The Lions are signing QB Teddy Bridgewater, according to multiple reports. Bridgewater figures to back up Jared Goff. The timing of his addition could signal that Detroit wanted to see if rookie QB Hendon Hooker or journeyman Nate Sudfeld could fill that role. Bridgewater would likely be Goff with a lower floor and ceiling if pressed into duty. He went 49 of 79 passing with the Dolphins last year, averaging a career-high 8.6 yards per pass attempt. But Bridgewater sports just a 3.6% TD rate and 7.3 yards per attempt for his career. He'll turn 31 in November.
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan doesn’t expect QB Brock Purdy to play in the preseason opener. Purdy will take part in joint practices with the Raiders this week. In his place, look for San Francisco to get an extended look at Trey Lance come Sunday afternoon.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco has yet to shed his non-contact jersey at training camp. The team is taking is easy on Pacheco, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery. NFL Network’s James Palmer tweeted recently that Pacheco “should be cleared for contact” by August 20. The second-year rusher carries a reasonable Underdog Fantasy ADP of RB30.
NFL insider Adam Caplan passed along some intel on QB Kenny Pickett. Following a conversation with OC Matt Canada, Caplan learned that Pickett’s arm is “way better than it had been,” noting how he’s improved his upper-body strength. Broadly, Canada shared that Pickett’s made a “big jump from Year 1 to Year 2,” per Caplan. Pittsburgh’s expected to emphasize the run in 2023. But given a strong supporting cast, Pickett profiles as an intriguing QB2 inside our QB rankings.
Ravens WR Odell Beckham Jr. left practice early on Monday. Per reporter Jamison Hensley, he didn’t return to the field after making a diving catch along the sideline. We should get an update on Beckham shortly.
Update: HC John Harbaugh said Beckham avoided an injury.
The Cowboys remain “in the mix” to re-sign RB Ezekiel Elliott, per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe. New England, meanwhile, remains “highly interested” in the 28-year-old. Elliott, Leonard Fournette, and Kareem Hunt all remain free agents as of Monday afternoon.
Per Browns reporter Tony Grossi, RB Jerome Ford suffered a right hamstring injury in Monday’s practice. He hobbled off the field to get checked out by team trainers. We’ll let you know when we hear about the severity.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield will start this week's preseason opener, and QB Kyle Trask will start the second exhibition, according to Pewter Report. Mayfield and Trask have reportedly been splitting first-team reps in training camp. This is further confirmation that this remains an ongoing battle.
Cowboys TE Luke Schoonmaker made his practice debut on Monday. The rookie missed all of spring workouts and the first week+ of training camp with plantar fasciitis. He has a lot of catching up to do if he wants to earn a Week 1 role. We'll track his progress over the next month. For now, Jake Ferguson is the favorite to open the season as Dallas' lead TE.
In case you were wondering about how Eagles QB Jalen Hurts has fared in training camp so far, here's an update from The Athletic's Bo Wulf: "Hurts seems to have picked up where he left off, which just so happened to be playing the best game of his life on the biggest stage. ... There’s no doubt he’s been more consistent than ever over the first week-plus of camp." Hurts finished eighth among QBs in fantasy points in his first full season as starter in 2021 and then climbed to third last year. He's a safe bet for top-five production in 2023, with the upside to lead all QBs in fantasy points.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud has taken “the bulk” of first-team reps for three straight days, per beat writer DJ Bien-Aime. While a near lock to start Week 1, the rookie barely cracks the top 30 of our fantasy QB rankings.
Update: Stroud will start Week 1 of the preseason on Thursday.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson had two of his best practices of camp over the weekend, according to The Indianapolis Star's Joel Erickson. “You get repetitions, you do things more and more, and you’re going to get more comfortable,” HC Shane Steichen said. “I think he’s gaining confidence in the system, gaining confidence with his teammates. When you have that, and you have the talent that he has, it’s usually a good thing.” Although not exclusively with the starters, Richardson has been getting lots of first-team work and seemingly has a good chance to win the Week 1 starting job.
