March 2015 4for4 Player News Articles

Lions HC Jim Caldwell on RB Theo Riddick...

"We try and give (the ball) to the guys who are going to do something with it, and I think he's going to be one of those guys who's going to force us to give him the ball more," Caldwell said last week at the NFL owners meetings. "I think you're really going to see him come along."

Caldwell expects Riddick's role to grow next season, though that could depend on what kind of tailback the team adds in April's draft. Riddick is a plus-plus pass catcher out of the backfield, but hasn't shown any kind of chops yet on the ground -- yet.

"He has all the qualities. Here's the thing -- if you're smart, if you're tough, if you're disciplined, if you have a great work ethic, there's improvement ahead. And he has all those things. So I think he's going to improve, and I think he's going to force us to get him the ball a little bit more in some situations."

Reggie Bush’s departure should give Riddick the opportunity to shine as the team's primary passing down back. He averaged 5.0 catches for 53 yards for 13.2 fantasy points in PPR formats in the five games that Bush missed last season. That's about what Fred Jackson averaged as the #17 running back in 2014. If the Lions don't add a running back early in the draft, then Riddick should be a sleeper in PPR formats.

Redskins HC Jay Gruden discussed the drop in receptions for WR Pierre Garcon...

"I think we can get his numbers back up a little bit," Gruden said. "We missed him. With three quarterbacks playing, there was never any ideal situation, and that hurt all the receivers. Moving forward we get some stability at the quarterback position, you’ll see all the numbers go up for all the receivers hopefully. A lot of people would rather just hand it off, but I think, we need to spread it out and be diverse in what we do and get these guys these touches. These guys work extremely hard. For us not to give them opportunities to make plays down the field is silly."

Ideally, Garcon will be in the 70-80 catch range. If the Redskins are successful this season, it will be their run game that powers them. They are not a team that should drop back more than 30 times a game. However, they do have two good starting receivers and a third who is capable of 40 receptions, plus Reed who deserves his share of targets, too.

After a #11 finish in PPR formats in 2013, Garcon was the #47 receiver last season. His targets dropped from 182 to 105, thanks to the addition of DeSean Jackson and Andre Roberts in free agency. The team is expected to run the ball a bit more this season, so we're not expecting a bounce-back season for Garcon.

WR Miles Austin and the Eagles have agreed on a one-year deal worth $2.3M base with another $700K available in incentives, source said.

Austin finished with 47 catches for 568 yards and two touchdowns, but missed four games due to a kidney injury. Over a full season his stats extrapolate to 63-757-2.7, which equate to fringe WR4-type numbers in PPR formats. This is certainly a system upgrade in Philadelphia. It's not clear what Austin's role will be, but he has plenty of experience playing in the slot from his days in Dallas, so the Eagles could elect to move Jordan Matthews outside. Austin figures to be fantasy relevant, though his days as a starter are probably over.

Broncos RB C.J. Anderson earned his place on the first team with a performance in the second half of the season that was more productive than all but one other running back in that span.When offseason workouts start, he will remain atop the depth chart at running back -- but only if he can maintain his performance and diligence.

"He made a big jump as a player, and I think he's earned the right to walk in to the offseason program -- the OTAs -- and line up as our starter," Head Coach Gary Kubiak said. "But he's got to continue to earn it on a daily basis... I think he's shown he has all the ability to be an excellent starter in this league, so we're really looking forward to working with him."

But he will return to find his predecessors at running back at full strength. Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman have recovered from groin and foot injuries, respectively, and will factor into the scramble for carries.

"All those guys are young. I think all three of those guys ... have all kind of had their little spurts of success with the club when they've had their opportunity," Kubiak said. "But they're all young. Who's going to be the bell cow, who's going to play every down, who's going to be the three-down player, they've got to sort that out. C.J. has shown the flashes of doing that... We'll give them all a chance and see how it pans out, but C.J. obviously has a good head start on things," Kubiak said.

The competition could be fierce, but Anderson's success last year and his ability to translate that to a zone-blocking scheme gives him the early lead.

"All good players fit your system, and he's a good player," Kubiak said. "So we've got some good young backs, and it's going to be very competitive from that standpoint, but, yeah, he's proven that running zone schemes and doing those types of things seem to fit him very well."

Anderson began to see starter-type touches in Week 10 with 17 touches for 163 yards and a touchdown against the Raiders. Over the final eight weeks, he averaged 24.0 touches for 132 yards and 1.3 TD, and was the #1 RB in that span. If the Broncos commit to Anderson (and why wouldn’t they?), he should thrive under Kubiak, who just coaxed a career year out of journeyman Justin Forsett.

Bill Callahan, the Redskins’ new offensive line coach, will be in charge of the run game, as he was in Dallas last season. In Jay Gruden’s first year, the Redskins used a lot of zone runs while also calling power runs, more so than they had under previous coach Mike Shanahan.

Callahan’s arrival signals a change.

“Obviously his staple is being a great line coach, a physical line coach,” Gruden said. “And the running game he brings is more a physical, downhill approach that we employed some last year, but not as many as we could. Part of that is because of the type of linemen we have. We have to adjust our running game to the style we want to be, but we have to make sure we have the linemen in the building to do what we want to do.”

That also means changes for running back Alfred Morris. But Gruden said they won’t be tough for him. The sense is that Washington will run the ball more next season after doing so only 401 times last season (league average: 428, according to ESPN Stats & Information). Some of that stemmed from game situations; some stemmed from wanting to throw more than they should.

“If you’re a running back, you want to play for Coach Callahan because he likes to run the ball a lot,” Gruden said. “Alfred will be happy. There will be some different styles of runs for him, so for the most part, Alfred’s got great vision and did a great job protecting the football last year, so I think Alfred will be happy with some of the changes.”

In his first three seasons, Morris has finished #5, #14 and #13 in standard formats. He's more of a RB2 in PPR leagues (#7, #19, #17) since he has only averaged 0.8 receptions per game in his career. Callahan's arrival should help the effectiveness of the team's running game, which in turn will help Morris's fantasy production. He's a good value and a safe pick in the 5th round of early PPR drafts.

The Carolina Panthers may have given up on all-time leading rusher DeAngelo Williams, but they haven’t given up on the two-back system.

Coach Ron Rivera said on Wednesday at the NFL owners meeting the Panthers ideally would like to get about 15 carries from Jonathan Stewart and then 8-10 from another back.

“The thing you’ve got to be careful about in this league is you can’t rely on one player at one position,’’ Rivera said during the NFC coaches breakfast. “Running back has definitely been proven that you’ve got to have a good two-back tandem.

“And that’s what we’re looking for. We’re looking for that complement to Jonathan.’’

Stewart averaged 18.3 carries per game in the final seven games of the season (averaging 97.0 rushing yards and 0.29 TD per game). Those are #9 RB numbers in PPR formats, so even if Stewart's carries are limited to 16-17 per game (15 carries plus 1-2 receptions), he should still provide solid RB2 production.

“His cutup is unbelievable,” Saints HC Sean Payton said of breaking down C.J. Spiller’s film with the Buffalo Bills. “And I’m not talking about last season because I think it became challenging, but you go back a couple of years and start looking at his screen reel, a sweep reel, a return reel. So when you watch his film you think of a lot of things he can do.

“He’s physical. He’s the most explosive player on the field a lot of times when you’re watching him."

