June 2017 4for4 Player News Articles

Bears RB Jordan Howard had eye surgery in May to improve his vision and, he hopes, his pass-catching.

Howard took over the lead back duties in Week 3. From that point on, he was the #7 fantasy back in the league, averaging 16.1 fantasy points per game. In terms of likely workload, he’s one of the safest plays on the board since he averaged 20.5 touches per game in the second half of the season. He averaged 116 total yards and 0.5 TD in that span. The Benny Cunningham signing indicates that the Bears aren’t necessarily ready to give Howard a big role in the passing game, despite his improved vision.

In an exclusive interview with Denver7, Charles revealed that he sits ahead of schedule in his recovery from left knee surgery.

"I am doing everything. I have been cutting the last couple of days with the guys during the offseason workouts. I feel like the way I am cutting that I am back to the normal me, man. It feels good to be moving around again," said Charles, who was limited to eight games the past two seasons because of knee injuries. "I have been knowing this the whole offseason (that the knee was fine). Nobody can take nothing away from me except God when my time is up. I am still 30 years old. I still have a lot of special stuff to do."

I told Charles I might have undersold his signing. Given his age, usage and leg issues, I viewed him as a complementary third down back. He might end up in that role. But he's not buying it. Charles, echoing what former teammates have told Denver7, remains driven to write the proper ending to his career.

"When people say you can’t do something, you want to prove them wrong. That’s always been on my mind since I signed with the Broncos," Charles said. "The last time I had to prove people wrong was when I came back from ACL (surgery) and when I came back from hurting myself here in Denver (on Sept. 14, 2014). We played New England (next) and I had an incredible game (92 yards rushing, 15 receiving, three touchdowns). I like proving people wrong. It keeps the fire going, it keeps the spark going. I am excited about just getting back to where I was before."

Charles wasn’t too efficient in 2016 (40 yards on 12 carries in three games), but he was coming off of a torn ACL, and eventually had to undergo another operation to get the meniscus trimmed in the same knee. He also had a “clean-up” procedure on his right knee. In his previous 20 games from 2014-15, he averaged 93.6 total yards on 16.9 touches en route to 18.1 FP per game. That’s more than what Devonta Freeman averaged as last year’s #6 RB. Charles turned 30 last December. If he's reasonably healthy, he'll serve as C.J. Anderson's backup. If he's fully healthy, he could win the job outright.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receivers coach Mike Groh believes Alshon Jeffery had his best offseason since perhaps 2013, when Jeffery burst onto the scene and set career highs in catches (89) and yards (1,421) while finding the end zone seven times.

Groh would know. He was the Chicago Bears' receivers coach for three seasons (2013-15), which proved to be the most productive years of Jeffery's career to date. Groh moved on to coach the Rams' wideouts last year while Jeffery struggled through a down season as the result of injuries, a four-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs and inconsistent quarterback play.

The two have reunited in Philly, and Groh -- a demanding teacher and evaluator -- walked away pleased with Jeffery's performance during the offseason training program.

"He and I have a history together, so he knows what I think, and I understand the way that he works and goes about his business," Groh said. "I think the spring that he's had is as good as he's had since maybe 2013. Pleased with where he is physically, mentally I think he is in a good place. He's coming in here and learning a new system and working on the chemistry with Carson [Wentz] and everything like that, but it's been a good spring for him."

In 53 games since his sophomore season, Jeffery has averaged 5.3 receptions for 79 yards and 0.43 touchdowns, or 16.0 PPG (PPR). That’s about what Doug Baldwin averaged last year as the league’s #8 fantasy receiver. Jeffery’s numbers are down a bit over the last two years (5.1-78-0.29 in just 21 games), but the 27-year-old still has a bright future ahead of him. Receivers who change teams tend to underperform unless they see an upgrade in quarterback and/or targets. Unless Carson Wentz takes a big step forward, it’s unlikely that Jeffery sees either, so he’s more of a WR2 heading into the 2017 season.

Don't be surprised if Bears TE Daniel Brown pushes the 32-year-old Zach Miller for a job. Miller was sidelined during the offseason program making his way back from the broken right foot suffered in the Week 11 loss at the Giants last season. It's similar to the injury he suffered in the 2014 preseason that wiped out that entire year for him.

Miller had career-highs with 47 receptions for 486 yards in only 10 games last season a year after he broke out with 34 catches for 439 yards (12.9 average) and five touchdowns in 2015 when he played in 15 games but was involved in the passing game for really only the second half of the season.

