March 2023 4for4 Player News Articles

“I think he did what he had to do,” Ryans told reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix March 27. “He showed some toughness, he showed some competitive fight in him. I love the way he runs, I love his style, and it’s a style that I really want to continue to feed him. I think that style of running is just — it excites the entire team.”

This is all fine and good, but the team also just signed Devin Singletary whose strengths match up almost 1v1 with Pierce's. The sophomore has RB2 upside on an offense that should be more explosive with a quality rookie quarterback at the helm.

You love to see a player announce his own move in free agency. Veteran WR Marvin Jones Jr headed back to the Lions, where he played from 2016-20. It's reported as a one-year deal with a $3 million base value with incentives that can push it to $5 million.

After playing in the slot heavily for three seasons towards the end of his Lions run and the first year of Jacksonville, Marvin Jones returned to more of an out-wide role in 2022. As an initial observation, he will probably continue that role, as Amon-Ra St. Brown has been stellar, and spent 60% of his time in the slot last season. This would likely make Jones a candidate to rotate with Josh Reynolds in three-wide sets.

Detroit can still take someone in the NFL Draft, which further dampers Jones' fantasy outlook, but the signing makes the passing attack better in general.

Bucs free-agent WR Scotty Miller is staying in the NFC South, reaching an agreement on a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons.

Miller is an undersized package-specific player, so we are unlikely to see him in a ton of three-receiver sets. He had a career year in 2020 with Tom Brady, going 37-581-4 on 58 targets.

There are still no details of the deal as of yet, but Irv Smith has been contacted about his signing, saying, "It's a great organization. Great coaching staff. (Head coach) Zac Taylor was very adamant about me coming to the team knowing what I can do to help the offense."

Related Players: Devin Asiasi

Prior to the signing, Devin Asiasi was the only tight end under contract with a feasible amount of NFL playing time. Smith, who doesn't turn 25 until the week of the preseason opener, had a career-high 36 catches as a rookie before injuries wiped out all of 2021 (torn meniscus) and half of 2022 (ankle). With Burrow hooking up C.J. Uzomah to career-highs in 2021 and Hayden Hurst to the second 50-catch season of his career in 2022, he thinks he's in the right place at the right time.

Smith has a chance to be a solid TE2 in fantasy, and we'll have to wait and see if the team still aims for the position during the NFL Draft.

Rams coach Sean McVay confirms the team has an interest in bringing back Odell Beckham Jr. and says he loves him but notes there are a lot of other teams interested, so they’ll see how it plays out.

Related Players: Allen Robinson, Van Jefferson, Cooper Kupp

It's been well over a calendar year since we've seen Beckham in a uniform, but he had some truly great moments with the Rams, including a touchdown in the Super Bowl and a 113-yard game in the Conference Championship. He also proved to be an inconsistent part of the offense at times. If Los Angeles brings him back, he would eat heavily into Allen Robinson and/or Van Jefferson's snaps, as they deployed him from out wide on around 80% of his snaps through his 12 games with the team.

49ers GM John Lynch with the biggest endorsement of QB Brock Purdy as a starter yet: "I think Brock has earned the right with the way he played that he’s probably the leader in the clubhouse at that...if we were to line up, he’d probably take that first snap."

Related Players: Trey Lance

Purdy performed admirably when given the chance last season, but this is far from the last we are going to hear about the 49ers' quarterback situation. Stay tuned.

Sean Payton pointing to Jarrett Stidham being an "important signing" AND saying the team believes he can become an NFL starting QB.

Related Players: Russell Wilson

It seems like Payton is already planting seeds in case Russell Wilson duplicates his 2022 performance. It's worth keeping an eye on, and Stidham should be on Dynasty Superflex rosters.

The Panthers aren’t done adding on offense, agreeing to terms with WR D.J. Chark on a 1-year deal. A complete remake of the Carolina offense is underway, and Chark will be a big part. As will their new rookie QB.

Related Players: Adam Thielen, Terrace Marshall

This signing immensely helps in shaping the team's three-wide sets with Chark, Thielen and Marshall. None of the three are necessarily fantasy targets until we see how the market for them plays out, but it's looking better for the soon-to-be rookie quarterback.

