Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald stopped short of committing to QB Geno Smith as the 2024 starter in a Friday radio appearance. "We're always looking, always trying to figure out what’s best for the team all the time," Macdonald said. "I'm excited for Geno to come in here and start playing and start working. ... I don't want you to feel like I'm dodging this answer, but that's what I'm excited about, for him to come in here and start to build this team the way we envision building it." It's a rather cookie-cutter, coachspeak answer for early March -- but worth noting nonetheless. Smith is under contract for 2024 at a $26.4 million cap hit, and the Seahawks don't currently pick until 16th overall in this spring's draft. They'd likely need to trade up to land one of the top four QBs in the class. It's still more likely than not that Smith is under center for Seattle come Week 1, but don't consider him locked in at this point.
The Patriots and TE Hunter Henry have agreed to a new three-year contract, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports. Henry was scheduled to hit free agency next week but will now remain in New England under new HC Jerod Mayo and OC Alex Van Pelt. Henry posted a 42-419-6 line across 14 games last year, finishing 15th among TEs in PPR points per game. He ranked 14th in Pro Football Focus receiving grade and 26th in yards per route run among 33 qualifying TEs. The 29-year-old could still be a fantasy asset in 2024. His value will largely depend on what New England does at QB and WR this offseason.
WR Michael Thomas will not be back with the Saints in 2024. The New Orleans Times Picayune's Jeff Duncan wrote on Thursday that Thomas will be released. Thomas fired back on social media that he signed just a one-year deal with New Orleans last offseason and is simply becoming a free agent. ESPN's Kat Terrell reports that Thomas’ contract allows the team to either rework it or release him this offseason. Regardless of the details, Thomas will be playing for a team other than the Saints this season for the first time in his career. Injuries have limited him to just 20 games over the last four years. He averaged 4.2 catches and 49 yards over the first nine games of 2023 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Thomas turned 31 earlier this month. We'll see how much interest he draws on the open market and where he ultimately lands. Thomas no longer possesses an exciting fantasy ceiling, but we're not totally ruling out the possibility of him helping fantasy teams as a depth piece.
The Dolphins signed TE Jonnu Smith to a 2-year deal worth up to $10 million. Smith was inconsistent in 2023 but ultimately set career highs in catches (50) and yards (582). His run-after-catch ability will have a chance to shine alongside Tua Tagovailoa. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Smith excelled on screens last year, notching 71 yards over expectation. That ranked third among all NFL players. At 29 (in August), Smith could push for low-end TE2 value this fall. We'll see if Miami adds additional pass-catching depth in the draft.
The Bills are releasing S Jordan Poyer and CB Tre'Davious White. The Poyer release means Buffalo must replace both starting safeties. Micah Hyde is also a free agent and reportedly considering retirement. White struggled with injuries over the past three seasons, most recently tearing an Achilles' tendon at the beginning of October. We'll be surprised if White lands more than a supporting role anywhere in 2024 -- and perhaps beyond. We'll see how the Bills address safety this offseason. Damar Hamlin is the only safety currently under contract. The NFL's Comeback Player of the Year played just 17 defensive snaps in 2023 and likely isn't an answer for 2024.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that TE Zach Ertz has agreed to a one-year deal with the Commanders worth "up to" $5 million. We'll be curious to see more specific terms on the contract -- such as whether it even guarantees he'll even break training camp with the team. Ertz managed just 27 catches over six games for the Cardinals last year, coming off a 2022 ACL tear. He failed to reach another active roster after Arizona waived him Nov. 30. (He finished the year on Detroit's practice squad.) Ertz will turn 34 in November and has set career lows in yards per catch each of the past two seasons (8.6, then 6.9). He spent his pre-2023 Arizona time playing under then-HC Kliff Kingsbury, who joined Washington as OC this offseason. We'll see how much that factored into Ertz's signing and what Kingsbury might have planned. The Commanders have room on the TE depth chart after dumping Logan Thomas, with only Cole Turner and John Bates under contract. But the Ertz signing shouldn't exclude them from making any other moves at the position. You can consider Ertz as a third TE late in your best ball drafts, but we wouldn't chase him any earlier than that.