While New Orleans may not be an ideal landing spot from a workload standpoint, Spiller should have a big role in the passing game with Pierre Thomas, Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills no longer on the roster. He’ll likely take over the role of Thomas, who averaged 11.6 touches in the last two seasons. Thomas finished with a top 30 PPG (PPR) in six of the last seven seasons, so that's a reasonable baseline for Spiller. New Orleans running backs caught 275 passes in the last two seasons, so there are plenty of catches to go around. In short, he has significant PPR upside in this offense, but his workload will be somewhat limited since he'll be part of a committee.

HC Andy Reid called Kelce elite this week at the NFL meetings in Phoenix.

“Absolutely,’’ Reid told reporters. “Tremendously talented. Loves to play the game. He’s like a little kid out there.

“You’d think the natural progression would be more and better and he was pretty good last year.’’

Kelce missed almost all of the 2013 season, which would have been his rookie year, because of an ailing knee. He was better last year, but the Chiefs weren’t quite comfortable giving Kelce a lot of playing time early in the season.

Kelce played 54% of the snaps from Week 1 to Week 10, averaging 3.8 catches for 49 yards and 0.44 TD in that span. He played 86% from Week 11 on, posting 4.7 receptions for 61 yards and 0.14 TD over the final seven games of the season. The rise in fantasy points wasn’t as dramatic since his touchdowns didn’t increase with his playing time, but that should rectify itself in 2015. He was the #4 TE in both standard and PPR formats in the final seven weeks of the season and is likely to go in the top 5 at his position in 2015 fantasy drafts.

Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said he expects Lavatius Murray and Trent Richardson to compete for the starting tailback job.

"I think it will be a competitive situation," Del Rio said.

Del Rio likes Richardson's potential.

"What I saw when we brought him in and talked to him was a young man that was hungry to kind of leave that portion of his career behind him and start fresh," Del Rio said. "My challenge to him was, 'Look, I don't want you to worry about anything other than coming in here and competing your butt off every day. Come in here and be a great teammate. Come in here and find a role on special teams. Come in here and just grind every day with the hunger you had as a freshman at Alabama.'"

We fully expect Murray to win the job, though it is concerning that the Raiders aggressively pursued DeMarco Murray. It indicates that they aren't fully ready to move forward with Latavius Murray, even though he rushed 82 times for 424 yards (a 5.2 YPC) and two touchdowns, including an incredible four-carry, 112-yard, two-TD performance against the Chiefs in Week 12. He still averaged a solid (if unspectacular) 4.0 YPC when that game is excluded. With good size (6'2", 223 lbs) and great speed (4.38 40-yard dash), Murray has all the physical tools to succeed at the position. He even showed solid hands with 17 receptions on 23 targets. We don't see Richardson as much of a threat, but teams have force-fed him before. Roy Helu is also in the mix, so if the Raiders don't commit to Murray, this could devolve into an ugly committee.

Cardinals HC Bruce Arians on RBs: "We'd like to have a bigger back." Said team looking for big, fast back. Could come in 4th or 5th round.

It sounds like the Cardinals are looking to build a two-back system to lower the wear and tear on Andre Ellington, who played hurt for most of the 2014 season. A reduction in touches may actually help Ellington's effectiveness, though it's unlikely to help his per game fantasy production. Ellington averaged 22.0 touches per game, but only managed 3.3 YPC after averaging 5.5 YPC in his rookie season.

49ers HC Jim Tomsula: Reggie Bush can be an every down back. 'He's a runner, he's not a gadget guy.'

Bush is expected to fill a third-down role since it looks like Carlos Hyde is ready to carry most of the rushing load, though Tomsula's comments indicate that Bush's presence should be a concern for Hyde owners who were excited about the young back's opportunity with Frank Gore gone. The 49ers don't typically use their running backs in the passing game, though longtime OC Greg Roman is gone and new OC Geep Chryst may have a different plan in mind.

Mike McCarthy says WR Jordy Nelson's hip surgery was a cleanup and took place after Pro Bowl. Said its 6-8 weeks and things went well.

Nelson has finished in the top 11 in standard formats in three of the last four seasons, averaging 5.0 catches for 81 yards and 0.72 TD in that span. The Packers' offense remains intact, so as long as he and Aaron Rodgers stay healthy, we're expecting more of the same in 2015.

Giants HC Tom Coughlin says the goal for Victor Cruz is Week 1, but "if it doesn't happen, we just went through that" with Odell Beckham last year.

Cruz tore his patellar tendon in mid-October, so it's no sure thing that he'll be back for the start of the season. He's probably a player to avoid this season unless his price drops so much that he becomes a value in the later rounds. He's not going to get the same number of targets given Odell Beckham's emergence as a top-flight wideout.

The 49ers were willing to go only so far to re-sign running back Frank Gore.

But Gore’s new coach, Chuck Pagano, sees a player who can help take the Indianapolis Colts a long way.

“Put the tape on him, and you still see the production,” Pagano said Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings.

“He’s a tough, hard-nosed, every-down back. He can play all three downs. He’s a great protector in pass-pro. He catches the ball out of the backfield. We all know what he can do as a runner on early downs.

The Colts still view Gore as an every-down back.

“I don’t think we would’ve gone after him and made the investment and made the decision to bring him in if we didn’t feel that way,” Pagano said. “Based on what we saw on tape, there’s video evidence that he’s more than capable of still being that guy.

“Some guys are like that. Carry 1 through 20, they’re OK. And 20 to 30, they keep getting better as you wear defenses down. And I think Frank is that type of runner.”

Gore is turning 32 this summer, but should be able to shore up the Colts' running game. Dan Herron and Vick Ballard are in the mix, but Gore is better than advertised in the passing game. Gore averaged 51.0 receptions from 2006-2010, but as soon as Greg Roman took over as offensive coordinator in 2011, his targets dropped precipitously. He averaged just 28.3 targets over the past four seasons, while the Colts' running backs accounted for 113 targets last season, so look for Gore's value to jump in PPR formats. Due to his age, Gore typically goes later than he should in fantasy drafts, but he hasn't missed a game in three seasons and should be reinvigorated by a change of scenery.

After finishing 2-14 with one of the league’s worst offenses, the Buccaneers replaced interim OC Marcus Arroyo with a proven NFL offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, and the one player who could benefit the most is Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who is expected to be featured in Tampa Bay’s new offense.

The Bucs are so high on Seferian-Jenkins that he’s expected to be the starter in 2015 and the team did not go out in free agency and add a new tight end. The Bucs re-structured Myers’ contract to reflect the role of a backup tight end, and also re-signed blocking tight end Luke Stocker, but that’s it. The Bucs aren’t expected to address the tight end position in the draft, either, which means it’s up to Seferian-Jenkins to produce in 2015 and live up to his potential after an injury-riddled rookie campaign that ended with him on injured reserve due to an ailing back.

Seferian-Jenkins will be a featured weapon in Koetter’s offense and he should return to the form he showed in Washington when he hauled in 146 catches for 1,840 yards and 21 touchdowns in three seasons for the Huskies. While Koetter has the reputation for developing pocket passers everywhere he’s gone, he has also made stars out of tight ends.

Koetter has a history of featuring the tight end, coaxing a 58-700-10 season out of Marcedes Lewis in 2010 to go along with the 176 catches for 1,965 yards and 16 touchdowns in two seasons with Tony Gonzalez in 2012-2013. Seferian-Jenkins had an injury-riddled rookie season, but is a breakout candidate in his second season with a new quarterback and offensive coordinator.

Jerick McKinnon's undefined role hinges on whether Minnesota persuades Adrian Peterson to honor a $12.75 million contract in 2015 or trades his muddled status to another team -- abstractions that mean little to McKinnon, who refuses to dabble in Peterson politics.

He is hunting bigger game.

