3 days agoGreen Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur implied that we'll see more of new running back Josh Jacobs in the passing game than the 40 catches per year he averaged in five seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. "Just studying him, I thinkread more...
3 days agoCleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said on Monday that they are close to reaching contract extensions with both head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry. In the last four seasons with Stefanski and Berry at the helm in Cleveland, the Browns have made the postseason twice and even won a playoff game against the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers. The Browns have gone 37-30 in the regular season since both men were hired. They've gone 1-2 in the postseason but advanced to the playoffs last year despite season-ending injuries to key players like Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb, Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills. It remains to be seen how long their new contract extensions will be, but both Stefanski and Berry have earned the right to stick around longer.Source: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mary Kay Cabot
3 days agoPittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward (groin) had a cleanup procedure this offseason to help fix a lingering issue with his groin and core-muscle surgery from in-season, but head coach Mike Tomlin doesn't think Heyward's recovery would linger into the training programs this offseason. "I'm not anticipating it to be a factor by the time we get to training camp," Tomlin said. The 34-year-old veteran should have missed 12 weeks last year after his initial surgery, but he powered back quicker than that. He also dealt with a knee issue that kept him from practicing fully throughout almost the entire season. The six-time Pro Bowler could bounce back in IDP fantasy leagues in 2024 if he's completely healthy. Heyward had only two sacks in 11 starts in 2023 but recorded 20.5 sacks the previous two seasons combined.Source: Steelers Now - Nick Farabaugh
3 days agoWhile New York Giants president and CEO John Mara still has faith in quarterback Daniel Jones (knee), he told reporters on Monday at the NFL meetings that he wouldn't stop general manager Joe Schoen from taking a quarterback in the upcoming draft. "I think the Daniel (Jones) we saw in 2022 is the real deal. I still have all the confidence in the world in him. … Yes, I think we all expect him to be the starter in 2024," Mara said. Jones is no lock to be ready for Week 1 in 2024 after tearing his ACL last year, but the Giants continue to stay that when he's healthy, he'll be the team's starter under center. The G-Men aren't giving up on the former sixth overall pick in 2019 out of Duke, but 2024 might be his make-or-break season. Drafting a QB this year would give the Giants some insurance at the position.Source: NFL Network - Mike Garofolo
3 days agoThere's a chance that quarterback Zach Wilson could end up staying with the New York Jets in 2024. "If we don't trade him, we're going to keep him," owner Woody Johnson said. The Jets gave Wilson and his representatives permission to seek a trade last month, but with the rest of the league already making moves to acquire other QBs ahead of next month's NFL draft, the demand for Wilson has been non-existent this offseason. If the Jets do end up trading Wilson, they'll basically be giving him away. The former No. 2 overall pick in 2021 out of BYU has fallen flat in his three NFL seasons and was benched in 2023 after throwing for 2,271 yards, eight touchdowns and seen picks in 12 games (11 starts) after Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) got hurt. The Jets already signed veteran Tyrod Taylor to serve as Rodgers' backup in 2024.Source: New York Post - Brian Costello
3 days agoFor now, quarterback Jarrett Stidham is the Denver Broncos' potential starter in 2024, but head coach Sean Payton declined to say Stidham was in the top position for the job. "He's definitely competing to be the starter," Payton said. "I don't think we have a term 'driver's seat' really. But he is going to compete for that position. I know he's anxious and excited to do that, and I'm sure there will be other candidates that will be competing with him." Stidham and Ben DiNucci are the only QBs on the current roster after the team released Russell Wilson this offseason, but the Broncos are a candidate to trade up in the first round of next month's draft for a potential franchise signal-caller. Stidham has flashed some potential late the last two years with the Raiders and Broncos, but not enough for him to be outright named the starter this offseason.Source: NFL.com - Kevin Patra
3 days agoFormer New England Patriots running back Damien Harris announced his retirement from professional football on Monday at age 27. The Patriots selected Harris in the third round (87th overall) in the 2019 NFL draft out of Alabama, and he had 449 rushing attempts for 2,094 yards and 20 touchdowns in his four years in New England in 38 regular-season games (34 starts) while adding 40 receptions on 51 targets for an additional 281 receiving yards. Harris spent the 2023 campaign with the Buffalo Bills but played in only six games before suffering a season-ending concussion/neck injury that saw him be taken off the field in an ambulance. He'll end his NFL career after just five seasons, recording 2,188 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 427 carries with the Pats and Bills.Source: Patriots.com - Evan Lazar
