The Chiefs are re-signing RB Jerick McKinnon to a 1-year deal, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports. We'll see what kind of money is involved here, but it's at least noteworthy that Kansas City let McKinnon toil on the open market for about 3 months. McKinnon came up big for the Chiefs in the playoffs, carrying 34 times for 150 yards and catching 14 of 17 targets for 165 yards and a score. RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire was limited during that stretch coming off a shoulder injury, though. And McKinnon totaled just 12 carries and 20 targets during the regular season. We'll see how this backfield shakes out this summer between Edwards-Helaire, McKinnon and Ronald Jones.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson reported to mandatory minicamp on Monday. This was always the expectation, but Jackson, 25, remains without a long-term extension. According to PFT’s Myles Simmons, Jackson “has not yet engaged the club in meaningful contract talks.” Note that the QB is representing himself in contract negotiations.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Commanders WR Terry McLaurin plans to miss this week's mandatory minicamp. The 4th-year wideout is looking for a new contract, as he heads into the final year of his rookie deal. Beyond the fine that will come with holding out, McLaurin will be missing practice time with new QB Carson Wentz. His absence will also afford extra reps for WRs such as rookie Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel and Cam Sims. We'll see how this situation develops. For now, we're not adjusting our outlook for McLaurin -- who just might be getting the best QB of his career to date.
Jaguars DC Mike Caldwell says #1 overall pick Travon Walker will play OLB in the team's new defense, according to John Reid of the Florida Times-Union. "I think his best position is outside linebacker because of his length, his athletic ability going against tackles," Caldwell said. "That is a premium position in this defense. He can play other positions, but his home for us is outside linebacker, where we see him being a force." The knee-jerk response might be to question why Jacksonville would play the 275-pounder at LB rather than DE. But in highlighting Walker's matchup with OTs, Caldwell signals that this will be more of an EDGE position than a traditional off-ball LB. We'll see how it plays out, of course, but we'd bet on Walker looking more like Von Miller did for Denver early in his career or Micah Parsons for last year's Cowboys -- in terms of how he's deployed. That said, we remain hesitant to count on Walker for big numbers. Playing LB will also limit his fantasy value on sites that still rely on traditional LB/DE splits with their position designations.
Saints HC Dennis Allen said WR Michael Thomas is making "significant progress" in his recovery from his lingering ankle injury. “I’m good with where
Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker is sidelined with a hamstring injury, HC Pete Carroll said. It's unclear when the rookie will get back on the field. No reason to panic at this point, but we'll keep a close eye on Walker when training camp opens next month.
Seahawks RB Chris Carson admits that he has "no timeline" for return from his November neck surgery. “Not trying to rush it, I’m just trying to take it one day at a time,” Carson said. “Just keep rehabbing, keep getting better. Keep building strength and then go from there." The Seahawks re-signed RB Rashaad Penny and drafted RB Kenneth Walker this offseason, so they're not banking on having Carson available this season. He's nothing more than a late-round flier in early fantasy drafts.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss believes “there is potential for significant improvement in the deep passing game” for the Patriots this season. It appears Reiss bases this opinion primarily on how the deep-passing game has looked in early workouts. There’s certainly room for improvement. QB Mac Jones ranked just 26th among 31 qualifiers in deep-ball completion rate, according to ESPN Stats. He checked in above-average in on-target rate on downfield passes. In addition to more experience for the young QB and another off-season with his pass-catchers, New England added WR DeVante Parker via trade and speedy WR Tyquan Thornton in the 2nd round of the draft. Increasing his deep-ball production would be especially valuable for Jones, because he lacks rushing production and New England doesn’t figure to be a high-volume passing offense
Panthers WR Robby Anderson tweeted Saturday that he's “thinking bout retiring.” Well, that came out of left field. Anderson, 29, was the subject of offseason trade rumors. But we expected him to open the season as the WR2 behind DJ Moore. Carolina opens its mandatory minicamp on the 14th, so we’ll learn more then. Should Anderson actually retire, Terrace Marshall's stock would get a considerable boost.
UPDATE: Anderson deleted the tweet on Saturday afternoon.
Panthers beat writer Ellis L. Williams believes new OC Ben McAdoo’s “up-tempo and quick-release concepts” should add YAC opportunities for WR DJ Moore. Williams envisions Moore thriving on quick-hitters and downfield routes, similar to how a young Odell Beckham excelled with McAdoo in New York. “It’s long and it’s treacherous, but it’s built for the NFL,” Moore said regarding McAdoo’s playbook. “The playbook is long, like some of the verbiage is long. You just got to be able to study and comprehended. But it worked when he was calling it in New York and all the places that he’d been.” Improved QB play will remain the key to unlocking Moore’s upside. Entering year 5, he’s never topped 4 TDs in a single season.
Steelers beat writer Chris Adamski writes that the #2 RB job is “wide open” between Anthony McFarland, Benny Snell and UDFAs Jaylen Warren and Mataeo Durant. “I’ve had a lot of setbacks, but I’ve learned a lot,” McFarland said. “Coming into Year 3, I’m feeling more comfortable and understanding what it is that I want my role to be to help the team out. I know there is a lot of doubt in my game. That’s what happens when you haven’t stepped on the field and showed much. But that’s what makes me hungry.” Veteran status makes McFarland and Snell the early favorites. But it’s quite possible Pittsburgh adds talent to the backfield this summer.
