on the NFL radar. From 2021 to 2023, Ruby caught 285 passes for 4,382 yards and a whopping 58 touchdowns, according to the school's website. He'll have a shot at competing for a roster spot this offseason. Although he's unlikely to see meaningful playing time in 2024, he could beat out end-of-the-bench wideouts like
Tim Jones,
Seth Williams, and
Elijah Cooks to earn a special teams role as a rookie.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com
3 days agoChicago Bears quarterback and No. 1 overall pick
Caleb Williams will begin his career at home against the Tennessee Titans, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. The former USC star will have no shortage of weapons to work with to begin his career, so he could get out to a hot start with
Keenan Allen,
DJ Moore, and Rome Oduzne out wide. Tennessee was a middle-of-the-pack team against the pass last season, but the organization signed former Baltimore Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson as their defensive coordinator and added cornerbacks L'Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie to the back end of the defense. Overall, it should be a great first test for one of the highest-regarded quarterback prospects of the 21st century.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Jordan Schultz
3 days agoVeteran free-agent punter Trenton Gill is signing with the Denver Broncos, according to NFL.com. The 25-year-old was released after two seasons with the Chicago Bears following the organization selecting Iowa punter Tory Taylor in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Gill has punted 133 times for an average of 46.1 yards per punt and pinned 38 kicks inside the 20-yard line in 34 career games. If he beats out Riley Dixon for the starting punting duties, he'll get to kick in Empower Field at Mile High Stadium, which gives kickers and punters extra distance thanks to its high elevation.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com
3 days agoAccording to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Kansas City Chiefs will square off against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Houston Texans will host the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day during the 2024 NFL season. For different reasons, all four teams will be interesting to monitor this year. Kansas City is aiming to be the first franchise to win three straight Super Bowls, Pittsburgh will be led by
Russell Wilson or
Justin Fields, Baltimore looks to get over the hump in search of a Lombardi Trophy, and Houston was one of last year's big surprise teams to contend in the playoffs. With no shortage of disappointing primetime matchups over the last few years, games featuring stars like
Patrick Mahomes,
Lamar Jackson,
C.J. Stroud, T.J. Watt, and more on Christmas should be exciting. These two Christmas Day games will be streamed exclusively on Netflix.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Adam Schefter
3 days agoThe New York Giants will debut on the HBO show Hard Knocks: Offseason in 2024 in their 100th season in the NFL. The show will feature the Giants for the first time since the series' debut in 2001 as the four-time Super Bowl-winning franchise prepares for its 100th season. It will be the first iteration of Hard Knocks to document the NFL offseason, chronicling the G-Men's moves from January to July. The five-episode season will debut on Tuesday, July 2. Hard Knocks has been in New York twice before with the Jets in 2010 and 2023 and has also followed the Dallas Cowboys three different times (2002, 2008, 2021). In New York, this will be their first year without running back
Saquon Barkley while quarterback
Daniel Jones (knee) tries to come back from a torn ACL in 2023. New York took receiver
Malik Nabers with the sixth overall pick in this year's draft.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com - Grant Gordon
3 days agoThe National Football League revealed the entire 2024 season schedule on Monday. The Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles will face off to open the international slate in Week 1 on Sept. 6 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. They will be followed by the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 6 in London, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears on Oct. 13 in London, the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 20 in London, and the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers on Nov. 10 in Munich, Germany. Six of the top 11 picks in last month's NFL draft and veteran quarterback
Aaron Rodgers will all appear internationally this year. The Jaguars will play back-to-back London games for the second season in a row.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Michael DiRocco
3 days agoCleveland Browns safety Rodney McLeod said that he will retire following the 2024 season, which will be his 13th year in the league. "This is the last lap for me," McLeod said Monday during an appearance on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access." He will turn 34 in June and signed a one-year deal this offseason to return to the Browns for a second season. McLeod entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Virginia in 2012. He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Rams before joining the Eagles from 2016-21. McLeod was with the Colts in 2022 and had 29 tackles (16 solo) and a pass defended in 10 regular season games (five starts) last year. He suffered a season-ending biceps injury in Week 11. It sounds as though McLeod is now healthy as he looks to provide veteran secondary depth for Cleveland in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Daniel Oyefusi
