Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star believes the presence of QB Matt Ryan will have a “profound effect” on RB Jonathan Taylor’s receiving output. Perhaps that’s an exaggeration; Taylor caught 40 balls last year — 2.35 per game — and we don’t forecast a significant jump this fall. But the thesis here is that Ryan will take the checkdown much more often than Carson Wentz did. Taylor’s also grown as a pass-catcher. “Understanding the different coverages,” Taylor said. “You have certain routes, and maybe, if they’re in a zone, know how to spray it a little bit and then sit down. Things like that, rather than knowing I just need to get to this depth and turn in.” JT was a receiving weapon last year with a massive 10.1 YAC per reception. Even if his pass catching numbers don’t spike, he projects as a clear top-2 fantasy RB.
Beat writer Eric Branch believes the 49ers could "hand off even more this season while easing in Trey Lance.” Last year, San Francisco ranked 6th in rush attempts (29.3 per game). Under HC Kyle Shanahan, the team’s ranked top-14 in rushes in 4 straight seasons. The 49ers were reportedly sold on Tyrion Davis-Price’s “size, physicality and aggressiveness,” per Branch. The rookie will need to earn a role this summer. But Elijah Mitchell’s durability concerns and a lost 2021 from Trey Sermon shows there’s a path to year 1 snaps for TDP.
Ravens beat writer Jamison Hensley writes that J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards “likely won’t be available” for upcoming OTAs. Baltimore opens up OTA workouts on May 24, when both guys will be about 9 months removed from ACL tears. So we're not talking about a setback here; both guys are expected to return for training camp. Adding rookie RB Tyler Badie and veteran Mike Davis in recent days, Baltimore has the bodies to get through the spring. While the backfield looks messy now, we know this team wants to go run heavy — especially without Marquise Brown. In 3 seasons as Ravens OC, Greg Roman’s units have ranked 1st, 1st and 3rd in rush attempts.
The Jaguars have waived K Matthew Wright. He made 21 of 24 FGs last year and drilled 13 of 15 extra points. For now, Ryan Santoso is the only veteran kicker remaining on Jacksonville’s roster. Iowa State's Andrew Mevis joined the club as a UDFA last month.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson had a legal hearing on Monday to discuss remaining depositions and the scheduling of a trial. With lots of pre-trial work still to be done -- and both sides agreeing that a trial won't take place between August 1 and March 1, 2023 -- it's now looking unlikely that a trial will happen this year, according to Cleveland.com's Adam Ferrise. The NFL is conducting its own investigation into the sexual assault allegations levied against Watson but tends to wait until the legal process has played out before deciding on discipline. That could change in this case. But it now looks more likely than before that Watson will not be suspended in 2022. We just moved him up the QB Rankings.
Colts GM Chris Ballard pointed to WR Alec Pierce's downfield ability as a reason they targeted him in the draft. “The one thing you notice about Pierce is he gets behind people,” Ballard said. “This kid can really, really run and really adjust to the football." Pierce averaged 17.5 yards per catch over the last 3 seasons at Cincinnati and clocked a 4.41-second 40 time at 6'3, 211 pounds at the Combine. “One of the things I like on (Pierce’s) tape is I like him outside,” HC Frank Reich said. “I think he’s very good versus press, I think he’s got length and vertical speed to get down the field. I think for his size, he’s a very good route runner." Pierce has a golden opportunity to win Indianapolis' #2 WR job behind Michael Pittman. He's a nice Round 2 target in dynasty rookie drafts and is worth a look in the later stages of redrafts.
The Ravens withdrew their tender on RB Ty'Son Williams. That makes him a free agent and clears room for the arrival of RB Mike Davis. Williams got off to a nice start last season, carrying 27 times for 164 yards (6.1 YPC) and 1 TD over the first 3 games. But he totaled just 8 attempts the rest of the way -- due at least in part to ball-security and pass-protection problems. We'll see where the 25-year-old lands, but he's not worth a pick in early best-ball drafts.
Per Gilbert Manzano of the Los Angeles Daily News, Bolts WR Josh Palmer has “proved” he’s “destined to be a top playmaker for [Justin] Herbert in 2022.” We’d call that phrasing a bit aggressive. Still, Palmer came out of the draft as a winner, as L.A. opted against adding a WR. Following a 33-353-4 line as a rookie, the 22-year-old is an enticing late-round flier in deep formats.
The Ravens signed RB Mike Davis. The 29-year-old was released by the Falcons last week after averaging just 3.6 yards per carry in his lone season in Atlanta. That offensive line did him no favors, of course, and Davis actually ranked 15th among 50 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus' Elusive Rating. He arrives in Baltimore alongside RBs J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, who are all coming off season-ending injuries. Davis looks like an insurance policy on Dobbins and Edwards, but we'll keep a close eye on this backfield this summer.
The Dolphins are signing RB Sony Michel to a 1-year, $2.1 million deal, ESPN reports. We don't know the guaranteed portion of that contract yet, but the overall money looks nearly identical to what the team gave Raheem Mostert back in March. The 2 veterans appear headed for a summer battle to see he pairs with Chase Edmonds atop the depth chart. Mostert's recovery from the chipped knee cartilage of last season could factor in. But Miami guaranteed $1 million on the 30-year-old's contract, so the team appears to believe he'll be fine.