WR Marquez Callaway plans to sign with the Broncos. Callaway reunites with Sean Payton. In 2021, Callaway had a career-high 46 catches, 698 yards, and six touchdowns in Payton’s offense.

Callaway has never been known as a burner, but there's a chance that this signing is in response to speedy K.J. Hamler going down for four-to-six months with a partially torn pec this week. If the rumors are true about the team shopping Jerry Jeudy/Courtland Sutton, they're going to need some more bodies in the wide receiver room.

The Browns are signing former Seahawks WR Marquise Goodwin to a 1-year deal. After trading for Elijah Moore, Cleveland adds a second WR this week.

Marquise Goodwin has never been a consistent producer for fantasy purposes, but this instills more speed in the Cleveland wide receiver room. Goodwin saw more time with the Seahawks last year than he had since the 2018 season, so even at 32 years old, he can eat up some snaps and help to stretch the defense.

Jets continue making moves, and here’s another: they reached an agreement today to bring back RB Ty Johnson on a one-year deal.

Related Players: Zonovan Knight, Michael Carter

Johnson has done most of his work as a third-down receiving threat since joining the Jets in 2020. He's a special teams contributor and shouldn't in any way impede on Breece Hall's snaps.

Broncos WR K.J. Hamler recently underwent surgery after suffering a partially torn pec while training on his own. The recovery timeline is four to six months, giving Hamler a chance to be ready right around the start of training camp in late July.

Related Players: Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick

Hamler was limited to just six games in 2022 while recovering from a knee injury and dealing with hamstring issues. You hate to see another injury setback to the 23-year-old but we'll see how this influences his future with the Denver Broncos.

Austin Hooper is signing a one-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders for $2.75M, with upside to $3.5M.

Related Players: O.J. Howard

O.J. Howard and Austin Hooper will attempt to fill in the shoes of two great pass-catching tight ends; Darren Waller and Foster Moreau. Neither will be roster-worthy through draft season but could be intriguing as a streamer if one severely out-snaps the other.

The Browns are trading for Jets speedy WR Elijah Moore. A new threat in Cleveland. Terms: It's pick No. 42 for Moore and pick 74.

Related Players: Mecole Hardman, Davis Bell, Anthony Schwartz

Just mere hours after signing Mecole Hardman, New York has moved on from speedster Elijah Moore, who they drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft. It clears the way for Hardman to be the Jets WR4 while Cleveland adds a much-needed offensive weapon at the cost of a pick-swap. It's an easy win for quarterback Deshaun Watson and the Browns offense.

The Jets have agreed to terms with Mecole Hardman on a one-year deal worth up to $6.5M.

Related Players: Elijah Moore, Denzel Mims

Hardman brings a lot of speed and a gadget option but he's probably not seeing the field any more often than a rotational WR3. Assuming Aaron Rodgers ever signs a contract, Hardman could operate as a lite version of a late career Ranndall Cobb.

The Cowboys have agreed to a deal with RB Ronald Jones, who visited The Star Monday. Jones spent last year with KC after a four-year run with Tampa Bay.

Related Players: Rico Dowdle, Malik Davis

Ronald Jones logged 40 snaps on a 2022 Chiefs team that was looking for a consistent answer at the running back position all year long. There is a very good chance that Jones is back in free agency by the time Summer comes along.

Former Bills’ WR Isaiah McKenzie is signing with the Colts, per his agents.

Related Players: Alec Pierce, Ashton Dulin

McKenzie had an up-and-down season, but his 42 receptions would have tied for third in the Colts' receiving room in 2022, while his four touchdowns would have tied for the lead. The former Buffalo Bill ran 80% of his routes out of the slot, so he should be able to operate as a Parris Campbell replacement.

As the status of Cardinals star WR DeAndre Hopkins comes into focus, talks are ramping up among the interested teams. Similar to Brandin Cooks, a trade would likely mean an altered contract.

Related Players: Marquise Brown

Hopkins will obviously demand a high target share, so wherever he goes, it will be at the expense of another wide receiver's volume. Back in Arizona, Hollywood Brown could operate as more of a WR1 but we still aren't sure who will be throwing him the ball in the beginning of the year.

Former Patriots’ RB Damien Harris reached an agreement on a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills.