The ball carrier is fully recovered from back surgery that short-circuited his 2014 rookie season and eager to prove durable enough to produce over a 16-game NFL season.

"There's no doubt in my mind I can last the season," McKinnon said this week. "If that's something I have to prove, that's not a big deal for me. I'll prove it this year. I'm just really excited to get back out there with my teammates and coaches and show how far I've come since surgery."

McKinnon was the team’s primary runner from Week 4 to Week 12, averaging 81.5 yards on 16.4 touches per game. During that span, he was the #25 RB in standard formats and #20 in PPR. However, he failed to score a touchdown while Matt Asiata found the endzone 10 times. If Peterson leaves town and McKinnon enters the season as the team’s primary back, then low-end RB2 numbers are within reach. In that scenario, Asiata would continue to serve as the team's goal-line back.

The Falcons started the day by signing former Colt and Bronco Jacob Tamme, but they weren’t done adding players to compete with Levine Toilolo for playing time. The team announced that they have also signed former Chief, Bill and Seahawk Tony Moeaki on Thursday afternoon.

Moeki has talent but hasn't been able to stay out of the training room. The Falcons are looking to shore up the TE position and today's signings of Tamme and Moeaki give them a couple of veterans to lean on.

The Browns are signing WR Dwayne Bowe, source said. Cleveland is giving him a two-year deal.

Bowe should start opposite Brian Hartline with Andrew Hawkins manning the slot. He hasn't finished in the top 40 since 2011, and while his QB play in Kansas City wasn't great, it's not like Josh McCown is an upgrade over Alex Smith. We're expecting more disappointing numbers from Bowe in 2015.

Martavis Bryant put up plenty of big plays for the Steelers last year.

So much so that the Steelers are planning to give Bryant every opportunity this summer to claim the No. 2 receiver spot currently held by Markus Wheaton.

Offensive coordinator Todd Haley, who pushed hard for the Steelers to draft Bryant last year, called what Bryant was able to do during the second half of last season a “big thing” during a 30-minute Steelers Nation Unite ‘Weekly Huddle’ fan forum session on Wednesday.

“We are looking for him to come in and make a push against Markus Wheaton for that No. 2 spot and continue give us big-time production, specifically in the red area where a big target like that can make a big impact,” Haley said.

“When young guys come in at the receiver position and contribute early like he did, it is a big thing,” Haley said. “He took a lot of pressure off Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton … he really had a big impact on our offense. He is a guy we are going to work real hard throughout the offseason and, like all young players, he should make progress from year one to year two.”

Bryant averaged 2.8 catches for 56 yards and 0.82 TD in the final 11 games of the season (including a 5-61-1 outing against Baltimore in the playoffs). Thanks to the incredible touchdown rate, those are high-end WR2 numbers in standard formats and solid WR2 numbers in PPR. What's more, he didn't play 60 percent of the snaps until the postseason, so there's upside here from a playing time standpoint. If he earns a starting role this offseason -- and it looks like he will -- he’ll be a middle round pick in 2015 fantasy drafts.

The effort to replace Tony Gonzalez continues in Atlanta as the Falcons announced Thursday they have signed tight end Jacob Tamme.

Tamme could be a stopgap option if the Falcons draft a tight end and wait for him to develop.

Dolphins are NOT matching 5-year, $38 million offer sheet that Buffalo gave TE Charles Clay, per sources. Bills have a new TE.

He'll join a receiving corps that already includes Sammy Watkins and Percy Harvin, so targets may be tough to come by, especially when the Bills go run-heavy under OC Greg Roman and HC Rex Ryan. Roman's (lack of) usage of Vernon Davis while with the 49ers is not a good sign for Clay. In Miami, Jordan Cameron gets a boost as the Dolphins' primary tight end. Clay was #10 in targets per game (6.0) last season. Cameron could be even more involved than Clay.

The Ravens released backup running back Bernard Pierce following his arrest early Wednesday morning on driving under the influence charges.

After a pretty strong rookie season (4.9 YPC on 108 carries), Pierce has rushed for just 802 yards on 245 carries for a 3.27 YPC. He was a cut candidate even before the DUI, but his run-in with the law made him even more expendable. The Ravens currently have Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro atop the depth chart at running back.

Saints HC Sean Payton on third-year TE Josh Hill: “He’s exactly what we’re looking for… He’s talented, he can run, he’s young, but he’s consistent, and those are the things that allow you to win… He’s one of those players had he gone to the Combine, he probably would have been drafted. If you just took his numbers and plugged them in — height, weight, speed, vertical jump, broad jump, production — they’re pretty impressive. And he was a great addition for us, a great signing for us, a couple of years ago.”

With the Jimmy Graham trade, the door is open for Hill to start for the Saints. He only played 288 snaps in 2014, but still managed to catch 14 passes for 176 yards and five touchdowns on just 20 targets. If the team doesn't add a tight end early in the draft, Hill will likely see starter's snaps in 2015. If that's the case, he'll be one of the hottest sleepers heading into draft season.

The Patriots officially signed veteran tight end Scott Chandler on Monday.

Michael Hoomanawanui and Tim Wright are both still under contract, so it's not clear what role Chandler will fill. He's a capable receiver and a decent blocker.

Ravens running back Bernard Pierce arrested for driving under the influence early Wednesday morning, according to Baltimore County police.

This is a situation to monitor as the offseason wears on.

The Bills have given an offer sheet that Charles Clay has signed. The Dolphins have 5 days to match.

The deal is reportedly worth $38 million over five years with $20 million guaranteed. Clay's targets would be affected if he stayed in Miami after the Dolphins signed Jordan Cameron. If he ends up with the Bills, he'll join a receiving corps that already includes Sammy Watkins and Percy Harvin, so targets may be tough to come by, especially if the Bills go run-heavy under OC Greg Roman and HC Rex Ryan. Roman's (lack of) usage of Vernon Davis while with the 49ers is not a good sign for Clay.

Source: the Patriots have signed former Saints RB Travaris Cadet.

With Shane Vereen leaving to join the Giants, the Patriots needed a new pass-catching RB, and Cadet fits the bill. Cadet has caught 45 of 61 targets for a 7.7 yards-per-catch average. Vereen had a lower catch rate but a higher YPC (9.6) in three years with the Patriots. If he can secure the job, Cadet will be fantasy relevant in PPR formats.

Can confirm Trent Richardson is final stages of getting deal with Raiders.

This is actually good news for Latavius Murray, since Richardson isn't a real threat to Murray's chances of winning the RB1 job in Oakland. The team went hard after DeMarco Murray but ended up with T-Rich. There's an opportunity for a joke here, but we're going to let it pass. The team also signed Roy Helu, who should serve as the third down back.

Former 49ers and Bills WR Stevie Johnson is signing with the Chargers. It's a three-year deal.

From 2010 to 2012, Johnson was one of the most consistent receivers in football, posting at least 76 catches, 1,004 yards and six touchdowns in three straight seasons. In PPR formats, he was the #10, #16 and #18 receiver in that span. The Chargers lost Eddie Royal, so Johnson will presumably replace Royal in the slot, though he had his best years playing outside. (The Bills moved him into the slot in 2013 and his production dropped.) He doesn't have Malcom Floyd's speed, so it will be interesting to see how OC Frank Reich decides to use the 28-year-old Johnson in the offense.

Texans have agreed on a contract with WR Cecil Shorts.

