Patriots TE Hunter Henry (shoulder) was on the field for Tuesday's practice. Per NESN's Zack Cox, Henry didn't participate in team drills. So he's still not a full-go but is clearly making progress in his return from that shoulder injury. Henry should be ready for Week 1.
Washington’s RB usage was similar in Week 2 of the preseason to what we saw in the opener. RB Antonio Gibson played 13 of 23 snaps (57%) with the 1st-team offense. But he was pulled for RB J.D. McKissic in obvious passing situations. Per NBC Sports’ John Daigle, Gibson has played just 1 of 9 3rd downs through 2 preseason games; McKissic has played 7. Gibson has racked up 5 targets on 24 preseason snaps, so Washington is clearly scheming him the ball in the passing game. But he’ll need to take over that 3rd-down role in order to hit his ceiling this season.
Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson stuffed the stat sheet for the 2nd straight game on Thursday night, carrying 15 times for 66 yards and 2 scores vs. the Eagles. But he once again got 0 snaps with the starters, playing behind RBs Damien Harris, Sony Michel and James White. Stevenson also lost a fumble. The rookie still has work to do to be a fantasy factor this year. For now, he's just a late-round flier.
Vikings WR K.J. Osborn is the current leader for the #3 role, according to Chad Graff of The Athletic. Dede Westbrook -- who signed just before training camp -- remains limited by his recovery from the ACL tear that ended his 2020 season in October. And Bisi Johnson went down with his own ACL tear during camp. Osborn -- a 5th-round pick last year -- has yet to see a regular-season target but got on the field as a returner in his rookie campaign. He closed out his college career with a 50-547-5 receiving line as a graduate transfer to Miami. Running 3rd among Vikings WRs isn't likely to make him fantasy relevant unless something happens to Justin Jefferson or Adam Thielen. But keep Osborn's name in mind for that possibility.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Patriots TE Hunter Henry is expected to miss "a couple of weeks" with his shoulder injury. Schefter adds, though, that it's "not serious." We'll see whether any more info comes out on the injury itself. But it's the Patriots, so don't hold your breath. Henry's absence can only help the opportunity for TE Jonnu Smith.
Patriots TE Hunter Henry suffered a shoulder injury in Sunday's practice, ESPN's Mike Reiss reports. The injury isn't believed to be serious, but more will be known after Henry gets an MRI. "The injury is painful and Henry could miss time in the preseason," Reiss adds. We'll keep you updated on Henry's status.
"Everything," Patriots RBs coach Ivan Fears responded when asked what RB Rhamondre Stevenson needs to improve. "What do I like about him? He’s here. I like that he’s here," Fears continued. "Other than that, everything’s got to improve. That’s what we have to get done. He’s got a lot to learn. He’s talented, we’ll see what he can do in the games, but right now, he’s got a lot to learn — a lot to learn.” Some tough love from a team that tends not to give rookies significant roles out of the gate. Stevenson is looking like a long shot for 2021 fantasy value, although an injury to RB Damien Harris could change that.
Washington HC Ron Rivera said Monday that RB Antonio Gibson has "bounced back" from his turf toe injury. Gibson was still bothered by that 2020 injury this spring but "looks good so far" in camp, according to Rivera. We'll continue to keep an eye on Gibson's health -- but the toe isn't impacting his spot in the RB rankings.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski says he plans to "grow the role" of TE Austin Hooper this season, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Hooper went from about 18% target share before his appendectomy last season to 15.3% after. Either of those target shares would have ranked top 9 at the position last season. Only 5 TEs cracked 18% for the year. Hooper is an easy value well into TE2 territory in current ADP.
Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson has been activated from the non-football-injury list. The rookie ended up missing just a few days of training camp. We'll see if he can make a push for playing time over the next month.
Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson has been placed on the non-football injury list. We don't have any other details, but ESPN's Mike Reiss notes that the rookie dealt with "a couple nagging things" this spring. We'll see when Stevenson is able to get back on the field. He figures to be battling RB Sony Michel for the backup job behind RB Damien Harris.
Washington HC Ron Rivera called RB Antonio Gibson's improvement this offseason "exciting." Gibson ran for 795 yards and 11 scores on 4.7 yards per carry as a rookie last year -- despite totaling just 33 carries in college. "You can tell he's matured, got a better feel and understanding," Rivera said. "Those natural instincts that you look for, the intangibles that guys that have been playing the positions their whole career naturally have. You start to see those come to light with Antonio." RBs coach Randy Jordan added that Gibson's comfort in the running scheme is "like night and day" between last year and this year. Washington is also looking to expand Gibson's role in the passing game this season. There's big-time breakout potential here.
The Athletic's Ben Standig has come away from spring practices believing RB Antonio Gibson is set to "become a bigger factor as a receiver" this season. Gibson was out-targeted 110 to 44 by RB J.D. McKissic last year. But Gibson beat McKissic in yards per target and just trailed him in yards per route run and Pro Football Focus receiving grade -- all as a rookie. Considering Gibson played some WR during his time at Memphis, it makes sense that he'd be capable of taking on a bigger role in the passing game this season. Locked in as Washington's lead ball-carrier, there's RB1 upside here depending on how many targets Gibson garners.
Washington RB Antonio Gibson admitted that the toe he injured last December isn't yet back to 100%. Gibson decided not to have surgery on the toe and is still rehabbing. "I've been cutting in practice ... and getting better each day," he said. "Definitely something to monitor. I've been fine like I said. I've been cutting and running full speed, making cuts I need to make. ... But I definitely got to watch and make sure I stay up on my treatment, so nothing goes south." The situation is something fantasy owners will need to monitor, too. Toe injuries can be tough to play through, especially for skill-position guys.
Washington HC Ron Rivera told insider JP Finlay that he's expecting a "big jump" from RB Antonio Gibson this season. Gibson exceeded expectations as a runner last year, averaging 4.7 yards per carry and scoring 11 times on 170 attempts. He added a 36-247-0 receiving line but should have more to offer there after playing both RB and WR in his final season at Memphis. Gibson has feature-back and RB1 potential in 2021.
The Patriots selected QB Jacoby Brissett with the 91st pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. He becomes the 3rd QB drafted by New England in the past 6 years. Ryan Mallett attempted 4 passes for the Pats, while Jimmy Garoppolo has chucked it 31 times through his first 2 seasons. Brissett started his college career at Florida before transferring to North Carolina State, where he completed 59.9% of his passes with 43 TDs and 11 INTs. He possesses prototypical size at 6'4, 231 pounds and has an NFL-caliber arm. Brissett will sit behind Garoppolo and, of course, Tom Brady this season. But he could eventually push Garoppolo for the right to be Brady's heir apparent.
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