NFL Player News

Beathard held his own against a Panthers secondary that has been pretty solid for much of the season. Early in the game, he pushed the ball down the field, including a beautiful 48 yard-pass to Jamal Agnew, and consistently found Evan Engram over the middle of the field. However, Beathard was off the mark on a few instances when it counted, including a couple red zone drives that stalled and led to field goals. With the game in hand for almost all of the second half, the Jaguars leaned on the run game to close it out. There is some optimism for Trevor Lawrence to return in Week 18, but if he doesn’t, Beathard will get another above average matchup against the Titans.

Adams’ agents have already refuted any talks of a trade, saying those rumors are “baseless” while adding, “There has been absolutely no trade talk — period.” Adams was one of the receivers featured on the Netflix series “Receiver,” and was heard saying on the sideline at one point that he had to “get out of here before I get killed.” While that can be interpreted in a few different ways, it’s no surprise that some would infer that Adams is looking for a trade out of Vegas. The veteran receiver joined the Raiders in 2022 to team up with former college teammate Derek Carr, only to see Carr benched at the end of the season and leave for the Saints during the 2023 offseason. Adams continues to be a high-end producer, but he’s stuck on a roster that isn’t expected to compete for a championship any time soon. It sounds like he’ll be ready to catch passes from Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew from 17 games when the time comes.

As we now know, Smith didn’t take the role, instead landing the offensive coordinator job with the Steelers. ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio later learned that part of the reason Smith didn’t take the job with the Jets was “because the role wasn’t clear.” On the one hand, it’s not surprising to learn that the Jets sought out an assistant for Hackett, whose struggles have been amplified since his one-and-done season as head coach of the Broncos in 2022. Hackett was brought in last season at the request of Aaron Rodgers, who has continuously stuck by the OC due to their previous relationship at Green Bay. Hackett, along with head coach Robert Saleh, both enter this season on the hot seat after any hopes of success in 2023 were dashed by Rodgers’ Achilles injury. Assuming Rodgers is healthy and playing well, Hackett should be fine. However, if things start to go awry, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Saleh turn over play-calling duties to someone else. The Jets’ first training camp practice is scheduled for July 24.

Tunsil underwent the procedure in February and is “expected to ease into the start of camp,” per Wilson. The veteran left tackle started 14 games for the Texans last season and was named to his fourth Pro Bowl in five years after allowing just five sacks on 20 pressures. His PFF pass-blocking grade of 85.4 ranked as the second-highest grade amongst all tackles (min. 300 pass-blocking snaps). Tunsil, who turns 30 in early August, reportedly “dealt with some swelling and tightness” last season, per a February report from Wilson. We’ll assume this wasn’t anything too serious and that he’ll be up to full speed in short order, barring any setbacks.

Worthy will open camp with the Chiefs, but according to Palmer, the rookie receiver will “be eased back in.” Palmer said Worthy is healthy, but he isn’t expected to get “a ton of reps early.” Worthy was plagued by a hamstring injury for much of the spring, but it sounds like he’ll be coming along in the next few days/weeks. Worthy has a chance to contribute early and often to the Chiefs offense once he’s fully up to speed, and he would see his fantasy value rise significantly if Rashee Rice were suspended for his offseason legal troubles.

According to ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi, Watson “didn’t say whether he expects to be fully cleared for the start of training camp but said there’s been no setbacks in his shoulder rehab.” The Browns signal-caller has been working diligently to rehab last year’s season-ending injury and was seen throwing during the team’s mandatory minicamp. Nearly every report from Browns coaches and front office members has suggested Watson is nearing a return, so it’s a bit odd that he won’t comment on whether or not he’d be cleared when veterans report for camp on July 23. After his first two years in Cleveland fell well below expectations, Watson is in a potential make-or-break year. If he’s unable to open camp with the team, Jameis Winston would likely take the majority of first-team reps.

In addition to Thuney, the Chiefs also placed EDGE Charles Omenihu, DT Derrick Nnadi, and DB Jaylen Watson on the PUP list. Thuney suffered what was called a “significant pectoral injury” by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport during last year’s AFC Championship Game against the Ravens and was unable to suit up for the Super Bowl as a result. In addition to Thuney, Omenihu suffered a torn ACL in the Super Bowl and is a likely candidate to open the year on the reserve/PUP list. All players are eligible to return to the roster upon passing a physical.

During a sit-down with Bleacher Report, Love sang the praises of the second-year receiver, who totaled 39 receptions for 581 yards and four touchdowns in his rookie season. The former fifth-round pick was impressive his first year in the league, averaging 14.9 YPR while earning the 16th-highest overall grade for receivers in ESPN’s wide receiver analytics. Wicks flashed big-play ability during his time in college, which included a 57-1203-9 line as a sophomore at Virginia. Unfortunately, a coaching change in 2022 led to major struggles for Wicks and the rest of the offense, which likely played a role in him falling to Day 3 in the 2023 NFL Draft. Love said earlier this offseason that the Packers don’t have a true No. 1 receiver, which he believes can put added stress on a defense. Between those comments and his praise for Wicks, it’s safe to say there will be plenty of opportunities for the second-year receiver to produce for fantasy managers this season.

Corley was selected by the Jets in the third round after totaling 79 receptions for 984 yards and 11 touchdowns during his final year at Western Kentucky. In 2022, the versatile receiver ripped off a 101-1295-11 line and had a well-renowned reputation for his physical style of play and ability to create after the catch. While second-year UDFA Xavier Gipson has been rumored as the early favorite to earn the role as the Jets’ primary slot receiver, Corley should eventually take hold of that role during the season, if not much sooner.

“Running back, kick returner, tackle, tight end...I can do it all,” Patterson said when asked about the role. This season, Patterson is a near-lock to serve as the Steelers’ primary kick returner. Still, his familiarity with the offense run by offensive coordinator Arthur Smith could lead to a versatile role for Patterson, who has seen plenty of action at various offensive positions over his 11-year career. Patterson totaled just 219 yards from scrimmage and one offensive touchdown last season while playing in 14 games. He also appeared to have lost a step during the back end of the 2022 season. While we can safely assume his role on special teams, we will need to see what kind of reports surface out of camp before we can confidently assess his fantasy value in 2024.

Cephus spent about a month with the Bills before the team opted to part ways with the former fifth-rounder. Cephus is returning from a season-long gambling suspension that sidelined him for all of 2023 and hopes to latch onto a 53-man roster in training camp. He’s caught 37 passes for 568 yards and four touchdowns over three seasons and wouldn’t be anything more than added depth if he were to make the Texans.