NFL Player News

Fred Gibson led Miami in receiving with three catches for 84 yards and a score. Vick also worked on the ‘Fins’ punt and kick return units.

This comes after Aiyuk was spotted by TMZ Sports at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday. While we wouldn’t read too much into this, we know Aiyuk has attempted to reach an extension with the 49ers this offseason, and he said earlier on The Pivot podcast that he thinks he will play “a Niner uniform” in 2024 if he “were to take a guess.” The offseason saga between Aiyuk and the 49ers continues to be the biggest one in the league as teams prepare for training camp next month. After the star receiver opted to skip OTAs and minicamp this offseason, it’s possible he becomes a training camp hold out if an extension isn’t reached by the time players report.

The Browns are banking on Jeudy reaching the potential teams saw in him back in 2020 when the Broncos drafted him with the No. 15 pick. After trading for him earlier this offseason, the Browns signed Jeudy to a three-year, $58 million extension, and The Athletic’s Zac Jackson speculated earlier this month that he could emerge as the Browns’ primary slot receiver. Jeudy has never amassed more than 972 receiving yards in a season but has averaged 6.0 YAC/REC over the last two seasons while averaging a solid 14.3 YPR. He’s currently going as a fringe WR5/WR6 in fantasy drafts and has the chance to turn into a late-round value in Ken Dorsey’s offensive scheme.

Shanahan added that the team has “guys that can run the ball” and noted that while McCaffery has proven capable of handling 20-plus carries a game, at some point, the team would “like to take some of that off of him and give [the ball] to other guys also. McCaffery signed a two-year extension with the 49ers in early June after rushing for 272-1459-14 while adding another 67-564-7 through the air. The 28-year-old running back played in 10 of a possible 33 games from 2020-2021 but has played in all but one regular season contest over the last two years. A potential decline in touches for a back who led the league with 339 touches in 2023 is concerning for fantasy managers, but McCaffrey’s efficiency and pass-catching upside will always keep his ceiling high. We’d also expect him to remain the preferred back near the goal line and high-value areas of the field. Fantasy managers should still feel comfortable taking him at the top of drafts this season.

Brissett, the journeyman who last started for the Browns in 2022, “took all of the first-team reps, and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt made clear that wasn’t a fluke, referring to Brissett as the starter,” according to Graff. First-rounder Drake Maybe, Graff said, will have to be the “clear winner” in a training camp competition with Brissett if he’s going to take over as New England’s opening day starter. “If the competition between them is even close, Brissett is probably under center in the opener,” Graff said. Brissett was solid as Cleveland’s starter in 2022, ranking third among all QBs in completion rate over expected and throwing 12 touchdowns along with six interceptions through ten starts. Maye will likely get the starting job once the Patriots’ season goes sideways and they are no longer in playoff contention.

Aiyuk also added that he would be open to going to the Commanders and playing with his close friend Jayden Daniels if the negotiations with the 49ers don’t go as he hopes. The fifth-year receiver is hoping to land a long-term extension with the 49ers before the start of the season but is willing to sign an extension elsewhere if the 49ers were to trade him. Aiyuk totaled 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns last season and is reportedly eyeing a deal similar to the one Amon-Ra St. Brown received earlier this offseason. St. Brown will earn nearly $28 million on his new deal with the Lions, putting him amongst the highest-paid receivers in the league. Barring a surprise trade, it sounds like Aiyuk will play at least one more season with the 49ers as they look to capitalize on their current Super Bowl window. Lombardi also pointed out that if Aiyuk were to be traded, it would be to a destination determined by the 49ers, not Aiyuk.

Kirkwood has spent the majority of his career with the Saints after joining them as a UDFA out of Temple in 2018. The veteran receiver participated in the Ravens’ minicamp on a tryout basis earlier this month and will now have a chance to stick on the 53-man roster in training camp. Kirkwood has caught 24 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns in his career and will need to flash on special teams if he hopes to make the team.

Tucker operated as a vertical slot receiver last year, ranking top-two in aDot (17.5), yards per reception (17.8) and deep-target rate (30.0 percent) among 17 rookie wide receivers with at least 75 slot receiving snaps. He caught 100.0 percent of his targets deemed catchable by PFF. The Raiders deep tight end group, featuring Michael Mayer and first-round rookie Brock Bowers, make for tough interior target competition but Tucker’s continuing offseason drum beat and defined role work in his favor.

It’s unclear who will take on the Bengals’ primary pass-catching role out of the backfield, though Chase Brown excelled in that role as a rookie in 2023. The speedy Brown caught 14 of his 15 targets for 156 yards and a touchdown last season. Zack Moss could also mix in on passing downs, though he seems more likely to take on Cincinnati’s primary early down role. Last season, Joe Mixon saw an 11 percent target share (64 targets) as the team’s lead back. More pass-game usage could be a huge statistical boon for Brown if he seizes the pass catching role this summer.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise after the Vikings made it clear this spring that McCarthy is being brought along slowly and is something of a long-term project who isn’t close to ready for the NFL game. Darnold, who was good in his last starting opportunity in Carolina two seasons ago, will have every chance to be Minnesota’s starter throughout 2024. “If Darnold is dominating, dishing the ball easily and limiting turnovers, and the Vikings are winning, why mess with the chemistry or team trajectory?” Lewis said, adding there’s a chance McCarthy won’t see any playing time as a rookie after being taken with the tenth pick in the 2024 draft. “Similarly, if Darnold is struggling, and the Vikings are not competitive, it’ll be difficult for O’Connell to quiet the noise for McCarthy.”

“Jordan Addison had as good of an offseason program as really you can ask for,” O’Connell told ESPN. "[He is] a guy that had a ton of success in Year 1. And really, from a standpoint of getting a little stronger, getting a little bit more comfortable playing through contact and still playing with that great burst and transition that he has, you saw some real growth there [this spring].” Coming off an impressive rookie campaign that includes 70 grabs, 911 yards, and ten touchdowns, Addison will once again slot in as Minnesota’s WR2 behind Justin Jefferson. About 20 percent of Addison’s 2023 targets were more than 20 yards downfield. He caught six of 20 deep shots for 250 yards and four touchdowns.