Saints HC Dennis Allen said Friday that WR Michael Thomas is still working his way back from the ankle issue that cost him the entire 2021 season. "There's still a few hurdles that we've got to climb," Allen said, adding it's his "hope" that Thomas is ready for Week 1. Thomas suffered 2 separate injuries to that left ankle. He had 1 surgery last June and and might have had a 2nd in the wintertime. It's concerning not only that he's still rehabbing, but that Allen wouldn't even commit to him being ready for the start of the season. We'll continue to keep a close eye on the situation.
Commanders HC Ron Rivera compared his new Antonio Gibson - Brian Robinson backfield to the Jonathan Stewart - De'Angelo Williams pairing he had in Carolina, according to insider Grant Paulsen. Those guys split backfield work almost right down the middle across 4 seasons under Rivera, with Stewart averaging 10.4 carries and 2.8 targets per game vs. Williams' 11.2 carries and 1.6 targets. We're not expecting Robinson to match Gibson in volume this season, but it sounds like the rookie has a shot to play a significant role.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts said Wednesday, "I'm good now" after undergoing left ankle surgery on February 2. We'll keep an eye on it this spring and summer, but it shouldn't be an issue by the time Week 1 rolls around. With WR A.J. Brown added to his arsenal, Hurts has easy top-5 QB upside this year.
The Athletic's Nick Kosmider wonders whether Albert Okwuegbunam or Greg Dulcich will lead Broncos TEs in targets this season. "That battle will be one of the more interesting subplots in training camp," Kosmider writes. Okwuegbunam has flashed in spurts over the last 2 seasons. But Denver spent a 3rd-round pick on Dulcich, who was actually picked 38 spots higher than Okwuegbunam. Our early money is on Albert O leading this group in 2022 simply because it usually takes TEs at least a year to produce in the pros. But this will certainly be a situation to watch this summer.
Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com writes that the team feels “fine” about their TE situation. He notes that Robert Tonyan is making “significant progress” with ACL rehab. (Tonyan tore his ACL last October.) Interestingly, GM Brian Gutekunst shouted out TE Tyler Davis, a 2020 UDFA who played 121 snaps last season. “I think we might have found something there,” Gutekunst remarked. Tonyan, 28, posted 5 games with 10 or fewer yards prior to the injury. Don’t count on a major rebound.
Bills GM Brandon Beane loves rookie RB James Cook's pass-catching ability. "He's got really good hands," Beane said. "Very instinctive in the pass game ... Some guys just have the feel like a slot receiver. It's the feel of what you're getting -- whether to sit down in zone or run by your man. He's got speed ... You can feel his speed with the ball in his hands." Cook is the favorite to immediately take over as Buffalo's primary pass-catching back ahead of Devin Singletary. The big question is how much rushing volume he'll garner. Cook goes just 199 pounds and never topped 113 carries across 4 college seasons. "We see his best skill set as a sub back, but I think he can handle carries too if we wanna give him some more carries," said Beane.
The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar projects Geno Smith as Seattle's starting QB in his post-draft depth chart, with Drew Lock as the #2. "But this will be an open competition that may not see a winner until the third and final preseason game," Dugar concedes. The Seahawks will have arguably the worst QB play in the NFL regardless of who's under center this season, barring a trade for someone like Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo. Neither Smith nor Lock is worth a pick in early best-ball drafts.
The Steelers have declined the 5th-year option on former 10th-overall pick LB Devin Bush. None of Bush's 3 seasons to date has seen him remain a full-time player throughout. He has struggled in both coverage and run defense, which isn't a great combo for any defender -- much less a 1st-round LB. At this point, we're not betting on a big rebound for Bush's fantasy value/outlook in any setting.
The Raiders have declined the 5th-year option on the rookie contracts of both S Johnathan Abram and DE Clelin Ferrell. The decision on Ferrell is certainly no surprise, given that the former #4 overall pick played his way out of the starting lineup. Abram has fared better, and perhaps he's a candidate to re-sign with a good 2022. But the fact that Vegas declined the options on all 3 first-rounders from that 1st draft of the Mike Mayock era underscores that the team has new leadership. If Abram does hit the open market after the coming season, we'd bet on him landing at least an opportunity to fight for a starting job elsewhere -- barring a poor final performance with the Raiders, of course.
Commanders WR Curtis Samuel provided an update on his recovery from groin surgery. “I’ve been training and working out, and I haven’t been limited to anything,” he said. “I’ve been doing pretty much everything that I used to be able to do — running fast, cutting fast. I’m just feeling good overall, and I’m excited about it. This upcoming season, I got a lot of goals.” Samuel and his trainer have made it a point to work on stride efficiency to ensure he’s not putting necessary stress on his legs. “Control the stride to make sure they maintain their speed,” trainer Pete Bommarito said. “That’s what we really did. It was just focusing on that. When he over-strides and he can’t control it, he does feel those nagging issues. But that’s not unique to him; that’s the case for almost everybody that’s blazing fast like him in any sport.” Samuel took a short-term hit with the arrival of Round 1 WR Jahan Dotson. The veteran, though, still makes for a fine value pick late in best ball drafts.
