NFL Player News

A First Team All-Pac-12 selection who started all 12 games as a senior, Jackson went from JUCO-to-Alabama and finally to Oregon where he had a breakout season with the Ducks in 2023. Outside of the one game against Washington, he was a legitimate shutdown corner, allowing only eight receptions and zero touchdowns over the final six games. Jackson brings a physical presence to the game with 12 run stops and an 83rd% PFF run grade this season. Jackson has exceptional length (32 ¾ arms) and uses it well to manipulate receivers towards the sidelines, cutting the field off. Jackson has notable ball skills with eight pass break ups and three interceptions, as opposing receivers have to work hard to create space. There are no “gimme” receptions. He also does well with contested catches using his length and elite anticipation to knock down the ball. He’s about as long as corners come at 6’036, but his 1.60s 10-yard split (46th%) and 2.67s flying-20 is just a 37th percentile time, showing that he needs a little ramp-up before he gets moving.

Coach Mike Macdonald declined to name the body parts, but it’s reportedly Smith’s knee and hip. He has missed back-to-back practices and isn’t supposed to go on Friday, either. This is a good reminder that Smith, despite his relatively light career workload, is going on 34. Whatever it is doesn’t seem likely to imperil his Week 1 status, at least yet. It is a concern in that Smith is losing time to learn and install Ryan Grubb’s new offense. Smith remains best treated as a QB2 streamer in fantasy.

It’s good news in that it’s not a season-ending injury, but high-ankle issues are quite frequently season-altering issues. One silver lining here is that there are no current games to rush back for. Diaby might not be 100 percent by Week 1, but he will be much closer to it than most high-ankle sprain sufferers are when they return. Diaby notched 7.5 sacks as a third-round rookie last season, and profiles as a major part of the Bucs’ 2024 pass rush.

Some fantasy managers had probably already assumed this based on Lloyd’s draft status and AJ Dillon’s paltry contract, but Dillon has also been earning ravings for being in better shape. “Lloyd’s shiftiness and burst have been noticeable since the offseason program and his total skill-set might be enough to unseat Dillon as the primary backup to Josh Jacobs,” was Schneidman’s exact report. It’s one report on August 1, but Lloyd garnering early puff pieces is certainly better than the alternative. Packers coach Matt LaFleur seems to prefer committees, and we would have to assume a strong camp would put Lloyd ahead of plodder Dillon.

This is a tough blow to the Titans receiver room, as Kuharsky reports Hopkins “could miss four to six weeks” with his recently sustained injury. That would put him at risk of potentially missing the team’s Week 1 opener against the Bears. According to Kuharsky, Hopkins left the practice field late on Tuesday with the Titans’ top medical guy and didn’t return to the field. He was spotted with a wrap on his knee during Thursday’s portion of practice but didn’t appear to be running at top speed in a short video posted to social media. Hopkins caught 75 passes for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns in his first season with the Titans and is an intriguing fantasy option playing in his first season under head coach Brian Callahan, who should move the team away from their old run-heavy ways under Mike Vrabel. Hopkins profiles as a high-end WR2 in the Titans offense if Will Levis can take a leap in his second year as a starter.

While, in some ways, this is one teammate hyping up another, this isn’t the first time Iosivas has received offseason praise from the Bengals. Earlier this summer, Iosivas’ personal receiver coach said the second-year receiver “made the fastest improvement of any player [he’s] ever had.” On top of that, Iosivas is also expected to work as the third receiver in 11 personnel, possibly filling the void left by Tyler Boyd in the slot. The 6-foot-3, 212-pound speedster could see significant work in an offense that’s expected to feature plenty of three-receiver sets. He could make for an interesting late-round dart throw in deeper PPR leagues.

Muhammad was hit with a PED suspension late last season while on the Colts practice squad. The veteran EDGE has totaled 12 sacks in his six-year career and will likely have a chance to carve out a role on a Cowboys roster that recently lost pass-rusher Sam Williams to a torn ACL. Muhammad recorded six sacks during his 2021 season with the Colts but didn’t play a regular-season snap last season. He’s not a lock to make the 53-man roster.

The team announced in a statement that the injury is to Herbert’s right foot and is just the second lower-body injury of his career. He will protect the injury with a boot for the next two weeks before initiating a gradual return-to-play ramp-up period. Herbert has been going later than usual in fantasy drafts under a Jim Harbaugh/Greg Roman regime that’s expected to take a more run-centric approach this season. It’s possible his ADP drops even more in the coming weeks with this injury, creating a nice buying scenario for fantasy managers. Despite the injury, the team is hopeful that Herbert will return in time for Week 1’s matchup against the Raiders.

Purcell has spent the last five seasons with the Broncos, starting in 37 of the 65 games he appeared in over that span. The veteran lineman is set to enter his ninth season as a pro and is coming off a year in which he totaled 25 tackles and one TFL. He’ll likely serve as added depth along a Patriots line that includes Davon Godchaux and Christian Barmore.

This is great news for Foreman, who was carted from the field on a backboard and then flown to a nearby hospital for evaluation. Foreman was injured on a helmet-to-helmet injury on special teams that resulted in an injury to his neck. Despite the scary scene, early reports were that Foreman was in good spirits and had movement in all of his extremities. It appears Foreman has dodged the worst. It wouldn’t be surprising if he missed a few days of practice following the injury, but it doesn’t sound like there is anything to be concerned about at this time.

Hill says he plays on “practicing every day” while leaving the contract negotiations to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. Hill said discussions for a new deal have been “positive” and that he believes a new deal is coming down the line. Hill said at the start of July that he was looking for a new deal after the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Justin Jefferson reset the receiver market earlier this year. Hill caught 119 passes for 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Dolphins last season and has a 238-3509-20 line in two seasons with the team. Still, at the top of his game, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Hill get paid as such sometime in the near future.