After visiting Browns camp and speaking with team officials, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes TE Harrison Bryant will play a “pivotal role” come Week 1. The #2 TE is described as "a safety value, available on screens and intermediate routes.” It’s quite possible we see more 2-TE looks, especially with Cleveland’s WR depth unproven. Bryant's totaled only 45 catches through 2 seasons but brings Round 4 draft capital and huge college production. Still, the presence of David Njoku and the uncertainty surrounding Deshaun Watson leave Bryant as just a late option in deep FFPC formats.
The Athletic's Tashan Reed believes that, among the Raiders' RBs, rookie Zamir White "is the closest to pushing [Josh] Jacobs for his role as the lead back." White looked good in his NFL debut in last week's Hall of Fame Game, running 11 times for 52 yards and catching 3 of 4 targets for 23 yards. "This guy just plays hard. He loves football," HC Josh McDaniels said. "You saw how he finishes runs. He’s a physical player. He’s a tough guy; he adds that element to our team." We'd still consider White a long shot to overtake Jacobs as Vegas' lead back this season. But White could earn a big enough role to dent Jacobs' fantasy value.
Terry McCormick of Titan Insider reports that rookie WR Kyle Philips got some slot work in with the 1st team Tuesday. We'll see whether that can develop into a full-time role. The 5th-round pick has generated a little buzz among observers since spring and brings a strong college production profile. Neither Philips nor the role appears to carry high upside, but there's at least opportunity in an offense where the top 2 WRs are expected to be another rookie (Treylon Burks) and a vet coming off an ACL tear (Robert Woods). We talked Philips -- and the rest of the Tennessee offense -- on our recent AFC South preview podcast.
Raiders RB Zamir White has missed the start of training camp with an undisclosed injury. The rookie shouldn’t be out for long, though. Citing a source, Tashan Reed of The Athletic wrote today that White is expected to practice “within the next week.” We’ll keep tabs on his progress upon returning.
Titans WR coach Rob Moore gave his assessment of Round 5 rookie WR Kyle Philips. "He's starting to understand some of the fundamentals he has to develop and how he's going to have to play in this league, in regards to being able to create separation and to be effective on a consistent basis. And those are things he is figuring out right now," Moore said. "But the kid has really good short area quickness and he has a lot of tools to build on.” QB Ryan Tannehill complimented Philips’ route running, quickness and agility. The UCLA product isn't going to overwhelm DBs at 5’11, 191 pounds, so his ability to grasp the nuances of route running will be key. Despite a thin WR corps, Philips must compete to secure a spot on the regular season roster.
Chargers HC Brandon Staley singled out WR Jalen Guyton for having a "fantastic" offseason. "This guy made a lot of big plays for us in the spring," Staley said. "He came in, physically, just in great shape. He's moving great. I thought that he was able to move around. He really did a nice job on special teams." That last sentence is notable. It's possible that Guyton's biggest contribution comes on special teams this season with Josh Palmer reportedly the favorite for the #3 WR job. But we're not counting Guyton out of that race just yet. He brings speed that Palmer, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams don't possess. It'll be a situation to monitor in training camp and preseason action.
Falcons HC Arthur Smith has been impressed by QB Desmond Ridder's football IQ. “He’s very intelligent,” Smith said of Ridder. “There are a lot of things that go into playing quarterback that we ask him to do. Behind the scenes, the things that he has done that have really impressed me are from the neck up. You’re betting on the physical things that you have seen at times to catch up, but he’s light years ahead of most young quarterbacks I have been with from the neck up. I will give him that compliment publicly.” QB Marcus Mariota will head to training camp as Atlanta's starter, but it sounds like Ridder is in position to push him for the Week 1 nod.
Ben Arthur of The Tennessean believes rookie WR Kyle Philips “could have an immediate impact” with the Titans. A 5th-round pick, Philips isn’t a dynamic athlete, and he doesn’t bring ideal size. But he’s a quality route runner, as Arthur points out. The UCLA product could see day 1 slot snaps; just don’t expect much of a fantasy impact alongside Robert Woods, Treylon Burks and Derrick Henry.
Vic Tafur of The Athletic believes there’s a “good chance" RB Zamir White will start for Las Vegas in 2023. Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake enter contract years, although White joins the league with uninspiring draft capital (mid-Round 4 as the RB8). Vegas did trade up to land the Georgia product. He brings a nice speed/power combo to go along with a 6’0, 214-pound frame. Just don’t expect much of an impact in redraft leagues.
