NFL Player News

The release of Thomas might be a sign that the Giants’ banged-up defensive front is on the mend. Chris Canty (knee), Shaun Rogers (leg) and Marvin Austin (back) are all in doubt for Week 1. Broha has been asked to join the practice squad.

The Athletic’s Zac Jackson previously speculated that Newsome could be traded, noting his $13.4 million cap hit as a reason for the team to move on. Cleveland can save the entirety of that figure by trading Newsome. The former first-round pick totaled five pass breakups across 13 games last year while playing a mix of slot and outside corner. Okoronkwo notched three sacks as a pass-rush specialist in 2024. Given the diminished roles both players hold in Cleveland, it wouldn’t take much for a team to acquire either defender.

Stefanski also said, via a team transcript on Wednesday, that he had a conversation with Hunter, stating "(Travis) gets up at 5 in the morning quite often, so that’s not a problem for him in terms of maximizing his day.” Over the past two seasons at Colorado, Hunter averaged an FBS-high 111.5 snaps per game when no other player has averaged more than 78 since at least 2015, per NFL Research. The Browns currently have the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and are heavily favored to take Hunter.

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.