Related Players: James Cook

The running back shuffling continues in the AFC, and this one is intra-division. The Bills needed a between-the-tackles banger with only James Cook and Nyheim Hines on the roster, and they got one. Harris had slowly grown out of favor in New England as Rhamondre Stevenson took over a more three-down role. Assuming Buffalo doesn't draft a Day 2 RB, Harris has a chance to replicate his TD-heavy season from 2021.

Free-agent WR Keelan Cole is returning to the Raiders on a one-year deal.

Cole had bounced around to three different teams in three seasons, so it's nice to see him build on a second year with Las Vegas. He had a career-low year with the Raiders in 2022, but maybe this signing means they have bigger things planned for him.

Howard, 28, has slumped the past two seasons statistically, but a move to the Raiders could be the fresh start he needs to get back on track. At the least, he can be a situational down-field threat for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo while also lending a hand as a solid run blocker.

Related Players: Foster Moreau

This infringes on what incumbent Foster Moreau does well, so we could be in for a long season for anyone looking for production from either option. Howard hasn't had more than 16 catches in a season since 2019.

The Texans have reached an agreement to sign former Bills FA RB Devin Singletary, giving them an additional weapon alongside Dameon Pierce. The player called “Motor” has averaged 4.6 yards per rush in each of the last two seasons.

Related Players: Dameon Pierce

A free agent addition to the backfield was a great choice after rookie Dameon Pierce carried almost the full load through chunks of the 2022 season to various degrees of success. Singletary should have some useful games as the second option on an offense that looks to be improving.

The Texans are signing TE Dalton Schultz to a one-year deal worth up to $9 million. Schultz has 198 catches and 17 TDs over the past three seasons in Dallas. He’s still only 26.

Related Players: Brevin Jordan, Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot

So Schultz will remain in Texas and provide another option for the future 2nd-overall pick. The Texans have had intriguing names at the position over the years but never one that has consistently produced for fantasy. Hopefully Schultz changes that.

WR Mack Hollins and the Falcons have agreed to a one-year deal. Hollins broke out in Vegas with 57 catches for 690 yards last year.

Atlanta has a long way to go to build a respectable wide receiver room, but Hollins is a good start. He lined up predominately on the outside with Las Vegas and will likely operate in two-wide sets with Drake London.

Three-time Pro Bowl WR Adam Thielen announced on Instagram he’s joining the Panthers. A big veteran addition for whatever young QB is headed to Carolina with the No. 1 pick.

Thielen will help fill the hole left by D.J. Moore. One would assume this is just the first of many moves at the position ahead of the 2023 season.

Wanting to add speed and a complement to Pro Bowler CeeDee Lamb, the Dallas Cowboys acquired Houston Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks on Sunday for a fifth-round pick in 2023 and a sixth-round pick in 2024.

Related Players: Michael Gallup, Nico Collins, Robert Woods, Noah Brown

As the luster has worn off of Michael Gallup as the Cowboys' WR2, Dallas looks to add a compliment to CeeDee Lamb. Last year's offseason additions, James Washington and Jalen Tolbert, combined for two receptions on the season. Cooks should have some useful fantasy games but is still currently ranked as a WR4.

Bucs officially released RB Leonard Fournette and TE Cameron Brate.

Related Players: Rachaad White, Chase Edmonds, Cade Otton

The latter may be a little more surprising than the former but they are both aging veterans who can have their production replaced rather easily. Cade Otton had a couple of small flashes with Brate sidelined last season, but we'll have to see how that translates into an offense without Tom Brady.

Former Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki is signing a one-year deal with the New England Patriots.

Related Players: Hunter Henry, Durham Smythe

With Miami passing on re-signing the tight end/slot receiver, they now have a huge need to attack the position in the NFL Draft. For the Patriots, Gesicki essentially fills in for Jonnu Smith, who they shipped off earlier in free agency. Hunter Henry's fantasy stock has been an entire roller coaster in the span of one week.

Former Falcons’ QB Marcus Mariota reached an agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year, $5 million deal worth up to $8 million. Mariota is expected to be the Eagles’ No. 2 QB this season.

Prior to the signing, the QB room was only Jalen Hurts and Ian Book, so this gives them a little more insurance if something were to happen to Hurts. Mariota can be considered a deep dynasty stash.

