NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Bears LB Roquan Smith plans to hold out at the start of training camp. Smith is heading into the final year of his rookie contract and reportedly "has not yet received an offer he would remotely consider" on an extension. We're not adjusting our IDP projections on this but will certainly be watching Smith's status during camp.
The Bucs are "cautiously optimistic" that WR Chris Godwin (knee) will be ready for Week 1, insider Greg Auman said on SiriusXM radio Monday. "But the Bucs aren't set on him being ready just yet," Auman added. Godwin tore his right ACL and MCL on December 19 and had surgery on January 3. Week 1 is just a little more than 8 months after that surgery, which would be an extremely aggressive timeline. We'll continue to monitor Godwin's progress but still aren't projecting him to be ready for the opener. That said, there's still plenty of upside on him at his 6th-round ADP in recent FFPC drafts.
Rams HC Sean McVay said Sunday that RB Kyren Williams (foot) is expected to be cleared before the end of the preseason. The rookie opened camp on the PUP list after breaking his foot in late May. Williams is a long shot for early-season fantasy value and would likely need a Cam Akers or Darrell Henderson injury to hit the fantasy radar this year.
Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert (knee) said via Twitter on Monday that he's been medically cleared. It was surely in response to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques' report earlier in the day that Mostert "might not be ready for Week 1." We'll keep an eye on Mostert's health -- and role in this offense -- over the next few weeks.
Chiefs WR Skyy Moore was on the field for the start of training camp on Sunday. The rookie missed most of the offseason program with a left hamstring strain, but that looks to be a non-issue now. Moore is battling for snaps with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Mecole Hardman in Kansas City's remade WR corps.
Jaguars RB James Robinson (Achilles) will not be placed on the PUP list to open training camp, HC Doug Pederson said. That makes Robinson ineligible for the reserve PUP, which means Jacksonville believes he'll be available before Week 5. Robinson is just about 7 months removed from tearing his left Achilles. We're still not excited about his 2022 fantasy outlook, but his surprisingly fast recovery from this injury is at least a slight concern for folks hoping for a Travis Etienne breakout this season.
Rams HC Sean McVay said Sunday that QB Matt Stafford (elbow) will be on a "pitch count' in training camp. Stafford didn't throw at all in OTAs or minicamp after receiving an injection in his right elbow after the Super Bowl. “Definitely knocking some rust off and feeling it again,” Stafford said. “It’s good to get out there and stress it a little bit and see how it reacts. It’s an interesting thing trying to have a little bit of governor on there, and at the same time, just trying to be as smart as I can. It’s a process. Just going to have to sit there and work through it, trust it. We’ll figure it out as we go.” Stafford and the Rams continue to downplay the situation, but we're always on alert when we hear that a QB is dealing with an issue with his throwing arm. We'll continue to keep a close eye on on Stafford.
Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert (knee) "might not be ready for Week 1," according to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques, because he's "still recovering from a late-season knee injury." That's news to us. Mostert had surgery in September to address a knee cartilage issue, but there had been no reports of a "late-season" injury. The 30-year-old has played in just 9 games over the past 2 seasons and is tough to like as more than a late-round flier in fantasy drafts. Dolphins RBs Chase Edmonds and Sony Michel are more attractive picks. We'll keep an eye on Mostert's status leading up to the opener.
After announcing Friday that CB Jalen Ramsey would start training camp on the PUP, the Rams changed their mind Sunday. “We ended up not putting Ramsey on the PUP as a result of doctors cleared him in a limited fashion that enables him to participate in a lot of the jog throughs — the above the neck stuff, and to be able to have him out here with his teammates with all the different things that we ask of him,” HC Sean McVay said Sunday, per Pro Football Talk. That sounds like Ramsey isn't quite all the way back from his June shoulder surgery. But he's likely close enough that we can assume he'll be ready for the regular-season opener.
Lions WR Jameson Williams (knee) has been placed on the non-football injury list. He gets that designation, rather than PUP, because his injury happened before he was drafted. Recovering from a January ACL tear, Williams isn't expected to be ready for Week 1 and probably won't be a real factor before the 2nd half of the season.
There's "no firm timeline" on a decision from the NFL on a suspension for Saints RB Alvin Kamara, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The situation "remains under league review and the NFL is monitoring all legal developments, including his Aug. 1 court date," Fowler adds. The league usually waits for the legal process to play out before making its own decision on a suspension. In this case, that might not be until 2023, leaving a chance that Kamara is eligible to play this entire season. We'll continue to keep you updated on the situation. We like the current risk/reward equation on Kamara at his 3rd-round price tag.
Texans WR John Metchie has been diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. "I am currently receiving great medical care, am in good spirits and I expect to make a recovery at a later point in time," Metchie said in a statement. "As a result of this diagnosis, I will likely not be playing football this season. My main focus will be on my health and recovery." We'll keep tabs on Metchie and wish him the best in his recovery. The 2nd-round rookie projected as Houston's slot receiver once recovered from his torn ACL. The Texans are now left with WRs Chris Conley, Phillip Dorsett and Chris Moore behind Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins. TE Brevin Jordan might also benefit from Metchie's absence.
