Broncos HC Sean Payton said recently that his backfield is an open competition heading into the season. "All these guys, they're all competing for different roles, spots," Payton said. "We never put a cap on what they're competing for. I wanna see it. And then we'll go by what we see."
Rams GM Les Snead said the selection of RB Blake Corum in this year's draft was to help keep RB Kyren Williams fresh. "It's a tough league; it's a 17-game season plus playoffs, might go to 18 games one day," Snead said. "So we always felt like we needed to have as many quality runners as possible so we don't just totally run down Kyren, and we have one or two, or even three guys that can contribute, keep everyone fresh, and let's go and try to impose our will." HC Sean McVay made a similar comment shortly after the draft, noting that the team sees a lot of similarities between Williams and Corum.
The Cardinals are signing former Jaguars WR Zay Jones, according to multiple reports. NFL Network reports that it's a one-year deal worth "up to" $4.5 million.
Chiefs WR Rashee Rice is under investigation for allegedly hitting a photographer at a Dallas club early Monday, police sources tell WFAA. We don't have any other details at this point. This, of course, comes just about one month after Rice was involved in a street-racing accident in Dallas. He's facing eight charges for that incident.
Update: NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the accuser has asked that charges be dropped and called the incident a "misunderstanding."
Bengals QB Joe Burrow was on the field and throwing as OTAs opened on Monday, according to the team's official site. Burrow resumed throwing earlier this offseason after undergoing right wrist surgery in late November, but this was the first time he did it in a team setting. He looked very close to 100% by all accounts, throwing with his usual velocity.
The Titans signed WR Tyler Boyd to a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Boyd is reuniting with new Titans HC Brian Callahan, who spent the past five seasons with Boyd in Cincinnati. Boyd went for a career-high 1,046 yards in Callahan's first season as Bengals OC back in 2019, but his yardage has declined each year since, bottoming out at 667 last year. Boyd's Pro Football Focus receiving grade has also been in decline. He ranked 63rd among 80 qualifiers last year.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson is "progressing really well" from October shoulder surgery, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "I'm told Richardson feels he's full go at this point," Fowler adds. "He's been throwing for a while now. He's gradually grown to where he can throw full time with minimal restrictions. The Colts could be deliberate. They could hold him out for OTAs, 11-man work, minicamp, but the feeling is he wants to get started." The Colts would be wise to play it safe with Richardson's return, but it continues to sound like he'll be back to 100% well ahead of Week 1. With a sixth-round best ball ADP, Richardson is one of the biggest risk/reward picks at his position.
Bucs WRs coach Bryan McClendon said Monday that the team believes rookie WR Jalen McMillan can play both outside and in the slot. McMillan played almost exclusively in the slot the past two seasons at Washington but lined up out wide for 84% of his snaps as a sophomore back in 2021. That ability to play outside will be important with the Bucs planning to move WR Chris Godwin back into the slot for the majority of the time this season. That figures to leave McMillan and WR Trey Palmer battling for the outside spot opposite Mike Evans. Consider McMillan a slight favorite to win that job. He beats Palmer in draft capital (Round 3 vs. Round 6), and Palmer ranked 77th among 80 qualifying WRs in yards per route as a rookie last year.
The Panthers are set to sign RB Rashaad Penny, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Penny is still rocking a career 5.6 yards-per-carry average. But he's suffered a multitude of injuries, most recently a fractured fibula in October 2022. He barely found any snaps on Philadelphia last year, finishing with just 11 carries for 33 yards. There's opportunity in Carolina, where Penny joins a backfield with rookie Jonathon Brooks, Chuba Hubbard, and Miles Sanders. But it'd be a surprise if the now-28-year-old Penny re-emerged as a fantasy asset.
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers is expected to be a full participant in OTAs later this month, HC Robert Saleh said. Rodgers is about eight months removed from his torn Achilles. "Once phase three hits, we're not anticipating any restrictions from what we can and can't do with him," Saleh said. It's been a smooth rehab for Rodgers by all accounts, and he should be ready to roll come Week 1. It's excellent news for WR Garrett Wilson, RB Breece Hall, and the rest of New York's skill-position players.
The Packers "see shades of Aaron Jones" in rookie RB MarShawn Lloyd, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "Not only with his rushing ability, but his ability to catch passes out of the backfield," Fowler said. "So, the expectation is they're going to get him acclimated pretty early, try to use him a lot." Lloyd caught just 34 passes over his final three college seasons but averaged 13.3 yards per catch. The 220-pounder clocked a 4.46-second 40 time at the Combine, so he brings plenty of juice. We're not expecting Lloyd to see enough work behind Josh Jacobs to be a reliable fantasy play. But a Jacobs injury could turn the rookie into an exciting weekly starter.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh singled out WR Devontez Walker as a standout in rookie minicamp. "You knew he was gonna be fast. You knew he was gonna be big and fast. He showed that," Harbaugh said. "I was impressed with how he moved, change of direction. ... Caught the ball really well. ... He's off to a great start." There's opportunity in Baltimore's WR corps behind Zay Flowers. Walker has the size (6'2) and speed (4.36-second 40 time) to snatch that opportunity. We'll keep a close eye on the rookie this spring and summer. And he's worth a look at the end of early best-ball drafts.
