When asked about the team's QB situation on Tuesday, Falcons HC Arthur Smith shared the plan is for Desmond Ridder to open training camp as the starter. Smith also spoke about QB Taylor Heinicke, the former Commanders signal-caller who inked a two-year deal with the Falcons in free agency. "The chemistry in the quarterback room is important, as we expect Desmond to take the next step," said Smith. "But we also have [Heinicke] who can go in and win you football games and be ready to play." Reading between the lines a little bit, it sounds as though this could be a camp battle in which Heinicke would have an opportunity to win the job if Ridder slips. That said, we can't put too much stock into vague statements like this in late March. We'll surely have our attention on this situation should it evolve into something more into the summer. If nothing else, dynasty managers could consider throwing out some feelers to acquire Heinicke on the cheap in superflex leagues, but that's about all there is here.
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan stated on Tuesday that he anticipates having QBs Trey Lance and Sam Darnold split first-team reps in practice this offseason, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic. This comment comes on the heels of reports that QB Brock Purdy is the "leader of the clubhouse" in San Francisco, suggesting that Lance's standing on the depth chart is in serious jeopardy. Dynasty managers who roster Lance probably aren't feeling too great right now. There was always a level of understanding that Lance would be a developmental project, especially coming into the NFL with little starting experience at an FCS-level college program at North Dakota State. But now, two years into his career, Lance has four starts under his belt, a severe ankle injury on the mend, and Purdy seems poised to be the starter once he recovers from the elbow injury he sustained in the NFC title game vs. the Eagles. So it wouldn't be fair to characterize Lance as a bust. We don't have enough evidence to suggest he can't be a starter for an NFL team. What we do know, however, is that the odds of that team being the 49ers are beginning to dwindle. Those who feel confident in Lance's potential are looking at a solid buy-low window right now, but it would be best not to be super aggressive in trying to acquire him. We're into some pretty muddy waters with this situation. We'll be sure to keep an eye on this storyline as the spring and summer unfold.
New Panthers WR D.J. Chark had ankle surgery recently, HC Frank Reich said Tuesday. Reich added that Chark "could be ready for part of OTAs" but didn't provide any other details. We assume the surgery was on the troublesome ankle that Chark fractured back in September of 2021 and flared up last year, costing him 6 games. We'll keep an eye on his status over the next few months.
Saints HC Dennis Allen said Tuesday that WR Michael Thomas still isn't back to 100% after November surgery to repair a dislocated 2nd toe. Thomas is "getting closer" and should be ready to go at some point this offseason, Allen added. Thomas, of course, has managed to play in just 10 games over the past 3 seasons and turned 30 earlier this month. He's no better than a risk/reward WR3 selection in early best-ball drafts -- especially until we know that he's over that toe issue.
TE Irv Smith has agreed to a 1-year deal with the Bengals. The 50th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft posted a promising 36-311-2 line as a rookie -- but then missed 3 games in 2020, the entire 2021 season with a torn meniscus in his knee and then half of this past year with a high-ankle sprain. Smith was an intriguing prospect coming out of Alabama: a catch-first TE who broke out for 710 yards and 7 TDs on 16.1 yards per catch as a junior. And this is about as strong a landing spot as we could have hoped for. The Bengals are looking to replace TE Hayden Hurst, who averaged 5.5 targets, 4.2 catches and 36 yards across 15 healthy games last season (including playoffs). He ranked 18th among TEs in PPR points per game and 16th in expected PPR points per game. That's a fair expectation level for Smith. Consider him a TE2 with spike-week potential in early best-ball drafts.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh said Monday that WR Rashod Bateman "is in a great place" with his recovery from November surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury to his left foot. "He's healthy and going to be running in three weeks," Harbaugh added. It's noteworthy that Bateman still isn't back to 100% nearly 5 months post-surgery. But it sounds like he'll be available for at least part of the offseason program -- and should be ready to roll come training camp. Bateman has been relatively underwhelming through his first two NFL seasons but remains an upside prospect with a clear path to a big role in 2023.
