NFL Player News

Thomas-Oliver (6'2/184) is not a career defensive back. When he got onto FIU’s campus in 2016, Thomas-Oliver was initially a wide receiver and caught over 30 passes as a freshman. By 2017, though, Thomas-Oliver’s favor at WR seemed to fade, pushing him to switch to CB. Since the switch, Thomas-Oliver has been the program’s top DB and has recorded 18 passes defended in his two seasons on defense.

Sources tell ESPN that “the lawsuit was settled in July 2015 for an undisclosed sum,” and stems from Howell’s time at Booz Allen Hamilton. Per the report, two player reps “were surprised to learn of the lawsuit,” saying, “the subject never came up” when the group voted Howell into his current position in June 2023. “However, two other players, who sat on the union’s executive committee that vetted and chose Howell as a finalist in 2023, disputed those accounts,” saying, “they worked closely” with search firm Russell Reynolds Associates regarding this and other matters. The latter two executive committee members, “at times,” could not recall details and/or declined to divulge details of Howell’s interview process. Prior ESPN reporting on Howell’s 34 years at Booz Allen Hamilton noted that “the firm paid a $377 million fine to settle a long-standing whistleblower lawsuit from the federal government that alleged overcharging by the firm,” which was announced “a month after the NFLPA’s executive committee hired Howell to be its executive director.” Howell served as “the company’s chief financial officer from 2016 to 2022.”

Earlier today, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that “the NFL can expedite its disciplinary process and Rice is likely to receive a multi-game suspension.” Maske’s source suggests otherwise. We have no way of knowing which source to rely upon but Schefter’s report could cause Rice’s ADP to dip in an advantageous manner. Regardless, were Rice to be suspended, it would likely only be an issue for fantasy managers early in the year. Should Rice be suspended and return in Weeks 4-6, he would arrive in time to boost lineups as the bye weeks begin.

The Bears have now signed two of their three second-round picks, having kicked things off by signing DT Shemar Turner earlier today. Only WR Luther Burden remains as the Bears’ lone, unsigned second-round pick. Trapilo will compete with incumbent OT Braxton Jones for the starting left tackle job. Jones has been recovering from ankle surgery and is expected to participate in the Bears’ training camp.

This is a welcome development for Harvey and fantasy managers alike. Broncos rookies reported to the team facility yesterday, as the team prepares to begin training camp next week. Head coach Sean Payton recently indicated that he “expects the depth chart to automatically reveal itself” during training camp, where Harvey will jockey for position against the recently signed J.K. Dobbins. While Dobbins’ pass-protection skills perhaps give him an advantage over Harvey in the competition for the third-down role, Harvey proved himself as a dual-threat playmaker at UCF. This is a training camp battle worth following closely.

The Chargers drafted Williams with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He spent his first seven seasons with the team before being released during the 2024 offseason. He had torn an ACL six months earlier, in September 2023. Williams spent the 2024 season playing for the Jets and later the Steelers, before ultimately finding his way back to the Chargers this offseason. He retires having caught 330-of-524 targets for 5,104 yards and 32 touchdowns. Williams was known as one of the NFL’s premier jump-ball wide receivers in his prime.

The Colts’ first training camp practice takes place on July 23rd. Fox 59’s Mike Chappell reports it remains to be seen whether Richardson will be “ready for a normal workload” next Wednesday, noting that head coach Shane Steichen previously indicated that Richardson will be eased into throwing. ESPN’s Stephen Holder adds that Richardson “has been in Florida for weeks working with his personal coaches throwing the ball with velocity.” The Colts are hoping Richardson will be able to compete for the starting job sooner rather than later. As things currently stand, Daniel Jones appears to be the safer bet to start in Week 1, but this is an important first step for Richardson.

Addison’s guilty plea is an informal term known as “wet reckless.” Per Cornell Law School, wet reckless varies state to state and is used when an individual charged with a DUI offense pleads down to a reckless driving offense. The plea removes alcohol-related charges while acknowledging that they were initially present. Per Younger, “Addison will pay a standard fine and complete two online courses after which we expect that his probation will be terminated early in six months.” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert outlines the next step for Addison, writing, “now we will see how the NFL reacts.” A 2025 suspension is still possible.

Chargers GM Joe Hortiz said he expected this to happen, but the news is now official. Per head coach Jim Harbaugh, Harris is at the team facilities this week. Harris can be activated whenever, so this move doesn’t necessarily mean he will miss any time during the season. Harris suffered an eye injury in a fireworks incident over July 4th weekend. It was initially reported to be “superficial”, but the fact that he is being held out of practice to start training camp is at least slightly concerning. While he is out, first-round rookie Omarion Hampton will get the bulk of the first-team reps, giving him the chance to leave Harris in the dust as the clear starter before the season even begins.