According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, there’s “no indication that the Titans plan to move on from [Ryan] Tannehill this offseason.” Tannehill is scheduled to make a non-guaranteed $27 million in a contract year. Graziano adds that he wouldn’t be “surprised” to see Tannehill’s name come up in trade talks — if the Titans start poorly. Rookie QB Will Levis is off the redraft radar, but there remains a real chance he takes snaps in 2023.
Saints rookie RB Kendre Miller caught only 29 passes in 33 college games. Yet he believes he can step into a sizable receiving role in New Orleans. "It was something I never got to show [at TCU],” Miller said. "The coaches here, they've got me on the Jugs and the tennis ball machines. They were like, we knew it was in you, that's why we drafted you, we know you can catch. Just showing everybody else in the world my ability will be a big thing for me, and I'm ready to get out there and compete.” Miller name-dropped Alvin Kamara, who remains a suspension candidate after getting indicted in February. “How they use [Kamara] is kind of unique, and watching film every day, we watch a bunch of clips of him,” the rookie said. “How they use him in the pass game, that's pretty cool. I feel like I can step in and pretty much do the same thing.” If Kamara’s suspended, Miller’s ability in pass protection will be key in getting him on the field for passing downs. Jamaal Williams, of course, arrived on a 3-year deal in March. See our updated RB projections for more on all 32 backfields.
Titans WR Treylon Burks commented on his health ahead of OTAs. Burks struggled with asthma for parts of his rookie season but is confident he can control the condition better in 2023. "I feel faster because I can breathe," Burks said via The Tennessean. "I didn't go to train at the beach or anything. I stayed here. I wanted to stay around the facility, to make a connection with the coaches but also to get ahead on things.” The second-year WR added that he was “clueless” when he first turned pro. "My biggest things was not repeating what I did last year, coming into the offseason," he said. "I feel like I've mastered that.” The Titans certainly anticipate a big leap forward, as no significant offseason investment arrived at WR or TE. At WR35, Burks is fairly priced in early FFPC ADP.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune shared details on the health of Bears WR Darnell Mooney. Recall that he suffered multiple torn ligaments in his left ankle last November. “From what I hear, Mooney is doing well and there is a chance he will be fully cleared before the conclusion of the offseason program, which ends with mandatory minicamp in mid-June,” Biggs said. “If not, it’s expected he will be at full speed for the start of training camp.” Good to know. Mooney, the WR58 in FFPC best ball ADP, is set to enter a contract season. The 25-year-old watched as Chicago added D.J. Moore and Round 4 WR Tyler Scott this offseason. See where Mooney slots in our updated 2023 WR rankings.
Jets RB Breece Hall (ACL) is a "possibility" for Week 1, GM Joe Douglas said. "There's still a lot of meat on the bone in terms of his return-to-play protocols and his rehab," Douglas added. "He's in a great place right now. I would say he's ahead of schedule from where he's supposed to be and he's hitting unbelievable top-end speeds already on our GPS and his rehab. So I know he's going to be chomping at the bit to get on the field early. So we're gonna have to do a good job of protecting him against himself a little bit because he's so motivated, so hungry, and attacking rehab the way he is." It's positive news overall, but a reminder that Hall is not a lock to be ready for the start of the 2023 season after tearing his ACL on October 23. We'll continue to keep a close eye on his progress -- and adjust his 2023 projections accordingly.
According to Steelers beat writer Chris Adamski, TE Darnell Washington was “by all indications a full participant in all drills” at rookie minicamp. “He showed zero visible signs of any injury or hindrance,” Adamski added. Good to know. Recent reports pointed to knee concerns as the reason Washington dropped to Round 3 in April. But at least for now, he appears healthy. We remain uninterested in Washington as a TE3 in best ball leagues.
