Steelers RB Najee Harris expects to play less this season than he did as a rookie. “I will be on the field a lot — but on certain downs, I will not be on the field," Harris said. "Just (pick my spots), I guess. Extra rest. ... We’re still going to talk about that, though. I do want to play. A lot. … Any time I can. But at the same time, it’s all about being smart. So I understand where (Steelers offensive coaches) are coming from.” Harris led all RBs with 980 snaps and 381 total touches last year. So there's certainly room for Pittsburgh to scale back his workload. But with only Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland behind him on the depth chart, we wouldn't expect a big reduction in Harris' volume. He remains a good bet to finish among the top 5 in total touches, barring injury.
Bears HC Matt Eberflus talked up Justin Fields’ deep ball ability at OTAs. “I would say, ‘Man, he throws a good deep ball,’ ” Eberflus said. “I’m excited about that. And you could see it in the seven-on-seven and 11-on-11s, and we’re gonna take our shots down the field and, man, he does a nice job doing that. And that’s what stands out to me.” Fields wasn’t afraid to go deep last year, posting the league's 2nd highest intended air yards per attempt (33 qualifiers). A lack of weapons is troubling, but the arrival of Round 3 pick Velus Jones at least supplies another deep threat alongside Darnell Mooney.
Steelers RB Najee Harris is currently tipping the scales at 244 pounds, according to The Athletic's Mark Kaboly. "He’s all quads and hamstrings," Kaboly adds. Harris was 230 pounds at last year's Combine, so it's a significant gain. We tend to not like when RBs add weight, although it's less of a concern for a volume, power back like Harris. Still, we'll be keeping an eye on him this summer.
Steelers OC Matt Canada commented on rookie WR George Pickens. “He can go down the field, he can make plays, he goes up and gets the football… we were impressed with his hands -- all those things you like about a wideout,” Canada said. “But I think probably for me sitting here, I think that [returning from a torn ACL late last season] said a lot about his character. He wanted to be part of that team, he wanted to be part of that championship and he fought to come back.” Pickens declared himself 100% healthy earlier this month. His 2022 path to targets isn’t clear, but it's easy to see him carving out a decent-sized role as the season develops. He’s currently our WR90 in redraft.
Speaking at rookie OTAs, Steelers WR Calvin Austin said his weight fluctuates between 170-175 pounds. At 5’8 and even 175, he’ll likely struggle to see a full-time role — even a few years down the line. Pittsburgh also added Georgia WR George Pickens in Round 2, and he’ll join a strong top-2 of Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool. Johnson does enter a contract year, so Austin could be setup for a 2nd-year bump. Still, odds are, he’ll provide more real-life value than fantasy value. At Memphis, Austin returned 2 punts for scores on 29 opportunities.
New Bears OC Luke Getsy commented on the development of QB Justin Fields. ‘‘I’ve been super-impressed with him, I really have,’’ Getsy said. ‘‘There’s no one in this building that works harder than him. There’s no one that cares more than him. We’re off to a great start. He’s really accepted this challenge. We’re asking a lot of him, to learn a lot of new things. He’s been a pleasure to work with.’’ Formerly Green Bay’s QB coach/pass game coordinator, Getsy is expected to implement “a mix of outside-zone and read-option runs with a vertical passing attack,” per beat writer Pat Finley. Getsy’s almost certainly an upgrade over the old regime. But a lack of weapons around Fields for 2022 remains a serious concern.
Mark Kaboly of The Athletic considers 4th-round WR Calvin Austin the “biggest question mark” in Pittsburgh’s draft class. Kaboly writes that Austin could be used as a “toy” in OC Matt Canada’s offense, seeing touches on end-arounds and jet sweeps. Austin’s only 5’8 but brings exciting speed to the Steelers’ new-look offense. “He is smaller but he is extremely fast,” GM Kevin Colbert said. “I think he timed on our watches in the 4.4s at the Combine, but coach reminded me that he is a 200-meter guy and he’s probably hitting his peak speed at 40 yards.” Unlikely to ever project for high volume, Austin profiles more as a real-life asset than a fantasy one.