In PPR formats, Shorts finished #25 in 2012 and #38 in 2013, so he has been fantasy relevant in his career. At this point, we're penciling him in as the starter opposite DeAndre Hopkins, but the team is likely to shore up the receiver position in the draft. Shorts isn't a threat to Hopkins up-and-coming status, and he's capable of turning in a fantasy starter-type season if he stays healthy and gets good quarterback play.

Reggie Bush and 49ers reached agreement, per sources.

Bush is expected to fill a third down role since it looks like Carlos Hyde is ready to carry the rushing load. The 49ers don't typically use their running backs in the passing game, though longtime OC Greg Roman is gone and new OC Geep Chryst may have a different plan in mind.

Vikings announced they have released WR Greg Jennings.

Jennings became expendable when the team traded for Mike Wallace. Jennings was the #42 WR in PPR formats, posting 59 catches for 742 yards and six touchdowns in his second season with the team. He'll turn 32 in September and still has some gas in the tank.

WR Kenny Britt is staying with the Rams, source said. It’s a two-year deal worth up to almost $14 million. He got 4.3 million guaranteed.

Britt was effective when he was targeted consistently. He averaged 4.4 catches for 73 yards and 0.29 TD in the seven games in which he saw at least six targets. Those are solid WR2 numbers, but the Rams didn't use him consistently enough to make him a trustworthy fantasy starter.

Vikings traded 5th-round pick to Miami for WR Mike Wallace and 7th-round pick, per league source.

Starting with the Dolphins, this news is good for Jarvis Landry and the newly acquired Kenny Stills and Jordan Cameron since Wallace's 7.2 targets per game are now up for grabs. In Minnesota, Wallace will likely start opposite Charles Johnson with Greg Jennings serving as the team's WR3. (Fantasy owners should not expect much from Cordarrelle Patterson in 2015.) We're wary any time a receiver changes teams, especially when he's not getting a promotion, which is the case here with Wallace. The acquisition is good news for Teddy Bridgewater, who averaged a solid 15.0 FP after his Week 10 bye. Those are QB2-type numbers, so with a year under his belt and Wallace in the mix, Bridgewater should be a good QBBC/streaming option in his second season.

Former Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams is signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Update: The deal is for $4 million over two years, but is effectively $2 million for one year, per Jason La Canfora.

LeVeon Bell is facing a 2-4 game suspension and the Williams signing makes Bell more appealing as a 1.01 or 1.02 pick since he can provide starter-caliber numbers while Bell is sidelined. Over the past two seasons, Williams has averaged 12.4 PPR fantasy points in the eight games where he's touched the ball at least 15 times. That equates to high-end RB2 numbers, so he should be able to carry the load while Bell is suspended.

Bills reached agreement on one-year deal with WR Percy Harvin, per source.

Harvin will have a chance to rehab his image if he can behave and produce in Buffalo. He'll play third fiddle to LeSean McCoy and Sammy Watkins in the Bills' offense, so he'll have WR3/WR4 value provided new OC Greg Roman figures out how to use him. Roman's track record of underutilizing talent (like Vernon Davis) isn't very encouraging.

Saints acquire Dannell Ellerbe and a 3rd round pick for WR Kenny Stills.

Stills has been extremely efficient in his short career, posting the #1 FP/target (in both formats) as a rookie. He followed that up with a #9 (PPR) finish in the same category last season. Some of this has to do with the productivity of the Saints’ passing game, but Stills was by far the most productive wideout in New Orleans the last two seasons. He joins a Miami receiving corps that is in transition. Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline are gone, so there are starter’s snaps available opposite Jarvis Landry. It’s definitely a quarterback downgrade, though he should see an uptick from the 5.5 T/G he averaged in 2014.

Saints reached agreement with former Bills RB CJ Spiller.

Update: The deal is for four years and $18 million, with $9 million guaranteed.

This is not an ideal landing spot from a fantasy standpoint. Not only is Spiller's upside capped by the presence of Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson, but he limits Ingram's upside as well. He'll likely take over the role of Pierre Thomas, who averaged 11.6 touches per game over the last two seasons. Thomas finished with a top 30 PPG (PPR) in six of the last seven seasons, so that's a reasonable target for Spiller. In short, he has upside in this offense, but his workload will be limited in a committee.

Cowboys agree to two-year deal with Darren McFadden pending a physical.

Update: The deal is worth up to $3 million over two years, with incentives.

McFadden turns 28 in August and he hasn't cracked 3.5 YPC since 2011 (when he rushed for 5.4 YPC). It's an interesting signing given the Dallas offensive line, which may be the best run-blocking unit in the league. But 2014 was the first time that McFadden played a full season; he has missed 26% of his team's games in his seven-year career. We'll see what else the Cowboys do at running back before going down this road once again.

And now the Dolphins have announced they signed former Browns TE Jordan Cameron.

Update: The deal is for $15 million over two years, which is what the Browns reportedly offered. Cameron wanted out of Cleveland.

Miami is a better landing spot than Cleveland. After finishing #5 in 2013, Cameron only posted 2.4 catches per game last season and finished #24 in standard formats. His targets dropped from 7.9 to 4.8 per game, which didn't make much sense since the Browns were without Josh Gordon for most of the season. He should see an increase in targets since the Dolphins gave Charles Clay 6.0 T/G in 2014 and 6.2 T/G over the last two years. Clay finished #13 in PPR PPG, and Cameron is probably an upgrade as a receiver. He’s a real threat to finish in the top 10 if he stays healthy. (Concussions are a concern.)

The Colts have waived running back Trent Richardson after two disappointing seasons following a trade that brought the former top-five draft pick from Cleveland.

The Colts will move forward with Frank Gore, Dan Herron and Vick Ballard, unless they decide to add another RB in the draft or via free agency.

Eagles announce a 3-year deal with Ryan Mathews and will announce signing of DeMarco Murray after his physical.

It's reportedly a 3-year, $12M deal. Philadelphia would have been a good landing spot for Mathews before the team agreed to terms with DeMarco Murray. The Eagles ran the ball a lot more than the Chargers did, but they'll be hard-pressed to find enough carries for Mathews to allow him to maintain his RB2 value from his days in San Diego. The signing is also a downgrade for Murray, whose workload is surely to take a hit from the 449 touches he saw in 2014.

The 49ers have officially released WR Stevie Johnson.

Johnson is only 28 and is a good possession receiver so he shouldn't be unemployed for long.

DeMarco Murray flew to Philadelphia via private plane on Thursday and indeed agreed to a contract with Eagles.

Murray will get $42 million over five years, including $21 million in guaranteed money, per reports.

Although the Cowboys said they wanted Murray to return, they never came close to meeting his contract demands, citing the diminished value of the running back and the decline in production as they get older.

Murray had a career year in his fourth season, racking up 2,261 total yards and 13 touchdowns on 449 touches. He should get plenty of work in Philadelphia, though the signing of Ryan Mathews and the presence of Darren Sproles indicate that he won’t approach 450 touches in 2015. LeSean McCoy averaged 353 touches over the past two seasons, so that’s probably Murray’s best-case scenario if everyone stays healthy. He’ll hold low-end RB1 value, though the presence of Mathews and Sproles may make that a stretch.

Ravens are giving RB Justin Forsett a three-year deal, per source.

Forsett should see his PPR upside increase due to new OC Marc Trestman's tendency to use his running backs in the passing game. Under Trestman, Matt Forte caught 176 passes in the last two seasons, including 102 catches in 2014. Forsett caught 44 passes last season, and could potentially see that number double if he's the RB1 for the Ravens in 2015. However, the loss of OC Gary Kubiak is likely to hurt the Ravens’ running game. As the #8 RB in both standard and PPR formats in 2014, he'll likely hold RB2-type draft value if he continues as the lead back in Baltimore.

