Falcons hope offensive line is improved

Jun 09, 2014

On the topic of the Falcons' offensive line...

How bad was this group? The Falcons used their first-round draft pick here and hired a new coach just to address the unit's poor play. Atlanta hopes rookie tackle Jake Matthews and new position coach Mike Tice, a former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, can fix a porous line that helped limit the Falcons to a league-worst 77 yards a game on the ground last year. They also signed guard Jon Asamoah from the Kansas City Chiefs to add toughness. Baker's health is the key here; if he can hold down the left side, Matthews can adjust to the NFL on the right side, where he figures to be above average from the start.

Fantasy Impact:

The upgrades along the line will go a long way to determining what type of season Steven Jackson has. Jackson pulled his hamstring last season, which was just one of the many injuries that plagued the Falcons in 2013. However, his FP/touch of 0.607 was not far off his career average of 0.617 prior to arriving in Atlanta. So while he was on the field, Jackson was pretty much himself. He’s no longer a 1st/2nd round pick, but with his ADP down in the 6th/7th round, he’s shaping up to be a good value as the clear RB1 for the Falcons.

yesterday

Chargers to sign RB J.K. Dobbins on one-year deal

Tom Pelissero

yesterday · 7:45 PM EDT

Former Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins is planning to sign with the #Chargers on a one-year deal. Electric when healthy, Dobbins — who averages 5.8 yards per carry in his career — reunites with OC Greg Roman and can hit the market again in March.

Related Players: Gus Edwards

Fantasy Impact:

Dobbins has had poor injury luck in his career, but has only managed 234 total rushes since being drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. This is a low-risk, high-reward move by the Chargers and might give them a runway to wait a little longer in the '24 Draft before they address the position.

Apr 16

Cowboys sign RB Royce Freeman

Todd Archer

Apr 16 · 8:15 PM EDT

The Cowboys have signed running back Royce Freeman to a one-year deal. Freeman had 319 yards on 77 carries with 2 touchdowns last year for the Los Angeles Rams. He was 3rd round pick of Denver in '18.

Related Players: Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn

Fantasy Impact:

Freeman hasn't rushed for 500 yards since 2018, his rookie season. This shouldn't have any impact on the team drafting at the position and/or bringing back Ezekiel Elliott.

Apr 15

Eagles sign WR DeVonta Smith to three-year extension

Ian Rapoport

Apr 15 · 10:45 AM EDT

The Eagles have paid another big-time, rising player. This time, WR DeVonta Smith gets a 3-year, $75M contract extension that includes $51M guaranteed.

Related Players: A.J. Brown, DeVante Parker, Parris Campbell

Fantasy Impact:

Great news for Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense as a whole. Smith will continue his 1b role in which he finished the 2023 season as fantasy's WR22.