Patriots HC Bill Belichick said TE Jonnu Smith had a "really good offseason." Smith was a major disappointment in his Pats debut last year, but he drew positive buzz throughout the summer and notably matched TE Hunter Henry in snaps and routes in the preseason finale. "His fundamentals and technique look good," Belichick said "He's put himself in position I think to go out and play well." Smith is worth a look late in fantasy drafts of 18+ rounds and should be on your waiver-wire watch list.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel said Thursday that he's “very, very, very confident” WR Jaylen Waddle will be ready for Week 1. Waddle has been sidelined for about 3 weeks with what's believed to be a lower-body injury. McDaniel has downplayed the situation all along, so we'll see. We're monitoring the situation but haven't moved Waddle in the WR Rankings.
The Athletic's Matt Barrows believes Jeff Wilson will open the season as the 49ers' #2 RB behind Elijah Mitchell. Barrows goes on to suggest that rookie Ty Davis-Price might eventually claim that #2 job. But, for now, it sounds like Wilson is the Mitchell handcuff.
Bills S Jordan Poyer returned over the weekend after missing nearly a month with an elbow injury. According to Katherine Fitzgerald of the Buffalo News, he expects to be ready to play in the regular-season opener, "as long as there's no setbacks." Poyer still has a little more than a week to knock off any rust. We'll see whether Buffalo indicates any limitation on his Week 1 playing time.
Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle hasn't practiced in ~10 days with what’s believed to be a “minor soft tissue injury,” per insider Adam Beasley. He’s sat out both preseason games. The team isn’t “outwardly concerned” about Waddle’s ability to play Week 1, but we’ll track the 2nd-year WR’s progress leading up to the opener vs. New England.
Ravens backup QB Tyler Huntley says that Baltimore's preseason winning streak is no accident. "It means a lot to the culture, just to show that we're a winning team," Huntley said after Thursday night's victory over the Titans, according to ESPN. "And we don't care what kind of game it is, the Ravens are going to fight to get a win." This obviously doesn't matter for the regular-season fantasy outlook of Huntley or any other Raven. But it's relevant if you're plotting out preseason DFS lineups. Baltimore is playing to win (without putting regular-season starters at elevated risk).
There have been multiple reports of Patriots TE Jonnu Smith showing well in training camp workouts. Sounds like new QBs coach Joe Judge is a fan. "He had a terrific offseason for us," Judge said, per ESPN's Mike Reiss. The crowd of pass-catchers in New England is the biggest concern, limiting the opportunity for a guy who got a 4-year, $50 million deal in free agency last offseason. Reiss, at least, says the mere 18% of plays that put both Smith and Hunter Henry on the field last year should increase this season. Smith might still need a Henry injury to be usable outside of best-ball fantasy football leagues.
Bills S Jordan Poyer hyperextended his left elbow in practice this week. The AP reports that he's expected to miss "several weeks." That timeline could still return the vet ahead of the regular season. HC Sean McDermott also told reporters "maybe a week or 2." So we won't alter our IDP outlook for him just yet. We'll be watching for his return to the field, though.
The Dolphins will forfeit a 1st-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and a 3rd-rounder in 2024 after the NFL found the franchise had "impermissible communications" with QB Tom Brady in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and with HC Sean Payton earlier this year. The Fins were trying to bring both guys to Miami when they were still signed with other clubs. Owner Stephen Ross has also been suspended through October 17 and fined $1.5 million.
Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert (knee) said via Twitter on Monday that he's been medically cleared. It was surely in response to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques' report earlier in the day that Mostert "might not be ready for Week 1." We'll keep an eye on Mostert's health -- and role in this offense -- over the next few weeks.
Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert (knee) "might not be ready for Week 1," according to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques, because he's "still recovering from a late-season knee injury." That's news to us. Mostert had surgery in September to address a knee cartilage issue, but there had been no reports of a "late-season" injury. The 30-year-old has played in just 9 games over the past 2 seasons and is tough to like as more than a late-round flier in fantasy drafts. Dolphins RBs Chase Edmonds and Sony Michel are more attractive picks. We'll keep an eye on Mostert's status leading up to the opener.
After announcing Friday that CB Jalen Ramsey would start training camp on the PUP, the Rams changed their mind Sunday. “We ended up not putting Ramsey on the PUP as a result of doctors cleared him in a limited fashion that enables him to participate in a lot of the jog throughs — the above the neck stuff, and to be able to have him out here with his teammates with all the different things that we ask of him,” HC Sean McVay said Sunday, per Pro Football Talk. That sounds like Ramsey isn't quite all the way back from his June shoulder surgery. But he's likely close enough that we can assume he'll be ready for the regular-season opener.
The Rams have placed CB Jalen Ramsey on the PUP list to open training camp. He had shoulder surgery in June, so the camp-opening inactivity doesn't come as a surprise. it was reported at the time the team expected Ramsey to be ready for the regular season. We'll see whether that holds true.
Jeff Wilson will head to training camp as the 49ers' #2 RB, according to The Athletic's Matt Barrows. Wilson "looked significantly better in the spring than he did late last season when he was still dealing with the aftereffects of an offseason knee injury," Barrows writes. RB Ty Davis-Price, meanwhile, missed some time this spring with an injury. There's still plenty of time for the rookie to climb the depth chart, but don't assume that TDP will begin the season as RB Elijah Mitchell's backup.
Rams CB Jalen Ramsey had surgery Tuesday on his left shoulder. NFL Network's Ian Rapport reports that Ramsey played through tears in both shoulders last season. The team expects Ramsey to be ready for the regular season, but we'll see how long he's out of action. This seems odd timing for the operation, just a little more than a month away from the start of training camp.
Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert indicated last week that the knee he injured in Week 1 of 2021 is almost back to full strength. "Rehab is going great! Close to 100%," he tweeted. Mostert has yet to practice with his new team since signing in March. It doesn't seem like great news from here that his left knee -- which had to have "chipped cartilage" repaired in the area of his meniscus -- isn't yet all the way back. But we never saw a publicized return timeline for the uncommon procedure. We'll see about Mostert's status (and role) come training camp. He'll compete with Chase Edmonds and Sony Michel for touches.
Patriots TE Jonnu Smith is soaking up all the reps he can get in OTAs after missing time last offseason. “My [2021 offseason] was choppy and I missed some quality time here. I recognize how valuable that time is. I’m here to take advantage of that," Smith said Monday. After inking a 4-year, $50 million deal with New England last year, Smith's 2021 campaign was a disaster. He turns just 27 in August, though, and is at least worth keeping an eye on this summer.
The 49ers have agreed to a 1-year deal with veteran TE Tyler Kroft, according to his agent. Kroft spent last year with the Jets after 2 with the Bills and 4 with the Bengals. He has topped 16 receptions just once in 7 seasons (42 with the 2017 Bengals). If Kroft becomes fantasy relevant in San Francisco, then something bad will have happened to George Kittle (and quite possibly others).
The Dolphins have reached a deal with veteran EDGE Melvin Ingram. The 33-year-old split 2021 between the Steelers and Chiefs, tallying just 2 sacks but racking up 51 total pressures. We'd bet on Ingram remaining light in stat production, but his arrival bolsters Miami's pass rush. According to Pro Football Talk, the Chiefs applied the seldom-used unrestricted free-agent tender to Ingram earlier this offseason. That means they'll get a compensatory pick for his departure.
The 49ers re-signed RB Jeff Wilson. The 26-year-old had surgery last May to repair a torn meniscus in his knee and slogged his way to just 3.7 yards per carry after returning in November. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry over his first 3 NFL seasons. Wilson figures to compete for backup duties behind Elijah Mitchell this summer.
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