| 5/8/2024 12:00:00 PM | Mostert said Tuesday he's "excited" to have rookie fourth-round pick Jaylen Wright join himself and De'Von Achane in Miami's backfield in 2024, Nick Shook of NFL.com reports. |
| Mostert said he's "excited to have [Wright] here and try to coach him up, try to help him out within this offense." The 32-year-old Mostert and the 22-year-old Achane are clearly the top dogs of the Dolphins' rushing attack after both had extremely efficient seasons in 2023, likely leaving Wright to begin his career as a third-string option, with veteranJeff Wilson potentially on the outside looking in. Of course, neither Mostert or Achane boast ideal profiles for a heavy workload, so Wright could find himself earning opportunities earlier than usual for a No. 3 option. All three of Mostert, Achane and Wright boast atypical explosiveness, so it's possible that head coach Mike McDaniel's scheme could manage to deploy each back relatively interchangeably. | |
| 5/5/2024 6:24:00 PM | Kamara (ankle) is in a strong position to maintain his role in New Orleans' offense after the team did not pick a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft, instead signing Jacob Kibodi as an undrafted free agent. |
| The Saints added two running backs by this point of last offseason, bringing in veteran free agent Jamaal Williams and third-round pick Kendre Miller for depth behind Kamara. The latter running back still shouldered the majority of work out of the backfield with 180 carries for 694 yards and five touchdowns. He also played a significant role in the passing game with 75 receptions for 466 yards. This versatility speaks to Kamara's importance in what was an extremely limited offense. Williams unsurprisingly played much more sparingly as a short-yardage back, and he should function in a similar role in 2024. Taysom Hill has always been used as a Swiss Army Knife who, at times, operates as a rushing quarterback out of the shotgun. However, Hill's usage has never threatened Kamara's production in the past. Instead, his biggest obstacles to seeing another heavy workload in 2024 would be whether or not Miller starts to see more opportunities or if Kamara continues to struggle with injuries, as he did miss the 2023 season finale with a sprained ankle. The Saints added offensive lineman Taliese Fuaga with the 14th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which could help keep defenders off of Kamara while improving the team's ground game as a whole. | |
| 5/4/2024 6:17:00 PM | Thompson-Robinson (hip) will undergo an MRI on Monday and is expected to participate in minicamp next week, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports. |
| DTR suffered a hip subluxation against the Texans on Christmas Eve and was ruled out for the remainder of the Browns' season. His most recent MRI in March revealed progress in his rehab, and Thompson-Robinson is hoping the latest one this upcoming week will allow him to get the green light to do some on-field work with the team's rookies and fellow younger players. The Browns signed veteran QBs Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley in the offseason, so DTR is facing stiff competition for backup duties behind Deshaun Watson. | |
| 4/18/2024 11:31:00 AM | Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Thursday that Watson (shoulder) has been making throws of up to 40 yards, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. |
| While not quite willing to guarantee that Watson will be ready for the regular-season opener, Berry did confirm that's the expectation and said the Browns are "pretty optimistic" about the QB's rehab process so far. Watson spoke with reporters Tuesday, mentioning that the team medical staff favors a cautious approach that would see him wait until training camp before returning to full practice participation. The 28-year-old thus figures to be limited during OTAs, giving free-agent additions Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley more chances to throw to the team's top receivers. The Browns traded for WR Jerry Jeudy in March and still have WRs Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore as well as TE David Njoku. There's also a strong chance of improved blocking this season, after 2023 saw the Browns lose their top three OTs to season-ending knee injuries. Watson is the biggest variable though, perhaps more so because of his disappointing 2022-23 performance than the ongoing rehab from Nov. 21 surgery to repair a displaced glenoid fracture in his right shoulder. | |
| 4/14/2024 12:58:00 PM | Adams said Sunday at his annual youth football camp that he intends to play for the Raiders next season, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports. |
| There was some speculation early in the offseason that the Raiders could pursue trading their star wideout, but GM Tom Telesco shot that idea down in late February. Adams' comments Sunday seem to solidify the expectation that he'll remain with Las Vegas for a third campaign in 2024. Adams reached the 100-reception mark for the fourth straight season in 2023, but his 1,144 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns were his lowest totals since 2019, when he played in only 12 games due to a toe injury. | |
| 3/26/2024 1:43:00 PM | The Packers feel like they have a better understanding of Watson's injury issues after he underwent a body scan at University of Wisconsin-Madison earlier this offseason, Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com reports. |
