Bucs WR Chris Godwin (knee) was non-committal on his Week 1 availability on a recent podcast appearance. "I don't think any of us know that yet," Godwin said when asked if he'll play vs. the Cowboys. "I would imagine I have the final say. It's going to come down to feel. Because I understand what I'm capable of doing on the field when healthy. But I also understand what I'm capable of pushing through. ... In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter that much. I would love to be there for the entire season, but I think what's more important is being there for the second half of the season." We get the feeling that Godwin is leaning against playing Week 1, but we'll continue to keep a close eye on him.
Rachaad White is listed as the Bucs' #2 RB on the Week 1 depth chart. It's not a surprise after White was the 2nd RB to hit the field in the preseason finale -- but the confirmation is nice. We're still not expecting White to see enough action behind a healthy Fournette to be a reliable fantasy play. But a Fournette injury would turn White into a high-upside starter.
Bucs WR Chris Godwin practiced without a brace on his surgically repaired knee on Monday. It's another positive step in his recovery from last year's torn ACL. Godwin's status for the season opener remains uncertain, but we're definitely expecting to see him out there by the end of September.
Bucs insider Rick Stroud gives WR Chris Godwin (knee) a 55% chance to play in the season opener vs. the Cowboys. It's just a guess -- but it's an educated guess and worth noting. Godwin shouldn't be in your Week 1 fantasy plans. But if he plays and looks good, he could be an option as early as Week 2.
Bucs OC Byron Leftwich praised RB Rachaad White on Wednesday. "He's a man's man,” Leftwich said. “To be a young guy, he's really thorough. He's really aware, really smart and plays the game in a physical way. He takes notes like a quarterback. He's a real smart kid that has an understanding and feel for football.” NFL insider Albert Breer tweeted Wednesday that the rookie “will have a role,” adding that White “might be the best pass-game RB” Tom Brady’s had in Tampa Bay. There’s certainly PPR intrigue, especially if you can roster White as an RB5.
Giants WR Sterling Shepard has been activated from the PUP list and will practice on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Jordan Raanan. Shepard tore his left Achilles a little over 8 months ago. "Have heard only positives about Shepard's rehab," Raanan tweeted. "He's looked good running and cutting on the side in recent weeks." It's still uncertain when Shepard will be ready for game action -- and whether he can rediscover pre-injury form. We'll keep a close eye on him but aren't ready to consider him a fantasy-draft target.
Bucs WR Mike Evans was back on the practice field on Monday, about 2-and-a-half weeks after hurting a hamstring. HC Todd Bowles said Evans did "a little bit," so it sounds like he was limited. We'll keep an eye on his progress. But, barring a setback, he should be ready to roll come Week 1.
Bucs WR Chris Godwin participated in 11 on 11s for the first time on Monday. He wore a non-contact jersey, but it’s still another step forward for the 26-year-old. Godwin remains a question mark for Week 1.
The Panthers officially named QB Baker Mayfield their starter. This was expected since Carolina swung a trade for Mayfield in early July. He started the preseason opener over QB Sam Darnold, going 4-of-7 for 45 yards on 1 series. Mayfield is just a lower-end QB2 for fantasy squads, but we expect him to be an upgrade over Darnold for RB Christian McCaffrey, WR D.J. Moore and the rest of the Panthers offense.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweeted Friday that Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold “are still in a QB battle” for the starting job. Mayfield is believed to be the heavy favorite, but HC Matt Rhule hasn’t announced who’ll get the Week 1 nod vs. Cleveland.
Bucs WRs Mike Evans and Russell Gage will be held out of practice this week with their hamstring injuries, HC Todd Bowles said Tuesday. We haven't seen any concern about either guy's status for the start of the season, but we'll see when they're able to get back on the field.
The Broncos activated EDGE Randy Gregory off the PUP list Monday. He has been working back from offseason shoulder surgery, but it was an issue known to the team before Gregory signed a big-money deal in free agency. "(The shoulder issue) was something I've been dealing with for 2, 3 years now," he said, according to The Denver Post. "We got to the point where it was kind of hindering my play, so (the surgery) was something that was important for me to do long term, for the good of the team." Gregory added that he expects to be ready for the regular-season opener.
Bucs RB Gio Bernard was knocked out of Saturday's preseason opener with an ankle injury. With RB Leonard Fournette sitting, Bernard drew the start over RBs Rachaad White and Ke'Shawn Vaughn. We'll see about the severity of the ankle injury.
The Panthers have announced that QB Baker Mayfield will start Saturday's preseason opener. This doesn't necessarily mean he's THE starter, but it sure seems like a signal that Mayfield holds at least a slight lead over incumbent Sam Darnold. And it comes less than a week after Ian Rapoport reported that Mayfield has the "inside track" to the gig. Mayfield is certainly our bet in this competition, and he's still going late enough to be a value in best-ball and superflex drafts.
QB Baker Mayfield has the "inside track" for the Panthers' starting job, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Mayfield and QB Sam Darnold have been splitting reps in camp, and that's expected to continue in the preseason, per Rapoport. "Based on the understanding [Mayfield] has of this offense, based on the kind of plays he can make, the kind of command he's already getting inside this locker room, it certainly does seem like it's Baker Mayfield's job to win," Rapoport says. We've projected Mayfield as Carolina's starter since the trade was made back in early July. Mayfield is just a low-end QB2 but should be an upgrade for RB Christian McCaffrey, WR D.J. Moore and the rest of the Panthers' skill-position guys.
Insider Jordan Schultz hears that the hamstring injury Bucs WR Mike Evans suffered in Friday's practice is "minor." We'll see when he's able to get back on the field, but we haven't moved Evans in the WR rankings.
Bucs WR Mike Evans "tweaked" a hamstring in Friday's practice, HC Todd Bowles said. This doesn't sound like a serious injury, but we'll keep an eye on it. Evans has dealt with hamstring trouble in 2015, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Bucs WR Chris Godwin participated in positional drills on Friday for the 1st time since tearing his ACL last December. Here's video. "Very positive sign, but as one source says, not surprising," ESPN's Jeff Darlington tweeted. "This is 'on schedule' in terms of Godwin’s own plan for himself." It's still unclear if he'll be ready for Week 1, but we're expecting to at least see Godwin at some point in September.
Joseph Person of The Athletic reports that the Panthers continue to alternate QB Baker Mayfield with QB Sam Darnold in 1st-team workouts at training camp. HC Matt Rhule says he'll let the competition play out rather than anointing anyone. Person writes, "My expectation is that it will be Mayfield -- and nothing from the first seven practices has changed my mind." He adds that Mayfield has looked more comfortable in the 2nd week of camp than he did the 1st, though he also says Darnold has "looked sharp." We'll continue assuming that Mayfield wins out but will watch for confirmation.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles complimented the play of TE Cade Otton. “Cade’s a very cerebral player. You won’t see all the speed and power, but you look up and he’s always doing the right things, always in the right place. He has great hands and he understands how to play the game,” Bowles said. “I think a lot of young players don’t have that. He has that coming in, so that’s going to benefit him going forward.” Bowles noted that Otten needs to improve his play strength — standard language for a rookie. The 4th-round pick figures to see limited action alongside Kyle Rudolph and Cameron Brate, but he’s a name to monitor in dynasty circles.
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