5 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
6 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
6 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
6 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
6 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
6 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
6 days agoThe Denver Broncos and rookie third-round linebacker Jonah Elliss (shoulder) agreed to a four-year, $5.87 million rookie contract on Tuesday that includes a $1.09 million signing bonus. The 21-year-old pass-rusher had 12 sacks in just 10 games in his final year at Utah in 2023. His injury ultimately required surgery to fix a torn labrum in his shoulder, but Elliss took part in walkthroughs and individual periods during the team's rookie minicamp last weekend. Barring a setback, he should be ready to go for training camp this summer and the start of his first year in the NFL this fall. He's the son of former NFL player Luther Elliss and could factor in as a situational pass-rusher in Denver in his rookie campaign if he's able to stay healthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: 9 News - Mike Klis
6 days agoWashington Commanders second-round defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton (foot) had successful surgery on his Jones fracture on Tuesday in New York City, according to sources. The surgery was done by Dr. O'Malley, and Washington is optimistic that Newton will make a full recovery before his rookie season this fall. Newton has now had surgery on both of his feet for Jones fractures. It's not a great start in his first NFL offseason, but the 21-year-old defensive tackle will have a chance to make an impact in his first year in the league as long as he can stay on the field this fall. If not for his foot injury, Newton may have been a first-round consideration, but he ultimately fell to the Commanders at pick No. 36. If he puts his foot injuries behind him, Newton could be a steal in the trenches of Washington's D-line.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Bleacher Report - Jordan Schultz
6 days agoVeteran free-agent wide receiver
Martavis Bryant is scheduled to work out for the Washington Commanders on Wednesday, according to a source. Bryant was released last week by the Dallas Cowboys, whose former defensive coordinator is now the head coach for the Commanders. The former fourth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2014 out of Clemson has had his NFL career ruined by off-the-field issues that have led to suspensions, and he hasn't appeared in an NFL game since 2018 with the Raiders. The 32-year-old would merely serve as receiver depth heading into training camp and the postseason in Washington behind the likes of
Terry McLaurin,
Jahan Dotson, rookie
Luke McCaffrey,
Dyami Brown and others if he were to sign with the Commanders. In four NFL seasons, Bryant has caught 145 passes for 2,183 yards and 17 touchdowns in 44 games (18 starts).
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
6 days agoDetroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes said this week on The Rich Eisen Show that second-year running back
Jahmyr Gibbs could have an even bigger role in 2024. "I definitely would expect him to see more of a load, but
David Montgomery will still be here too," Holmes said. "Dan and I love that 1-2 punch of him and David." The former first-round pick in 2023 was third among running backs with 5.2 yards per carry in his rookie campaign, so fantasy managers that were already fond of Gibbs' stock in a rising Lions offense will be pleased that he could be even more valuable as an RB1 in 2024. Not only should the 22-year-old former Alabama back see more carries, but he should also be more involved in the passing attack, where he can really excel with yards after the catch in open space. Only seven RBs saw more targets than Gibbs' 71 in 2023.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Rich Eisen Show
6 days agoGreen Bay Packers running back
MarShawn Lloyd signed his rookie deal, the organization announced on Tuesday. Lloyd, who was selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, is expected to see a role in Year 1 behind
Josh Jacobs in the emerging Packers' offense. Although the 23-year-old didn't have the most productive career at South Carolina and Southern California, he flashed explosiveness in 2023 with 7.1 yards per carry and 17.8 yards per reception. His 4.46 forty-yard-dash time at 220 pounds likely cemented himself as a Day 2 draft choice, and running backs taken before Round 4 are usually given a fair shot at competing for touches. He should beat out
AJ Dillon at some point in 2024, making him a high-end handcuff RB for redraft leagues.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Rob Demovksy
6 days agoThe Minnesota Vikings released veteran cornerback Joejuan Williams on Tuesday, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero. The former Vanderbilt Commodore was a second-round pick by the New England Patriots in 2019 but has not found his footing in the NFL. Across 42 games with the Patriots, Vikings, and Bears, Williams has collected 46 tackles (32 solo), 10 pass deflections, and no interceptions. The 26-year-old signed a reserve/future contract on January 8 with the Vikings, but he is being let go after the team selected Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Tom Pelissero
6 days agoThe Cincinnati Bengals signed rookie third-round wide receiver
Jermaine Burton and rookie fourth-round tight end
Erick All to their rookie deals on Tuesday. With
Joe Burrow at quarterback and
Tee Higgins potentially playing his last season with the Bengals in 2024, both first-year pass-catchers are on the fantasy football radar in redraft and dynasty leagues. In Burton's final two collegiate seasons at Alabama, he caught 79 passes for 1,475 yards and 15 touchdowns. With 4.45 speed, he could act as a field stretcher and start in three-wide sets right away in Zac Taylor's offense. All, who caught 21 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns in Iowa's lifeless offense last year, will look to push
Mike Gesicki for the TE1 job in his rookie campaign.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com
6 days agoAtlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (knee) is not practicing on Tuesday, according to head coach Raheem Morris. The two-time Pro Bowl selection and one-time All-Pro suffered a torn ACL in the Week 8 loss to the Tennessee Titans last year, so he'll likely be eased into action this offseason and beyond. Jarrett has compiled three seasons of at least six sacks, but he only charted 1.5 sacks in eight games last season. Atlanta's pass rush has been an issue over the last few years, and the organization opted to draft quarterback
Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick instead of a defender, so Jarrett's early-season availability and effectiveness will be key as the Falcons look to contend for a Super Bowl with
Kirk Cousins under center.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com
6 days agoThe Washington Commanders released quarterback
Jake Fromm on Tuesday, according to NFL.com. The former Georgia Bulldog was a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills and spent the last two seasons with Washington after a brief stint with the New York Giants. Despite being in the league for four seasons, he has thrown just 60 passes, completing 27 of them for 210 yards and one touchdown to go along with three interceptions. The Commanders signed
Marcus Mariota this offseason and added rookies
Jayden Daniels and
Sam Hartman to their quarterback room, so Fromm became expendable. The 25-year-old is unlikely to earn playing time anytime soon barring a slew of injuries around the NFL.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com
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