Packers TE Jace Sternberger received a 2-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. He released a statement admitting to falling asleep behind the wheel after mixing alcohol and anti-depressants back in February of 2020. It's the latest letdown in what's been a disappointing start to the 2019 3rd-rounder's NFL career. With Robert Tonyan locked in as Green Bay's lead TE, Sternberger is well off the redraft radar.
The Athletic's Ben Standig has come away from spring practices believing RB Antonio Gibson is set to "become a bigger factor as a receiver" this season. Gibson was out-targeted 110 to 44 by RB J.D. McKissic last year. But Gibson beat McKissic in yards per target and just trailed him in yards per route run and Pro Football Focus receiving grade -- all as a rookie. Considering Gibson played some WR during his time at Memphis, it makes sense that he'd be capable of taking on a bigger role in the passing game this season. Locked in as Washington's lead ball-carrier, there's RB1 upside here depending on how many targets Gibson garners.
Eagles RBs coach Jamel Singleton hinted that his team plans on deploying a committee backfield in 2021. "There are very specific skill sets you need in your room," Singleton said. "You need a first- and second-down runner with that really elite ability. You need a guy that can pass protect on third down and be short yardage. You need a back that can run routes and you can put him out in empty. It’s really a combination of that. I think the days of, ‘he’s an every-down back,’ that’s a little skewed these days because of the speed, because of the contact.” There are very few every-down backs in today's NFL, so this certainly isn't a death knell to Miles Sanders. But we're curious to see exactly how much work he'll cede after the Eagles added rookie RB Kenneth Gainwell and RB Kerryon Johnson to a group that already included RBs Boston Scott and Jordan Howard.
Giants RB Saquon Barkley, speaking to the media for the 1st time this year, refused to give a timetable for his return from knee surgery. "You know me, I’ll take it one day at a time," Barkley said. "It’s going to be whenever my body tells me I’m ready." It's noteworthy because players tend to be over-optimistic about their recoveries. ESPN's Jordan Raanan suggested a couple of weeks ago that Barkley might be limited at the beginning of the season. His status will be 1 of the bigger fantasy storylines this summer.
Falcons WR Calvin Ridley recently underwent "minor" foot surgery, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "A little cleanup," Rapoport adds. Ridley won't participate in minicamp but is expected to be ready for the start of training camp. We'll keep an eye on him.
Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy revealed that WR Amari Cooper underwent ankle surgery this offseason. We don't have any other details on the injury or procedure. Cooper is "still working through" the issue, per McCarthy, and hasn't participated in spring practices. McCarthy added that he's "hopeful" Cooper will be ready for the start of training camp. We'll keep a close eye on him throughout the summer.
Vikings HC Mike Zimmer suggested at TE Tyler Conklin might be a bigger beneficiary of TE Kyle Rudolph's departure than TE Irv Smith. “I think it’s a bigger role for Tyler Conklin,” Zimmer said. “He’s kind of emerged as a guy that’s moving upward and with those two guys, we have a lot of weapons there. Irv always has been able to do what he’s been able to do whether Kyle was here or not." Conklin actually out-targeted Smith 21 to 20 over the final 4 games of last season with Rudolph sidelined. Smith just edged Conklin 118 to 106 in pass routes during that stretch. Smith remains the better 2021 fantasy bet -- but his role sans Rudolph might not grow as much as many are expecting. Conklin, meanwhile, is an intriguing end-of-draft flier in deep best-ball leagues, especially in the FFPC.
Bucs QB Tom Brady is participating in this week's minicamp after undergoing knee surgery after the Super Bowl. He admitted last month that the knee bothered him most of last season -- which makes his 4,633-yard, 40-TD campaign even more impressive. We'll keep an eye on Brady when training camp opens, but the knee shouldn't be an issue in 2021.
The Athletic's Connor Hughes came away from Jets OTAs believing Keelan Cole -- not Denzel Mims -- is the favorite for the outside WR spot opposite Corey Davis. "The Jets want to run a carbon copy of Kyle Shanahan’s offense, which requires route-running specialists at receiver who can create yards after the catch," Hughes writes. "Mims isn’t really that kind of a player. He might never be a route technician. Scouts always viewed him as more of a vertical, linear player." Mims missed some time in OTAs with a hamstring injury, while Cole "looks really, really good so far," according to Hughes. This will be a situation to monitor in training camp and preseason action.
Rams HC Sean McVay believes RB Cam Akers is capable of taking on more in the passing game this season. “He’s obviously a great runner, but he’s got ability as a pass-catcher coming from the backfield, and we can displace him and put him in the slot or the outside receiver location,” McVay said. “There’s not any limitations, but we’ll see how it comes to life.” This jibes with beat writer Jourdan Rodrigue saying last month that Akers is in for a bigger pass-catching role this season. His ultimate upside is what RB Todd Gurley did in McVay's first 2 seasons with the Rams: average 18.4 carries and 5.8 targets per game. A workload in that vicinity would likely make Akers a top-5 fantasy back.
The Ravens and RB Gus Edwards have agreed to a 2-year, $10 million extension, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. He's now signed through the 2023 season and is the league's 15th-highest-paid RB in terms of average annual salary. It's a well-deserved raise for a guy who's averaged 5.2 yards on 414 carries over his first 3 NFL seasons. Edwards has ranked 19th, 20th and 28th in Elusive Rating those 3 years. He'll continue to play a bigger role for the Ravens than J.K. Dobbins owners would like to see.