The Dolphins are set to sign WR Odell Beckham, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson reports that Beckham is getting a $3 million base salary with another $5 million available in incentives. The 31-year-old was a part-time player for the Ravens last year, catching just 35 balls across 14 regular season games. But Beckham still flashed big-play pop, averaging a career-high 16.1 yards per catch on a 13.9-yard average target depth. He ranked 27th among 93 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus' receiving grades. Beckham will sit behind WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in Miami and is unlikely to be a reliable fantasy play if those guys are healthy. But an injury to either could turn Beckham into a potential fantasy spot starter.
The Bills are signing WR Chase Claypool to a one-year deal. Claypool has been in a free fall since an impressive rookie season. He totaled 451 yards and one TD between Pittsburgh and Chicago in 2022 and then just 77 yards between Chicago and Miami last year. Claypool is still only 25 and finds some opportunity in Buffalo. But there's little to suggest that he'll take advantage of it. We'll keep an eye on Claypool this summer, but he's not worth a pick in early best-ball drafts.
The Chargers and WR D.J. Chark agreed to a one-year deal worth “up to” $5 million," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Chark went for 1,008 yards back in 2019 but hasn't really been fantasy relevant since. He's missed 39 games over the last four seasons and averaged 48.6 yards per game. Chark finished a distant second to WR Adam Thielen with 525 receiving yards on a bad Panthers passing game last year. His 1.08 yards per route ranked 75th among 93 qualifying WRs. Chark isn't a guy you should be excited to bet on, although this is a solid landing spot with QB Justin Herbert and a wide-open WR corps. Chark, Ladd McConkey, Josh Palmer, and Quentin Johnston will duke it out for snaps this summer.
The Steelers have declined the fifth-year option on RB Najee Harris' rookie contract. Harris would have counted about $6.8 million vs. the salary cap had the team exercised his option, so it's not a shocking development. But it's notable that Pittsburgh would rather let him hit the open market than pay what would be the No. 12 RB salary in the league by this year's average annual values. Harris has seen his carries per game and receptions per game decline each of the past two years, while also watching Jaylen Warren gain yards at a more efficient pace. It'll be interesting to see whether Pittsburgh plans any further decline for Harris' 2024 workload in the first season under new OC Arthur Smith. As it stands, Harris and Warren both look fine at best ball ADP. Feel free to mix either player (or both) in to your best ball drafting.
Texans GM Nick Caserio said WR Tank Dell is “doing great” after suffering a “minor” gunshot wound last week. Dell was released from the hospital the day after the incident and has been "in and out of the building” since. Dell's 2023 season ended on December 3 with a fractured fibula. But it sounds like he'll be back to 100% at least in time for the start of training camp. Dell faces increased target competition this season with the addition of WR Stefon Diggs, but he's fairly priced at his WR25 Underdog ADP.
Panthers HC Dave Canales talked up RB Jonathon Brooks' versatility in his post-draft press conference. "He's a bigger back. He's got range. There's so much that he brings from a versatility standpoint," Canales said. "That's probably the biggest thing that stood out. Vision, patience, contact balance, acceleration. He's got it all. He's the best back in this class and we're so fired up to be able to bring him in." Canales also talked about his system looking to flex RBs out wide and get them in space with the screen game. That's exactly what we saw from Canales' Bucs offense last year, with RB Rachaad White ranking top-9 among RBs in targets, catches, and receiving yards. Brooks flashed strong pass-catching skills in his 10 outings last season, averaging 28.6 receiving yards per game and 11.4 yards per catch. With RBs Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders as his only backfield competition, Brooks has a chance to capture a big role early in his rookie season. The only real roadblock is his recovery from his November ACL tear.
The Jaguars released WR Zay Jones, saving $4.18 million against the 2024 salary cap. This move was inevitable after Jacksonville took WR Brian Thomas in the first round of the draft -- after signing WR Gabriel Davis in free agency. Jones missed seven games with knee and hamstring injuries last year but caught 82 balls back in 2022. The 29-year-old can still help an NFL team, although Jones is not a good bet to be a major fantasy asset in 2024 or beyond.
Broncos GM George Paton believes QB Bo Nix is "game-ready" to start as a rookie. Paton pointed to Nix's 61 college starts and the fact that he's already 24 years old. That advanced age might be a knock against Nix's ultimate ceiling, but it certainly helps his chances of hitting the ground running this season. With only QBs Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham in his way, Nix has a good chance to win the Week 1 starting job. He's a fine target in both redraft and dynasty superflex leagues.
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