NFL

Roman said he expects Gadsden to “ascend quickly.” He also praised free agent addition Tyler Conklin, noting how often he gets open. Transitioning from the college ranks to the pros is as hard as it gets at the tight end position. It’s even harder when you played a de facto slot receiver role in college as Gadsden did. Being forced to learn a more traditional tight end role should be a tall order for the rookie, but it sounds like Gadsden is taking it in stride. While the fifth-round pick might not be a viable fantasy option in Week 1, he could earn enough work as a part-time player to stymie Will Dissly’s TE2 fantasy outlook.

The Texans released a statement saying, “We are gathering more information and have no further comment at this time.” Ward was out of practice while recovering from foot surgery he underwent late in the 2024 season. At 33 years old, Ward may have played his last snap in the NFL.

The value of every drafted rookie’s contract is determined by where they were selected in the draft, so it’s hard to imagine how a team could drag their feet this aggressively. The Bengals, however, have found a way. They are reportedly haggling over certain clauses in Stewart’s deal. The good news for Stewart is that he isn’t subject to fines for missing minicamp because he’s not under contract yet. Stewart was previously in attendance but not practicing. He’s now out of the building entirely. We fully expect the two sides to get this taken care of before training camp, but it’s another example of the Bengals’ front office needlessly pinching pennies from their players.

Reaves is primarily a special teamer for the Commanders, making the 2022 Pro Bowl and being named first-team All-Pro for his skillset. He suffered a partially torn ACL in 2023 and signed a two-year deal to stay in Washington last offseason. The Commanders now reward his productive special teams performance with a one-year extension that keeps Reaves signed through 2026.

Griffin played for the Vikings last season, intercepting two passes in 17 games played. The 29-year-old previously played for the Panthers, Texans, and Jaguars, while making a Pro Bowl with the Seahawks. The Raiders are in need of depth in the secondary after losing Nate Hobbs in the offseason. Griffin has the flexibility to start if needed for Las Vegas, should the team sign him.

Hasty just completed his second season with the Patriots after spending time with the Jaguars and 49ers earlier in his four-year career. The 28-year-old has primarily been a depth option in the backfield and special teamer. It is notable the Texans brought in another running back, having signed Nick Chubb with Joe Mixon recovering from an ankle injury. Hasty would need to battle his way through to make any roster, but the Texans working him out indicates Mixon may be further from returning than initially thought.

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Pratt’s deal includes another $500K in incentives. Pratt was expected to be a cap casualty for the Bengals and requested a trade. Nothing materialized and Cincy cut him earlier this week. Pratt started all 17 games for the Bengals last year. He played nearly every snap on defense and led the team with 143 combined tackles. Pratt is a safe bet to start for the Raiders this season.

Roman continued to heap praise on the rookie, saying, “You don’t see a lot of guys find a hole like he’s doing right now.” Backed by No. 22 overall draft capital, fantasy managers are rightfully expecting a large workload for Hampton out of the gates. Free agent addition Najee Harris could stand in his way, but it doesn’t sound like Roman is going to simply hand the veteran the starting gig. Hampton could take on a high-end RB2 workload early in the year if he continues to impress during the offseason program.

Second-round safety Andrew Mukuba is the only unsigned draft pick for Philly. Campbell is currently recovering from surgery related to the torn labrum he suffered in his final collegiate season. The versatile defender has been observing the inside linebackers in Philly’s offseason program, giving us some idea of where he will play to start his career. After trading up one spot to land Campbell in the first round, it’s safe to assume the Eagles will ramp up his workload as soon as he is healthy.