3 days agoIndianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen wouldn't say definitively that quarterback Anthony Richardson (shoulder) will be cleared by next month but he "should be" after missing most of his rookie season in 2023 with an AC joint sprain that required season-ending surgery. "I know he's super fired up and ready to roll through the spring practice and training camp and this season," Steichen said. The 21-year-old had surgery on Oct. 24 and began throwing last month. This year in training camp, Richardson will take all of the starting reps while Joe Flacco serves as his backup. Having his role clearly defined at this stage of the offseason, as well as another year in the same system, should make Richardson feel more comfortable than he did as a rookie. His brief showing in 2023 gave fantasy managers a quick glimpse into his high-end QB1 upside, mainly because of his elite rushing abilities.Source: The Athletic - James Boyd
3 days agoFree-agent wide receiver Quez Watkins is signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The 25-year-old was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but he has not made much of an impact playing behind star wideouts A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith over the last two seasons. However, he adds a much-needed element of speed to the Steelers' wide receiver room, and he can be utilized as a field-stretcher for Russell Wilson in 2024. Watkins has just 98 receptions for 1,249 yards and six touchdowns through his first 49 NFL games. Expect him to serve as the team's WR3 or WR4 this season. Although Diontae Johnson was traded to the Carolina Panthers, the Steelers will likely heavily target the wideout spot in next month's NFL Draft.Source: Jeremy Fowler
3 days agoThe Pittsburgh Steelers have signed free-agent defensive lineman Dean Lowry, according to Ari Meirov of the 33rd Team. Lowry was a fourth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 2016 NFL Draft, and he spent seven seasons with the organization before one year with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023. Overall, the 29-year-old has racked up 267 tackles, 15.5 sacks, one forced fumble, five fumble recoveries, one interception, 17 pass deflections, and 19 run stuffs through his first 120 NFL games. He played in just nine games last season before suffering a pectoral injury. Lowry is unlikely to crack the starting lineup for Pittsburgh, but he will provide depth behind Larry Ogunjobi and Cameron Heyward in Mike Tomlin's attacking defense. He is not on the fantasy IDP radar.Source: Ari Meirov -- 33rd Team
3 days agoFree-agent quarterback Kyle Allen signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Ari Meirov of the 33rd Team. Allen, a six-year NFL veteran, has thrown for 4,734 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions through his first 30 NFL games with the Commanders, Panthers, Texans, and Bills. With Russell Wilson and Justin Fields now on the roster, Allen is likely competing to be the team's emergency quarterback and scout team signal-caller. The Steelers carried three quarterbacks on the roster last season, so he has a path to sticking around beyond the offseason and training camp. However, he can be safely ignored in fantasy football, regardless of format.Source: Ari Meirov -- 33rd Team
3 days agoNew York Jets wide receiver Mike Williams (knee) is unlikely to take part in training camp, according to general manager Joe Douglas. "Mike's rehabbing the knee injury. I would say he's not gonna be ready for the start of training camp, but again, there's a lot of time, so we'll see how the rehab progresses, Douglas said. "There's a lot of checkpoints to hit, but we do feel confident that he's gonna be ready for the year." The 29-year-old is coming off an ACL tear he suffered in Week 3 of last season, so the injury update is not much of a surprise. The longtime Los Angeles Charger is expected to fill the WR2 role behind Garrett Wilson this season. Although he has durability concerns, the contested-catch specialist could do serious damage with Aaron Rodgers at the helm, making him an intriguing best ball target in 2024.Source: Harrison Glaser -- TakeFlightMedia
3 days agoLos Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead said quarterback Stetson Bennett is working out in Dallas, and he is expected to join the team for offseason workouts in the coming months. The two-time National Champion at Georgia was selected in the fourth round of last year's NFL Draft, but he was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list on September 13 and did not play in any games. It's still unclear why he was away from the team during his rookie season, but the plan is for him to be back in 2024. That said, the Rams recently signed Jimmy Garoppolo to back up Matthew Stafford, so Bennett is unlikely to make an impact for Los Angeles or fantasy teams this year.Source: Gary Klein - Los Angeles Times
3 days agoThe Washington Commanders have signed interior offensive lineman Michael Dieter, according to John Keim of ESPN. The 2019 third-round pick spent four seasons with the Houston Texans before one year with the Miami Dolphins in 2023. Dieter has 73 games of NFL experience (33 starts) and can play center or guard. The team has now signed or retained almost 20 free agents, so new general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn are looking to improve the franchise quickly. Dieter will likely provide depth as a backup for multiple positions.Source: John Keim
3 days agoThe Washington Commanders could be leaning toward selecting former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, according to conversations NFL insider Tom Pelissero has had with executives around the league at the NFL's league meetings. North Carolina's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels have seemingly been competing to be the next quarterback off the board after USC's Caleb Williams, but McCarthy has been getting more hype as the pre-draft process has gone on. All that said, there is no shortage of examples of quarterbacks being pushed up by the media, only to fall in the real NFL Draft. Last year, Will Levis was projected to be picked as high as No. 2 overall, and he ultimately fell to the Tennessee Titans at pick 33. McCarthy is seemingly a lock to be selected in the first round of next month's draft, but it would still be somewhat of a surprise if he overtakes both Maye and Daniels in draft position.Source: Tom Pelissero