Miller's contract has one year remaining with a base salary of $1.5 million and the issue the Bears have to tackle is if they can take a chance knowing Miller's durability issues. He has played in 25 games and missed 23 since joining the team in 2014. He has been given props by teammates, coaches and management for being a positive influence in the locker room but if Miller can't stay on the field, intangibles are more difficult to quantify.

Brown, the converted wide receiver who was claimed off waivers from the Ravens in November, profiles for the same type of role in the offense. He caught 16 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown in the final six games and was just learning the offense after the Ravens moved him from wide receiver at the start of last year. The Bears turned to him quickly after Miller was injured and Brown averaged 43.5 snaps per game.

Over the past two seasons, Miller has averaged 3.7 receptions (on 5.0 targets) for 42 yards and 0.41 TD in 22 games. Those numbers would have been good enough for a #11 TE finish in 2016. His issue has been staying healthy, and now he’s going to have to build a rapport with a new quarterback since he’s coming off of a foot injury and has been missing crucial practice reps.

ESPN beat writer James Walker:

Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi started just 12 games last season and put up huge numbers. This is the first season entering as the known starter and Ajayi has more confidence and swagger that he can carry the load. Dolphins head coach Adam Gase said he won't be afraid to give Ajayi 350 carries if needed this season. Ajayi also has worked diligently on catching the football out of the backfield, which to date is his biggest weakness. Ajayi should have a monster year and could put up 1,900 total yards if he stays healthy.

Ajayi had a breakout season, but nearly 58% of his rushing yards came in four of his 15 games (against the Bills twice, the Steelers and the Jets). He averaged 6.74 YPC in those four weeks, and just 3.56 YPC in the other 11 games. Not coincidentally, three of those four big games came with center Mike Pouncey in the lineup, yielding a 5.96 YPC with Pouncey (versus 4.12 YPC without). As long as his offensive line is healthy, Ajayi should have a very productive 2017.

Ever since moving to receiver two years ago, Terrelle Pryor continues to seek help and advice from those who played the position. That’s why the Washington Redskins wideout is working out this summer with one of the NFL’s top wideouts -- Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown -- in Pennsylvania.

It’s not surprising; Pryor and Brown have been in contact in the past, and Pryor has heeded Brown's advice and incorporated his drills. Pryor will work out with Brown at various points in the summer, and also will head to Charlotte at some point in July to work with former NFL standout Randy Moss, a likely future Hall of Famer. Pryor lives near Pittsburgh.

“The good ones, they ask questions,” Pryor said, “and never think they’ve got it. They always want to learn. I’m not calling myself a great one, but I think I can get there. I’m always pinpoint in meetings, always answering questions. I jump on a question before anyone else can. I enjoy it. Once you stop learning and think you’ve got it, that’s when you lose. I never want to get to that point. I’m always curious, how to get better and how to be a dominant player and how to make people look at me and say, ‘I want to be like that.’ That’s what drives me.”

Pryor finished the season as the #21 receiver, though his numbers dipped over the final month of the season. Still, his output in the first 12 games -- 5.2 catches for 71 yards and 0.33 TD, #11 WR -- is very encouraging, as is his thirst for knowledge. Working out with Brown and Moss allows Pryor to learn from two of the all-time greats. He’ll certainly benefit from an upgrade at quarterback in Washington. The quality of his targets may offset the reduction in workload.

Marvin Jones showed some big-play prowess in his first season in Detroit last year, but he’s hoping the improvements he’s made as a route-runner, and the focus he’s put on strengthening his lower body, will allow him to be more consistently explosive throughout the entire season.

Jones caught 36 passes for 651 yards and four touchdowns, including his first career 200-yard receiving performance, during the first half of last season.

Once teams started to pay a little more attention to Jones because of his hot start, he caught just 19 passes for 274 yards without any touchdowns in the seven games he played the second half of the season. He missed Detroit’s Week 13 contest in New Orleans with a thigh injury.

“I think Marvin started out the season extremely well,” Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said during OTAs. “He’s been doing even better this spring.

“He’s had one of those springs that you kind of look to. This guy is right there on the verge of maintaining that kind of explosive start that he had last year. He’s really, really had a real good spring.”