The Giants have released CB James Bradberry, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. This has been an anticipated move for the cap-strapped franchise, which clearly failed to find a trading partner for the high-priced corner. Bradberry -- who will turn 29 in August -- will land somewhere, though, likely with at least a chance to compete for a starting role.
Bears OC Luke Getsy spoke about his first impressions of TE Cole Kmet. “I’ve been very impressed with Cole,” Getsy said. “Again that mindset that we’re trying to set, he’s been a great example of that as well. And you go back to that thing we talked about before, just the ability, the flexibility as a player, I think he has all that stuff. So I’m excited to see him have a bunch of different roles in our offense. Some players that are out there they’re kind of like this is what they do well. But I think the more guys that you can get in a system that can do a bunch of different things, the more success you’re going to have and I think Cole is one of those guys.” Kmet played all 17 games last year, notching 60-612-0 on 93 targets. A favorable target outlook remains in year 3, and a TE1 finish is certainly within his range of outcomes.
New Bears OC Luke Getsy commented on the development of QB Justin Fields. ‘‘I’ve been super-impressed with him, I really have,’’ Getsy said. ‘‘There’s no one in this building that works harder than him. There’s no one that cares more than him. We’re off to a great start. He’s really accepted this challenge. We’re asking a lot of him, to learn a lot of new things. He’s been a pleasure to work with.’’ Formerly Green Bay’s QB coach/pass game coordinator, Getsy is expected to implement “a mix of outside-zone and read-option runs with a vertical passing attack,” per beat writer Pat Finley. Getsy’s almost certainly an upgrade over the old regime. But a lack of weapons around Fields for 2022 remains a serious concern.
Per Nate Taylor of the Athletic, the Chiefs believe rookie WR Skyy Moore “can excel as a secondary slot receiver behind Smith-Schuster and be a possible deep threat on the perimeter in one-on-one matchups.” Moore’s undersized — both in height and wingspan. But he brings blazing speed and quicks and sure hands. Marquez Valdes-Scantling profiles as the field-stretcher with JuJu Smith-Schuster working the short to intermediate routes. Moore’s usage figures to be diverse in an offense that lost 260 targets with the offseason departures of Tyreek Hill, Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson. The rookie is battling a minor hamstring tweak at the moment, but there's no cause for concern.
Pats beat writer Khari Thompson believes the team won’t re-sign RB Damien Harris, unless both sides agree on a “very team-friendly deal.” New England has a promising RB already paired with Harris in Rhamondre Stevenson. And just last week, RBs Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris arrived inside the first 6 rounds of the draft. For 2022, Harris slots in as an RB3.
Ben Arthur of The Tennessean believes rookie WR Kyle Philips “could have an immediate impact” with the Titans. A 5th-round pick, Philips isn’t a dynamic athlete, and he doesn’t bring ideal size. But he’s a quality route runner, as Arthur points out. The UCLA product could see day 1 slot snaps; just don’t expect much of a fantasy impact alongside Robert Woods, Treylon Burks and Derrick Henry.
New Saints HC Dennis Allen confirmed that QB Jameis Winston is on track to start Week 1. Recall that Winston suffered a torn ACL in Week 8 of last season. "Well, certainly that's certainly the plan," Allen said. "There's a lot of days between now and Week 1, but we certainly like where he's at right now. We like the progress that he's making. Man, I really loved a lot of the things that he did last year for us -- 14 touchdowns, three interceptions. There was just some really good stuff that you see. And my vision and my hope is that he continues to progress on the same level as he gets another year in the system." New Orleans passed on adding a QB in the draft. Instead, they bolstered the offense with WR Chris Olave and OT Trevor Penning. Winston, for now, profiles as a clear QB2 with spot-start potential.
Jets TE Jeremy Ruckert is currently sidelined with a foot injury, HC Robert Saleh said Saturday. This is presumably the plantar fasciitis that knocked Ruckert out of Senior Bowl practices and prevented him from working out at the Combine. Saleh is "hoping" that Ruckert is able to get in some work this spring, but plantar fasciitis can be unpredictable. We'll keep an eye on the situation. But between the injury and the presence of free-agent additions Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah, Ruckert isn't a recommended target in early best-ball drafts.
Seahawks HC Pete Carroll evaluated rookie RB Kenneth Walker following day 1 of rookie minicamp. “Ken, he took off now,” Carroll said. “He’s a rocket. He caught the ball really well today, too, which we’re really excited about.” Carroll went on to note that Walker already knows some of Seattle’s terminology, having come from a pro-style system at Michigan State. Carroll did confirm that Walker’s passing down usage is very much up in the air. “Let’s wait and see on that one, as far as making him a third-down guy,” Carroll said. “He’s got a ways to go, pass protection-wise. That’s a real challenge for him. So we’ll see. I know his attitude will be in it. He’s a terrific, competitive kid. That (pass protection) needs to be a priority, and we’ve already talked to him about that.” Walker’s reception upside will remain a storyline throughout the offseason.
Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said recently that he doesn’t have an update on the status of RB Chris Carson. Recall that Carson underwent neck surgery around the start of December. “We won’t know for some time here," Carroll said regarding Carson’s status. "We can't predict that.” After re-signing Rashaad Penny and using a Round 2 pick on Kenneth Walker, it’s clear that Seattle isn’t counting on Carson going forward.
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