Falcons HC Arthur Smith left open the possibility that rookie QB Desmond Ridder gets some starts this season. “As with any position, the best guy is going to play,” Smith said. “With Marcus [Mariota] being the veteran, that’s the way it’ll go for now.” So Mariota will head to training camp atop the depth chart and should be considered the favorite to start Week 1. But it'd certainly make sense for the Falcons to get a good look at Ridder before deciding whether they want to dive back into the QB market in 2023. Ridder was the best player on Atlanta's board when they selected him 74th overall on Friday night. “There was never a time where Arthur Smith and I said we have to come out of this draft with a quarterback,” GM Terry Fontenot said. “He was the best player on the board at that time, and that’s why we took him.”
The Titans selected UCLA WR Kyle Philips in Round 5 of the 2022 NFL Draft. Philips led the Bruins in catches in each of the past 3 seasons, finishing 4th in school history with 163 career grabs. The 5’11, 189-pounder played almost exclusively in the slot. He’s shifty and explosive in tight quarters, but he has a small catch radius and isn’t going to offer much downfield. Phillips looks like a low-upside fantasy prospect – and this is a low-upside landing spot.
The Raiders chose Georgia RB Zamir White in Round 4 of the NFL Draft. White hit Georgia as a heralded prospect. An ACL tear in the summer before his true freshman campaign slowed his progress, though – and came shortly after a tear to his other ACL that ended his final high school season. White wound up leading the Georgia backfield in carries the past 2 years, averaging 5.4 yards per rush each year. But he watched teammates claim most of the receiving work and beat him in rushing efficiency. White’s 4.4-second 40 at the Combine points to rushing upside, but we see a limited fantasy ceiling here. He’ll struggle to unseat RB Josh Jacobs this year, although Jacobs is currently set to hit free agency next offseason.
The Falcons selected QB Desmond Ridder in Round 3 of the NFL Draft. At 6’3, 211 pounds, Ridder’s on the thin side for the QB position. But his lack of special arm talent and inconsistent accuracy likely led to his slide. Still, he enters the pros with 49 career starts and the 3rd most QB wins in FBS history (43). The 22-year-old adds plus mobility, pocket poise and high character. He has a chance to make some 2022 starts, but Marcus Mariota will enter the summer as the clear favorite. Longer term, you have to like Atlanta's current 1-2 punch of Kyle Pitts and Drake London.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that EDGE Chandler Jones is finalizing a deal with the Raiders that's expected to average $17 million a year. Jones has delivered 10+ sacks in every season since 2013 that has seen him play at least 10 games. His 10.5 sacks last year marked his low for that span, though, and Jones' 47 total pressures tied for just 44th in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. He'll start opposite Maxx Crosby for a Vegas team that is reportedly trading Yannick Ngakoue. Jones turned 32 in February, so we wouldn't be surprised if his production declines further. On the positive side, moving to the Raiders defense should mean DE eligibility rather than LB in fantasy football leagues that rely on those designations. We'll see about Jones' draft price in IDP leagues this summer.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the Commanders are expected to re-sign WR Cam Sims. The 5th-year wideout caught just 15 balls for Washington last season but 32 the year before. Ben Standig of The Athletic said on our podcast earlier this month that HC Ron Rivera has indicated they want to get Sims the ball more going forward. Sims has a ways to go to become fantasy relevant, but he's a free stash across fantasy football formats right now. Sims turned 26 in January.
Raiders DE Maxx Crosby signed a 4-year extension with the Raiders on Friday, with $53 million guaranteed amid $95 million total. Crosby posted a middling 8 sacks in his 3rd season, but that belied his true performance. Crosby led all defenders in total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. And his 30 QB hits exceeded the combined total from his first 2 seasons (27).
Chargers WR Jalen Guyton has been activated from the COVID list. He'll be back for Sunday's game vs. the Broncos. Guyton will only be a potential fantasy play if WR Mike Williams remains on the COVID list for that one.
Chargers WR Jalen Guyton has been placed on the COVID list. His absence on Sunday vs. the Texans would leave Josh Palmer as Los Angeles' #3 WR -- but still short of bankable fantasy value.
Browns TE Harrison Bryant (ankle) is active for tonight's game vs. the Raiders. He's not as good a fantasy bet as TE David Njoku, but Bryant could play an expanded role with WR Jarvis Landry and TE Austin Hooper out on the COVID list.
Browns TE Harrison Bryant (ankle) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Raiders after a limited week of practice. Cleveland could certainly use him with TE Austin Hooper and WR Jarvis Landry expected to miss that one. But with TE David Njoku off the COVID list, an active Bryant would really only be in play in DFS.
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