| Hamstring problems resulted in multi-game absences three times during Watson's first two NFL seasons, and he was removed early from other contests with a concussion (Week 8 of 2022), chest injury (Week 9 of 2022), hip injury (Week 16 of 2022) and back/chest injury (Week 9 of 2023). It's a worrying list of medical problems for someone with only 953 career snaps -- essentially one season's worth -- but Watson has mostly been effective when available, catching 69 of 119 targets for 1,033 yards and 12 touchdowns and taking 11 carries for 91 yards and two additional scores. The 2022 second-round pick is part of one of the deepest group of pass catchers in the league, with Green Bay having six players who recorded over 350 receiving yards last season, all of them rookies or second-year pros. Watson's 4.36 speed is unique among that group, but durability and workload concerns remain a significant part of the fantasy equation even if the Packers are feeling more optimistic about his chances of staying relatively healthy in 2024. | |
| 3/11/2024 5:14:00 PM | Lutz plans to remain with the Broncos after agreeing to a two-year deal with the team, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette reports. |
| The report notes that Lutz originally had an arrangement with Jacksonville in place, but the kicker instead elected to re-up with Denver. The 29-year-old converted 30 of 34 field-goal tries and 29 of 31 extra-point attempts in 17 regular-season games with the Broncos in 2023. | |
| 3/11/2024 1:50:00 PM | The 49ers are set to re-sign Allen as a backup quarterback, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. |
| Allen did not appear in a game for the 49ers last season, as he operated only as the team's emergency third quarterback, but he could step up to a more important role behind Brock Purdy for the 2024 campaign if Sam Darnold isn't re-signed. Now heading into his age-32 season, Allen is also capable of contributing in a mentorship role. | |
| 2/27/2024 10:07:00 AM | Campbell recorded 95 tackles, 2.0 sacks and one pass defended over 17 regular-season games in 2023. |
| Campbell seemed ticketed for a starting job alongside Alex Anzalone after Detroit spent a first-round pick on Campbell, an off-ball linebacker, in the 2023 NFL Draft. While 2021 fourth-rounder Derrick Barnes opened the year in the starting lineup, both Campbell and Barnes ended the season having logged around 60 percent of the defensive snaps, and Campbell joined Anzalone in the starting lineup for 11 of the final 12 games while Barnes started only eight of those contests (while missing one game to injury). Thanks in part to a larger role on special teams, Campbell ultimately averaged half of a tackle more per game than Barnes along with one more sack and a pass breakup. With plenty of room to grow from a playing-time standpoint combined with Barnes entering the final year of his contract, the 23-year-old Campbell is a strong bet to be in Detroit's long-term plans and is a realistic candidate to have a bigger role entering his second season in the league. | |
| 2/21/2024 7:16:00 PM | Lloyd finished the 2023 regular season with 127 tackles (75 solo), seven passes defensed and two fumble recoveries in 15 games. |
| Despite playing in two fewer games than he did as a rookie, the 2022 first-round pick recorded 12 more tackles in his second NFL season. Lloyd's production is also notable since he plays alongside Foye Oluokun, who was once again one of the most productive tacklers in the league with 173 stops. | |
| 2/12/2024 12:08:00 AM | Purdy completed 23 of 38 pass attempts for 255 yards and a touchdown while adding three carries for 12 yards in Sunday's 25-22 overtime loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. |
| Purdy was ready for the big moment and handled everything defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could throw at him despite falling short in the overtime period. The rising star QB surrendered just one sack for a loss of four yards while finishing 10 rating points behind Patrick Mahomes (99.3), whose final touchdown drive for Kansas City earned him the game's Most Valuable Player award. Even with the heartbreaking finish, Purdy's 2023 regular season can only be described as a smashing success after he completed 69 percent of his passes for 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns across 16 starts. San Francisco should still have multiple star playmakers surrounding the young quarterback next season as the team looks to get back to the big game in 2024. | |
| 2/4/2024 8:30:00 PM | Jones tallied 145 tackles (74 solo), 4.5 sacks and six passes defended during the 2023 regular season. |
| With former teammate Bobby Wagner departing for Seattle, the third-year pro took another leap in performance, setting career highs in snaps, tackles, sacks and passes defended while anchoring the defense alongside Aaron Donald. Jones' 145 tackles (in just 15 regular-season games) set the Rams record for most tackles in a single season, eclipsing the 142 James Laurinaitis recorded in 2011 and tied in 2012. Jones is entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2024, and given the multi-faceted abilities he's showcased as the head of a young Rams linebacker corps, it wouldn't be shocking to see Jones earn a contract extension to continue his role as a leader on defense. | |