It's official: WR Eddie Royal & Bears agree to terms.

With Brandon Marshall gone, the Bears needed someone to man the slot, and that's Royal's forte. He has finished in the top 35 in standard formats in each of the last two seasons, thanks to 15 touchdowns in that span.

Bills announce release of TE Scott Chandler as they prepare offer for Miami TE Charles Clay who is on the transition tag.

Chandler is a decent tight end, but the Bills are looking to upgrade to Clay, who is a better receiver.

Andre Johnson's three-year deal with the Colts is worth $21 million. Gets to face the Texans twice a year.

Johnson will likely start opposite T.Y. Hilton. It’s a big upgrade from a quality-of-quarterback standpoint, as he has never played with one as good as Andrew Luck. His targets are likely to take a hit, however. He averaged 9.7 T/G in 2014, while Hilton and Reggie Wayne led the Colts with 8.7 and 7.7 T/G, respectively. So this looks like a case of the targets dropping but the quality of those targets increasing. After finishing in the top 10 (in PPR) in five of his previous six seasons, Johnson finished #28 in 2014. He’s turning 34 this offseason, so it may be foolhardy to expect a huge bounceback season, but low-end WR2 numbers in PPR formats seem reasonable. His arrival puts a big dent in Donte Moncrief's prospects.

Former Chargers RB Ryan Mathews is on a plane to Philly. He has agreed to terms on a 3-year, $12M deal with the Eagles, source said, pending physical.

It's reportedly a 3-year, $12M deal. Philadelphia would have been a good landing spot for Mathews before the team also agreed to terms with DeMarco Murray. The Eagles ran the ball a lot more than the Chargers did, but they'll be hard-pressed to find enough carries for Mathews to allow him to maintain his RB2 value from his days in San Diego. The signing is also a downgrade for Murray, whose workload is surely to take a hit from the 449 touches he saw in 2014.

The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Wednesday that the club has signed wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

Rapoport reported that the deal was worth $11 million per season. Maclin was the #9 wide receiver in both standard and PPR formats last season. However, he did most of his damage in the first eight games (46-801-8, #2 WR) and faded from Week 10 on (40-528-2, #23 WR). His targets dropped from 10.5 per game in the first half of the season to just 7.5 T/G down the stretch, but this decrease basically coincided with Mark Sanchez taking over for Nick Foles at quarterback. Now he’ll have Alex Smith as his quarterback and should see plenty targets alongside up-and-coming TE Travis Kelce. HC Andy Reid is very familiar with Maclin, so we would expect his transition to be a smooth one, though this appears to be a system downgrade. Maclin averaged 4.6 catches for 61 yards and 0.50 TD (solid WR2-type numbers) from 2010-2012, while playing for Reid.

Texans are trading QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to the New York Jets for a late-round conditional draft pick, per a league source.

Fitzpatrick is capable of holding down the fort for a year if the team decides to move on from Geno Smith.

TE Julius Thomas signed with the Jaguars for $46 million over five years with $24 million guaranteed.

Thomas was the #3 TE in 2013, but struggled to a #10 finish last season after dealing with torn ligaments in his ankle. He has considerable talent as a pass-catcher, but this is a huge system downgrade from Denver to Jacksonville. He'll no longer enjoy the benefits of playing in a Peyton Manning-led offense and will instead be relying on Blake Bortles to deliver the ball. If the Jaguars feature him in the passing game -- and why wouldn't they? -- he has the potential to finish as a solid fantasy TE1 provided he can stay healthy. It's certainly an upgrade for Bortles and a downgrade for Manning.

Roy Helu agrees with the Raiders on a 2-year deal worth over $4M, source said.

If the Raiders are unsuccessful in their pursuit of DeMarco Murray, then Helu would likely serve as a passing down specialist while Latavius Murray would handle most of the carries.

Darrelle Revis' agents announce he has agreed to terms with the Jets.

Revis was asking teams for $40 million guaranteed. Jets' deal expected to top that. North of $40M guaranteed.

It's a blow to the Patriots' pass defense, but they now have a ton of cap space to work with.

Barring a breakdown in formal contract negotiations, Ndamukong Suh will sign with the Miami Dolphins after the new league year begins Tuesday for a deal that will pay him approximately $114 million with $60 million in guaranteed money, league sources told ESPN.

The Dolphins already had some talent on that side of the ball and should be a strong fantasy defense in 2015.

Free-agent wide receiver Torrey Smith has reached agreement on a five-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan.

The deal is worth $40 million, including $22 million guaranteed, sources said.

Smith got off to a slow start in 2014, posting just six catches for 85 yards in the first three games. Over the final 13 games of the season, he averaged 3.3 receptions for 52 yards and 0.85 touchdowns, which equates to #20 WR-type numbers in PPR formats. As it stands, he finished as the #29 WR in PPR and #19 in standard formats (thanks to the high touchdown rate), which is the fourth time he has finished in the top 23 (in standard formats) in his four-year career. He'll join a 49ers receiving corps that is likely losing Michael Crabtree and has a still-effective Anquan Boldin as a possession receiver. Smith will serve as a deep threat for QB Colin Kaepernick, though this move has to be considered a downgrade from an offensive/quarterback standpoint since the 49ers are typically run-heavy and Joe Flacco is pretty adept at putting touch on the deep ball. Throwing with touch is not one of Kaepernick's strengths.

Four days after acquiring wide receiver Brandon Marshall in a now-official trade, the New York Jets made the expected follow-up move Tuesday, releasing receiver Percy Harvin.

The Jets waited until Marshall passed his physical before parting ways with Harvin, whose ouster was announced simultaneously with confirmation of the trade.

Harvin is a playmaker, but he's been dumped by his third team in two years, so suitors would be wise to be cautious. Even so, he's going to draw plenty of interest on the open market.

The Broncos have reached an agreement with TE Owen Daniels, per sources.

Update: He signed three-year, $12 million contract.

Daniels continues to follow HC Gary Kubiak around the league. In the 12 games in which he played at least 75 percent of the snaps, Daniels averaged 3.0 catches for 33 yards and 0.25 TD (on 5.1 targets). He'll be a serviceable TE2 playing with Peyton Manning, unless the Broncos aren't done trying to replace Julius Thomas.

Rams close to trading QB Sam Bradford to Philadelphia for Nick Foles and draft-pick compensation, per sources.

Update: This deal has been finalized.

In addition to Foles, the Rams will also get Philadelphia's fourth-round pick in 2015 and second-round pick in 2016. The Eagles will get St. Louis' fifth-round pick in 2015 in addition to Bradford.

The Eagles can also pick up a conditional pick in 2016 based on how many snaps Bradford takes. If Bradford plays less than 50 percent the Eagles will get a 4th-round pick, if he does not play at all it becomes a 3rd-rounder. If Bradford plays more than 50 percent of snaps the Eagles will not receive any additional compensation.

Change is afoot. Foles’ second season as the starter in Philadelphia didn’t go as well as his first. After a ridiculous 27-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2013, Foles tossed 13 touchdowns against 10 picks last year. It wasn’t all his fault, however, as he was playing behind a patchwork offensive line and didn’t have as much time to throw. In the seven games that he finished in 2014, he averaged 16.9 fantasy points, which is about what Philip Rivers scored as the #12 QB on the season. Foles ultimately broke his collarbone in Week 9 and missed the final eight games of the season. He'll be penciled in as the starter in St. Louis, but this is a scheme/system downgrade, and the Rams' receiving corps is currently lacking established talent. As for Bradford, he'll get a fresh start in a friendly offense, though the Eagles just lost Jeremy Maclin. It's a familiar situation for Bradford, who has never had the benefit of a strong supporting cast. Both quarterbacks will be QB2 types heading into the summer.