Bears are signing former Panthers’ RB D’Onta Foreman to a 1-year, $3 million deal.

Related Players: Khalil Herbert, Chuba Hubbard

The writing was on the wall for Foreman after the Miles Sanders signing in Carolina, as they both operate in the same part of the running game. Foreman, in turn, will likely operate as a Diet David Montgomery in Chicago, but Khalil Herbert should still be getting a healthy share of the work.

The Colts agreed to terms with QB Gardner Minshew. It’s expected to be a one-year, $3.5 million deal with upside for Minshew in Indianapolis.

Shane Steichen has brought along a QB that is familiar with his system during their time(s) in Philadelphia. This brings a veteran presence to the locker room as the Colts are expected to spend an early pick at the position.

Buccaneers are signing former Broncos’ running back Chase Edmonds to a one-year deal.

Related Players: Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, Rachaad White, Ke'Shawn Vaughn

Edmonds will more than likely split snaps with Ke'Shawn Vaughn and possibly even another late-round running back in Tampa Bay.

Miles Sanders is headed to the Carolina Panthers on a four-year deal. The exact specifics of the contract have not been revealed yet.

(update: the deal is purportedly for $25M over four years, no word on guaranteed money yet.)

Related Players: Chuba Hubbard, D'Onta Foreman

Even with the very good year D'Onta Foreman, this likely closes the possibility of the team re-signing him. Foreman and Sanders would be redundant assets, so for now it looks like a two-headed backfield of Sanders and Chuba Hubbard with Sanders acting as the 1a. It's not a great spot for fantasy purposes but at the least, it offers a veteran presence for their soon-to-be No. 1 quarterback.

Saints and former Lions’ RB Jamaal Williams have agreed on a 3-year deal for $12 million, including $8 million fully guaranteed.

Related Players: D'Andre Swift, David Montgomery, Alvin Kamara

The writing was on the wall after the Lions signed David Montgomery, so Williams is off to New Orleans. Considering the Saints' current depth chart and the likely discipline that Alvin Kamara is facing, Jamaal has a great shot at carving out a large role with the Saints.

The Washington Commanders are signing QB Jacoby Brissett to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million and $8 million guaranteed. Washington gets a starting option for a quarterback who played well for Cleveland last year.

Related Players: Sam Howell

This constitutes one of the first quarterback competitions of the 2023 offseason, so buckle up. This contract is essentially double what the Browns paid him on a one-year deal, so we can take that as a hint as to how Washington perceives Brissett. Howell only started one game during his rookie season, so it's difficult to compare them statistically, but one can assume that Brissett has the leg-up at the moment.

Patriots and JuJu Smith-Schuster reached an agreement on a three-year, $33 million deal with $22.5 million earned over the first two years of the deal.

Related Players: DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne

New England continues its never-ending bid to have deep pockets of WR3s. Smith-Schuster performed well enough last season as the Kansas City Chiefs used an interesting approach to replace Tyreek Hill's lost production. JuJu did his part and finished as fantasy's WR29. His floor and ceiling are much lower with the Patriots.

Free-agent RB Justice Hill is resigning with the Ravens, a two-year $4.5 million deal with a max value of up to $5 million.

Related Players: J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards

It looks like Baltimore is running back last season's backfield. Hill operates mostly as a special teams asset but has a bit of juice when he finds the offensive side of the ball, averaging 5.3 yards per carry on his 49 totes last season.

Per Aaron Rodgers, he has made up his mind about his next move to the Jets.

Rodgers will be reunited with OC Nathaniel Hackett, who he won his back-to-back MVPs with in Green Bay. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson should be in line for a huge workload, but it's worth mentioning that New York is set to bring in Allen Lazard and apparently even Randall Cobb. Over the past four seasons, the Packers have supported two top-40 running backs and four straight top-12 finishes for Aaron Jones.

All-in-all, the Jets offense should receive a massive boost over the quarterbacks they've been running out on the field the last two seasons.

The Panthers are expected to sign former first-round pick Hayden Hurst to a three-year deal.