Jones started the season at a blistering pace, catching 27 passes (on 41 targets) for 519 yards and three touchdowns in the first five games. Over the remainder of the season (10 games), he averaged 2.8 catches for 41 yards and 0.10 touchdowns. The departure of Anquan Boldin should help, but the Lions drafted Kenny Golladay and are hoping for a healthy season from TE Eric Ebron.

Seahawks beat writer Bob Condotta:

Eddie Lacy, Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise all are coming off of seasons when they had significant injuries and I think the Seahawks are going into the year just fine with the idea that they can spread the carries out and not have to count on anyone taking a Lynch-like share of the load.

My best guess, assuming they each are healthy, is Lacy and Rawls take a fairly equal share of the basedown carries with Prosise slated largely for a third-down role as well as being worked into the gameplan to take advantage of specific matchups from week to week.

So it sounds as if it's a possibility that Lacy is splitting time with Rawls on 1st and 2nd down, and that would indicate that the Seahawks will use a full-blown running back by committee. Lacy ran well last year, but that's no guarantee that he'll live up to his current 7th round ADP.

The Raiders and QB Derek Carr have finalized a 5-year monster extension worth $125M, sources say. Highest paid player in history.

It looks like the Raiders have their quarterback. From a fantasy standpoint, it doesn't change much, though TJ Hernandez identified Carr as a positive regression candidate in his Red Zone Expected Value Series.

Yes, former Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin heard the whispers that, perhaps, at age 29 he had lost a step.

Maclin, who was released by the Chiefs on June 2 and later signed with the Ravens, missed four games last year with a groin injury and there was a steep drop in production from a sensational 2015 season. Maclin had 44 catches for 536 yards and two touchdowns in 2016 after he had 87 receptions for 1,088 yards and eight touchdowns the season before.

Talking with ESPN’s Adam Schefter’s podcast “Know Them From Adam,” Maclin said that groin injury was worse than people knew. He revealed the injury when Schefter asked about the perception that Maclin was a step slower.

“Well, I tore my groin last year,” Maclin told Schefter. “So, if I’m supposed to be just as fast with a torn groin, then more power to them. Man, I guess they just have to wait and see. I don’t really have anything else to say about that. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. I’ll still be able to get open. I’ll still be able to make big plays, that’s for sure.”

Maclin posted 87 catches for 1,088 yards and eight touchdowns in 2015, but had a substandard 2016, struggling to a 44-536-3 line thru 12 games. He was a respectable No. 44 WR on a per game basis through the first eight weeks, but the groin injury submarined his season. He joins a Baltimore offense that has had the most pass attempts over the past two seasons and lost Steve Smith (101 targets), Dennis Pitta (121) and Kamar Aiken (50) from last year.

Titans and former NY Jets WR Eric Decker reached agreement on a one-year deal, per source.

Decker is likely to man the slot with Rishard Matthews and Corey Davis on the outside. Decker's arrival is bad news for both players, as their share of the proverbial pie will be smaller with the very productive Decker soaking up targets. It's great news for Marcus Mariota, who has yet another weapon to throw to. Projections will be updated shortly.

Perhaps no veteran player has done more to improve his standing during offseason workouts than Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin.

A clear cut candidate after struggling last year and being suspended at the end of the season for violating the NFL's drug policy, Martin has earned nothing but praise this offseason after he spent time in rehab.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo spoke to Bucs general manager Jason Licht as the team closed minicamp on Thursday. The assessment of Martin's on-field improvement was glowing.

"I had a conversation with [Licht]. He said, '[Martin] looks lean, he looks like he's finishing his runs -- obviously, there is no contact in the spring -- but it looks like he's finishing his runs. He looks like he's got that burst. He looks like he's got that burst. He looks like the Doug Martin of 2015,'" Garafolo said Thursday on NFL Network's Inside Minicamp Live.

In 2015, Martin finished with 1,673 total yards and seven touchdowns and was the #4 fantasy running back in PPR formats. He has seemingly returned from the dead. He was mentioned as a cut candidate early this year, but now it sounds like the team is expecting him to return to form in 2017. He's suspended for the first three games of the season, and Jacquizz Rodgers is likely to start in his place for that span. In regular redraft formats, it's an intriguing strategy for owners to draft both Martin and Rodgers to serve as RB2 by committee (in a WR-heavy strategy).

Bears WR Kevin White at least is back to full speed after spending part of the winter in Phoenix at the Fischer Institute of Physical Therapy and Performance, where he retaught his body to run with the proper alignment and technique. That has allowed him to resume his developmental process as a receiver this spring.