According to Nate Taylor of The Athletic, there is an "already strong connection that is growing between [Patrick] Mahomes and [Marquez] Valdes-Scantling." The wideout, of course, signed a 3-year deal with Kansas City this offseason that's basically a 2-year pact with an option for Year 3. He's competing with fellow free-agent addition JuJu Smith-Schuster and rookie Skyy Moore for roles in the wake of Tyreek Hill's trade to Miami. HC Andy Reid seems to like what he's seeing so far: “He’s a big kid, but he’s got really good flexibility. He can change directions and he’s got that speed, which we all knew he had. He’s able to work some of the primary underneath routes that he maybe didn’t do quite as much in Green Bay because of who they had there. I’ve been pleased with how he goes about his business. He’s doing a nice job.” The shorter routes could be key. MVS was almost strictly a downfield operator in Green Bay, consistently ranking among the league leaders in average depth of target. If he can add more short-to-mid range looks, though, Valdes-Scantling could draw more consistent targets and become easier to insert into weekly fantasy lineups. We'll keep watching this situation. He's at least intriguing as the 3rd Kansas City WR in ADP on both Underdog and FFPC.
New Buccaneers WR Russell Gage has missed OTAs and minicamp will dealing with an injury that Pewter Report describes as "minor" and "unknown." QB Tom Brady says the team needs him to get on the field as soon as possible. “[He needs] a lot of work,” Brady said Thursday. “He has to have a big year. We signed him to a contract and he has to come in and do a great job. From the time I spent with him, I really enjoyed it. He’s got a great opportunity. That is very important role." Gage faces enviable opportunity, especially with WR Chris Godwin coming off a December ACL tear. We'll monitor the injury situation but don't expect it to affect his training-camp readiness. Gage reportedly has gotten some pre-practice work in with Brady already.
Let's start with HC Pete Carroll's full quote on the Geno Smith-Drew Lock competition after Thursday's practice (per Liz Matthews of Seahawks Wire: “Geno’s still ahead, you can tell that, but it’s not going to be too much for Drew to be caught up. By the time we get through camp he’ll be there. He’s really bright. It makes sense to him. He’s really sharp in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage and all of that. So it’s just time that he needs, and there’s nothing we can do but gain some more of that.” You could easily read that and come away with the headline that Smith is the leader in the race for the starting gig. It sure seems like Carroll is expecting (hoping?) Lock to catch up and potentially overtake him, though. Carroll added that "it's gonna be a real battle." It's not surprising that the incumbent stands ahead at this early stage. We'd still bet Lock between them as the Week 1 starter, though. And we also still wouldn't rule out the possibility of the team adding someone else, such as Baker Mayfield.
Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow has agreed to a 2-year, $32 million extension, including $21 million guaranteed. That locks Renfrow in with the team through 2024. The commitment confirms that we should expect Renfrow to remain central to the passing offense under new HC Josh McDaniels. Of course, there's still the matter of Davante Adams arriving to a group that also continues to feature TE Darren Waller. So the specific target distribution remains to be seen. But there's room for Renfrow to produce at a WR3 level in PPR formats.
Lions HC Dan Campbell doesn't expect 1st-round WR Jameson Williams to be on the field for the start of camp. "I don't see him being ready for training camp," Campbell told reporters this week. "We'll see then. I'm very hopeful, but I don't see it. We're going to do this thing the right way, and when he's ready, he'll be ready. I don't feel like you're going to see him out there Day 1." That makes sense and falls in line with recent word that Williams is no lock to begin the regular season on time. "He needs a lot of strength development in that body, his lower extremities, his legs, his knees, his everything," Campbell added. The Lions have reason to be cautious with Williams this season, and cautious definitely seems like the ideal way to approach to the rookie's fantasy outlook.
NFL Network's Peter Schrager is hearing from 49ers players that QB Trey Lance has been "awesome this offseason." Reports on Lance's progress were lukewarm at best early this offseason, but it sounds like he's building momentum. "Everything I'm hearing out of the Bay Area is that there has been major strides heading into year number two. Jimmy [Garoppolo]'s not there, and he's kind of been off the radar. Trey Lance is [there]. I'm getting more and more of a feeling this is Trey Lance's team, and he's ready to go." With elite rushing ability and a strong group of pass-catchers in Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle, Lance carries a lofty fantasy ceiling in 2022.
Rams QB Matt Stafford likes what he's seen from WR Allen Robinson so far this offseason. "I've been very, very impressed with his ability to grasp our offense, his role in our offense," Stafford said. "His understanding even when he might miss something or mess something up, the reason is so sound on why he did something." Robinson is coming off an ugly 2021 but is in a prime bounce-back spot with a clear path to #2 WR duties in a strong Rams offense.
Rams QB Matt Stafford said Wednesday that he'll "definitely" be throwing by training camp, per ESPN's Sarah Barshop. Stafford hasn't thrown during the offseason program so far after receiving an injection in his right elbow after the Super Bowl. "I'm progressing kind of into that and through [being able to throw] at the moment," Stafford said. "So I'm just trying to make sure we're smart, but at the same [time] be as ready to go as I can possibly be come Day 1 when we're out there throwing the ball around." Stafford's health will certainly be worth monitoring as we get into August.
The Rams and WR Cooper Kupp have agreed to a 3-year, $78.5 million contract extension with $75 million of that guaranteed. Tacked on to his previous deal, he's now signed for the next 5 seasons at $110 million, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. It makes Kupp the league's 4th-highest-paid WR in terms of average annual salary, behind Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and DeAndre Hopkins. Kupp, of course, is coming off a massive 2021 season that saw him score 93 more PPR points than any other WR. He'll remain the focal point of the Rams' passing game in 2022 -- and likely beyond. This extension solidifies Kupp's spot in the Dynasty WR Rankings.
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