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The move doesn’t clear any cap space, but does take the Vikings off the hook for Ayodele’s $2.2 million base salary. Ayodele struggled mightily in Minnesota’s scheme last season, failing to attract double teams on the nose and generating no pass rush. His possible involvement in the Saints’ bounty scandal didn’t help Ayodele’s chances of keeping a roster spot, either.

Williams showed his full potential as a playmaker for the Lions in 2024. The former first-round pick posted career-highs in receptions (58), receiving yards (1,001), and receiving touchdowns (7) while averaging an explosive 17.3 YPR. Hopes appear sky high for Williams heading into this season after new offensive coordinator John Morton said he expects a “breakout year” for him in 2025, and Campbell added this week that the “sky’s the limit” for the speedster. Williams’ success on the field resulted in him averaging 13.7 PPR per game for fantasy managers last season, although he only produced a top-24 week in 40 percent of his games. He may remain a bit of a boom-or-bust option next season, but he has a chance to be an impactful player on deeper rosters as a home run threat WR3/WR4.

According to Schultz, “nothing is imminent,” and the Falcons would prefer to keep the former No. 4 overall pick. He also adds that “it would take at least a Day 2 pick to even spark serious talks.” A hyper-athletic tight end who burst on the scene as a rookie when he caught 68 passes for 1,026 yards and one touchdown, Pitts has struggled to replicate his rookie-year success. While injuries can be partly blamed for his struggles, Pitts’ effort has also been called into question at times by both the front office and coaching staff. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, any team that trades for Pitts would have to decide whether they want to extend him or force him to play out the year and earn a new deal next offseason. We don’t know which teams have called about Pitts, but this could be something to monitor in the coming weeks.

The long-time Ravens head coach went on to add, “That’d be my goal for him, and he’s capable of it.” It’s no secret that being an All-Pro requires a lot of playing time and a lot of production, and Likely would need both if he hopes to hit Harbaugh’s lofty goal this season. Of course, the challenge is overcoming Mark Andrews, who is presumed to be the Ravens’ TE1 this season. Likely has shown plenty of flashes, including a 9-111-1 performance in Week 1 last season against the Chiefs. He would only catch 33 passes for 366 yards the rest of the season, but the potential is clearly there for Likely to make a bigger impact with more opportunities. A 2025 breakout campaign from Likely wouldn’t be the most surprising thing after Andrews struggled for parts of last season and in the playoffs.

Adofo-Mensah was first hired as the Vikings’ general manager in 2022 after spending two seasons with the Browns. The 43-year-old GM has helped guide the team to a 34-17 record since his arrival, and signed Sam Darnold to a one-year deal last offseason which wound up paying big dividends for a team that went on to post a 14-3 record. Outside of a down 2023 campaign in which the Vikings lost Kirk Cousins eight games into the season, the Vikings have had the look of a perennial contender in the NFC. Securing Adofo-Mensah for the long term should go a long way in locking them in for more successful runs if quarterback J.J. McCarthy proves to be worth the No. 10 overall pick the Vikes used on him last season.

Kelce, 35, mulled retirement this offseason after turning in the worst year since his 2013 rookie campaign. Kelce posted a career-low three touchdowns last season and averaged a meager 8.5 YPR on 97 receptions. While the raw receiving totals remained intact, there’s no doubt that Kelce’s explosiveness has fallen off in recent years. He’s now had back-to-back seasons with a career-low YPR, and despite his quarterback praising him for being “motivated to go out there and have an even better year than he had this last (season),” it’s fair to wonder how much Kelce has left in the tank as far as being a high-end producer is concerned. While the future Hall of Famer will likely continue to produce more than the average tight end — as he did last season, his days of being a yearly 1,000-yard producer are likely behind him.

Kelly, entering his first year as Vegas’ OC, has moved Jakobi Meyers and rookie Jack Bech from the outside to the slot in early practices. This suggests both receivers — along with Brock Bowers — could see varied use in what is expected to be a run-first Kelly offense. Meyers in his two years with the Raiders has played from the slot at a 31 percent rate, way down from his days in New England, which saw Meyers operate from the slot on two-thirds of his routes. Bech during his breakout 2024 season at TCU ran 27 percent of his routes from the slot. In 2024, Meyers ranked 40th out of 66 qualifying receivers in yards per route run from the slot, a key measure of pass-catching efficiency. That’s bound to rise with Geno Smith under center for Vegas in 2025.

Barrows writes that “the rookies are very much in learning mode at this stage and didn’t have many prominent roles,” with the “exception” of Watkins, who caught three passes at practice, including two from Purdy. Per Barrows, “Watkins looked as fast and fluid,” and his first catch from Purdy resulted in a “big gain down the middle of the field.” It is very difficult for fourth-round rookie wide receivers to carve out a role on offense, and fantasy managers should not expect him to do so. Still, at this point, it is worth monitoring his development this summer, with Brandon Aiyuk recovering from a torn ACL and Ricky Pearsall sidelined by a new hamstring strain.

Kubiak served as the 49ers’ passing game coordinator during the 2023 NFL season. Although Milroe is studying the overlapping “reads and play calls,” he also remains focused on improving his footwork, which is becoming a running theme this offseason. Earlier this month, ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported that Milroe has been working on his “lower-half mechanics” with private QB coach Jordan Palmer. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler critiqued Milroe, pre-draft, for his “disjointed mechanics” that “disrupt the rhythm” of his dropbacks. Milroe knows he must improve in this regard if he wants to compete for the starting role in 2026. Milroe notes that Purdy “understands his feet are tied into the read and pocket integrity,” and Purdy is “at his best” and “most efficient” when he plays on time. Hopefully, Milroe can effectively put these conclusions to use in preseason play later this summer.

Brown had a solid second NFL season last year, totaling 59 tackles, five pass breakups, one interception and one quarterback pressure. Returning for training camp should give Brown ample time to ramp up safely in time for Week 1. Brown started only one of the 49ers last five games last season, but with Talanoa Hufanga fleeing in free agency will likely be a starter in 2025.

McCaffrey is evidently ready to hit the ground running, but Shanahan and the 49ers know they must manage the soon-to-be 29-year-old’s repetitions responsibly. McCaffrey’s 2024 season was derailed by bilateral Achilles tendinitis and a season-ending PCL sprain. Slightly increasing second-year RB Isaac Guerendo’s workload could be helpful in this regard.