Patriots QB Mac Jones has struggled in training camp so far, according to Evan Lazar of the team's official website. "Jones looks out of sync and sometimes uncomfortable with what's happening around him," Lazar writes. "In passing situations with the field spread, Jones looks more like his usual self, and the glimpses we've seen of Mac's deep throws show signs of improvement. But the ball isn't coming out of his hands as quickly or decisively as in the past." We still have a month to go before Week 1, but this is a situation to monitor as the Patriots break in Matt Patricia as play caller.
Insider Peter King came away from Bears camp believing the team has "big intentions" for WR Velus Jones this year. That's not a surprise considering he was the 71st overall pick of this spring's draft -- and considering the state of Chicago's WR corps. "He will play," King said. "And he has hit the ground running." Jones didn't check many analytical boxes as a prospect and still isn't someone we're betting on long term. But his opportunity alone makes him worth a look at the end of fantasy drafts.
ESPN's Mike Reiss notes that the Patriots offense has been inconsistent through training camp so far, featuring more "no chance" plays than usual. He opines that New England "experimenting with new things" has been partly to blame, but HC Bill Belichick (shockingly) also doesn't sound impressed. He said late in the week that the offense is "inching along" and that there are still "miles to go." Fortunately, the ADPs on nearly every member of the New England offense indicate that fantasy football drafters aren't especially excited. That means modest investment in whichever pieces interest you.
Ravens WR Devin Duvernay returned to practice on Saturday. He missed about 1 week of practice with a thigh bruise.
Packers S Darnell Savage sustained a hamstring injury in Friday night's practice, the AP reports. He downplayed the issue afterward, saying: "I don't think it's a concern. It's a fast-people injury. Some of those things you can't avoid. ... I'll be all right." We'd bet on the team proceeding cautiously in returning Savage to action. Vernon Scott stepped in for Savage on Friday.
According to Ravens beat writer Jamison Hensley, WR Devin Duvernay has missed 5 straight practices with a thigh bruise. Not ideal, but the nature of his injury leads us to believe he'll return soon. We’ll see if Baltimore adds a veteran WR, but for now, Duvernay is in the mix for the #2 job behind Rashod Bateman.
Patriots insider Jeff Howe tweeted Wednesday that the “expectation” is Matt Patricia will call plays this season. As Howe points out, Patricia has called most of the Pats’ offensive plays in camp. However, the long-time assistant — who’s generally worked on the defensive side — has never been an offensive play-caller at any level. He’ll almost certainly prove to be a downgrade on Josh McDaniels.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne is not practicing Tuesday. It's just an illness, though, according to John Shipley of SI's Jaguar Report. Rookie Snoop Conner was seen getting 1st-team reps in Etienne's absence.
Jaguars HC Doug Pederson announced Tuesday that QB Trevor Lawrence and RB Travis Etienne will not play in Thursday night's Hall of Fame game, the preseason opener. This is not a surprise. Starters rarely make more than a cameo in the "game." We'll see how much preseason action Lawrence and Etienne get beyond that. In the meantime, get fired up for Thursday night's Jake Luton Show. (QB C.J. Beathard also won't play.)
Any concerns about Jaguars RB Travis Etienne "keeping his trademark speed and explosiveness after his Lisfranc injury appear to be able to mostly be put to rest," insider John Shipley writes. "He looks like the most dangerous potential weapon the Jaguars have on offense." Shipley adds that Etienne has been moving around the formation and getting the ball in multiple ways. We'll see exactly how many touches HC Doug Pederson and staff plan to give Etienne, but he possesses RB1 upside in PPR leagues.
Niners DL Arik Armstead is expected to miss "a few weeks" after spraining his right knee this week. That's what HC Kyle Shanahan told reporters Friday, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Armstead reportedly thought it was a bruise at first, but MRI revealed the more significant injury. There's still time for the vet to work beyond the issue ahead of the regular season. We'll see, though, whether it remains a factor come Week 1. Armstead opened camp as a DT this year after shifting between end and tackle in 2021.
After observing training camp, NFL insider Albert Breer writes that Bills WR Gabe Davis is “up in the mid-220s” and looks “bigger and leaner.” Davis was listed at 216 at the Combine; 210 on NFL.com. Breer adds that Davis has “really earned Josh Allen’s trust” — something the QB has talked about this offseason. The 3rd-year WR remains a clear breakout candidate.
