NFL Player News

Smith injured his hip his senior season at Mizzou and had spent the first 12 weeks of the NFL season on the PUP list. He was an elite pass rusher in college, and should be ready to compete to join the DE rotation by camp.

Raanan posted this in reference to Adam Schefter reporting the Broncos are fielding offers for the No. 20 overall pick. If either the Giants or Browns move back into the first round for a quarterback, it’s looking increasingly likely that player will be Dart. A team trading with Denver would leap the quarterback-needy Steelers, who are also a contender to take Dart or one of the other first-round hopeful passers. The buzz around Dart also has Shedeur Sanders’ stock falling. The Colorado passer could wind up going early in the second round despite once being a contender for the No. 1 overall pick.

Schefter noted that the Steelers are currently sitting behind Denver at 21. The implication here is clear. Pittsburgh could be in the market for a quarterback, and if a team wants that passer, they will have to move past the Steelers to land them. That is, of course, also what a team trying to trade back would leak to Schefter. It’s smoke screen season. Denver has been universally predicted to draft North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton, but a trade back could potentially take him off the table.

The deal is worth “up to” $6 million. Going on 33, Lockett is no longer a needle-mover following several seasons of decline in Seattle, but he does help deepen one of the league’s worst receiver corps ahead of Thursday’s expected addition of new franchise quarterback Cam Ward. Held under 1,000 yards each of the past two seasons, Lockett should not expect his WR3 fortunes to revive under the rookie quarterback. This is a classic move that could be more impactful in real life than fantasy. A leader with a decade of experience, Lockett will supply a sounding board and sure pair of hands in Nashville.

Joseph gets an average annual value of $21.5 million per year and is now the highest-paid safety in the league. The former third-round pick turns 25 this upcoming season and is coming off his first-career All-Pro year. He intercepted a league-high nine passes and totaled 83 tackles as a key piece of the Lions secondary. Joseph has 17 career interceptions and 31 passes defended through three seasons. The Lions lock up a young star for their defense with an extension for Aidan Hutchinson also due soon.

Russell played a little bit of fullback last season but is now officially making the switch heading into 2025. New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak used the fullback position in the Saints offense and is now making it a staple of the Seahawks offense with Russell. Primarily a special teamer with no catches last season, Russell can now consistently line up as the lead blocker for Seattle’s run game and open up Kubiak’s offense with new quarterback Sam Darnold.

A fourth-round pick in 2023, Young appeared in 16 games as a rookie but didn’t do much of note, recording 18 total tackles and one TFL. He opened his second season on the PUP list with a knee issue. He was eventually activated but only appeared in one game. Young’s draft pedigree should earn him a second chance in the league, though he will need to prove he’s healthy over the summer to earn a roster spot.

The news doesn’t come as a surprise. Philly acquired Dotson last offseason but the former first-round pick only totaled 216 yards on 19 grabs during the regular season. Dotson simply can’t earn targets while sharing the field with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. He will continue to run wind sprints as the team’s WR3 for 2025, barring an addition during the draft. Dotson doesn’t hold any fantasy value heading into his fourth NFL season.

Football fans around the world are praying to see this happen in 2025. The Chiefs were without Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown for most of last year and Xavier Worthy was slow to find his footing in the NFL, killing any hopes of the Chiefs’ offense being fun. Between legal issues and his season-ending knee injury, Rice’s status for Week 1 is murky, but Brown is back and healthy. Worthy also started to break out at the end of his rookie campaign, notably going for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the Super Bowl. While defenses are never going to let Mahomes have free rein on deep shots, some extra juice from the receivers should boost Mahomes’ aDOT beyond the near-league-low mark of 6.9 that it sat at in 2024.

Olave will make $15.5 in 2026 while on the option. That is, if the Saints don’t extend him before then. Even though he is under for two more seasons, the 2025 campaign looks like a make-or-break year for Olave. The former Buckeye has struggled with injuries, primarily concussions, and peaked at 1,123 yards two seasons ago. Saints GM Mickey Loomis noted that offensive tackle Trevor Penning will not have his fifth-year option exercised. Penning has struggled as a starter at left and right tackle through three seasons. He is likely fated for swing-tackle duties in the future. The move also makes New Orleans taking a tackle with the No. 9 overall pick a strong possibility.

She notes that the Rams, who currently hold the No. 26 pick, may have to move up to land their guy. The Rams made an effort to move up for Brock Bowers last year but couldn’t get a deal done. They instead looked to the other side of the ball and drafted Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse. With both Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland projected to go well with the top 20 picks, LA would have to move up to have a shot at either player. Even while competing with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams for targets, a first-round tight end would have TE1 potential as a rookie in Sean McVay’s fantasy-friendly system.