Azzanni attested that White still has to answer questions about his route-running, given that he didn't run the full route tree at West Virginia.

"We've been working on that hard, some of his breaking-point stuff," Azzanni said. "A lot of times when you're a big guy like that, stopping and change of direction is hard."

During offense-only drills earlier in May, White ran a curl on which he sank his body and exploded back to the ball.

"A bunch of mouths dropped," Azzanni recalled. "Like the wideouts (said), 'Wow, we have not seen Kevin do that in a long time.' I think that got him excited."

This is good news since the last update on May 24 said that White was "working to align his stride." If healthy, White will likely get the chance to start opposite Cameron Meredith, who is the better fantasy option at this point. White came out of college with sub-4.40 speed and has a top 10 pedigree, so the Bears are still optimistic that he'll get his career back on track.

Dalvin Cook has yet to run in pads for the Minnesota Vikings, and it will be some time before coaches begin to establish a pecking order for a backfield that hasn't really needed one for the better part of a decade. But Cook's early work has coach Mike Zimmer believing the Vikings might have a unique player on their hands.

"I think he's got a chance to be special," Zimmer said on Thursday. "There was a play yesterday that, Xavier Rhodes is trying to catch him, and he's hauling now. I just think this guy has got a chance to be pretty good. Now, he's got some things he's got to work on, like all young backs, but I've been very impressed with him this spring."

It's looking more and more that Cook will line up as the starter in Week 1. The Vikings had a lot of problems running the ball last year, but signed tackles Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers and drafted center Pat Elflein (3rd round) and guard Danny Isidora in an effort to rebuild the offensive line. Cook has had a good spring and his primary competition (Latavius Murray) has been sidelined as he recovers from ankle surgery.

Of the horde of receivers that are trying to break through, Andre Holmes seems to have stood out the most. It was a slow start, fighting the ball a little bit early on, but he's settled in nicely -- and is even leading a lot of the positional reps during individual work. He's consistently worked with the first-team offense, and Sean McDermott made it known that he felt really impressed by Holmes with both his offensive and special teams work. On Tuesday, he was smooth with his hands and made a couple of tough catches during team drills. He's positioning himself to be a contender for a roster spot in 2017.

Most of the blurb sounds like Holmes is penciled in as a starter, but then the writer (Joe Buscaglia) says that Holmes is positioning himself for a roster spot. Holmes is turning 29, and had a mini-breakout in his third season (2014) with 47 catches for 693 yards and four touchdowns, but the Raiders added both Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree and Holmes only saw 58 targets in his final two seasons in Oakland. Holmes has a career 48.3% catch percentage, so it's important not to get too excited, but if he's playing starter snaps and seeing plenty of red zone targets (he's 6-5), he could work his way into fantasy relevancy.

Not since the days of Ray Rice have the Ravens had a running back with a knack for getting open in the flat, slipping behind linebackers or even breaking downfield to challenge a safety.

“Ever since we lost Ray, we haven’t had the type of back quite like Ray was and quite like (Danny Woodhead) is in the passing game,” quarterback Joe Flacco said. “They just have a very good feel for when they’re open, how to get open, how to sit in holes, how to find my eyes.”

“He was somebody that we targeted early in free agency and signed him right out of the gate,” coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s a very versatile running back for us. He can carry the ball, but he’s a big part of the passing game.”

Woodhead is an elite pass-catcher and an underrated runner. With Kenneth Dixon suspended for the first four games, Woodhead will form a committee with Terrance West. He should continue to be a good value in PPR formats. Keep in mind that Ray Rice averaged 4.25 receptions per game in his final five seasons in Baltimore, so if Woodhead's role is similar, he has 60- to 70-catch upside.

So now former Jets WR Eric Decker will be a free agent. He can choose where he wants to go.

Decker will get to choose his landing spot. He's always an underrated fantasy asset so we're watching his status closely.

Ravens and WR Jeremy Maclin agree to a two-year deal, per source.

Related players: Mike Wallace, Breshad Perriman

Maclin posted 87 catches for 1,088 yards and eight touchdowns in 2015, but had a substandard 2016, struggling to a 44-536-3 line thru 12 games. He was a respectable No. 44 WR on a per game basis through the first eight weeks, but a groin injury submarined his season. His arrival will impact both Mike Wallace and Breshad Perriman, but it's probably the latter who is more negatively affected by the signing. The Ravens are trying to replace 335 targets from last year's team, so there is more than enough work to go around. We'll update team projections shortly, but Wallace still looks like a fantasy WR3, while Maclin and Perriman are WR5 types. Joe Flacco will get a slight upgrade.