Niners GM John Lynch on Monday called a healthy QB Brock Purdy "the leader in the clubhouse" for the team's starting job, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic. That stops short of anointing Purdy the starter once his repaired throwing arm is ready. But it's certainly not good for Trey Lance, just two years after the franchise traded quite a bit to move up and draft him third overall. Lynch said Purdy, Lance, and Sam Darnold will compete for the job. And perhaps 49ers leadership is trying to motivate Lance, ahead of his third NFL season. Even if that's the case, though, it wouldn't be a great sign if they think the 23-year-old (this May) needs such motivation. Lance remains a high-ceiling best ball pick in case he does win the job. And we'll see about Purdy's health this summer. But there's also high risk to rostering Lance in formats where you can't replace him once the season starts. Of course, Darnold arriving to Week 1 as the starter would be bad news for everyone.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson announced Monday that he requested a trade back at the beginning of March. That likely helps explain the lack of movement on the free agency front, with Jackson on the franchise tag but allowed to negotiate with other teams. Any franchise signing Jackson would have to surrender two first-round picks to Baltimore, so we can assume the Ravens' asking price would be greater than that. The returns on trades for both Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson were greater just last offseason -- and Jackson is (arguably?) a more valuable asset than either player. This situation doesn't seem close to resolution. We're still drafting Jackson at his mid-QB1 price in best ball drafts. But it might be a good idea to worry a little less about stacking him with Ravens pass catchers for the time being.
The Broncos signed WR Marquez Callaway to a one-year deal. He spent his first two NFL seasons under new Broncos HC Sean Payton in New Orleans, tallying 21-213-0 and 46-698-6 receiving lines. Callaway joins Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, and K.J. Hamler in Denver's WR room. Jeudy and Sutton have been bandied about as trade candidates (although Payton recently shot those rumors down), while Patrick (ACL) and Hamler (pectoral) are rehabbing major injuries. There's a chance that opportunity opens up for Callaway in Denver, although we'd still consider him no more than a last-round flier in best-ball drafts for now.
Bills HC Sean McDermott admitted that the number of hits QB Josh Allen takes makes him nervous. "I don't think that's a healthy way to play QB in this league and it's undefeated that things are going to happen when you play that style, brand of football," McDermott said. "We have to get that adjusted and it's never going to go completely away, but it has to get where it's workable. ... He's one of the best in the league and I don't want to take his personality away from him ... but there needs to be an adjustment in that style of play." Allen, of course, has been one of the most effective running QBs since entering the league five years ago. He's averaged 5.7 yards per carry and leads his position with 38 rushing TDs over that span. Allen has averaged between 3.5 and 4.5 designed rushing attempts per game in all five of his NFL seasons, ranking among the top five QBs in total designed rushing attempts in all five. Perhaps Buffalo scales that number back a bit going forward. But we'd be surprised if Allen's rushing volume took a significant hit. It's simply too big a part of his game -- and too big a part of the Bills' offense.
Broncos QB Russell Wilson underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee earlier this offseason, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The procedure addressed an issue "that had nagged [Wilson] for a few seasons," per Rapoport. Wilson has already resumed training since the surgery and is expected to be available for OTAs. We'll keep an eye on him the rest of the offseason, but it doesn't sound like this news will impact Wilson's 2023 campaign. The 34-year-old has missed five games over the last two years after playing in 144 straight regular-season games to open his career.
The Browns signed WR Marquise Goodwin to a one-year deal. He's coming off a 387-yard, four-TD season in Seattle -- which was actually his most productive since 2018. Goodwin adds speed to Cleveland's WR corps but won't be higher than fourth on the totem pole behind Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, and Donovan Peoples-Jones.