The Colts are using their franchise tag on WR Michael Pittman. The two sides have been working on a long-term deal and have until July 15 to get something done. If they don't, Pittman will play the 2024 season on a one-year, $21.8 million deal. The 26-year-old has scored as a top-20 PPR WR in each of the last three seasons, including a career-best WR14 finish last year. He's holding steady at 16th in our dynasty WR rankings.
The Panthers released TE Hayden Hurst, according to The Athletic's Joe Person. Hurst caught 18 balls over the first nine games of last season and then missed the final eight with a concussion that led to post-traumatic amnesia. Hurst has said that he wants to continue his football career, but he's not a good bet to be a fantasy asset in 2024 or beyond. We'll see where he lands next.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that TE Dalton Schultz has agreed to a three-year $36 million deal with the Texans, including $23.5 million "fully guaranteed at signing." That appears to lock Schultz in with the Texans for at least the next two years -- obviously good news for a TE who will turn 28 in July. Schultz isn't an exciting athlete even relative to his position and has yet to reach 11 yards per catch in an NFL season. But he has caught at least 57 passes in four straight years, averaging 3.8 or more per game in each. Schultz's 10.8 yards per reception last year marked a career high. And being tied to QB C.J. Stroud for the next 2-3 years is obviously a good thing. His re-signing means you can forget about any 2024 dreams you might have had for TE Brevin Jordan, who remains under contract with the Texans for one more year. Schultz has finished four consecutive campaigns among the top 10 TEs in total PPR points. He sits 15th among TEs in ADP for both Underdog Fantasy and FFPC drafting right now. That makes it a good time to get some Schultz on best ball rosters -- at least until/unless his ADP climbs.
The Giants will not use the franchise tag on RB Saquon Barkley, allowing him to hit the free-agent market later this month, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Barkley is coming off a RB9 finish in PPR points per game, compiling 1,242 total yards and 10 TDs across 14 games. He averaged just 3.9 yards per carry but ranked a solid 13th among 49 qualifying RBs in NFL Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. The 27-year-old might no longer be an elite RB, but he's still a good bet to capture a big workload wherever he lands next.
The Panthers have applied the franchise tag to Edge Brian Burns. That's no shock. Carolina reportedly declined sizable trade offers in the past for Burns, who will be just 26 for the 2024 season. Any team that believes the young pass rusher is worth two first-round picks could still sign him to an offer sheet in free agency. And the Panthers could still swap Burns to recoup some picks from last year's Bryce Young trade. But for now, we'll assume Burns sticks in Carolina and remains a solid-to-good IDP option.
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio writes that he has "very credible indications" that QB Kirk Cousins is "seriously considering" a move to Atlanta to sign with the Falcons. Cousins' wife grew up near Atlanta, and the Falcons "have always been the top alternative to the Vikings for Cousins," per Florio. Cousins would be a nice fit playing indoors in new OC Zac Robinson's offense with WR Drake London, TE Kyle Pitts, and RB Bijan Robinson. Likewise, a move for Cousins would be excellent news for the fantasy value of Atlanta's key weapons. We should know who Cousins will be playing for in 2024 within the next couple of weeks.
As expected, the Broncos are releasing QB Russell Wilson. The team will endure large cap hits this year and next but avoid having to pay Wilson in 2025. He remained decent last year, rebounding vs. 2022 in most stat categories. But it clearly wasn't good enough for the Broncos, who turned to Jarrett Stidham to start the final two games. We'd bet on the 35-year-old Wilson landing another starting gig -- or at least a chance to compete for a starting gig. Denver, meanwhile, has to find a new answer. Stidham has never looked like a long-term NFL starter. The Broncos pick 12th in the upcoming NFL Draft, which might prove too late for any of the top four QBs. We wouldn't be surprised to see Denver try to move up. The values of WR Courtland Sutton, WR Jerry Jeudy, WR Marvin Mims, TE Greg Dulcich, and others will depend heavily on that QB decision.