Saints GM Mickey Loomis believes WR Michael Thomas can “absolutely” catch 100 passes again. "He's worked so hard (at getting healthy) over the last 2-3 years. And while the results haven't been good as we all hoped, it's not because of a lack of effort or desire by him, that's for sure,” Loomis remarked. Per beat writer Kat Terrell, Loomis added that everything is “pretty much according to plan” after Thomas recently had hardware removed from his foot. The 30-year-old appeared in only three games last year; seven in 2020. He projects as a bench stash in our fantasy football WR rankings.
Chargers HC Brandon Staley said QB Justin Herbert has resumed throwing following January labrum surgery. The procedure was on Herbert’s left shoulder. “He’s progressing through a throwing progression right now,” Staley said. “But how much he does during when we actually practice, that’s to be determined.” We’ll keep an eye on Herbert’s status going forward. But the fourth-year pro should be a full-go for training camp.
Per Ben Standig of The Athletic, Commanders HC Ron Rivera wants to get RB Antonio Gibson more touches in 2023. Rivera mentions how the fourth-year back meshes with what new OC Eric Bieniemy "wants to do with the offense" moving forward. Though Gibson is coming off a season that set career lows in carries (149), rushing yards (546), and rushing TDs (3), he did log a 46-353-2 line as a pass-catcher in 2022. It's possible Bieniemy sees Gibson as someone who could play a role similar to what Jerick McKinnon did for the Chiefs last year. Should that be the case, Gibson could be an absolute steal in PPR leagues as the receiving complement to teammate Brian Robinson. It'll be worth keeping an eye on this storyline as the offseason unfolds and we get into training camp.
Broncos HC Sean Payton said Saturday that he expects RB Javonte Williams (knee) to be ready for the start of training camp. "His rehab is going well," Payton said. "A good chance he’s ready. Hopefully might not start on PUP." Williams is working back from October's multi-ligament knee injury. GM George Paton was optimistic about Williams' availability for Week 1 back in February but was non-commital when discussing the situation again in April. It's unclear if Williams has made significant progress over the last month or if Payton is wearing rose-colored glasses. Williams carries substantial risk until we see him back on the field, but he's reasonably priced at an 8th-round price tag in Underdog drafts.
Panthers QB Bryce Young impressed his new HC on the first day of rookie minicamp. “Honestly — I don’t want to overdo it on the first day — but he did every little thing right,” Frank Reich said. “The little throws out in the flat, the little bubble screen stuff, the ‘deep over’ (route) throw . . . just threw it with accuracy, saw it well, knew where guys were supposed to be — yeah, just showed complete command.” The Panthers not surprisingly aren't locking Young in as their Week 1 starter, but the rookie is the favorite to beat out Andy Dalton for that title.
The Browns have acquired Edge Za'Darius Smith from the Vikings for a mere swap of draft picks. Minnesota has been expected to move on from Smith this offseason to save salary cap. The 30-year-old rebounded from losing nearly all of 2021 to injury, racking up 80 total pressures in his lone Vikings season, according to Pro Football Focus. That marked the second-largest total of his career, and Smith has earned elite-level pass-rushing grades from PFF in each of his last three healthy campaigns. He should play lead snaps opposite Myles Garrett in Cleveland, though free-agent addition Ogbonnia Okoronkwo will factor into the rotation as well.
Niners HC Kyle Shanahan says the team expects to have QB Brock Purdy back from his right elbow injury by training camp, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic. Purdy has reportedly "been making throwing motions with a towel," though there's no word on his accuracy in hitting the hamper. He's expected to begin throwing footballs in June. We'll see whether Purdy's return to action pushes a Trey Lance trade.
Chiefs GM Brett Veach suggested that the team views rookie WR Rashee Rice as a potential replacement for WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. “He was a guy that the contested catch and the run-after-the-catch (skill) was something that really stood out," Veach said. “We did lose JuJu. It makes sense to find a guy that can do a lot of things that he can do on the inside game. He’s almost like a running back after the catch." Rice has reportedly spent time out wide, in the slot and even attached to the line of scrimmage at rookie minicamp. He played 82% of his snaps out wide at SMU last year but was in the slot for 94% of his snaps back in 2021. That positional versatility can only help Rice's chances of earning a significant role as a rookie.
