SI's Grant Cohn reports that 49ers TE George Kittle has caught just 2 passes through 5 days of camp. "Instead they're using him as a blocker and a decoy while they call passes for Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Ross Dwelley," Cohn writes. That does seem odd given the financial commitment to Kittle. We'll go ahead and give HC Kyle Shanahan the benefit of the doubt and assume he has not converted Kittle to decoy/blocker. But Kittle's early-round draft position makes this situation worth keeping an eye on -- especially given that San Francisco is bringing along a rookie QB. It's tough to imagine the Niners getting too cute just to try to hide that they like Kittle.
Jets WR Elijah Moore has been "unstoppable" through the first week of camp, according to The New York Daily News' DJ Bien-Aime. The rookie has been playing both outside and in the slot. "At this rate, there’s no way the Jets can keep him out of the starting lineup as he has done nothing but create big plays," Bien-Aime adds. It's a continuation of what was reportedly a dominant spring from Moore. We'll see exactly how New York's WR corps shakes out (Corey Davis is the only guy with a starting spot locked up), but Moore is certainly worth a shot at his 13th-round ADP.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor has been an "active and able receiver" in training camp so far, catching a team-leading 6 passes in 11-on-11 work, according to The Indy Star's Joel Erickson. Target volume is the biggest question for Taylor heading into 2021. Even during his 6-game hot stretch to close last season, he averaged just 2.7 targets and 2 catches per game. RB Nyheim Hines returns after leading all RBs in Pro Football Focus receiving grade last year, so it's possible that Taylor's role in the passing game doesn't grow. It's at least encouraging to hear that he's been busy as a receiver in camp. We'll see if that carries over into the preseason.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne has been busy and effective in the passing game early in camp, according to Sports Illustrated's John Shipley. The rookie "has shown terrific hands and burst after the catch," Shipley adds. It's still unclear how carries will be divvied in Jacksonville between Etienne and James Robinson. But Etienne is the clear favorite to lead the way in targets after catching 85 balls over his final 2 seasons at Clemson.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen confirms that Colts QB Carson Wentz (foot) has not been ruled out for Week 1. The short end of the 5-12 week timetable we got for Wentz would put him back on the field about a week before the opener. Mortensen does add, though, that Wentz playing Week 1 is "optimistic." He's set to begin his rehab in 2 weeks, so we should start to get a better idea of his status after that. Fantasy drafters should still be working under the assumption that Wentz will not be available for the start of the season.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Bears QB Andy Dalton has taken every 1st-team rep in training camp. “I have a ton of experience, I’ve seen so much in this game, in this league,” Dalton said via SI. “I’m trying to help him [Justin Fields] out as much as I can, but also, I’m not worried about what he’s doing. I’m worried about what I’m doing, and how I’m gonna help this team win games. Now, there are times when he’ll take a rep and I’ll see something and I can help along the way. But at the end of the day, I’m not focused on Justin. I’m focused on me and what I can do to help this team win.” As expected, Fields has handled all 2nd-team reps ahead of Nick Foles. And according to Breer, HC Matt Nagy’s plan is to play Fields “a lot” in the preseason. That’ll at least give the rookie a chance to close the gap.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce returned to practice on Monday. He missed 4 days with what the team called back and hip tightness. We'll keep an eye on him, but consider Kelce's fantasy stock unaffected.
Colts QB Carson Wentz will undergo foot surgery and is expected to be out 5-12 weeks, HC Frank Reich announced Monday. Wentz's injury reportedly dates back to high school, but a broken bone recently came loose and is causing pain. The surgery will remove that piece of bone. The timeline is wide-ranging and would have Wentz back anywhere between early September and late October. That means Wentz has an outside chance to be ready for Week 1 -- or could be out for about half the season. We'll be on the lookout for updates on his surgery and rehab. But at this point, Wentz isn't worth drafting in lineup-setting leagues and should be considered just a QB3 in best ball. His situation also adds risk to Indianapolis' skill-position players, namely RB Jonathan Taylor and WRs Michael Pittman, T.Y. Hilton and Parris Campbell.
Update: Reich added that he expects to have a better idea of Wentz's return date in about 2-3 weeks.
Eagles WR DeVonta Smith is expected to be out 2-3 weeks with a sprained MCL, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Even the long end of that timetable would have Smith back well before the start of the regular season. But the rookie will miss valuable training camp reps and seems unlikely to play in the preseason. That could mean that he gets off to a slow start this year. We'll see how he fares when he gets back on the field.