Trade final: Jimmy Graham to Seattle, per Seahawks official.

Jay Glazer reported that the deal sends Seattle's first round pick and C Max Unger to the Saints. The Seahawks have been looking to upgrade at tight end for a while now, and they finally got their guy. Graham's value takes a minor hit as he heads to the run-oriented Seahawks, though he'll continue to be a target hog given the current state of the Seattle receiving corps. The move is a big upgrade for Russell Wilson, who was the #3 QB in 2014 despite a serious lack of playmakers in the passing game. Conversely, it's a major downgrade for Drew Brees, who loses his top target in the passing game. Unger's arrival is good news for the recently re-signed Mark Ingram, while the Seahawks will have to find a way to replace one of the best centers in the game. The loss of Unger will have a negative impact on Marshawn Lynch. Also, TE Josh Hill could step into a big role for the Saints.

The Kansas City Chiefs are moving on from Dwayne Bowe.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that the Chiefs are expected to release Bowe on Wednesday, according to a source. Bowe became expendable when the team locked into an agreement with Jeremy Maclin on Sunday.

Bowe's production has been on the decline since 2011, though the last two years (with QB Alex Smith) have been particularly ugly.

RB Shane Vereen to the Giants. Done deal, source says.

Vereen will serve as the team's passing down back, putting a sizable dent in the upside of Rashad Jennings, who averaged 3.2 catches (and 23 receiving yards) in the nine games in which he played significant snaps. With Andre Williams also in the mix for early down work, this situation appears to be devolving into a true committee.

Titans are signing former Falcons WR Harry Douglas to a 3-year deal, per source.

This signing is somewhat puzzling since the Titans already have a superior slot receiver in Kendall Wright. In Atlanta, Douglas performed well when called upon, but struggled in 2014 due to a foot injury.

Frank Gore plans to sign with the Colts, per source; deal expected to be similar to Philadelphia's offer: 3-years, $12M, $7.5M guaranteed.

Update: This deal is finalized.

Gore reportedly backed out of a deal with Philadelphia. He's turning 32 this summer, but should be able to shore up the Colts' running game. Dan Herron and Vick Ballard are in the mix, and the team could also bring back the still-effective Ahmad Bradshaw. Gore is better than advertised in the passing game, so re-signing Bradshaw may not be necessary. Gore averaged 51.0 receptions from 2006-2010, but as soon as Greg Roman took over as offensive coordinator in 2011, Gore's targets dropped precipitously. He averaged just 28.3 targets over the past four seasons, while the Colts' running backs accounted for 113 targets last season, so look for Gore's value to jump in PPR formats. Due to his age, Gore typically goes later than he should in fantasy drafts, but he hasn't missed a game in three seasons and should be reinvigorated by a change of scenery.

The Vikings reached a one-year deal with restricted free agent Matt Asiata, according to a league source. The deal will give the running back an opportunity to make more through incentives.

Asiata's role will depend on what the Vikings do at the position this offseason. Adrian Peterson is still under contract and Jerick McKinnon showed good ability as a runner, while Asiata mainly worked in short yardage situations and in the passing game (44 receptions).

The Jaguars have reached an agreement with free-agent tight end Julius Thomas, and he is expected to sign a contract with the team Tuesday, according to league sources.

The Denver Post, which first reported the news Monday night, said the multiyear contract is worth around $9 million a season.

Thomas was the #3 TE in 2013, but struggled to a #10 finish last season after dealing with torn ligaments in his ankle. He has considerable talent as a pass-catcher, but this is a huge system downgrade from Denver to Jacksonville. He'll no longer enjoy the benefits of playing in a Peyton Manning-led offense and will instead be relying on Blake Bortles to deliver the ball. If the Jaguars feature him in the passing game -- and why wouldn't they? -- he has the potential to finish as a fantasy TE1 provided he can stay healthy. It's certainly an upgrade for Bortles and a downgrade for Manning, though whomever wins the starting tight end job in Denver will be on the fantasy radar.

Breaking: Brian Hartline is signing with the Cleveland Browns.

Update: He signed a two-year, $6 million contract.

After averaging 132 targets in the previous two seasons, Hartline's looks were cut in half in 2014 with the emergence of rookie WR Jarvis Landry. Hartline averaged 75 catches for 1,050 yards from 2012-2013, so he gives the Browns a functional, starter-caliber receiver. If this doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement, it's because it wasn't meant to be. Hartline may be able to provide 70+ catches and 1,000 yards, but he only has 12 touchdowns in 92 career games, so he'll be more useful in PPR formats than in standard leagues.

Texans officially released WR Andre Johnson.

Johnson is turning 34 this summer but can still play a big role in a good passing offense. He should have several suitors as free agency wears on. He'll leave behind DeAndre Hopkins, who finished as the #14 WR in both standard and PPR formats even though the Texans’ quarterbacks finished 17th in both touchdowns thrown and yards per attempt. Assuming the team gets similar play from the position in 2015, Hopkins should continue to produce solid to high-end WR2 numbers. His targets should increase with the team’s decision to release Johnson.

The Texans have agreed to terms with QB Ryan Mallett, source said.

Update: Mallet signed a two-year, $7 million contract.

It looks like the Texans are going to move forward with Mallett and Brian Hoyer, who is also reportedly set to sign with the team (though it's not a done deal). In two games, Mallett completed 41 of 75 passes (54.7%) for 400 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions before tearing his pectoral muscle. He served as Tom Brady's understudy for three seasons so there is some optimism that he can turn into a quality NFL starter. He'll likely have to beat out Hoyer for the starting job.

Per source, Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer is planning to sign with the Texans tomorrow.

Update: This deal is finalized.

The Texans already have Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum and Tom Savage under contract, and free agent Ryan Mallett has already re-signed with the team. It's a quarterback quagmire in Houston.

The wild ride of subtraction and addition will apparently continue with the Philadelphia Eagles because receiver Jeremy Maclin plans to reunite with former coach Andy Reid on the Kansas City Chiefs once free agency officially begins on Tuesday, according to league sources.

The Chiefs will need to clear salary-cap space to sign Maclin, whose new contract would project in the range of what Randall Cobb received to stay with the Green Bay Packers at $10 million per year. It's possible Maclin could slightly exceed Cobb's salary when negotiations are finished. Unlike Cobb, who chose to remain with his team, the Green Bay Packers, Maclin is prepared to depart Philadelphia, coming off his best season, in which he had 85 catches for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns. Maclin played on a one-year, $5.25 million contract in 2014 after missing 2013 with an ACL injury.

Update: The deal is reportedly worth around $11 million per season.

Maclin was the #9 wide receiver in both standard and PPR formats last season. However, he did most of his damage in the first eight games (46-801-8, #2 WR) and faded from Week 10 on (40-528-2, #23 WR). His targets dropped from 10.5 per game in the first half of the season to just 7.5 T/G down the stretch, but this decrease basically coincided with Mark Sanchez taking over for Nick Foles at quarterback. If the report turns out to be true, he'll have Alex Smith as his quarterback and could hog targets alongside up-and-coming TE Travis Kelce. Reid is familiar with Maclin, so we would expect his transition to be a smooth one, though this appears to be a system downgrade.

Wide receiver Torrey Smith is poised to leave the Ravens as a free agent, according to multiple NFL sources, and the San Francisco 49ers are the front-runners to land the former Maryland standout.