Redskins offensive coordinator Mat Cavanaugh indicated that they will play (the running game) by ear.

“(Rob Kelley) obviously has earned the starting job, and I think really it’s a game-to-game evaluation, an in-game evaluation of how well he’s doing and how winded he is – ‘Does he need a blow?’ said Cavanaugh. “We just feel like we’ve got depth at that position now with a lot of similar-type players: stocky, quick-footed, strong, smart guys that can sub in for each other. I wouldn’t put a pitch count on any of them, but obviously if a guy’s got a hot hand and he’s feeling good and he’s not gassed, we’ll keep him on the field. Ideally, maybe have some third-down reps too.”

That last part means that they could play Kelley or Samaje Perine on third downs. They could also expand Thompson out of his usual third-down role.

“Historically here, Chris has been our third-down back, but there’s no reason why can’t play him on first and second down,” said Cavanaugh. “But just rotating the backs, keeping them fresh, we’ve got confidence in all of them.”

Kelley won the RB1 job in Week 8, and from that point on, he was the #13 RB in standard (#15 in PPR) down the stretch. He averaged 4.19 YPC, which was the 14th highest per carry average of the 27 running backs who saw at least 150 carries last year. Rookie Samaje Perine will make a hard push for the job, but it's clear that Kelley is taking his job seriously by getting leaner in the offseason. He is currently very cheap (10th/11th round) in early drafts.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins spent a good portion of this offseason getting his life together. He stopped drinking, and lost 25 pounds. In OTAs, he was the most impressive player on the field and caught everything in sight. It's early, but if Seferian-Jenkins can stay healthy, the Jets may actually have a tight end.

The athletic Seferian-Jenkins could surprise if the good vibes continue into training camp and the season. He played with his likely quarterback, Josh McCown, in Tampa. McCown enhanced Gary Barnidge's numbers in Cleveland -- the tight end's PPR production was 34.5% higher in games that McCown played. So there is reason to believe that ASJ could become a dependable option for McCown, especially considering the Jets' receiving corps (assuming they part ways with Eric Decker).

New Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian hopes to enhance one of the league's top offenses, and that could mean more red-zone touches for top receiver Julio Jones.

"I think, No. 1, they were still very good in the red zone," Sarkisian said of last year's Falcons. "But when you have a player like Julio, it's making sure we maximize his opportunities because there is so much double-coverage, there are so many unique coverages that roll his way that when we don't get that, let's make sure he's one of the primary receivers on that play because it is such a tough matchup for anybody one on one."

Jones was tied for 87th in red zone targets (9). It's the same number of red zone targets as Terrance West, Braxton Miller and Tyler Boyd had last year, so there is a lot of room for improvement. If he sees more targets in the red zone, it will no doubt help his overall fantasy value.

Giants RB Paul Perkins appears to have the coaching staff sold based on what he did last season and this spring.

“Well, what he’s shown is … in our system you have to have three phases: You have to be able to run the ball. He was an effective runner last year,” running backs coach Craig Johnson said. “You have to be able to catch the ball. He did a good job in that. And you have to be able to block people, because they are going to try you out. He probably improved the most in that situation. Guys were going to test him out to see if they were going to get to the quarterback. He held up very good in protection and he’s continuing to do that.

“If you can do that, that allows you to be a guy that it’s possible to stay on the field all three downs.”

The Giants are of the belief that Perkins can be an every-down back. They used him as such late last year when Vereen was injured and he was in a 50-50 timeshare with Rashad Jennings.

Vereen may change the situation slightly this year. He was subbed in on most passing downs for the Giants the previous season, when he caught 61 passes.

But this year could be different. Perkins may just be viewed as the feature back the Giants have lacked in recent years.

“I really like what Paul Perkins has been doing so far,” Johnson said. “He ended last season playing like a guy that is ready to take over the job. There is nothing so far in the offseason to show he’s not going to be able to handle that role.

“But that is today. It’s a long way from today to the opening game.”

We expect Vereen to get most of the passing down work since he excels in that area and has more experience than Perkins. If Vereen were to get injured, it sounds as if Perkins would take on his role on passing downs.

This will be DeVante Parker’s third season since he was a Miami Dolphins‘ first-round draft choice.

