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Packers WR Randall Cobb sheds walking boot
Wednesday, July 18, 2018, 9:58pm
Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb was spotted without his walking boot during his football camp.
This is great news, as Cobb should easily be the No. 2 wide receiver in the Packers offense when healthy. Last season, Cobb averaged eight targets per game in contests where Aaron Rodgers was healthy—a 128 target pace. He averaged 13.2 PPR points in those games as well. Cobb is currently going off the board as the No. 40 WR in fantasy drafts.
Saints sign RB Shane Vereen
Wednesday, July 18, 2018, 11:38am
The Saints are signing former Giants and Patriots running back Shane Vereen.
Related Players: Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara
UPDATE: The Saints have waived Daniel Lasco in a corresponding move.
The Saints continue to add reliable veterans to the fold in the wake of Ingram's four-game suspension. Vereen is not much of a runner, but has averaged 3.2 receptions per game over his last five seasons. If he makes the team, he will likely be a factor in the New Orleans passing game, which could impact the bottom line of both Ingram and Kamara.
Patriots beat lists WR Jordan Matthews as a 'roster lock'
Wednesday, July 18, 2018, 11:32am
ESPN's Mike Reiss listed Jordan Matthews as a "roster lock" in his Patriots wide receiver preview. Here is Reiss' explanation of the projection:
"Some might view Matthews as an aggressive choice as a lock, but the projection is that the Patriots will ultimately come to value his versatility, smarts and cheap contract, which is why he lands in that category. Furthermore, I don't think it's a stretch to say Edelman's four-game suspension to open the season further increases Matthews' chances of sticking around."
The logic used by Reiss is certainly reasonable. It is worth noting that New England projects to keep five wideouts on their final roster, and one of them is likely to be return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson. Matthews has a great chance to start in two-wide sets while Julian Edelman serves his four-game suspension, and is the No. 66 wide receiver off the board in fantasy drafts right now.
Cardinals TE Ricky Seals-Jones arrested
Wednesday, July 18, 2018, 11:24am
Cardinals tight end Ricky Seals-Jones was arrested in Scottsdale on July 14 for assault, disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing, according to the Scottsdale Police Department. The incident in question involved Seals-Jones attempting to use a bathroom at a Scottsdale hotel where he was not a guest, which led to him pushing a hotel employee. Reports say he "appeared intoxicated".
Hopefully this ends up being nothing for the sophomore tight end, but it is something to monitor. The NFL has certainly suspended players for less. Seals-Jones is the No. 25 tight end off the board right now in fantasy drafts.
Bears QB Mitch Trubisky feels comfortable in new offense
Tuesday, July 17, 2018, 6:47pm
Despite its complexity, Mitch Trubisky feels more comfortable in Matt Nagy's system than the one Dowell Loggains ran last season.
“It’s more complex, but it’s easier [to execute], as opposed to simpler but more difficult.
"That’s how I would describe it last year. Last year, there were probably less words, but they didn’t necessarily fit together. Or it was just more difficult to process. This year, it’s more complex but it’s easier to execute and memorize and remember because everything builds on something. You start with a base concept, and it gets more and more complicated.”
Trubisky is using flashcards this offseason to help him learn and process. The story said Nagy's offense took five years to master in Kansas City, and any success this year will circle back to how well Turbisky operates. The QB certainly has the weapons around him to succeed and there is some fantasy hype around the Bears this season.
Rams sign WR Brandin Cooks to five-year extension
Tuesday, July 17, 2018, 6:40pm
The Los Angeles Rams have signed Brandin Cooks to a five-year contract extension, the team announced Tuesday.
The deal is worth $80 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
"Brandin Cooks has shown himself to be a class act on and off the field since the first day he joined our team," HC Sean McVay said in a statement. "He's a proven professional in this league and signing him to a long-term contract was always our goal."
Acquired in an offseason trade with the New England Patriots, Cooks, 24, has yet to play a snap for the Rams, but coach Sean McVay liked what he saw from the receiver throughout the offseason program. Cooks said he knew he wanted to sign a long-term contract shortly after arriving at the team's training facility and observing the culture established by McVay, the story said.
Saints WR Cameron Meredith hopes to take part in camp
Tuesday, July 17, 2018, 1:55pm
The Saints signed restricted free agent wide receiver Cameron Meredith this spring, but they haven’t had much of a chance to see him work.
He’s hoping that changes when veterans report to training camp next week.
“On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s almost a 10,” he said. “I haven’t had a setback along the recovery process. I’m gaining strength day by day, month by month. I’m excited to see how soon I can get back, ... But the main objective for me is to do as much as I can with the trainers to get ready for the season."
Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski expected to show for camp
Tuesday, July 17, 2018, 1:52pm
Tight end Rob Gronkowski is expected to report for the start of New England Patriots training camp on time, according to an ESPN report Tuesday.