3 days agoChicago Bears running back
D'Andre Swift will be taking over the team's lead running back in 2024 after he signed with the team minutes into the start of free agency in early March. "He's exciting to watch, man. That guy, he's got so
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3 days agoChicago Bears wide receiver/return man
Velus Jones Jr. should only benefit from the new kickoff rules in the NFL that will start for the 2024 season. "How it pertains to our team, you can only think about a guy like Velus Jones. Great example," special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. "A guy like that with his type of skill set, with the speed and the power that he has, and he's coming full speed ahead at you, it's like a damn freight train running at you." Jones' average of 27.4 yards per return trails only Keisean Nixon over the last two years. He hasn't worked out as a punt returner and also hasn't had much of a role in the offense since entering the league in 2022, but the 27-year-old's size/speed combo could come in handy for the Bears on kickoffs this year. The Bears could also use running back
Khalil Herbert on kickoffs.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Kevin Fishbain
4 days agoNew England Patriots rookie wide receiver
Javon Baker flashed significant promise during his first NFL practice this week, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Howe notes that Baker made several impressive plays. He reached to save a sailing throw, utilized "nifty footwork" to get out of his break on a crossing route, and generally demonstrated smooth route-running." There will be growing pains in 2024 as head coach Jerod Mayo, quarterback
Drake Maye, and receivers
Ja'Lynn Polk and Baker embark on their rookie seasons. However, early indications suggest that Baker could make an immediate impact in New England, earning opportunities over the likes of Polk,
Kendrick Bourne, and
Demario Douglas. He's a fringe top-30 rookie in fantasy football dynasty leagues.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Howe
4 days agoCincinnati Bengals tight end
Erick All (knee) participated in drills during OTAs on Tuesday, according to James Rapien of Sports Illustrated. The rookie was selected with the 115th pick in last month's NFL Draft and is currently recovering from the torn ACL he suffered while playing collegiate football at the University of Iowa. There's no shortage of former Hawkeye tight ends making a big impact at the pro level, so fans should be excited about watching All get healthy and make his NFL debut. All does face some competition for volume in Cincinnati, but most of those targets will go to the wide receiver position. At tight end, All could battle to earn the top spot over the likes of
Mike Gesicki and
Drew Sample.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: James Rapien
4 days agoAtlanta Falcons quarterback
Kirk Cousins (Achilles) was seen jogging lightly and throwing during organized team activities on Tuesday, according to Zach Klein of WSB. The veteran signal-caller tore his Achilles while playing for the Minnesota Vikings roughly six months ago, but this latest update suggests his recovery is going quite well. Reports out of Georgia indicate that Cousins is already forming a firm rapport with his receivers, including
Kyle Pitts,
Drake London, and
Darnell Mooney. As long as Cousins remains on track to play Week 1, he'll enter the 2024 campaign as a fringe top-12 quarterback in fantasy football.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: Zach Klein
4 days agoWashington Commanders quarterback
Jayden Daniels, whom the team selected second overall in last month's NFL Draft, is already making a positive impression during the early days of OTAs. "His football IQ is really high," offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said. "He's really well versed in protections." Kingsbury noted that Daniels works very hard, constantly improved on tape in college, and is always working hard to get better. The former LSU signal-caller also drew praise from wide receiver
Jahan Dotson, who said, "That's the quarterback I wanted." He added that he's been very impressed by what he has seen from Daniels so far. Overall, there seems to be plenty of positive buzz surrounding Daniels. There's a case to be made that he could be the No. 1 rookie quarterback in fantasy football, putting him over the likes of
Caleb Williams and the rest of the class. He should be a top-five pick in rookie drafts and a must-draft name in most redraft formats.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: JP Finlay
4 days agoWashington Commanders wide receiver
Luke McCaffrey "lined up outside more than expected" during Day 1 of OTAs on Tuesday, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. Washington selected McCaffrey, a product of Rice University, with the 100th overall selection in the third round of April's NFL Draft. McCaffrey impressed in the slot throughout his college career, demonstrating the physicality, athleticism, and ball security skills needed to succeed there at the next level. However, it appears that Washington has different plans — or at least wants to explore all their options with the rookie. Perhaps he has impressed the coaching staff enough for them to experiment with him outside. Such positional versatility could allow McCaffrey to carve out a decent role in his first pro season, though he's still off the radar in most redraft leagues. For dynasty purposes, he's a fringe top-25 rookie heading into the 2024 campaign.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: Ben Standig
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