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Bears RB Jordan Howard active in passing game
Saturday, July 21, 2018, 3:13pm
Bears RB Jordan Howard says he’s improved his hand placement in terms of becoming a better receiver. He was active in the passing game in practice Saturday.
Howard still finished as RB14 in PPR last season, despite a terrible offense and coaching staff that illustrated some of the worst playcalling in the league. New head coach Matt Nagy is expected to open up the offense more this season, but Howard will have to be reliable as a pass-catcher to maintain his snap counts. He has not reached 30 receptions in either of his first two seasons.
QB Andrew Luck "good to go" for training camp
Friday, July 20, 2018, 3:02pm
Colts general manager Chris Ballard tells reporters that quarterback Andrew Luck is “good to go” for training camp. He will not have any limitations on the field, but will not throw for seven consecutive days.
Things continue to look up for the Colts star quarterback. He appears to be on-schedule to start in Week 1, which boosts the value of all relevant Colt skill players. Luck has finally cracked the top 12 of quarterback ADP, and it should only rise as we approach September.
Jets WR ArDarius Stewart facing two-game suspension
Friday, July 20, 2018, 11:35am
Jets wide receiver ArDarius Stewart is facing a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances. The suspension is not yet official.
A third-round pick just a year ago, Stewart did not appear to be in line for major playing time as a sophomore prior to this infraction. He is stuck behind Robby Anderson, Terrelle Pryor, Jermaine Kearse, and Quincy Enunwa. This suspension likely makes it even more difficult for him to make an impact. Stewart is not a fantasy option.
Vance Joseph wants divided RB workload for Broncos
Friday, July 20, 2018, 9:12am
Broncos head coach Vance Joseph indicated a committee approach to the backfield in 2018.
“We want two or three guys to be our main core backs,” Joseph said during minicamp last month.
Fantasy owners have been quick to anoint rookie Royce Freeman the starter and bell cow in Denver, but there is a reason to believe that will not be the case. Devontae Booker, meanwhile, is coming off the board in the 11th round of drafts.
Colts will not have a bell cow RB
Friday, July 20, 2018, 9:01am
Colts running backs coach Tom Rathman reiterated that the team does not plan on utilizing a bell cow running back in 2018.
"You’re not going to have a bell cow, so to speak, a guy that’s going to carry the load," Rathman said. "We’ve got a lot of different styles, and I think anytime you have a lot of different styles, you want to try to utilize that. So you run one of the players with a certain style, and then you change it up the next series, and it keeps the defense on their toes. So that’s what we would anticipate doing."
This has been a constant theme of the offseason for the Colts and new head coach Frank Reich. We should expect a committee in Indianapolis, which makes it difficult to buy Marlon Mack at his late-seventh-round ADP. Rookies Nyheim Hines (14th round) and Jordan Wilkins (17th round) are much more appealing options.
Texans QB Deshaun Watson will practice limit-free
Thursday, July 19, 2018, 11:11pm
Deshaun Watson expects to be “full-go” for the first day of training camp.
“I feel great,” Watson told the NFL Network on Thursday night, via Adam Wexler of KPRC. “I’m getting ready for next week when we report to The Greenbrier; I’m going to be full-go.”
After practicing without a knee brace during minicamp last month, it appears Watson will be all systems go for the start of training camp. This is great news for one of the best dual-threats in football. Watson averaged 42.2 rushing yards per game in his six rookie-year starts. Of course, all of this is already baked into his ADP, coming off the board as the No. 2 quarterback.
Bears WR Allen Robinson healthy to start camp
Thursday, July 19, 2018, 1:43pm
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that no Bears are expected to start camp on the PUP list. That means wide receiver Allen Robinson is healthy following his ACL injury last fall.
This is a great start to the three-year, $42 million contract the Bears signed Robinson to this spring. The former Jaguar projects to be the clear leader in targets for Chicago this season.
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.
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