Dolphins WR DeVante Parker was activated from the PUP list and practiced on Monday. He ends up missing less than a week with his undislosed injury. Durability remains a concern with Parker, but he's healthy for now. And a healthy Parker should be locked into a top-3 WR role in Miami.
Washington HC Ron Rivera said Monday that RB Antonio Gibson has "bounced back" from his turf toe injury. Gibson was still bothered by that 2020 injury this spring but "looks good so far" in camp, according to Rivera. We'll continue to keep an eye on Gibson's health -- but the toe isn't impacting his spot in the RB rankings.
Ravens WR Marquise Brown is sidelined with a hamstring injury. HC John Harbaugh said it's "a little more serious" than he was told initially. We'll see exactly how serious and how long Brown is out. Rookie WR Rashod Bateman also missed Monday's practice with what Harbaugh called "muscle tightness." Sammy Watkins has been Baltimore's best WR in camp so far according to multiple sources.
SI Chargers reporter Fernando Ramirez says Chargers coaches believe Mike Williams "is a WR that corners can't cover ... and they feel a big breakout is coming this season," according to NFL.com's Michael Florio. We can certainly see that kind of path for Williams in his 2nd year with QB Justin Herbert. He already has a 10-TD season behind him (2018) and looks set for positive regression in that area after catching just 2 of 12 end-zone targets last year.
Eagles WR DeVonta Smith is "week to week" with a knee sprain, according to ESPN's Tim McManus. Smith sustained the injury in Sunday's practice but reportedly stayed on the field. An MRI later diagnosed a sprain. We'll see exactly how long Smith remains out, but any missed time can't be good for a rookie wideout and a QB (Jalen Hurts) heading into his 1st full starting season. Smith could become a value if this knocks his ADP down the board. He presents risk around the bottom of WR3 territory for now, though, while his absence leaves target opportunity for others.
As expected, the Giants signed RB Alfred Morris on Monday. The 32-year-old averaged 4.3 yards on 55 carries for the G-Men last season. He's mere backfield depth for the team this summer as they continue to monitor RB Saquon Barkley's rehab.
Saints QB Taysom Hill arrived to camp “noticeably slimmed down,” per Katherine Terrell of The Athletic. The change was intentional. “I think as a thrower it’s important to have a stronger backside than it is your frontside shoulder, and it’s natural to work your frontside muscles than it is your backside,” Hill said. “I can tell you for me historically when I get sore it’s all your (decelerating) motions from taking so many reps and throwing so many balls. So throughout my career here, I was always trying to find that balance of being strong enough to do what I was going to be asked to do, but still be able to throw a ball and so forth. So there was definitely a transition there.” This is the first time as a pro that he’s exclusively worked at QB, so the change in regimen makes sense. Last year alone, Hill lined up as a QB, RB, WR and TE — plus he held various special teams roles. No clear favorite has emerged as the QB1 in the early portion of training camp.
According to Jess Root of Cards Wire, Cardinals RB James Conner has sat out team drills in recent days with an unspecified injury. Jonathan Ward has reportedly stepped in for Conner's reps with the 1st team. We haven't seen any other report of a Conner injury, so we're not concerned about the situation just yet. But it'll be one to monitor, given Conner's injury history.
Benjamin Allbright of KOA Radio in Denver tweeted this week that "Melvin Gordon is CLEARLY RB1 for this team so far." That likely comes from the usage of Gordon vs. Javonte Williams over the 1st few days of training camp. It's early, of course, when many coaching staffs defer to veterans. It's noteworthy, though, that Gordon didn't appear to lose standing for the OTAs he skipped. We'll certainly be watching the usage in this backfield through the rest of camp and preseason. We're not currently excited about drafting any Denver RB in fantasy football.
Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman has "continued his ascension" early in training camp after a strong spring, The Athletic's Nate Taylor writes. "Known for his rare speed, Hardman has produced more consistent repetitions while polishing his route-running ability in the middle of the field," Taylor adds. "Hardman has run routes from each of the Chiefs’ main three receiver positions ... The first three practices have featured Hardman executing shorter routes, the types where he has to be precise in both his release and his cuts to give [QB Patrick] Mahomes a clear throwing window." Mahomes, meanwhile, has praised Hardman's improved maturity and comfort in the offense. This sure sounds like a guy ready to take a big step forward in year 3. Hardman is an upside pick at his 10th- or 11th-round price tag.
Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki has been placed on the COVID list, along with TEs Adam Shaheen and Cethan Carter. All 3 were reportedly close contacts of OC George Godsey, who tested positive for the virus. This shouldn't impact Gesicki's status for the start of the season, but we'll let you know when he's cleared to get back on the field.
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