TE Foster Moreau has agreed to a three-year, $12 million deal with the Saints, according to multiple reports. This is a huge turnaround for a player who had been expected to miss 2023 after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that Moreau "has a positive diagnosis" on his recovery and plans to play the coming season. The contract reportedly includes $8 million in guaranteed money, plus another $3 million in incentives. The move reunites Moreau with QB Derek Carr, whom he played with the past four years as a Raider. Moreau will compete for targets with TE Juwan Johnson, who got his own new contract this offseason. Johnson got $12 million over two years, with $11.5 million guaranteed. We'll have to see how their roles fit together this summer. Each is likely to limit the other's ceiling, though, especially with Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, and Alvin Kamara also around.
The Dolphins signed TE Tyler Kroft. He joins one of the weakest TE rooms in the NFL alongside Durham Smythe and Eric Saubert. It gives Kroft a chance to find playing time, but he's still not an exciting fantasy pick. The 30-year-old has only once reached 200 receiving yards in a season and never topped 404. And HC Mike McDaniels' Dolphins targeted TEs on only 12.8% of their passes last year -- well below the league-wide average of 20.3%.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco is recovering from offseason surgeries on his hand and labrum, HC Andy Reid said. According to Rutgers Wire, Pacheco played "much of the season" with a torn labrum and then broke a bone between his wrist and thumb in the AFC Championship Game. "He's making progress," Reid said. "We'll just see how he does with it. I can't even give you a timeline on it, but he's doing well." Pacheco emerged as Kansas City's lead back over the second half of last season, averaging 13.6 carries over the final 12 games (including playoffs). He ceded most of the passing-down work to RB Jerick McKinnon, who just re-signed with the Chiefs last week. We'll likely see a similar arrangement this season, assuming Pacheco is back to 100% by Week 1. We'll keep an eye on his recovery.
Bills GM Brandon Beane confirmed that the team views rookie Dalton Kincaid as a WR as much as a TE. "He is a tight end, but he is a receiving tight end," Beane said. "We think he'll pair well with Dawson [Knox] and give us another target in the middle of the field. So, yeah, when him and Dawson are in the game, you're in '12' [personnel], but it's quasi like '11' anyway. He's not your standard 'Y' tight end. He's going to be flexed out a lot more than necessarily you would do with Dawson.” Kincaid is no stranger to detaching from the line of scrimmage. He lined up out wide or in the slot on 44.8% of his snaps at Utah last year. That, of course, is exactly the type of usage we're looking for from our fantasy TEs. Kincaid has a chance to be a rare rookie TE to make a redraft impact. See exactly where Kincaid sits in the 2023 TE Rankings.
Bears QB Justin Fields has spent much of the offseason working on his footwork. “He’s been really working on that, really good — in terms of the quick pass, drop-back pass, movement passes," HC Matt Eberflus said. "And he’s really made some big strides in that area." Fields finished 7th among QBs in fantasy points per game last year, despite averaging just 150 passing yards per game on a 60.4% completion rate and 7.1 yards per attempt. If he takes a step forward as a passer this year, Fields has the upside to lead his position in fantasy scoring. Besides the improved footwork, the arrival of WR D.J. Moore is exciting.
The Commanders are "all in" on QB Sam Howell as their 2023 starter, ESPN's John Keim writes. The team has been talking up Howell all offseason -- and then did not add a QB in the draft. Per Keim, Washington had a 2nd-round grade on Howell coming out last year but didn't take him on Day 2 because they had already made the trade for QB Carson Wentz. The Commanders couldn't pass on Howell when he slipped to Round 5, though. He made just one start last year, but the team liked how he developed as a rookie. Howell will need to hold off veteran QB Jacoby Brissett this summer, but he sounds like the heavy favorite to open the season under center. See where Howell sits in the 2023 QB Rankings.
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