The Steelers added Memphis WR Calvin Austin in Round 4 of the 2022 NFL Draft. Austin goes just 5’8 and 170 pounds, which figures to be a limiting factor. But he’s an electric playmaker, with a 4.32-second 40 time and elite agility. He earned a 90th percentile Relative Athletic Score. Austin led Memphis in receiving each of the past 2 seasons, with 63-1,053-11 and 74-1,149-8 lines. He played primarily outside the numbers in college but figures to be a slot and gadget player as a pro. He joins fellow rookie WR George Pickens in Pittsburgh, behind WRs Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool.
The Steelers added Georgia WR George Pickens with the 52nd overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Pickens was a 5-star recruit and a top-5 WR in the 2019 class. He immediately delivered on that hype, leading the Bulldogs in catches (49), yards (727) and TDs (8) as a true freshman. He ranked 17th in Pro Football Focus’ receiving grades among 290 WRs with 50+ targets – 2 spots ahead of Jerry Jeudy and 3 spots ahead of Justin Jefferson. Pickens improved his per-game numbers a tad in 2020, averaging 4.5 catches, 64.1 yards and .75 TDs across 8 games. But his PFF receiving grade took a significant step back, landing 75th among 146 qualifying WRs. Pickens’ 2021 was then basically wiped out by a torn right ACL suffered in March of that year. He made it back for the final 4 games of the season but totaled just 4 catches. That freshman year is enticing, though, and Pickens pops on tape. He has long-striding speed, a big catch radius and is physical after the catch. The 6’3, 195-pounder earned a 94th percentile Relative Athletic Score at the Combine. Pickens’ limited college resume leaves him as a risky prospect. But he has the upside to develop into a #1 WR in the NFL. Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool are locked in as Pittsburgh’s top 2 WRs in the short term, but Pickens has a good shot to win the #3 WR job this summer. Longer term, Johnson is is the final year of his contract and Claypool is set to hit free agency in 2024.
The Falcons are re-signing RB Cordarrelle Patterson, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports. We'll look for details on the contract, but this was always the best-case scenario for Patterson. He had the rare 9th-year breakout in his Falcons debut last season, posting a 153-618-6 rushing line with 52-548-5 receiving to finish 9th among RBs in PPR points. Atlanta currently only Mike Davis and Damien Williams alongside Patterson in the backfield. We'll see what else the team adds, but Patterson has a chance to play a similar role in 2022.
Update: Patterson got a 2-year, $10.5 million deal, according to insider Aaron Wilson.
The Eagles are re-signing RB Boston Scott to a 1-year, $1.75 million deal with $1.1 million guaranteed -- plus another $500,000 available via incentives. That kind of money doesn't guarantee anything in particular for Scott's role -- other than probably being on the team. He totaled just 87 carries and 16 targets in HC Nick Sirianni's 1st season. We'll see what the Philly backfield looks like as we move toward training camp. Scott's in the late-round RB mix in current best-ball drafting but doesn't merit special attention.
The Steelers on Thursday signed LB Myles Jack to a 2-year, $16 million deal with $6.5 million guaranteed. That's starter money for 2022 at least. According to Spotrac, the contract seems to be structured in a way that Pittsburgh can decide about 2023 after seeing Jack for a year. The 26-year-old (until September) washed out with the team that drafted him and then extended him. We'd be surprised if he turns into a terrific real-life player in Pittsburgh. For fantasy football, on the other hand, Jack lands well in what should be a full-time role next to a LB (Devin Bush) who has been more disappointing relative to 1st-round draft status. Depending on where Jack lands in IDP drafts this summer, the new Steeler could be a nice value.