Gronkowski missed all of the Patriots’ voluntary offseason workouts and has been working with the team on a tweak of his contract for the second consecutive year. But he did show for New England’s mandatory minicamp, and he is not expected to hold out for any portion of training camp.
Gronk flirted with the idea of retirement and reports he didn't get along with HC Bill Belichick were dismissed. We reported a story earlier this offseason that a new contract for the TE is likely at some point, but not imminent.
Cowboys WR Cole Beasley expanding route tree
Tuesday, July 17, 2018, 1:48pm
WR Cole Beasley will be a key player for Dallas to re-establish what it's calling a "Dak-friendly" offense. In the slot in 2016, Beasley epitomized that role as the line protected for Prescott and Beasley grabbed underneath balls when Dak Prescott didn't hand off to Ezekiel Elliott. Now, Beasley's working on expanding his route tree under new receivers coach Sanjay Lal.
The story said Dallas plans to shift several receivers across different positions with routes similar that Prescott will know where they're going regardless of who he is targeting. It's likely going to be a receiver by committee approach with Dez Bryant released and Jason Witten retiring.
Report: Le'Veon Bell plans to skip training camp again
Tuesday, July 17, 2018, 1:42pm
Running back LeVeon Bell didn’t get the long-term deal he was hoping for, and he apparently isn’t going to put in any extra time.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, Bell’s plan at the moment is to skip training camp “but be ready for the regular season.”
There’s also no plan to skip regular season games, likely because doing so would be forfeiting $852,000 a week and his quest for more money isn’t furthered by leaving piles of it on the table. As we reported earlier, last year Bell got off to a slow start over the first three weeks, perhaps as a result of missing most of camp, so it's something for fantasy owners to keep in mind.
Gase: Offense 'moves smoother' with QB Ryan Tannehill
Tuesday, July 17, 2018, 9:06am
Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill had to work his way back while growing accustomed to new receivers Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson, plus two tight ends drafted in the first four rounds.
That’s enough to throw at any quarterback, let alone one who, assuming he starts the opener, will be taking a snap that matters for the first time in 637 days, or 1 3/4 calendar years.
“You could tell he has a total grip of the offense,” coach Adam Gase said. “Everything just moves smoother. That’s just experience, whether it’s in this offense or just football in general. He’s been in the league for a little bit. When the defense throws something different at him, he has a way to solve the problem faster than probably what he did three or four years ago.”
The story was mostly about how Tannehill has looked good so far this offseason. Other items of note from the story included Tannehill not wearing any kind of brace and there was no evidence of a limp. The story quoted Gase as saying Tannehill is "going to play his game," meaning he has the green light to take off and run.
WR Larry Fitzgerald says he'll only play for Cardinals beyond 2018
Tuesday, July 17, 2018, 8:58am
Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will be back for a 15th season in 2018 and he said this offseason that he hasn’t come to a decision about whether it will be his last year as a player.
If Fitzgerald does decide to play another year, he’ll need to sign a new contract as his current pact with the Cardinals expires after this season. Life as a free agent doesn’t appear to be in the cards, however. Fitzgerald said on Monday that there won’t be any need for other teams to come up with sales pitches designed to lure him away from Arizona.
“If I’m not playing in Arizona, I won’t be playing anywhere,” Fitzgerald said, via the Pioneer Press. “I’ve built a good life for myself down there. Playing in the same place for 15 years is a true blessing.”
As the story said, Fitz has over 100 catches and 1,000 yards each of the last three seasons, so he doesn't seem to be slowing down.
Falcons WR Julio Jones works out with QB Matt Ryan
Monday, July 16, 2018, 7:40pm
Falcons receiver Julio Jones didn’t show up for the team’s offseason program or mandatory minicamp, but he is working with Matt Ryan at the quarterback’s passing camp. Calvin Ridley posted a photo on Snapchat of 10 players posing with Ryan after a pre-camp workout.
The Falcons report to training camp July 26, and it remains to be seen whether Jones will show up. His contract has three years remaining. It averages $14.25 million, only eighth-highest at the position, and pays him a $10.5 million base salary this year.
Jets to release WR Devin Smith
Monday, July 16, 2018, 6:41pm
Wide receiver Devin Smith won’t be headed to training camp with the Jets this year.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Jets will release Smith.
Smith was a second-round pick in 2015 after starring at Ohio State, but injuries have kept him from doing much of anything for the Jets. He tore his ACL late in his rookie season, which sidelined him for much of 2016, and then missed all of last season after he suffered the same injury last April. He had 10 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown in 14 total games.
Panthers Beat: RB C.J. Anderson appears to have lead role
Monday, July 16, 2018, 6:39pm
It appears that C.J. Anderson will take the lead in the traditional running back role.
Related players: Christian McCaffrey
The author feels we will see McCaffrey's receiving numbers rise from last year's 80-651-5 line. He doesn't think McCaffrey's carries will go up by much, but he's not ruling out 900 receiving yards for McCaffrey. McCaffrey is our No. 12 ranked PPR running back.
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