And there are strong indications this is the season Parker takes the giant leap forward he’s surely capable of.

“It’d be consistency,” Christensen said. “He’s run fast every day where last year it was kind of up and down. One day you’d think you had a Hall of Famer and the next you weren’t sure if he was going to make it to the game. Just his health and staying consistent. I think his routine and how fast he’s played has been really, really different from last year.”

Head coach Adam Gase says he sees a “hungry” Parker.

Gase has said Parker is “applying himself” and that he has the physical gifts to be a “big play, number one receiver.”

Gase has predicted a “gigantic year” for Parker.

In 15 games, Parker was the #50 WR last season, catching 56 passes for 744 yards and four touchdowns on 88 targets. He was on the injury report for six of those games (3.3-39-0.33, 9.2 PPG in PPR formats) and healthy for nine (4.0-57-0.20, 11.0 PPG). Those "healthy" PPG numbers are about what Anquan Boldin scored as 2016's #41 fantasy receiver. If he can stay healthy, he should provide WR3 numbers, but that’s a big “if.”

And now the Jets are parting ways with WR Eric Decker, sources tell ESPN. Have told WR they either will release or trade him this week.

Decker is #good. He would instantly bolster any receiving corps in the league, so we'll be watching this situation closely. Quincy Enunwa and Robbie Anderson and ArDarius Stewart get a bump, but there are still major quarterback issues in New York.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid said Tyreek Hill, a Pro Bowler last season, will likely get the first crack at replacing Jeremy Maclin at the “Z” position, the spotlight receiver spot in Reid’s West Coast offense.

Hill actually caught more passes (61) for more yards (593) and touchdowns (six) than Maclin had last year in 215 offensive snaps.

“I mean, he works hard and he’s skilled,” Reid said of Hill. “Is he still learning? Yeah he is still learning. I’ll tell you that with the receivers because that’s what they do until they get defenses down. But, he will give you good production at that (Z) position.”

Hill averaged 71 total yards and 0.64 TD in his final 10 regular season games (15.3 PPG). HC Andy Reid has indicated that Hill’s snaps (41% for the year) could “double” and it sounded like Reid was planning to start Hill in the slot, though now we know he’s going to start at Jeremy Maclin’s “Z” position, the featured receiving position in Reid’s offense. Per 4for4's Player Snap App, among players who played at least 40% of their team's snaps, Hill ranked first in fantasy points per snap in both standard and PPR formats. He was the #11 fantasy receiver (PPR) after his team's Week 5 bye. The Chiefs’ decision to cut Maclin certainly raises Hill’s floor. In the four games that Maclin missed last season, Hill averaged 7.0 receptions (on 8.5 targets) for 63 yards and 0.25 TD. Throw in his role in the rushing game and he’s suddenly looking like a strong fantasy WR2.

ESPN's Michael Rothstein: Kenny Golladay has been one of the standouts of the two open-to-the-media OTA sessions. Everything he has shown so far has been impressive. He has: run routes well, made a bunch of difficult catches, had good run-after-the-catch, an excellent jumping radius and good hands. It’s still very early and there’s a lot of time for things to change – including getting in pads and contact – but Detroit has to feel good about this pick. He should be the No. 3 receiver this fall and a legitimate red-zone threat.

Here's what Lions writer Tim Twentyman had to say: Rookie receiver Kenny Golladay has looked very good so far through the two open OTA practices. He has good hands and has shown to have a knack for getting open. At 6-foot-4, he can also go up and get the 50/50 balls. Golladay had the catch of the day on Wednesday, hauling in a diving, one-handed grab in the corner of the end zone that he caught even with veteran Johnson Bademosi drawing an interference penalty on the coverage. I have yet to see a ball hit the ground when thrown Golladay’s way through two open OTA practices.

It looks like Golladay is on the fast track for the WR3 job, and Marvin Jones is a vulnerable WR2, so Golladay has upward mobility from there.

Tom Savage, entering his fourth season in Houston, is getting the majority of the reps with the Texans’ first-team offense and he said that the change is helping him “a lot” to build chemistry with the team’s receiving corps. While Savage did start two games late last season, it can be difficult to build a rapport with the players who will be catching his passes in the midst of a playoff race.

Unless Savage lights it up, first round pick Deshaun Watson figures to get a chance to start in 2017, though it looks like Savage will open the season as the QB1.

