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Ayodele had started eight games this season, but had just three tackles during that span. On Monday, rookie Christian Ballard got the nod. Ayodele signed a three-year, $9 million contract with the Vikings back in July.

At the start of the Giants’ OTAs, Russell Wilson played with the starters while Jameis Winston and Dart got backup reps. This is in line with the expectation that Wilson will start at quarterback to begin the season but Dart and Winston’s reps will be interesting to monitor. Dart seems to have a third-string role for now, though he will still get reps as the Giants develop their first-round quarterback investment. Hughes mentioned that Wilson, Winston, and Dart split snaps nearly three ways evenly in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills while the rookie did get three reps with the starters. Though he is starting workouts as the team’s third-string quarterback, we can expect Dart to ramp up reps with the starters as he develops. Wilson will be the starter while Winston will likely be the backup active on gameday during the season. Dart will get opportunities in practice until he eventually gets a chance to start later in the season.

The Ravens took Starks towards the end of the first-round, adding him next to versatile safety Kyle Hamilton. The Ravens’ other starting safety from last season - Ar’Darius Washington - tore his Achilles, meaning Starks will likely be starting immediately in the Ravens secondary. The Georgia product got an $8.697 million signing bonus in his fully-guaranteed four-year, $16.579 million deal.

Vrabel said he is aware of the video that surfaced showing Diggs flashing a pink substance on a boat. He mentioned wanting Diggs to make smart decisions on and off the field but kept his response short. Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the NFL declined to comment on the video. While it might not be a great look for Diggs, it’s impossible to draw any conclusions from the short clip. Diggs is currently recovering from the torn ACL he suffered last year and would not be practicing if he were at OTAs, so it’s not much of a surprise that he’s away from the team. It’s likely this story blows over sooner rather than later, with Diggs’ ACL recovery still being the biggest driver of his 2025 outlook.

He was released to make room for former Jets punter Thomas Morstead. Wishnowsky missed nine games with a back injury in 2024 and was released with two years left on his contract. Even at 33 years old, he should be able to find work elsewhere.

Jonathan Taylor was also absent from the Colts’ first OTA session. Atkins notes he is in Florida working on his own and the team is hopeful to get him back soon. It’s early in the offseason program, so fantasy managers don’t need to worry yet, but it’s worth keeping in mind given Downs’ injury history. He played hurt down the stretch as a rookie and his numbers plummeted. Then, in 2024, Downs missed three games and appeared on the injury report with ankle, toe, groin, calf, and shoulder injuries. Still, the talent is evident when Downs is healthy. He led the Colts in receptions last year at 72 while playing in two fewer games than Michael Pittman.

Williams was on damage control duty when talking to the media today. He didn’t deny any of Seth Wickersham’s reporting on him potentially forcing a pre-draft trade. He did, however, greatly downplay the story, saying he had a good visit with the Vikings before the draft but was sold on Chicago after meeting with the team. Williams even acknowledged the Bears’ recent history of horrific quarterback play, which Wickersham also mentioned in the excerpt from his upcoming book. While it sounds like Williams never took any steps toward engineering a trade to Minnesota or any other team, the thought undoubtedly crossed his mind.

The former third-round pick played under Robert Saleh in New York for the past three years. Saleh was fired midway through the 2024 season and is now the 49ers’ defensive coordinator. Surratt knows his system well and is a high-volume player on special teams. He recorded 28 combined tackles and two TFLs in 2024.

Andrews will officially announce his retirement via a press conference next week. A former UDFA, Andrews spent 10 years in the league, all of which came in Foxborough. He started 121 games and won two Super Bowls as a Patriot. Andrews was surprisingly released by New England earlier this offseason in a move that only saved them $2.7 million in cap space. Instead of looking for work elsewhere, the veteran lineman chose to hang up the cleats for good.

We’re early in OTAs so this may be nothing, but it’s certainly worth noting given Lloyd’s injury-marred rookie season. The 2024 third-round pick dealt with hip, hamstring, and ankle issues along with appendicitis. He appeared in just one game during his debut season. The specifics of his current injury aren’t known, but he was reportedly healthy and working without any restrictions as of a week ago. The last thing he needs is another setback early in his second offseason. Lloyd missing an extended period of time would open the door for Emanuel Wilson to retain the RB2 role in Green Bay. Wilson rushed for 502 yards and four scores on 103 attempts last year.

Pitts’ absence at Falcons OTAs this week was not contract related as he enters the final year of his rookie deal with Atlanta. It’s unclear how long Pitts might remain out with the foot injury. The team could be taking precautions with their starting tight end in the early stages of the offseason schedule. Falcons coaches over the past few months have hinted that they expect much more from Pitts in 2025. Pitts in 2024 was 22nd in tight end receptions and 13th in tight end receiving yards. Since the start of the 2023 season, Pitts ranks 116th among all pass catchers in EPA per target.