Packers TE Luke Musgrave was on the field for all 19 of QB Jordan Love's snaps that were broadcast in Saturday night's scrimmage, according to Acme Packing Co.'s Justis Mosqueda. It's further confirmation that Musgrave is set to open the season as Green Bay's starter. The rookie has struggled some with drops and blocking in camp but has consistently flashed his speed and pass-catching skills. Musgrave is a worthy late-round flier in fantasy drafts.
Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football says Saints RB Alvin Kamara is more explosive in camp than he was last year. That seems a little crazy for a 28-year-old RB heading into his seventh NFL season, but it's not a coincidence. Underhill reports that Kamara "fixed a muscle asymmetry in his legs" with a new trainer this offseason and "learned how to control his heart rate to combat fatigue." We'll be very interested to see the results in action. But if the team and player see more explosiveness, then it should keep Kamara's opportunities up. And other improvements to the offense can only help his efficiency. Now that we know he's suspended for just 3 games, Kamara makes for a high-upside RB3 or RB4 in fantasy football drafts. See where he sits in our RB rankings after adjustments for the suspension.
The Panthers have agreed to a one-year deal with Edge Justin Houston. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Houston will get $6 million guaranteed, with a top value of $7 million. Houston rebounded for 9.5 sacks at age 33 with the Ravens last season, tying his second-largest sack total of the past eight years despite a career-low 44.1% snap share. That bodes well for the pressure rate Carolina can expect to get from the veteran. But you should expect Houston to remain in a similar situational role. That obviously limits his statistical upside. Beyond the sacks, Houston tallied a career-low 21 total tackles. That matched the total from his 2016 campaign in Kansas City, which saw Houston play in just five games. Houston tallied 6 more solo tackles (20) that year than he did in 2022. We've added Houston to the IDP rankings, but he's not an exciting option.
Patriots insider Alex Barth believes, based on Sunday's practice, that Tyquan Thornton might be in a battle for the fourth WR spot with rookie Demario Douglas. Barth notes that WRs JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, and Douglas worked with QB Mac Jones in positional drills early in the practice. And when the Patriots moved to team drills, Thornton and Douglas split reps evenly with the first-team offense. "This could be a sign of a true position battle, with the two proving to see who is the better option as the fourth wide receiver and main speed threat in the group," Barth writes. We'll keep an eye on the situation, but neither Thornton nor Douglas are recommended fantasy picks right now.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski said Sunday that the team's third-down RB job is up for grabs. "Could be Nick [Chubb], could be Jerome [Ford]," Stefanski said. Chubb played just 21% of Cleveland's third-down snaps last year, ceding most of that work to RB Kareem Hunt, who's no longer on the team. Any extra third-down work Chubb picks up this season would be a bonus -- and give him an opportunity to grow his receiving production considerably. Ford, meanwhile, seems locked in as the Chubb handcuff. If he captures the majority of the third-down work, he'd have a chance at some standalone value in PPR leagues.
Rams HC Sean McVay labeled WR Cooper Kupp "day-to-day" with his hamstring injury and said, “I don’t think it’s anything to be overly concerned with.” McVay added that he's hoping to have Kupp back for joint practices with Raiders in a week and a half. It's the latest indication that Kupp's injury should be in the rearview by the time Week 1 rolls around. He continues to sit fourth overall in our fantasy football rankings.
Dolphins RB Devon Achane is "day to day" with an undisclosed injury, HC Mike McDaniel said Sunday. McDaniel added that the team "doesn't have any concerns." This doesn't sound like something that'll impact Achane's 2023 fantasy value, but we'll let you know when the rookie gets back on the field.
Seahawks RB Kenny McIntosh is expected to miss a couple of weeks with a left knee sprain. HC Pete Carroll said the team got “very good news” on the knee. A Round 7 rookie, McIntosh doesn't hold much dynasty value in a strong Seattle backfield.
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