Patriots HC Bill Belichick likes the progress he's seen from 2nd-year QB Mac Jones this offseason. "He's made tremendous strides," Belichick said Tuesday. "He did a great job last year, but he's starting from a much, much higher point this year from where he started last year. His offseason work has been significant, and I think everyone recognizes how well he prepares and how much further along he was than a year ago. ... And we have a much better feel for what he can do, what his strengths are, and how to try to play into those. He's self-aware, too. He knows what he does well. We want to try to feature those." Jones finished just 30th among QBs in fantasy points per game last year -- largely because he averaged just 30.6 pass attempts per game. Jones posted a 67.6% completion rate and 7.3 yards per attempt, though, and ranked 11th among 31 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus' passing grades. His lack of rushing ability caps the fantasy ceiling. But if the Patriots open up the passing game in 2022, Jones could certainly jump into mid-range QB2 territory.
ESPN’s Jake Trotter writes that Browns RB D'Ernest Johnson “could be the odd man out” in the backfield. Trotter points out that Johnson's due a reasonable $900K in guaranteed money, so the contract isn’t an issue. Cleveland also spent a Round 5 pick on Cincinnati RB Jerome Ford. In what could be a lost season for Cleveland — pending the length of Deshaun Watson’s suspension — it might make the most sense to get something in return for Johnson. Note that Kareem Hunt enters a contract season; Nick Chubb is signed through 2024.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence discussed part of what went wrong during his rookie year. (We’ll cast aside the Urban Meyer fiasco for now.) Lawrence tossed only 12 TDs to 17 INTs across 17 games. “Last year helped me a lot,” Lawrence said. “That was really my first time really dealing with checking in and out of things, getting us in the right play, good matchup, route, whatever it is. So last year, it was tough to think about all those things.” QB coach Mike McCoy has praised Lawrence for his leadership, work ethic and ability to pick up the new offense. With an upgraded supporting cast and a year of pro experience under his belt, Lawrence should be a QB1 spot-starter in 2022.
Bills QB Josh Allen showed some love to 3rd-year WR Gabe Davis. “The dude just works,” Allen said recently. “He just works hard. He's a great dude. Selfless. He'll run the for the love of the game, routes where he knows he's not getting the ball but he's attracting a safety and allowing someone else to get open. When the play’s there to be made, he usually makes them and that's in turn for his hard work and his resiliency of kind of his first two years in the league. And the dude just continues to make some plays and love the guy to death.” Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News notes that Davis has remained a “consistent target” at minicamp. With breakout buzz continuing, Davis profiles as a high-upside WR3.
Jaguars DC Mike Caldwell says #1 overall pick Travon Walker will play OLB in the team's new defense, according to John Reid of the Florida Times-Union. "I think his best position is outside linebacker because of his length, his athletic ability going against tackles," Caldwell said. "That is a premium position in this defense. He can play other positions, but his home for us is outside linebacker, where we see him being a force." The knee-jerk response might be to question why Jacksonville would play the 275-pounder at LB rather than DE. But in highlighting Walker's matchup with OTs, Caldwell signals that this will be more of an EDGE position than a traditional off-ball LB. We'll see how it plays out, of course, but we'd bet on Walker looking more like Von Miller did for Denver early in his career or Micah Parsons for last year's Cowboys -- in terms of how he's deployed. That said, we remain hesitant to count on Walker for big numbers. Playing LB will also limit his fantasy value on sites that still rely on traditional LB/DE splits with their position designations.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss believes “there is potential for significant improvement in the deep passing game” for the Patriots this season. It appears Reiss bases this opinion primarily on how the deep-passing game has looked in early workouts. There’s certainly room for improvement. QB Mac Jones ranked just 26th among 31 qualifiers in deep-ball completion rate, according to ESPN Stats. He checked in above-average in on-target rate on downfield passes. In addition to more experience for the young QB and another off-season with his pass-catchers, New England added WR DeVante Parker via trade and speedy WR Tyquan Thornton in the 2nd round of the draft. Increasing his deep-ball production would be especially valuable for Jones, because he lacks rushing production and New England doesn’t figure to be a high-volume passing offense
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Browns and RB D’Ernest Johnson have agreed to a 1-year deal worth up to $2.43 million. He’ll get ~900K in guaranteed cash. Johnson is currently Cleveland's third-string RB, but there's still a possibility -- albeit a small one -- that the team trades Kareem Hunt prior to Week 1.
Bills WR Gabriel Davis gave his assessment of new OC Ken Dorsey. “He wants to attack on every single play,” Davis said. “He doesn't want to let up on everything. I'm happy he's going to give us the opportunity to make big plays.” Since Dorsey was promoted from within, we’re expecting a smooth transition. Davis remains an upside WR3.
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