NFL Player News

With Travis Kelce sidelined, Gray tied for the team lead in targets, but he didn’t do anything with them. In fact, one of Gray’s missed connections was his most notable, as he made a classic “business decision” to avoid an admittedly crushing hit. Smart for Gray’s health, but not the sort of thing that is going to keep him involved once Kelce returns, perhaps as early as Week 2 against the Jaguars.

In addition to Herbert’s early praise of McConkey, ESPN’s Kris Rhim writes that McConkey “has been perhaps the team’s best route runner” this offseason. The Chargers traded up in the second round to select McConkey, adding the rookie to a wide receiver room that traded away Keenan Allen to the Bears and saw Mike Williams join the Jets via free agency. Playing in a wide receiver room that’s lacking a clear WR1, McConkey has a chance to earn a significant role with the Chargers and take that role for himself with a strong showing in training camp and the preseason. Under head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, the Chargers are expected to deploy a run-heavy approach that could. While the target volume could be sparse at times, McConkey could turn into a reliable WR3 or better this season.

Reddick hasn’t done much with the Jets since the team acquired him from the Eagles in a trade this offseason. He skipped out on OTAs and mandatory minicamp earlier this offseason and could be at risk of holding out if a new deal isn’t reached before training camp. Reddick made it known earlier this year that he wanted a new contract from the Eagles before he was traded, making the Jets’ decision to acquire but not extend him a bit of an odd one. Reddick has totaled 27 sacks over his last two seasons with the Eagles and has been one of the league’s premiere pass rushers over the last four seasons. Set to turn 30 shortly after the start of the season, Reddick will earn $14.25 million on the final year of his deal.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as Lamb skipped voluntary workouts and also passed on attending mandatory minicamp. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported earlier that Lamb and the Cowboys were “expected to ‘speed up’” in early June, shortly after the Vikings signed Justin Jefferson to a four-year, $140 million extension, but there’s but little word on the two sides being anywhere closer to a deal than they were a few months ago. The Cowboys’ first day of training camp is scheduled for July 25, giving the team a soft deadline to get a deal done before this becomes a major headache before the start of the season. Lamb is set to earn $17.991 million on his fifth-year extension and went for 135-1749-12 last season.

Omenihu suffered a torn ACL against the Ravens in last year’s AFC Championship game. The former fifth-round pick posted a career-high seven sacks in just 11 regular season games last season while also tying a career-high with five TFLs. Given the timing of his injury, Omenihu isn’t expected to be ready by the start of Week 1, but the sixth-year vet appears to be on track to return at some point in the season and will look to reprise his breakout season with the Chiefs again in 2024.

The Patriots used the No. 37 pick in this year’s draft to select Polk and bolster a wide receiving corps that’s been underwhelming for the last several seasons. The 6-foot-1, 203-pound receiver has been described as a “self-starter” by head coach Jerod Mayo, and Reiss notes that Polk and rookie Drake Maye have put in a lot of extra work after practice. Polk broke out for 69-1,159-9 in his final season at Washington, splitting time both outside and in the slot. With second-year receiver Demario Douglas expected to play primarily in the slot this season, it’s possible Polk plays on the outside early and often for a team that’s in desperate need of young, productive players in the passing game. Polk is worth a late-round dart throw in deep PPR leagues, but fantasy managers shouldn’t bank on an overly-productive rookie campaign.

This comes after Aiyuk was spotted by TMZ Sports at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday. While we wouldn’t read too much into this, we know Aiyuk has attempted to reach an extension with the 49ers this offseason, and he said earlier on The Pivot podcast that he thinks he will play “a Niner uniform” in 2024 if he “were to take a guess.” The offseason saga between Aiyuk and the 49ers continues to be the biggest one in the league as teams prepare for training camp next month. After the star receiver opted to skip OTAs and minicamp this offseason, it’s possible he’ll become a training camp holdout if an extension isn’t reached by the time players report.

The Browns are banking on Jeudy reaching the potential teams saw in him back in 2020 when the Broncos drafted him with the No. 15 pick. After trading for him earlier this offseason, the Browns signed Jeudy to a three-year, $58 million extension, and The Athletic’s Zac Jackson speculated earlier this month that he could emerge as the Browns’ primary slot receiver. Jeudy has never amassed more than 972 receiving yards in a season but has averaged 6.0 YAC/REC over the last two seasons while averaging a solid 14.3 YPR. He’s currently going as a fringe WR5/WR6 in fantasy drafts and has the chance to turn into a late-round value in Ken Dorsey’s offensive scheme.

Shanahan added that the team has “guys that can run the ball” and noted that while McCaffery has proven capable of handling 20-plus carries a game, at some point, the team would “like to take some of that off of him and give [the ball] to other guys also. McCaffery signed a two-year extension with the 49ers in early June after rushing for 272-1,459-14 while adding another 67-564-7 through the air. The 28-year-old running back played in 10 of a possible 33 games from 2020-2021 but has played in all but one regular season contest over the last two years. A potential decline in touches for a back who led the league with 339 touches in 2023 is worrisome for fantasy managers, but McCaffrey’s efficiency and pass-catching upside will always keep his ceiling high. We’d also expect him to remain the preferred back near the goal line and high-value areas of the field. Fantasy managers should still feel comfortable taking him at the top of drafts this season.

Brissett, the journeyman who last started for the Browns in 2022, “took all of the first-team reps, and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt made clear that wasn’t a fluke, referring to Brissett as the starter,” according to Graff. First-rounder Drake Maybe, Graff said, will have to be the “clear winner” in a training camp competition with Brissett if he’s going to take over as New England’s opening day starter. “If the competition between them is even close, Brissett is probably under center in the opener,” Graff said. Brissett was solid as Cleveland’s starter in 2022, ranking third among all QBs in completion rate over expected and throwing 12 touchdowns along with six interceptions through ten starts. Maye will likely get the starting job once the Patriots’ season goes sideways and they are no longer in playoff contention.

Aiyuk also added that he would be open to going to the Commanders and playing with his close friend Jayden Daniels if the negotiations with the 49ers don’t go as he hopes. The fifth-year receiver is hoping to land a long-term extension with the 49ers before the start of the season but is willing to sign an extension elsewhere if the 49ers were to trade him. Aiyuk totaled 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns last season and is reportedly eyeing a deal similar to the one Amon-Ra St. Brown received earlier this offseason. St. Brown will earn nearly $28 million on his new deal with the Lions, putting him amongst the highest-paid receivers in the league. Barring a surprise trade, it sounds like Aiyuk will play at least one more season with the 49ers as they look to capitalize on their current Super Bowl window. Lombardi also pointed out that if Aiyuk were to be traded, it would be to a destination determined by the 49ers, not Aiyuk.