Rams HC Sean McVay said Sunday that QB Matt Stafford (elbow) will be on a "pitch count' in training camp. Stafford didn't throw at all in OTAs or minicamp after receiving an injection in his right elbow after the Super Bowl. “Definitely knocking some rust off and feeling it again,” Stafford said. “It’s good to get out there and stress it a little bit and see how it reacts. It’s an interesting thing trying to have a little bit of governor on there, and at the same time, just trying to be as smart as I can. It’s a process. Just going to have to sit there and work through it, trust it. We’ll figure it out as we go.” Stafford and the Rams continue to downplay the situation, but we're always on alert when we hear that a QB is dealing with an issue with his throwing arm. We'll continue to keep a close eye on on Stafford.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that 49ers (still) QB Jimmy Garoppolo recently had a checkup with Dr. Neal ElAttrache and is "progressing well." Rapport added that the Niners are "thrilled with where he is physically." Garoppolo has reportedly been throwing for about 4 weeks and is expected to gain full clearance to return from his right-shoulder injury in mid-August. We'll see whether this is enough to jumpstart the QB's trade market.
Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic says Rams TE Tyler Higbee will be "fully cleared" from his winter knee surgery ahead of the coming season. That confirms what we expected. It's not yet clear, though, just how far ahead of Week 1 he'll be at full strength. Don't be surprised if Higbee starts training camp with limited (or no) participation. His ADP near the bottom of TE2 range, however, leaves little risk to a guy who finished 14th in PPR scoring in 2021.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, “the expectation within the league” remains that 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo will be traded by August 1. A recent report suggested that the Bucs made a play for Garoppolo, but his agent (Don Yee) shot that down. Unsurprisingly, Yee also claimed that his client is “progressing well and on schedule” from offseason shoulder surgery.
49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo "remains on schedule" in his rehab from March shoulder surgery and is expected to resume throwing in early July, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports. HC Kyle Shanahan straight-up said a month ago that he expects Garoppolo to be traded once this shoulder issue is behind him. Carolina seems like his most likely landing spot.
Rams QB Matt Stafford said Wednesday that he'll "definitely" be throwing by training camp, per ESPN's Sarah Barshop. Stafford hasn't thrown during the offseason program so far after receiving an injection in his right elbow after the Super Bowl. "I'm progressing kind of into that and through [being able to throw] at the moment," Stafford said. "So I'm just trying to make sure we're smart, but at the same [time] be as ready to go as I can possibly be come Day 1 when we're out there throwing the ball around." Stafford's health will certainly be worth monitoring as we get into August.
The Rams and WR Cooper Kupp have agreed to a 3-year, $78.5 million contract extension with $75 million of that guaranteed. Tacked on to his previous deal, he's now signed for the next 5 seasons at $110 million, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. It makes Kupp the league's 4th-highest-paid WR in terms of average annual salary, behind Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and DeAndre Hopkins. Kupp, of course, is coming off a massive 2021 season that saw him score 93 more PPR points than any other WR. He'll remain the focal point of the Rams' passing game in 2022 -- and likely beyond. This extension solidifies Kupp's spot in the Dynasty WR Rankings.
Turns out the "tweak" that has had Rams rookie RB Kyren Williams in a walking boot recently was actually a foot fracture. HC Sean McVay revealed that to reporters Tuesday and said Williams will return "sometime in the early portion of training camp," according to Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire. ESPN's Adam Schefter adds that Williams had surgery to address the issue. We'll see just how much time he misses and how quickly he can get acclimated after his turn. Williams shouldn't have been factoring heavily into your redraft plans anyway, though.
Bucs beat writer Joey Knight believes WR Tyler Johnson “faces fierce competition for a roster spot.” Johnson, 24 in August, posted just 36-360-0 last season. While the WR4 job is up for grabs, we’re not drafting any Tampa Bay WR not named Mike Evans, Chris Godwin or Russell Gage.
Rams WR coach Eric Yarber discussed Tutu Atwell, who's now in year 2. “It’s night and day,” Yarber said. “He’s progressing very, very well mentally and physically. The game has slowed down for him. He knows his plays like the back of his hand.” Atwell was criticized for his work habits as a rookie. Apparently, that’s changed over the offseason. “It’s almost like he took things for granted (last year),” Yarber said of Atwell. “But now, he saw how Cooper and Robert Woods prepared and how it translated to on-the-field (success). Atwell was a 2nd round pick last year and doesn’t turn 23 until October. Still, given a loaded depth chart, it’s likely he’ll need injuries (or a trade) to gain any fantasy value.
Rams rookie RB Kyren Williams was spotted in a walking boot at OTAs. Per reporter Jourdan Rodrigue, Williams appeared to “tweak something” in practice earlier this week. We’ll keep an eye out for updates, but even a healthy Williams is a long-shot for year 1 fantasy value. Only 200 pounds, the Notre Dame product dropped to Round 5 of the draft.
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan still believes QB Jimmy Garoppolo will be traded. "I expect at sometime, most likely, he’ll be traded but, who knows,” Shanahan said of the veteran passer. “That’s not a guarantee. It went on hold when it (surgery) happened. When he’s healthy we’ll see what happens.” Carolina and Seattle make the most sense as potential landing spots. But this has the potential to drag out for months.
Per beat writer Jourdan Rodrigue, Rams QB Matt Stafford “won’t throw much, if at all, through voluntary spring workouts.” Rodrigue points out that Stafford had an injection in his throwing elbow over the spring, so a conservative offseason approach is wise. The 34-year-old will enter his 14th season in the league this fall.
According to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, Rams TE Tyler Higbee had offseason knee surgery. Per Rodrigue, Higbee is “working back up to full football activity.” Higbee, 29, posted 61-660-5 in 15 games last season. He projects as a top-20 fantasy TE.
The Raiders signed WR Demarcus Robinson to a 1-year deal. Despite playing with QB Patrick Mahomes the past 4 seasons, Robinson has never reached 500 receiving yards. As Vegas' depth chart currently stands, Robinson and Bryan Edwards will be duking it out for the #3 WR job behind Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow.
The Rams and QB Matt Stafford agreed to a 4-year, $160 million extension with $135 million guaranteed. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport notes that it's "effectively a 3-year extension" with "added years for cap purposes." So consider Stafford signed with the Rams through the 2024 season.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Jaguars will be signing CB Darious Williams to a 3-year, $39 million deal. Williams spent most of the past 2 seasons starting for the Rams. After snagging 4 INTs and tallying 14 passes defensed in 2020, he went without a pick in 14 games last season -- navigating around injury. Williams should be IDP relevant in Jacksonville but doesn't look like a high-level factor.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo will have surgery in the coming days to repair a torn capsule in his right (throwing) shoulder. Garoppolo then won’t be able to throw for 16 weeks, “but should be ready for the season if all goes well.” That nearly 4-month window would make it late June or early July before Garoppolo can even resume throwing. It’s tough to imagine another team trading for him ahead of that, given the QB’s big contract and no guarantee that “all goes well.” Don’t bother with Garoppolo in early best-ball drafting. We’ll see how his situation develops
Rams TE Tyler Higbee (knee) has been placed on IR and will miss the Super Bowl. That leaves TE Kendall Blanton as Los Angeles' starter. He caught all 5 of his targets for 57 yards after Higbee exited the NFC Championship.
Rams TE Tyler Higbee (knee) remained sidelined for Thursday's practice. We've removed him from our Super Bowl projections and bumped up TE Kendall Blanton.
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