Jets WR Elijah Moore has been "undeniably the most impressive" player at OTAs, The Athletic's Connor Hughes writes. These, of course, are padless practices. And the Jets are missing a bunch of guys, including WRs Corey Davis, Denzel Mims and Jamison Crowder. But that's allowed Moore to soak up 1st-team reps with fellow rookie Zach Wilson. And Moore is reportedly looking every bit like the explosive player he was at Ole Miss.
A source tells Jets insider Ralph Vacchiano that the team is asking WR Jamison Crowder to take a "significant" pay cut from the $10 million he's slated to make this season. Crowder has no guaranteed money left on his contract and could be released if he doesn't agree to that pay cut. The Jets, of course, drafted a natural Crowder replacement in Ole Miss WR Elijah Moore this spring. We'll see where this goes. For now, both Crowder and Moore are just late-round fliers in fantasy drafts.
Patriots QB Cam Newton suffered a "slight bone bruise" to his right hand when he banged it on a helmet at OTAs on Friday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "Not considered major at all," Rapoport adds. But Newton might not hit the practice field again until training camp. That'll give 1st-round rookie QB Mac Jones a chance to build some momentum.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Falcons are trading WR Julio Jones to the Titans for "at least a 2nd-round pick." We'll see about the final details, but the move obviously means big impact for a pair of offenses. Acquiring a top-shelf WR talent could indicate a desire to lean a little more toward the pass in Tennessee. Jones' arrival certainly hurts the target ceiling for A.J. Brown and leaves fewer looks for other Titans. His departure from Atlanta makes Calvin Ridley the #1 wideout and elevates the rest of a shaky depth chart. Tajae Sharpe and Olamide Zaccheaus could be battling for the #2 outside WR spot in 3-wide sets. Rookie TE Kyle Pitts finds a higher target ceiling as well. We'll continue evaluating this developing situation for both offenses.
Update: Rapoport hears that the Falcons are receiving a 2022 2nd-round pick and a 2023 4th for Jones and a 2023 6th-rounder.
New Jaguars HC Urban Meyer didn't like WR D.J. Chark's 2020 film. "I just didn't like his size. His strength, I just thought, was way below average, way below what we expect from our receivers, and he was told that," Meyer said. "He's a big guy that played little last year, and that can't happen." Chark responded by putting on 7 pounds this offseason. "I love the challenge," Chark said. "I love talking to Coach Meyer. He's a competitor. He's going to push me." And how does Meyer feel now? "I love where he's at." We'll see exactly how Chark fits into Meyer's offense this summer, but the QB upgrade in Trevor Lawrence gives Chark a shot to have a nice bounce-back season.
Lions OC Anthony Lynn has given us a little more info on the plan for splitting backfield touches. "If you go in and you're balling, you're going to stay in," Lynn said this week, according to Pro Football Talk. Lynn added that his approach will be to get the ball into the hands of his top playmakers, pointing out that RBs can earn receiving work in addition to carries. We'll see how this situation plays out, including whether the Lions act on their interest in free-agent RB Todd Gurley. Early indications, however, point to potential for weekly fantasy frustration.
Washington RB Antonio Gibson admitted that the toe he injured last December isn't yet back to 100%. Gibson decided not to have surgery on the toe and is still rehabbing. "I've been cutting in practice ... and getting better each day," he said. "Definitely something to monitor. I've been fine like I said. I've been cutting and running full speed, making cuts I need to make. ... But I definitely got to watch and make sure I stay up on my treatment, so nothing goes south." The situation is something fantasy owners will need to monitor, too. Toe injuries can be tough to play through, especially for skill-position guys.
Ravens OC Greg Roman believes RB J.K. Dobbins can be a "viable weapon in the passing game ... That's something we're working on diligently every day -- a threat out of the backfield." We don't doubt that Dobbins can be an asset as a pass-catcher. He tallied 71 receptions over 3 seasons at Ohio State. The question is whether the Ravens will actually get him more action in that department. Dobbins saw just 24 targets last year -- and Ravens RBs combined for just 50. That number checked in at 51 back in 2019, QB Lamar Jackson's first full season as starter. For perspective, 17 RBs topped 51 targets by themselves last year. So file this under "believe it when we see it." If Dobbins truly did take on a significant passing-game role this season, though, he'd be a strong bet for a RB1 finish.
New Chargers OC Joe Lombardi wasn't shy when asked about WR Mike Williams' outlook in his offense. “I see a big role for him," Lombardi said. "If I were a betting man, I’d bet on nice numbers coming from him on the stat sheet, that’s for sure.” Lombardi spent 12 seasons -- including the last 5 -- working under Sean Payton in New Orleans. Williams will be playing the same 'X' receiver spot for the Chargers that Michael Thomas plays for the Saints. “As much as this offense will resemble New Orleans, he plays the ‘X’ and the ball has always kind of found the ‘X’ receiver in this offense,” Lombardi explained. “I think that there will be some natural production that comes his way because of the nature of the offense.” Don't expect anything close to Thomas-level production from Williams this season. But he looks like a nice value at his current WR50 ADP in FFPC best balls.
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