By releasing Jeremy Maclin post June 1, Chiefs save $10 million against cap.

Chiefs top WRs are Tyreke Hill, Chris Conley, Albert Wilson.

Beat writer Terez A. Paylor: Maclin consistently got first-team reps in OTA practices, though there was some rotation among the skill players. Looked spry to me.

Related players: Travis Kelce

Maclin posted 87 catches for 1088 yards and eight touchdowns in 2015, but had a substandard 2016, struggling to a 44-536-3 line thru 12 games. He was the #44 WR on a per game basis through the first eight weeks, but a groin injury submarined his season. His departure should give Hill a bump, but it's hard to see Conley or Wilson taking full advantage after not making much of a fantasy impact early on in their respective careers. In the four games that Maclin missed last season, Hill averaged 7.0 receptions (on 8.5 targets) for 63 yards and 0.25 TD. Throw in his role in the rushing game and he’s suddenly looking like a strong fantasy WR2. And don't forget Travis Kelce -- he should see a load of targets at tight end. As for Maclin, he immediately becomes the most intriguing receivers on the free agent market.

‪Bears WR Cameron Meredith suffered thumb ligament injury today, will miss off-season program, but expects to be ready for camp, per sources.‬

Meredith began to play starter’s snaps in Week 5, and from that point on, he averaged 5.0 catches for 70 yards and 0.33 TD, or 14.0 PPR fantasy points per game. That’s what Demaryius Thomas scored as the #16 receiver in that scoring format. The numbers are especially impressive considering Meredith had a three-week stretch from Week 7 to Week 10 where he only saw two targets per game. Meredith figures to be the top fantasy receiver in Chicago, but it won’t help that he’s missing crucial reps with new QB Mike Glennon.

Vikings running back Latavius Murray is keeping his goals modest as he recovers from ankle surgery.

Murray had his walking boot removed Tuesday, 10 weeks following March 22 surgery on his right ankle, and was able to walk around freely Wednesday during an organized team activities session. Murray was asked afterward if he anticipates being 100 percent when training camp begins in late July.

“The goal is just to try to be available during training camp at some point,” Murray said. “Right now, everything is pointing toward that. I’m just going to trust the process and not rush the process.”

This doesn't sound like good news. Signs are pointing to rookie Dalvin Cook opening the season as the Vikings' starter. The Vikings had major problems running the ball last season, but they have revamped the offensive line and are poised for improvement. The early-fifth-round price tag for Cook seems reasonable.

After last season, Redskins RB Rob Kelley knew he could do more. So among this offseason tasks: trim the body fat. He cut out processed foods and sugar and snacks such as potato chips and granola bars, replacing them with bananas, cut-up apples and watermelon. Now Kelley said he has around 13 percent body fat, down from 18 percent at its peak last season.

He's not necessarily a new man, but he and the Redskins hope he's an improved one.

"I feel more explosive, faster, getting in and out of cuts a little better," Kelley said.

The Redskins drafted Samaje Perine in the fourth round of the draft, issuing a challenge to Kelley. Redskins coach Jay Gruden told Kelley the starting job is his to lose.

Kelley won the RB1 job in Week 8, and from that point on, he was the #13 RB in standard (#15 in PPR) down the stretch. He averaged 4.19 YPC, which was the 14th highest per carry average of the 27 running backs who saw at least 150 carries last year. Samaje Perine will make a hard push for the job, but it's clear that Kelley is taking his job seriously by getting leaner in the offseason.

Grant Cohn:

Carlos Hyde is the slowest and most indecisive running back on the 49ers. I’m not saying he’s bad – he does have quick feet between the tackles, he can bounce inside runs to the outside and he plows through defenders. But he doesn’t seem to have the vision to succeed in Kyle Shanahan’s outside-zone running scheme. Tuesday, he was the only running back who never found a hole to run through. On one stretch play, he missed a cutback lane, tried to bounce around the outside even though the linebacker had set the edge and lost three yards. The Niners should trade him to a team that runs the zone read.

Related players: Joe Williams, Tim Hightower

There have been questions about Hyde’s fit in the new offense and Shanahan reportedly coveted Joe Williams above all others as the fourth round of the draft began. He wasn’t on GM John Lynch’s draft board due to character concerns, so Lynch called Williams before the round began and was taken aback by Williams’ explanation for his issues in college. The GM eventually agreed to trade up to nab Williams, so Shanahan got his man. Does it sound like Hyde is safe?