Broncos HC Sean Payton tells NFL Network's Tom Pelissero that people shouldn't buy into the trade rumors surrounding WR Jerry Jeudy or WR Courtland Sutton. "We're not trading those two players," Payton said. We could simply take the coach at his word. Of course, these rumors have been swirling for a while now, with no Broncos leadership previously swatting them down. If you're doing best ball drafts right now, then you should treat Jeudy and Sutton as though they'll be in Denver this season. That said, we had no idea a year ago at this time that A.J. Brown and Marquise Brown were about to get traded on Night 1 of the NFL Draft. A month ago, we had no idea that D.J. Moore was about to move to Chicago. So be wary of treating any NFL team decision maker as though he's telling the full truth over the next five weeks.
The Seahawks have agreed to a one-year, $7 million deal with LB Bobby Wagner, according to multiple reports. This is a high-upside landing spot for Wagner, who became a cap casualty just a year after signing in free agency with the Rams. He returns to a Seattle LB corps that let starter Cody Barton walk in free agency. Incumbent Jordyn Brooks is coming off a Week 17 ACL tear, which could challenge his readiness for the start of the 2023 NFL season. That all means Wagner could open the year as the Seahawks top fantasy LB, with upside well into the position's top 10. We'll keep an eye on the whole situation through the summer.
The Panthers agreed to a one-year deal with WR D.J. Chark. The 26-year-old missed six games in the first half of last season with ankle trouble but made some noise in the second half, averaging 57.7 yards on 17.6 yards per catch over the final seven games. Chark ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash at the 2018 Combine and is averaging 14.4 yards per catch through five NFL seasons. He adds much-needed juice to a Panthers WR corps that added WR Adam Thielen last week. Those two are the current favorites to open the season as Carolina's top two WRs -- although don't count out WR Terrace Marshall. The Panthers, of course, are expected to select their starting QB with the first pick of next month's draft.
The Ravens signed WR Nelson Agholor to a 1-year, $3.25 million deal. It's an uninspiring addition for a team that's made a habit of making uninspiring moves at WR. Agholor has yet to reach 900 yards across 8 NFL seasons and averaged just 26.9 receiving yards per game in New England over the past 2 years. He joins Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay and James Proche in Baltimore's WR room for the time being. Hopefully the Ravens aren't done addressing the position.
Broncos WR K.J. Hamler recently underwent surgery to repair a partially torn pectoral he suffered while training, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Hamler is expected to be sidelined for four to six months, which means he'll miss the entire offseason program and potentially training camp. It's just another setback for a guy who's piled up a lengthy injury history. Hamler is off the redraft radar at this point -- and his dynasty value is fading fast.
The Giants are signing WR Jamison Crowder to a 1-year deal, according to CBS Sports' Josina Anderson. The G-Men continue to stockpile slot receivers, with Crowder joining Parris Campbell, Wan'Dale Robinson and Sterling Shepard as options on the inside. We'll see about the details of Crowder's contract, but he's probably not even a lock to make the final roster. Turning 30 in June, Crowder caught 6 balls in 4 games for the Bills last year, missing the rest of the season with an ankle injury.
The Jaguars signed RB D'Ernest Johnson to a one-year deal. Johnson was excellent in a trio of spot starts back in 2021, posting 22-146-1, 19-99-0, and 25-123-1 rushing lines. He led all 50 qualifying RBs in 2021 Pro Football Focus rushing grades. Johnson got on the field for just 35 offensive snaps this past season, though, with both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt healthy. Johnson now joins JaMycal Hasty behind Travis Etienne in Jacksonville's backfield. Neither guy is likely to have standalone fantasy value. But, if Etienne misses time, we'd expect Johnson to lead in carries, with Hasty handling passing-down work.
Free-agent TE Foster Moreau announced Wednesday that a "routine physical" during a visit to New Orleans discovered Hodgkin's lymphoma. Moreau says he's "stepping away from football at this time to fight" cancer. Bet on the soon-to-be 26-year-old missing at least the coming NFL season. We'll see how the treatment goes beyond that.
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