For Smith to have remained with the Ravens, which several league sources reiterated has been an extremely unlikely scenario for weeks, he would have had to leave several million dollars on the table.

Although no deal has been finalized, sources indicated there's strong mutual interest between the former second-round draft pick and San Francisco. One source characterized the Smith situation as a "done deal with the 49ers," barring any unforeseen snags. Deals cannot become official until Tuesday at 4 p.m., when the league year and free agency signing period begins.

Smith acknowledged his pending departure Sunday night with a blog in which he thanked the Ravens for his four years in Baltimore.

Update: Smith signed a five-year, $40 million deal that includes $22 million guaranteed.

Smith got off to a slow start in 2014, posting just six catches for 85 yards in the first three games. Over the final 13 games of the season, he averaged 3.3 receptions for 52 yards and 0.85 touchdowns, which equates to #20 WR-type numbers in PPR formats. As it stands, he finished as the #29 WR in PPR and #19 in standard formats (thanks to the high touchdown rate), which is the fourth time he has finished in the top 23 (in standard formats) in his four-year career. He'll join a 49ers receiving corps that is likely losing Michael Crabtree and has a still-effective Anquan Boldin as a possession receiver. Smith will serve as a deep threat for QB Colin Kaepernick, though this move has to be considered a downgrade from an offensive/quarterback standpoint since the 49ers are typically run-heavy and Joe Flacco is pretty adept at putting touch on the deep ball. Throwing with touch is not one of Kaepernick's strengths.

Free-agent running back Frank Gore has told people he will sign this week with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to league sources.

Barring a breakdown in talks, Gore is expected to sign a three-year deal in which $7.5 million in the first two years is guaranteed.

Update: Gore signed a three-year, $12 million contract.

Gore's stock is suddenly back on the rise as he joins a potent offense that boasted the 7th-most rushing attempts in 2014 (4th in 2013). He has averaged 4.21 YPC over the past two seasons, but has 2,442 career carries and will turn 32 years old in May. His ADP is likely to settle in the 3rd or 4th round depending on what else the Eagles do at running back.

LeSean McCoy and Bills have agreed upon new 5-yr contract once trade w/Eagles is finalized on Tuesday, per NFL sources. Told it's a whopper.

Update: It's five-year, $40 million deal that includes $26.5 million guaranteed.

It's said to be a five-year, $40 million contract that includes $26.5 million guaranteed. This looks like a system downgrade for McCoy, who ran much better later in the season once his offensive line started to get healthy. In Buffalo, new HC Rex Ryan and new OC Greg Roman (formerly of San Francisco) both have a history of running ball control, run-first teams, but the Bills have serious quarterback issues. Free agent C.J. Spiller isn't likely to re-sign and the acquisition of McCoy has to be a downgrade for Fred Jackson. As for McCoy, he's still a fantasy RB1, though he carries more risk since the Buffalo offense could struggle to score points. Given the way the Eagles like to run the ball, whoever emerges as the starter in Philadelphia will carry early round value.

The New Orleans Saints and running back Mark Ingram have reached agreement on a four-year deal, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The deal is worth $16 million over the four years, sources said.

Ingram confirmed that he is staying in New Orleans via Twitter on Saturday night.

Ingram averaged 19.6 touches for 85 yards and 0.69 TD per game in his 13-game season in 2014. He averaged 4.27 YPC last season after averaging 5.02 YPC in 2013. He benefited somewhat by injuries to Khiry Robinson, who could potentially eat into Ingram's 2015 workload, though the loss of Pierre Thomas may allow Ingram to have a larger role in the passing game. He averaged 2.8 catches in the five games that Thomas missed. He posted the #11 PPG in PPR formats (#8 in standard), and will be drafted as a high-end RB2 in 2015 fantasy drafts.

Packers WR Randall Cobb back to Green Bay on a 4-year, $40 million deal, per source.

Cobb reportedly had 6-7 other offers today, per Ian Rapoport, but "turned down considerably more money" to sign with Green Bay. It's certainly the best spot for his fantasy value, playing in a familiar system with a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback. Cobb finished #8 in PPR formats and #6 in standard and has finished in the top 11 in PPR points per game over the past two seasons. In early drafts, he's the 12th WR off the board and is going in the early 3rd round. Don't be surprised if his ADP settles in the late 2nd by the time draft season is in full swing. This is great news for Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson and the entire Packer offense.

Spotted on plane on way to SEA, Marshawn Lynch has decided to return to NFL; he and the Seahawks have reached agreement on new deal, per source.

Lynch has finished in the top 6 in four straight seasons in both standard and PPR formats. With 2,272 career touches and a punishing running style, injuries are a concern. But even with all the back issues he has had, he hasn't missed a game in the last three seasons. With a new deal in place, his ADP should climb into the back half of the 1st round.

Jets are expected to release WR Percy Harvin, sources say. Not a surprise given today’s Brandon Marshall trade. Will have an active market

In his final three seasons with the Vikings, Harvin averaged 16.3 fantasy points (PPR) and was dangerous in both the passing game (averaging 5.6-64-.35) and the running game (2.4 carries for 14 yards and 0.10 TD). In 14 regular season games with the Seahawks and the Jets, Harvin has averaged just 50 total yards and 0.14 TD per game, resulting in 9.6 PPR fantasy points. He turns 27 this summer and still has elite speed for his position, so he should be a hot commodity in free agency despite his poor production in recent years. There are character concerns, but if he lands in the right situation, he will be a fantasy factor in 2015.

Bears have agreed to trade WR Brandon Marshall to the Jets pending a physical, per league source.

Injuries made it a frustrating year for Marshall owners. His biggest game (5-48-3) came on Sunday night in Week 2 when it looked like he wasn't going to play against the 49ers. Then, when everyone had him back in the lineup for Week 3, he posted one catch for six yards against the Jets. He finished as the #34 PPR receiver, but had the #21 PPG. If fully healthy, he'll be a solid starter, though it's a quarterback downgrade from Jay Cutler to Geno Smith (or whomever ends up starting for the Jets). New OC Chan Gailey did throw the ball 56.6% of the time in his three seasons running the Bills, so the Jets figure to pass it much more than they have in the last few seasons. Marshall's arrival could have a negative impact on Eric Decker's targets, but given the team's relative lack of playmakers and Gailey's positive impact on the pass offense, Decker's value should hold steady.

TE Niles Paul resigns with Redskins, a three-year deal that can earn him up to just under $10 million, per source.

Jordan Reed is signed through 2016, so Paul's upside is limited as long as Reed stays healthy. Since Reed hasn't played more than 11 games in either of his two NFL seasons, his owners should keep Paul on speed dial. In best ball formats, the Reed/Paul combo scored 159 points in PPR formats, which equates to #11 TE-type numbers.

Marques Colston has restructured his contract to remain with the Saints, via a league source.

Colston was the #36 WR in PPR and #32 in standard formats in 2014. His return puts a dent in Kenny Stills' upside, since Stills was likely to see starter's snaps with Colston out of the way. Brandin Cooks will continue to man the slot and is the best fantasy bet of the bunch.

Raiders RB Maurice Jones-Drew announced via Twitter that he's retiring from the NFL.

Jones-Drew was a minor threat to Latavius Murray's upside in 2015, but now the path is clear. Murray rushed 82 times for 424 yards (a 5.2 YPC) and two touchdowns, including an incredible four-carry, 112-yard, two-TD performance against the Chiefs in Week 12. He still averaged a solid (if unspectacular) 4.0 YPC when that game is excluded. With good size (6'2", 223 lbs) and great speed (4.38 40-yard dash), Murray has all the physical tools to succeed at the position. He even showed solid hands with 17 receptions on 23 targets. Per beat writer Jerry McDonald, Murray will be “given every chance” to win the starting job, though the glut of running backs on the free agent market may lead to a veteran or two being brought in to shore up the Oakland RB corps.

