NFL Player News

In addition to Michigan, Colson was also seriously considering Tennessee, Ole Miss, LSU and Oregon. The 6-foot-2, 228-pound linebacker was looking likely to commit to UM heading into the weekend. Hailing from Brentwood, Tennessee, Colson is just tapping the surface of his potential. He’s long, and with added bulk, may be able to improve on what’s not the most physical of games. The athleticism is there in spades. ESPN ranks Colson as the No. 184 overall prospect for the 2021 cycle.

On one hand, it’s “just” OTAs. On the other hand, this is the second reporter to suggest there’s a noticeable difference between what Murray and McCarthy offer at the position. We’re less than a full week removed from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert saying the gap between the two QBs is “not close,” and now, Ragatz is all but suggesting the same in his most recent article. While there have been reports of McCarthy making strides as a passer this offseason, the bar has been set so low after 2025’s debacle, that any marginal improvements could garner praise for JJMC at this point. We’ll get a better sense of where things really stand between Murray and McCarthy when the pads come on in training camp, but Murray continues to sound like the clearcut QB1 to start the season, despite the Vikings’ best efforts to suggest the winner of this camp battle hasn’t already been determined.

Mayfield is in the final year of the three-year, $100 million extension he signed with the Buccaneers in 2024 and is seeking another long-term deal to remain with the team. Speaking on Friday, Mayfield said that while negotiations are currently ongoing, that he will stop those talks once training camp starts up, putting somewhat of a deadline on when a new deal could be reached. The 31-year-old signal-caller is entering his first season without Mike Evans, and is coming off a year in which he threw for 3,693-26-11 in 17 games. Mayfield is just two years removed from throwing for a career-high 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, but a lot has changed since then between the loss of Evans and former OC Liam Coen. We’ll see if a new deal is reached before camp, or if Mayfield will be positioned to play out 2026 in a contract year in hopes of earning a lucrative pay day next offseason.

The Bears took Thieneman 25th overall in this year’s draft in hopes of bolstering a secondary that allowed the fifth-most passing touchdowns and fifth-highest NY/A last season. The former Oregon Duck tallied eight interceptions in 39 games during his college career and was one of the most athletic players at his position (9.71 RAS) in the draft. He should slot in as an immediate starter for the Bears this season.

This comes almost a month after Rosenblatt said he believed Mitchell felt “pretty locked into the No. 2 receiver role.” The 23-year-old receiver spent part of last season with the Jets after being traded from the Colts at last year’s deadline. Mitchell saw 58 targets come his way in eight games with the Jets last season and posted a 24-301-2 line while going for 50-plus yards in two of those games. The upgrade from Brady Cook to Geno Smith should work wonders for Mitchell as far as target quality is concerned, and he’s reportedly shown good chemistry with Smith during OTAs. Currently going as a late-round draft pick in best ball leagues, Mitchell has the chance to be a nice value in deeper fantasy leagues if he can earn a meaningful role opposite Garrett Wilson.

Wolfe continues to beat the drum for Sanders, despite recent reports indicating QB Deshaun Watson was pulling ahead in the competition. Wolfe also believes that Sanders’ play is forcing head coach Todd Monken to postpone making a decision to name a starting quarterback. The battle may continue into training camp. Sanders has reportedly improved his downfield passing and processing, and has an “aura” about him that some in the building find compelling. Wolfe closes the segment by wondering aloud whether one of these quarterbacks can convince the front office to forego drafting a quarterback next year. We’ll believe it when we see it, but for now, it sounds like Sanders has pulled even with Watson.

Over the course of his career, Brown has openly discussed the maintenance his knees require. He underwent cleanup procedures in both knees in 2021. Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf recently acknowledged that Brown has managed a degenerative knee condition in one of his knees since entering the league in 2019. Despite receiving treatment regularly, Brown has been a 1,000-yard receiver in six of his seven NFL seasons. We expect him to continue playing at a high level, but he could fall into the WR1/2 range this summer. Regardless, he is the Patriots’ clear-cut WR1.

Kupp operated as the Seahawks’ WR2 last season, though The Athletic’s Mike Dugar reported in March that WR Rashid Shaheed’s new deal “suggests a demotion” could be on the way for Kupp. Regardless, Kupp loves “playing this game too much” to slow down now. If Kupp can retain his WR2 role on the Seahawks, he will likely only be a matchup-based FLEX option.

Barner was listed with calf, elbow and hip injuries last season. We don’t know which ailments required surgery. Barner said he is “definitely feeling better,” but he still has a few hurdles to clear before he can back out there. Barner finished as the PPR TE14 last season, operating as a big-bodied target for QB Sam Darnold and as the Seahawks’ tush push specialist in short-yardage situations.

Boerkircher sat out on Monday, but we do not yet know why. Koziol looks “smooth in space” and took the advantage of his opportunities. His stand out showings as a pass-catcher have “helped him make some real progress at the start of OTAs.” Kozial was a bit of a dynasty darling in this season’s rookie draft cycle. We do not expect him to be relevant in re-draft this season, but these reports are encouraging for his long-term outlook.