The Jets are releasing veteran RB Tevin Coleman. You might have forgotten he was still on the team, with all backfield talk focusing on Breece Hall and Michael Carter, but Coleman ranked 2nd on the team last year in both total carries and carries per game.
The Cowboys are releasing K Brett Maher, but Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports that the expect to re-sign him pretty quickly. The move is reportedly being made to allow for other roster moves in setting the initial 53-man roster. So Maher still looks like Dallas' Week 1 kicker.
The Colts are taking LB Shaquille Leonard of the PUP list, according to multiple reports. We'll see what the team says about just when we should expect Leonard to return to the field, but this is obviously good news. It means Indy at least expects its defensive stud to be ready inside the 1st 4 games. Leonard has missed all of training camp and the preseason while recovering from June back surgery.
The Buccaneers are releasing S Logan Ryan, but multiple reports say they expect to re-sign him. Tampa needs a spot on the regular-season roster for C Ryan Jensen so they can put him on IR but with eligibility to return during the year. Because Ryan is a veteran, he's not subject to waivers and can thus choose to wait and re-sign with the team. We'll watch to confirm, but we're expecting Ryan to return and start for the Bucs.
Giants TE Daniel Bellinger practiced on Tuesday, according to insider Art Stapleton. Bellinger left the preseason finale to get checked for a concussion, but he was either cleared then or passed through the protocol already. The rookie remains in line to open the season as New York's lead TE.
The Texans released RB Marlon Mack. If you needed confirmation that Dameon Pierce will open the season as Houston's lead back, here you go. Mack simply hasn't been the same player since tearing his Achilles in September of 2020. We'll see if the 26-year-old gets a shot elsewhere, but he's well off the fantasy radar for now.
The Colts released RB Ty'Son Williams. That comes on the same day the team dumped RB Phillip Lindsay. It leaves Deon Jackson as the only RB on the roster behind Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines.
The Saints are trading DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to the Eagles for a 5th-round pick in 2023 and a 6th-rounder in 2024. On the same day, Philly released starting S Anthony Harris. That points to Gardner-Johnson -- who played a lot of slot CB in New Orleans -- lining up next to Marcus Epps as a safety in the Philadelphia defense. CGJ immediately gains IDP value as likely a full-time player for his new team. He was near that level with the Saints but figures to get a slight boost. Gardner-Johnson also might carry a CB designation in leagues that split DBs by position, which makes him worth particular attention there.
Commanders RB Brian Robinson was released from the hospital on Monday -- just 1 day after being shot in the glute and lower leg. The rookie is set to meet with team doctors on Tuesday, according to ESPN's John Keim. We'll see if we get a timeline for Robinson's return, but the news on his status has been more positive than we expected. Washington reportedly expects Robinson to play this season. He's still worth considering late in fantasy drafts.
The Colts released RB Phillip Lindsay. It's a slightly surprising move and leaves RB Ty'Son Williams as the #3 RB behind Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines. We'll see if the Colts make another move at the position.
RB Kenyan Drake is signing with the Ravens, according to insider Jordan Schultz. Drake was dumped by HC Josh McDaniels and the new Raiders regime a little over a week ago. He turns 29 in January and, while he remained effective as a pass catcher last year, he averaged just 4.0 yards per carry and ranked 42nd among 77 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus' rushing grades. Drake is an insurance policy for a Ravens team still waiting for RBs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards to get over their 2021 knee injuries. We'll see whether Dobbins is ready for Week 1. If not, the Ravens figure to roll with Drake and Mike Davis.
The Buccaneers are releasing WR Tyler Johnson, according to multiple reports. The 3rd-year wideout looks good enough to land on a roster somewhere but lost out to a loaded WR corps in Tampa. A release instead of a trade, though, could indicate limited interest around the league.
The Chiefs are releasing WR Josh Gordon, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. Gordon, now 31, remains well off the redraft radar and is cuttable from dynasty rosters.
Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star reports that the Chiefs will not cut RB Ronald Jones, adding that Jones "played his way on the roster in the last preseason game." We'll watch for official confirmation, but it looks like Jones will hit the season as K.C.'s RB4.
The Bills are releasing TE O.J. Howard, according to multiple reports. This might be the end of NFL relevance for the once-promising former 1st-round pick who dealt with multiple significant injuries through his 5 years with the Bucs. Howard signed a 1-year deal with Buffalo this offseason but has been working behind lesser-known TEs throughout the preseason.
When asked Monday if rookie WR Drake London will be ready for the regular-season opener, Falcons HC Arthur Smith said, "I feel good about where he's at, but I'm not going to make a prediction," according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. London hasn't practiced since Aug. 12 because of a knee issue. It sounds like we'll have to wait until next week's practices leading up to the opener to find out whether London will play Week 1. Even if he's ready to go, it would be risky to toss the rookie into opening-week lineups. He still presents plenty of full-season fantasy football upside from his WR4-level ADP, though.
Giants HC Brian Daboll stirred murmurs this week over the roster status of WR Kenny Golladay. Asked whether the wideout's roster spot was secure, Daboll answered by saying all the receivers were "competing." He sounded different Monday, according to the team website: “He’s done a good job with what we’ve asked him to do. He’s competed, and he’s played multiple spots for us. He’s continuing to learn our offense. I think he’s done a good job of learning it." Golladay's contract has kept him from being a cut candidate, so we're not taking this as anything more than coachspeak. Golladay has looked bad in a pass offense that has looked shaky-to-poor overall. He should not factor prominently into anyone's fantasy football plans.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Bills are releasing RB Duke Johnson. This comes as no shock, with Devin Singletary, James Cook and Zack Moss emerging as the clear top 3 in the backfield. Schefter adds that Buffalo is interested in stashing Johnson on the practice squad if he doesn't sign elsewhere.
Bills S Jordan Poyer returned over the weekend after missing nearly a month with an elbow injury. According to Katherine Fitzgerald of the Buffalo News, he expects to be ready to play in the regular-season opener, "as long as there's no setbacks." Poyer still has a little more than a week to knock off any rust. We'll see whether Buffalo indicates any limitation on his Week 1 playing time.
Ted Nguyen of The Athletic believes Falcons rookie QB Desmond Ridder is "mentally ready to handle being an NFL starter." Nguyen calls Ridder "a poised, polished prospect who played in a Cincinnati offense that utilizes many drop back concepts that translate to the pro game." He lauded Ridder's reading of defenses and decisive downfield throws in the preseason. Nguyen also acknowledged that the Falcons "seem set" on starting QB Marcus Mariota in Week 1. And it's worth noting that the veteran finished the preseason with the highest Pro Football Focus passing grade in the league (albeit on just 12 attempts across 15 dropbacks). Unless Mariota has the team surprisingly in contention, though, it would make sense for the Falcons to give Ridder a shot this season to see if he can be the future or if they need to pursue a 1st-round QB next April.
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