Broncos QB Peyton Manning officially returning for another season.

Manning first popped up on the injury report with a thigh injury after Week 15 (vs. San Diego). When looking only at his first 13 games, Manning averaged 301 yards, 2.8 TD and 0.8 INT, or 21.4 fantasy points per game. That would have been good enough for the third-highest average if he were able to keep that pace. In the final three weeks, including the game in which he injured the thigh, Manning averaged 272 yards and just 1.0 TD versus 1.3 INT. Even with the reduced production, Manning finished as the #4 quarterback in 2014. If he's fully healthy and ready to go, we'd expect him to be selected in the top 5 in 2015 fantasy drafts, though the Broncos' activity in free agency (namely re-signing Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas) will impact his value.

"The injury's going well, the rehab's going very, very well," Giants WR Victor Cruz said. "I'm a little more than halfway there, we're building the strength back in my leg. The rehab's been hard, it's been difficult, it's been long, it's been grueling, but I've been going through it, man, and it's definitely paying off now. The strength is coming back slowly but surely.

"I started running on this cool machine called the Alter-G, where it lets you run with a certain percentage of your body weight. And I just started doing that yesterday so it's only a matter of time before I get out there on that field, so I'm excited about that."

As for when he'll be back running and cutting in pads, Cruz has the start of training camp in his crosshairs, but said that he should be feeling close to 100 percent well before the start date. His goal is to be ready to shake off the rust in the months leading up to training camp and be ready to go full throttle when practices start.

Cruz will re-join a receiving corps that has a new alpha dog -- Odell Beckham. If healthy, Cruz should see WR2-type targets out of the slot, but he's unlikely to see the 8.8 T/G that he received from 2012-2013.

The New Orleans Saints will release veteran running back Pierre Thomas, according to an NFL Network report on Thursday.

The loss of Thomas will open the door for Travaris Cadet to step into the pass-catching role, though he only averaged 3.2 catches for 25 yards in the five games that Thomas missed last season.

The Bills have traded for Matt Cassel, the team announced.

Cassel gives the Bills a veteran option if E.J. Manuel doesn't emerge as a viable starter.

Bills have notified LB Kiko Alonso he is going to be traded to Philadelphia for RB LeSean McCoy. Trade official next week.

Nothing can be finalized until next week, but if the trade does indeed go through, it's a blockbuster. This looks like a system downgrade for McCoy, who ran much better later in the season once his offensive line started to get healthy. In Buffalo, new HC Rex Ryan and new OC Greg Roman (formerly of San Francisco) both have a history of running ball control, run-first teams, but the Bills have serious quarterback issues. Free agent C.J. Spiller isn't likely to re-sign and the acquisition of McCoy has to be a downgrade for Fred Jackson. As for McCoy, he's still a fantasy RB1, though he carries more risk since the Buffalo offense could struggle to score points. Given the way the Eagles like to run the ball, whoever emerges as the starter in Philadelphia will carry early round value.

Cowboys and WR Cole Beasley have agreed to terms on a 4-year deal worth $13.6M with $7M in guarantees and a $4M signing bonus.

Beasley averaged 3.5 catches for 47 yards and 0.5 touchdowns (on 4.9 T/G) in his final eight games, including two postseason games. That extrapolates to fringe WR3 numbers in PPR formats over a full 16-game season. He's on the radar as a WR5/WR6 stopgap-type option in PPR leagues.

Texans gave Andre Johnson permission to seek a trade. Told him he'd have a reduced role next season. He asked to be traded or cut instead.

Johnson finished #28 in PPR formats in 2014 after finishing in the top 10 in five of the previous six seasons. His departure would be a downgrade for the entire offense, though DeAndre Hopkins would likely see an increase from the 127 targets that came his way last season.

Here are the five players who got the non-exclusive franchise tag, and the amount of the tender offer for each:

Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul ($14,813,000)
Chiefs OLB Justin Houston ($13,195,000)
Cowboys WR Dez Bryant ($12,823,000)
Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas ($12,823,000)
Patriots K Stephen Gostkowski ($4,126,000)

This may not make either Bryant or Thomas happy, but it ensures that they aren't going anywhere for at least one more season. Both players figure to be ranked in the top 5 at their position in 2015 fantasy drafts.

The new substance-abuse policy imposes a two-game suspension for a first-offense DUI. By landing on probation for a July 2014 DUI arrest arising from marijuana use, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is expected to be suspended for two games.

But there’s a catch that could result in a doubling of Bell’s expected punishment. The new substance-abuse policy makes a two-game suspension the standard penalty for a DUI arising from alcohol use. For violations of the law involving other substances of abuse, a first offense exposes the player to a suspension of “up to four” games.

It’s unclear whether the NFL will give Bell, who becomes the test case for the new substance-abuse policy, four games, three, two, or fewer.

Bell was fantastic last year, finishing #2 in standard formats and #1 in PPR. But his looming suspension is certainly a concern. Running backs typically miss at least 1-2 games due to injury, so a two-game suspension isn't a deal-breaker, but it doesn't make him an attractive #1 overall pick. If he's suspended for four games, his ADP will likely slip into the late 1st/early 2nd. It's tough to overcome the loss of one's 1st round pick for the first quarter of the season.

The San Francisco 49ers are prepared to release receiver Stevie Johnson in an effort to create more salary-cap room before the start of the new league year on March 10, according to numerous reports.

Cutting Johnson would save the 49ers $6.025 million in cap space, according to overthecap.com.

Johnson is only 28 and is a good possession receiver so he shouldn't be unemployed for long.

It's possible that we've only seen the tip of the iceberg from Jordan Matthews. He was great in his role as the Eagles' slot wide receiver, but with the speed and production he showed this season, Matthews could be vying for an outside wideout position come Training Camp. He certainly has the size and the hands to keep producing at this level for the forseeable future. With a full offseason to tighten his game and develop a rapport, Matthews should be able to use his rookie season as a stepping stone to bigger and brighter things in 2015.

Matthews averaged 4.1-39-.29 (or 9.8 PPR fantasy points) in the seven games that Nick Foles started and finished. He posted 4.4-70-.63 in the eight games that Mark Sanchez started and finished, but he actually averaged fewer targets with Sanchez (6.4 T/G) than he did with Foles (6.9 T/G). So while he was more efficient with Sanchez, he was targeted more heavily by Foles. The Eagles like him in the slot, but he's a candidate to start outside and then move inside in three-receiver sets. If that's the case, he will see his snaps played increase from his rookie season (65%) and he should be able to improve on his #25 finish in PPR formats.

Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones confirmed to FOX Sports Southwest that the team indeed expects to apply the franchise tag to wide receiver Dez Bryant by Monday's deadline.

"I still think that it's probably, you know, would be a stretch to think that we would have something done by Monday and beat the franchise-tag deadline," Jones said. "Looks like we're eyeing a franchise tag on Dez, but certainly won't stop us from working hard to get a long-term deal."

Bryant was the #3 WR in standard formats and has finished in the top 6 in three consecutive seasons. The Cowboys are wise to apply the franchise tag if they can't yet work out a long-term deal. The only worry is that Bryant is offended by the team's move and is distracted as the 2015 season kicks off, but the two sides still have plenty of time to work out a long-term deal before July 15.