| 2/3/2024 12:14:00 AM | Demercado tallied 284 yards and two touchdowns on 58 carries and hauled in 21 of 30 targets for 119 yards in 14 regular-season games in 2023. |
| The undrafted rookie had a moment in the spotlight from Weeks 5-8, a span in which he earned two starts in place of an injured James Conner and netted 228 yards from scrimmage and one TD on 52 touches. Otherwise, Conner dominated the Cardinals backfield, and midseason waiver-wire pickup Michael Carter even surpassed Demercado on the RB depth chart over the final six outings of the season. All of Conner, Carter and Demercado will be back in 2024, so Demercado again won't be higher than No. 2 or 3 at the position as the roster currently stands. | |
| 1/23/2024 12:33:00 AM | Walker stacked up 118 tackles (59 solo), 2.5 sacks, an interception, three pass deflections and a touchdown over 14 games in the 2023 season. |
| Walker just missed matching the 121 stops he made during his rookie season, and he undoubtedly would have surpassed that number had he not missed three games. Walker has developed into an every-down linebacker, and he should find himself in the same role in 2024. | |
| 1/15/2024 9:26:00 PM | Pickens secured five of 11 targets for 50 yards and rushed once for 15 yards in the Steelers' 31-17 wild-card loss to the Bills on Monday afternoon. He also lost a fumble. |
| Pickens had serviceable numbers overall and co-led the Steelers in receptions while setting the pace in targets. However, it was largely a frustrating afternoon, beginning with a fumble on the Steelers' 29-yard in the latter portion of the first quarter that was eventually confirmed via replay, and that led to a touchdown on Buffalo's first play after gaining possession. Pickens also was the intended receiver on Mason Rudolph's fourth-down pass with 4:53 remaining that ended in an incompletion but also included what appeared to be a missed pass interference call that would have given the Steelers new life via a first down. Pickens finished the regular season with an impressive 63-1,140-5 line across 17 games despite subpar quarterback play, so he could be in for an even bigger season in 2024 if there is more stability under center. | |
| 1/14/2024 12:13:00 PM | Wilson logged 135 total tackles, including five tackles for loss, while also forcing two fumbles and intercepting four passes in 17 games with the Bengals during the 2023 regular season. |
| Wilson had the most productive season of his career in 2023, posting his third consecutive season with 100-plus stops and beating his previous best's in total tackles, forced fumbles and pass deflections. The fourth-year pro inked an extension before the year that will keep him in Cincinnati through the 2027 season. Wilson has statistically improved every year since entering the NFL and he'll look to make his first Pro Bowl or All-Pro team in 2024. | |
| 1/12/2024 4:18:00 PM | Boswell completed 29 of 31 field-goal attempts while making 27 of 28 extra-point tries during the 2023 campaign. |
| Boswell had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2022 by converting just 71.4 percent of his field-goal tries over 12 games. However, he won a kicking competition during training camp this year to retain his job, and he rewarded the Steelers with a bounce-back performance. The 32-year-old converted six of his seven attempts from at least 50 yards, and he's now made 21 attempts from at least 50 yards over the past three seasons. Boswell signed a four-year, $20 million contract with the Steelers in August of 2022, so he'll presumably be back with the team for his age-33 season following a solid showing this year. | |
| 1/9/2024 8:23:00 AM | Dotson finished 2023 with 49 catches for 518 yards and four touchdowns on 83 targets. |
| Dotson had more yards (523) and touchdowns (seven) as a rookie in 2022 despite missing five full games and having his snaps limited in two others. He didn't miss any games in his sophomore campaign, but nearly everything else was a disappointment, including his target volume (4.9 per game) and efficiency stats (59.0 percent catch rate, 10.6 yards per catch, 6.2 yards per targe). His catch rate barely rose compared to 2022 -- even though his aDOT sunk from 13.5 to 9.3 -- and his yards after catch (YAC) average dropped from 3.9 to 2.4 (usually it rises when a player sees more short passes and fewer long ones). The main positives here are that Dotson never got benched, playing 82.2 percent of Washington's snaps on offense, and may now head into his third NFL season with a new head coach and new starting quarterback. The 2022 first-round pick nonetheless figures to come off the board later in 2024 fantasy drafts than he did this past summer, with the down season in Year 2 casting serious doubt upon his future. | |
| 1/7/2024 7:55:00 PM | Johnson rushed five times for 20 yards in the Bears' 17-9 loss to the Packers on Sunday. |
| As a rookie this season, Johnson never had more than 10 rushes in a game. However, he was often used as a passing-down back, though he had only two games with more than four receptions. In 15 games played, Johnson rushed 81 times for 352 yards and two touchdowns to go with 34 receptions on 40 targets for 209 receiving yards. During the offseason, the Bears will need to decide if the running back is ready to take on an expanded role or if he'll remain as a passing-down specialist. Johnson has three years remaining on his rookie contract. | |