Ohio State TE Cade Stover measured in at nearly 6'4 and 247 pounds at the NFL Combine. He displayed enough speed with a 4.65 forty – plus a 1.59 10-yard split. A former DL/LB, Stover transitioned to TE in 2020. Following two developmental years, he popped from 2022-2023 with 77-982-10. He brings excellent play strength and the ability to make tough, contested catches. Already 24 (in June), he’s on the older side for a prospect. But the timing of his position switch suggests he could reach another level within the next few seasons. Round 3 draft capital is firmly in play here.
The Buccaneers have agreed to a two-year extension with WR Mike Evans. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports it'll pay $52 million over the span, including $35 million in guarantees. This always seemed the most likely path, though some recent reports suggested talks were breaking down and Evans might reach free agency. He'll now stay in Tampa Bay for his age-31 and age-32 seasons. Evans has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his 10 Bucs seasons. His 2023 felt like a rebound, but that was mostly because of bad TD luck in 2022. Evans did lead the league with 13 TD catches in 2023, his third season among the past four with at least 13 scores. His 15.9 yards per catch marked his highest average since 2019 and beat his career average. We'll see how Tampa's QB situation shakes out, with Baker Mayfield headed for free agency. But betting against Evans hasn't worked very well to date.
Texas TE Ja’Tavion Sanders measured in at nearly 6'4 and 245 pounds at the NFL Combine. Sanders underwhelmed in the 40-yard dash with a 4.69, but its certainly not a crushing number. His tape showed the play speed necessary to create chunk plays. Last year, it showed in the numbers with 15.2 yards per catch and 7.7 yards after catch per reception. Only 21, Sanders is a potential Round 2 draft pick with a runway to future TE1 value.
Georgia TE Brock Bowers measured in at 6’3, 243 pounds at the NFL Combine. That was pretty much the expectation for Bowers, who declined to participate in athletic testing. He delivered massive numbers across three college seasons (175-2,541-26). His tape is littered with dynamic run-after-catch ability and physical play. He stood out on screens at Georgia, where his versatility showed in various alignments. The potential top-10 pick will push for fantasy value early in 2024. Visit our dynasty TE rankings, and you’ll see him checking in as a mid-range TE1.
Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy came in at nearly 6’3 and 219 pounds at the NFL Combine. It’s a win for the 21-year-old, who Michigan listed at 202 pounds. McCarthy averaged only 22.1 attempts per game in 2023, as former HC Jim Harbaugh leaned on an excellent defense and run game. While McCarthy wasn’t a big-time college producer, he displayed the live arm and athletic traits of a first-round talent. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah compared him to former Chief and 49er Alex Smith. Keep in mind that McCarthy is far from a finished product, so 2024 fantasy contributions are unlikely.
Consider Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. one of the winners of the 2024 NFL Combine. Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Penix’s medical exams were “extremely positive.” That’s huge considering his injury history: two torn ACLs (both to his right knee), a separated A/C joint, and a fractured clavicle. The Indiana transfer excelled in an aggressive, downfield attack over the past two seasons. Throwing to top WRs like Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan, Penix led the nation with 4,903 passing yards in 2023. There's not much of a rushing ceiling to chase, however. So while Penix is a potential Round 1 pick come April, he’s not someone to prioritize in 1-QB dynasty rookie drafts.
Oregon QB Bo Nix measured in at just over 6'2, 214 pounds at the NFL Combine. He threw in front of scouts but passed on athletic testing. Nix stayed at college for five years, although his career took off following a 2022 transfer to Oregon. Over the past two seasons, he’s combined for 8,101 yards and 74 TDs (27 games). NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah believes Nix will start "pretty early on," citing his accuracy, decision-making, and experience. While Nix isn't a top-end athlete, he showed flashes of being able to evade heavy pressure on tape. Recent Round 1 buzz suggests at least a chunk of teams view him as a long-term starter. We're just not buying into a high-end fantasy ceiling here.
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