Speaking Wednesday, new Broncos QB Russell Wilson discussed how long he’d like to remain an NFL QB. “My goal is to play 10 or 12 more years and hopefully win three or four more Super Bowls. That’s the plan,” Wilson said via NBC Sports. “That’s the mindset. That’s why I came here, to finish my career here and hopefully finish on top as a champion. And do it multiple times.” Wilson turns 34 in November, so playing as long as he wants is a major long-shot. Still, the move to Denver — and his current mindset — looks favorable for his dynasty value.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Jaguars are releasing LB Myles Jack. He's still just 26 and had remained a starter for Jacksonville, but Jack's contract has outweighed his contributions. His release will save the team $8.35 million in cap space. Expect Jack to land at least a shot at a starting job elsewhere.
Former Bengals DT Larry Ogunjobi will be signing with the Bears in free agency, according to multiple reports. Ogunjobi played 16 of 17 regular-season games in his lone Cincinnati season, tallying 49 tackles and a career-high 7 sacks. His 12 tackles for loss and 16 QB hits were also personal bests. Ogunjobi has been a solid, unspectacular producer among DTs through 5 pro seasons and figures to continue on a similar path in his age-28 season. His addition doesn't look like a needle-mover for the Bears defense on whole.
Update: Ogunjobi is not joining the Bears after failing his physical.
The Packers have inked a 4-year extension with EDGE Preston Smith that includes $52.5 million in new money, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Smith had 1 year remaining on his previous deal with no guaranteed money, which had led to him being mentioned as a cut candidate. The new contract lowers his 2022 cap number while securing Smith into his 30s.
The Broncos have acquired QB Russell Wilson from the Seahawks for what NFL Network's Tom Pelissero is calling a "massive haul" that includes "multiple" 1st-round picks, players and other picks. We'll see about the final compensation. ESPN's Adam Schefter adds that QB Drew Lock is part of the package heading to Seattle. Wilson leaves 1 of the league's best WR tandems in D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett but lands in a talented offense. Denver returns WR Jerry Jeudy for his 3rd season, extended WRs Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick last year, get KJ Hamler back from his ACL tear and sports Albert Okwuegbunam at TE. We'll see about the specific offensive plans of new HC Nathaniel Hackett, who arrived this offseason after 3 years as Packers OC. For now, Wilson seems appropriately valued at his QB12 ADP. Lock should get a chance at winning the 2022 starting gig in Seattle, though we'll see what else the team has planned at the position. Metcalf and Lockett necessarily get fantasy downgrades after opening their careers with 1 of the most efficient passers in NFL history. Stay tuned for updates as more details get released.
Update: Full details of the trade: Denver gets Wilson plus a 4th-round pick. Seattle gets QB Drew Lock, TE Noah Fant, DL Shelby Harris, 2 first-round picks, 2 second-round picks and a 5th-round pick.
According to multiple reports, WR Mike Williams is on the verge of signing a 3-year, $60 million deal with the Chargers that will include $40 million in guarantees. This news comes ahead of today's 4 p.m. ET deadline for team's to apply franchise tags. Williams stays with an ascending QB in a strong offense and should remain a high-ceiling fantasy wideout.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Chargers are expected to use the franchise tag on WR Mike Williams. The deadline for teams to do so is 4 p.m. today, so we'll know Williams' status soon. We'd guess the 2 sides are working toward a longer-term deal, but the Chargers rank among league leaders in projected 2022 salary-cap space. So they have some flexibility here. For fantasy football draft purposes, expect Williams to remain a Charger.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Commanders made an offer to the Seahawks for QB Russell Wilson that included "multiple" 1st-round picks. Seattle reportedly rejected that, and talks don't seem to be ongoing. That tells us a couple of things, though: 1) Washington seems serious about upgrading at QB, and 2) The Seahawks just might be serious about keeping Wilson. For now, at least, we're drafting (and projecting) as though Wilson will remain in Seattle for 2022. We'll see how both situations develop.
Search
