NFL Player News

With Watt retiring at the end of the season, the Cardinals restructured his deal to spread out the $7.2 million in dead cap that would count toward the team in 2023. Now, the Cardinals will have $2.4 million in dead cap count against them in 2023, with $4.8 million counting against them in 2024. This is nothing more than a move to free up cap space with Watt on the way out.

The Jaguars drafted Robinson in the fifth round last year. He logged six offensive snaps and 50 special teams snaps, touching the ball twice all year via a pair of kickoff returns. The Eagles now roster eight running backs and will likely cut half of them before Week 1 kicks off.

Harris has not yet logged an NFL snap. He was draft by the Texans in the 2024 NFL Draft’s seventh round, and briefly joined the Patriots after that. To make room for Harris, the Bills waived DT Devin Brandt-Epps.

Breer said he thinks it is “fair” for McLaurin to ask for a deal that at least "[starts] with a three,” adding that “the real comp is probably DK Metcalf,” whose contract averages $33 million over four years. Breer also said that although things between McLaurin and the Commanders are not in a “great place right now,” he notes that contract negotiations “do get bumpy,” with the way “the market’s exploded over the last couple of years.” Drafting McLaurin at this time is not without risk but there is still plenty of time for the two sides to meet in the middle, assuming that middle begins with a “three.”

For reference, Mitchell was clocked at 20.99 mph during his 2023 rookie season. It’s common for players to claim that they have made substantial physical gains every offseason, regardless of their actual gym habits and rehab program successes. An albeit pad-less 1.41 mph increase certainly suggests that Mitchell has successfully rebuilt his once compromised knee. Mitchell averaged 7.8 carries, 1.5 targets and 11.3 PPR points per game (RB32) during his Weeks 9-15, 2023 hot streak. Derrick Henry’s presence likely prevents Mitchell from returning to that same usage peak, but Mitchell has a chance to become fantasy-relevant if he can come close.

In an article by Adam Jahns at The Athletic, Jahns reports that Loveland was “spotted in uniform, accompanying staff members to other practice fields” on the third and final day of minicamp. It’s far from a return to practice, but according to Jahns, head coach Ben Johnson said, “at some point here in camp, we should get the green light” for Loveland to return to action. The Bears used the No. 10 overall pick in this year’s draft on Loveland, who underwent shoulder surgery earlier in the offseason. The former Michigan man should have a chance to unseat veteran Cole Kmet for the starting job this offseason and could have some sneaky fantasy upside after Johnson comped him to Lions tight end Sam LaPorta, who played under Johnson in Detroit.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Richardson was not expected to undergo surgery on his shoulder. However, Fowler adds that Richardson underwent a scan on his shoulder that revealed no structural damage. Per Fowler, Richardson has thrown, at times, 100-plus passes a day as he prepares for his quarterback competition with Daniel Jones. The shoulder injury, while inconvenient, appears to be mostly inflammation that should subside with time, allowing for a return to training camp with rest and relaxation. Already considered by some to be the odd man out when this summer’s battle concludes, this early injury won’t do anything to help Richardson gain an inside edge on Jones, who was already splitting starter reps in OTAs.

It doesn’t come as much of a surprise, but in case there was any doubt, Raanan said the Giants and their receivers view Wilson as the leader at the position right now. Wan’Dale Robinson said as much when asked about Wilson earlier, while Raanan also went on to point out the various throwing workouts Wilson scheduled with the team after signing with them. It’s worth noting that rookie Jaxson Dart also worked more with the second team offense this week, per Raanan, but the team will likely continue to bring him along slowly as they prepare to eventually hand him the keys. While it’s highly unlikely Wilson will start all 17 games this season, even if healthy, he sounds like a lock to open Week 1 as the starter, even with training camp still to come.

Whether he likes it or not, Lazard remains tied to his former quarterback/GM Rodgers. The 29-year-old vet has enjoyed his most productive seasons when playing alongside Rodgers, which makes a potential trade to the Steelers a very real option, especially when you consider the Steelers’ lack of receiver talent behind DK Metcalf. That said, Florio reports a source “with knowledge of Lazard’s thinking” believes Lazard “sees a very real potential benefit to proving his ability to function at an acceptable level without Rodgers as his quarterback.” This doesn’t mean the Steelers won’t attempt to facilitate a trade for Lazard, who gave up $8.5 million in guaranteed money to play with the Jets. But if the Jets give him any say in the matter, he may opt to stay with Gang Green over continuing his tour with Rodgers.

Speaking on Good Morning Football, Rapoport noted that Rodgers once said he would play this season for $10 million. While the exact terms of Rodgers’ deal are not yet known, Rapoport believes his deal will closely resemble the $10 million figure, with Rodgers having the opportunity to earn more through incentives. Rodgers isn’t coming to the Steelers to cash in on one last payday, but rather compete for what he hopes is another championship. Whether or not that comes with the Steelers is to be determined, but the future Hall of Famer is clearly willing to take a pay cut to find out, and the Steelers are just as desperate to see what he can offer over the likes of Mason Rudolph and rookie Will Howard.

The team itself used the “agreed to terms” lingo, stressing the deal was contingent on a physical. Nevertheless, the Steelers know what they are getting into. The 41-year-old will pass his examination and get to work replacing last year’s Justin Fields/Russell Wilson combination. Rodgers appeared in physical free-fall last season, but he still remained more middle of the pack in most advanced metrics. Rodgers did struggle over the middle of the field, though that is not where the Steelers’ primary weapons roam. Rodgers will obviously struggle for top-20 fantasy value himself. The question is if he can keep DK Metcalf in the top 18 at receiver, or perhaps make Pat Freiermuth a more consistent option. We are not holding our breath.