49ers GM John Lynch praised rookie WR Danny Gray after the draft. “He’s got legit speed,” Lynch said. “Sometimes with track guys, that doesn’t translate over to the football field. His does. But in addition to that, he does a lot of the things that we covet: In-breaking routes, screen game, he’s very good with yards after the catch.” Gray looks like a great fit for Trey Lance’s power arm. When it comes to targets, though, it’ll be tough for the 3rd-rounder to emerge in the short-term -- as long as this offense remains healthy.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the NFL is suspending Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins 6 games for violating the PED policy. Assuming he doesn't get it reduced on appeal, Hopkins' absence creates season-opening opportunity for Arizona WRs Marquise Brown, A.J. Green and Rondale Moore -- and it delivers a big blow to any best-ball drafters who combined Hopkins with QB Kyler Murray on their early rosters. We'll watch for any further developments with the situation, but Hopkins obviously tumbles down our WR rankings.
The Browns have released kickers Chris Blewitt and Chase McLaughlin. McLaughlin attempted all but 1 of Cleveland’s FGs last year, drilling just 71.4%. The moves pave the way for rookie 4th-rounder Cade York to handle kicking duties in 2022.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Chiefs are signing former Clemson WR Justyn Ross as an undrafted free agent. Medicals are the big concern with Ross. He had surgery in June 2020 to address a bulging disc and congenital fusion condition in his neck and spine. That cost him the entire 2020 campaign. Ross was medically cleared to return this past August but missed more time in 2021 with a stress fracture in his foot that eventually required surgery. He then disappointed with a 26th percentile Relative Athletic Score at the Combine – although it’s possible that he still wasn’t 100% recovered from the foot surgery. What Ross has going for him is the most impressive freshman season of any WR in this class. He led a 2018 Tigers team that also included WRs Tee Higgins, Hunter Renfrow and Amari Rodgers with 1,000 receiving yards. Ross ranked 2nd in Pro Football Focus’ 2018 receiving grades among 286 WRs with 50+ targets. He fell behind Higgins in 2019 but still finished with a solid 66-865-8 line. Ross wasn’t a big separator at Clemson but has some of the best ball skills and contested-catch ability in this WR class. That should play at the next level for the 6’4, 205-pounder. Landing in K.C. obviously adds the upside of playing with QB Patrick Mahomes. We'll see how the Chiefs sort out a WR corps that shed Tyreek Hill, Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson this offseason, and added JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore and Corey Coleman.
The Falcons are releasing RB Mike Davis, according to insider Jordan Schultz. The move saves $2.5 million against the 2022 salary cap. Davis struggled to just 3.6 yards per carry last year and turned 29 in February. His departure leaves Atlanta with RBs Cordarrelle Patterson, Damien Williams, Qadree Ollison and 5th-round rookie Tyler Allgeier. We like Allgeier's chances to win the Davis role alongside Patterson. The rookie is a nice dynasty target and redraft sleeper.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Saints are expected to sign S Tyrann Mathieu. Mathieu spent the past 3 years with the Chiefs, collecting 13 INTs across 47 regular-season games. Assuming the move comes to fruition, he'll join fellow offseason signee Marcus Maye as the starting safeties in New Orleans. A stat profile that leans more on turnovers than tackles generally keeps Mathieu from being a DB1-level fantasy option.
The Bills traded up 20 spots -- sending a 6th-round pick to Chicago -- to grab Boise State WR Khalil Shakir in Round 5. "I really like that young man," GM Brandon Beane said. "He's tough, he's smart, he's versatile. And I think with the ball in his hands he's pretty good too." We were a bit surprised to see Shakir last until the 5th round. He was our 15th-ranked WR pre-draft. The 6'0, 196-pounder played both outside and in the slot in college but projects best as a slot in the NFL. WR Jamison Crowder is currently Buffalo's starting slot, but he's only signed for 2022. Check out our full scouting report on Shakir.
Adam Jahns of The Athletic believes WR Velus Jones “should have an immediate role on offense.” Frankly, it would be a major disappointment if he didn’t. The Bears feature a bunch of WR3/4 types behind Darnell Mooney, while Jones exits college as a 25-year-old. So yes, the opportunity outlook is nice. And Jones boasts rare, 4.31 speed. But his pedigree is uninspiring, with just 58-627-4 across 4 seasons before a 2021 breakout (62-807-7). He's not someone we're chasing in rookie drafts.
According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, the Panthers were impressed by QB Matt Corral’s “arm talent, the ability to make plays with his feet, his toughness and competitiveness.” Corral came off the board as the QB4 in Round 3. “For a young, developmental quarterback coming into this league,” HC Matt Rhule said, “I think he’s got all the physical tools and seems to have the mental makeup. We’re excited to be able to work with him.” Carolina could still add a veteran passer, but Person writes that the “feeling” inside the Carolina organization is that they won’t go in that direction. Given what we've seen from Sam Darnold, there's a real chance Corral starts games in 2022.
Vic Tafur of The Athletic believes there’s a “good chance" RB Zamir White will start for Las Vegas in 2023. Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake enter contract years, although White joins the league with uninspiring draft capital (mid-Round 4 as the RB8). Vegas did trade up to land the Georgia product. He brings a nice speed/power combo to go along with a 6’0, 214-pound frame. Just don’t expect much of an impact in redraft leagues.
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