According to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Reuben Frank, Eagles RB Miles Sanders has decreased his negative rushing plays each season. After seeing 22.9% of his carries go for no gain or a loss in his rookie season, Sanders cut that rate to 20.1% in 2020 and then just 13.9% last season. That decline has coincided with Sanders' rushing average climbing from 4.6 yards per carry in his rookie year to 5.3 and then 5.5. The 4th-year back faces workload challenges but also should lead Philly's backfield in carries and total touches. He carries attractive upside outside the top 24 RBs in ADP.
The Bills opened training camp Sunday morning with WR Isaiah McKenzie running in the slot with the 1st team, according to Aaron Quinn of the Cover 1 Buffalo podcast. Veteran free-agent addition Jamison Crowder, meanwhile, was splitting 2nd-team reps with rookie Khalil Shakir. It could just be the Bills leaning toward the incumbent to open camp, but the Buffalo News also called McKenzie the "slight favorite" to win the starting slot gig earlier in the week. The Bills added Crowder on just a 1-year, $2 million contract -- far from starter money for a WR. We'll keep watching this competition through the summer. It looks like we should at least consider McKenzie the leader for now, though.
The Bengals on Saturday placed RB Samaje Perine on the training camp PUP list. The team didn't reveal his injury, and a player can come off the camp PUP at any point. But it certainly doesn't help him in his competition with Chris Evans to serve as the team's #2 RB. We'll be watching that battle throughout camp.
The Colts have placed LB Darius Leonard on the PUP list to open training camp. It's not a surprise. Leonard had back surgery in early June, and it was reported at the time that he'd miss some of camp. Lingering trouble with the ankle that has been bothering Leonard since before last season started might be the bigger concern, though. We'll see how long the star remains on the PUP list, from which the team can activate him at any time. If Leonard winds up on the regular-season PUP list, he'd have to miss at least 4 games. To date, we haven't seen that reported as a possibility. The Colts also placed S Rodney McLeod (undisclosed) and DE Tyquan Lewis (knee) on the PUP ahead of camp starting.
The Lions re-signed LB Alex Anzalone this offseason and opened spring workouts with him and 2nd-year LB Derrick Barnes as starters. LBs coach Kelvin Sheppard says no one's job is "safe," though. "[Anzalone] has the most time-on-task in my room, but that doesn't designate him the starter," Sheppard tells PrideofDetroit.com. "The things we did last year are not acceptable ... so don't tell me about what a guy did last year." Detroit also added Chris Board and 6th-round rookie Malcolm Rodriguez, brought back former Lion (and 1-year Jet) Jarrad Davis, and got Shaun Dion Hamilton back from a full year spent on IR. In the same interview, Sheppard had praise for Barnes ("The sky's the limit for him."), Board ("He has a unique skill set."), Anthony Pittman ("putting on a clinic so far") and Rodriguez ("It's arrows up on him."). Sheppard added that Rodriguez has already showed the potential to call the defensive plays, which would mean wearing the green dot and likely staying on the field 3 downs. The whole situation will need to play out in camp and preseason, and we're not ready to invest in any of them. Barnes and Rodriguez look most intriguing as dynasty stashes and late-round dart throws in IDP fantasy football leagues.
ESPN's Mike Reiss highlights Patriots rookie RB Pierre Strong Jr. as a potential replacement for James White's passing-game usage if the veteran's hip doesn't allow him to begin the regular season on time. Strong's HC at South Dakota State called the RB's receiving "his greatest strength" and also lauded his ability as a pass protector. Strong also posted strong rushing numbers, including career highs of 1,686 yards and 240 carries (7.0 per rush) in his final season for the Jackrabbits. He then led all RBs at the Scouting Combine with a 4.37-second 40 at 5'11, 207 pounds. New England sports Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson as primary rushers, with 6th-round rookie Kevin Harris joining the mix there. Strong's primary competition for a "3rd-down" role, though, looks like J.J. Taylor and Ty Montgomery -- if White's not ready. New England tends to lean away from giving significant work to rookie RBs but had Stevenson ranking 2nd on the team in touches and total opportunities as a rookie just last year. Strong is interesting as an end-of-draft consideration for fantasy. He'll get more interesting the longer White stays on the PUP list.
Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports that Rams WR Van Jefferson is back to 100% after "minor" knee surgery early in the offseason. We hadn't seen anything previously about the knee procedure. Jefferson turned up questionable for the NFC title game with a knee issue but saw full playing time in each of the final 3 playoff contests. It doesn't sound like we need to worry about this for Jefferson's 2022 outlook.
Chiefs WR Justyn Ross had surgery recently to "correct" a previous operation he had on a foot that he initially injured back in November. "It's going to take time," HC Andy Reid said Friday, according to Pete Sweeney of Arrowhead Pride. Expect the rookie to begin training camp on the PUP list. We're not betting on significant contributions from Ross this season. The undrafted rookie has some long-term upside but also comes with significant injury baggage. Just make sure you don't over-commit.
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