Related Players: Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble

Hurst had a one-year "prove it" deal in Cincinnati and delivered, accruing 400+ yards on 50+ catches through 13 games. Carolina will be his fourth home in five seasons, but he provides an offensive crutch for the Pathers' future rookie.

The Bucs are finalizing a deal with former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield. Mayfield finished his fifth NFL season strong after landing with the Rams. Now he gets a chance to take over for Tom Brady in Tampa and is still only 27. It's a one-year, $8.5M deal for Baker.

Related Players: Kyle Trask

Mayfield will be battling it out with 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask. Trask didn't have a chance to log a start underneath Brady last season. Mayfield should have the leg-up in the competition and it honestly isn't too bad of a landing spot at the time of writing, but there have been rumors swirling of a Mike Evans trade, so he may lose a weapon before he even dons a uniform.

Per a source close to the situation, the Cowboys are set to part ways with the two-time NFL rushing champ, and the running back is preparing to start fresh with a new team.

Related Players: Tony Pollard

Elliot has clearly been playing with less in the tank over the last few seasons, but rumblings around Dallas had been that he wasn't going anywhere. Then they franchise-tagged Tony Pollard for $10.1M, and the rumors began to swirl. The Cowboys will undoubtedly add to the backfield, but for now, Pollard is the de facto RB1 and finally get the chance to prove if he is a top-15 back in fantasy.

Veteran free-agent QB Andy Dalton is expected to reach an agreement on a two-year, $10 million deal that includes $8 million fully guaranteed with the Carolina Panthers. The contract max value is $17 million.

Dalton had a bit of a career resurgence with New Orleans and makes for a good backup with Carolina. If for some reason, the Panthers don't feel comfortable rolling out their No. 1 pick for Week 1; there are plenty of worse options as a bridge quarterback.

Lions and former Bears’ RB David Montgomery reached an agreement on a three-year, $18 million deal, including $11 million guaranteed.

Related Players: D'Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert

Per the 4for4 Free Agent tracker, the $11M guaranteed cash is the fourth-most among free-agent running backs since 2020. He should take on the Jamaal Williams role, which resulted in 17 touchdowns in 2022. Chicago has a load of draft picks, so look for them to address their RB needs with a rookie.

The Eagles aren’t done in the backfield: The team agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth about $2 million with RB Boston Scott.

Related Players: Miles Sanders

It would seem —at this point— that the Eagles are going to reload their backfield from 2022 but swap Miles Sanders for Rashaad Penny. We will see what they do during the NFL Draft.

The Eagles have agreed to terms with Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny.

Related Players: Ken Walker, Kenneth Gainwell, Miles Sanders

For the Eagles, this could put a damper on the prospects of Philadelphia re-signing Miles Sanders. Though with Penny's injury history, it's improbable that he will be the only back they add in the offseason.

In Seattle, Ken Walker is setting up for a pure bellcow role with only the likes of DeeJay Dallas, Godwin Igwevuike, etc. sitting behind him.

Free-agent RB Jeff Wilson is re-signing with the Dolphins on a two-year deal that has a max value of $8.2 million.

In one day, Dolphins keep both Wilson and Raheem Mostert.

Related Players: Raheem Mostert

Miami started the day with essentially no running backs on the roster. Now they return the two-headed attack that propelled the Dolphins offense to the 26th-most rushing yards per game.

The Giants are finalizing a trade to acquire star TE Darren Waller from the Raiders.

Related Players: Foster Moreau, Daniel Bellinger

Foster Moreau has filled in admirably for Waller over the years, so this could make him a feasible back-end TE1 if the move goes through and the team re-signs him. Bellinger's fantasy value clearly takes a nosedive.

Saints restructured Michael Thomas’ contract, reaching agreement on a one-year, $10 million deal that has a max value of $15 million, per source. Thomas staying in New Orleans.

If Michael Thomas can return to anything near his former form, he can create quite the 1-2 punch with Chris Olave for QB Derek Carr.

Dolphins and RB Raheem Mostert reached an agreement today on a two-year deal.

As practically their entire backfield became FAs at the end of the 2022 season, Miami was missing 96% of their running back touches from last year. Mostert will have a chance to reprieve a rotation role but there's no doubt the team will be looking for at least two more pieces to add before the Summer. Mostert will be heading into his age-31 season.

Former Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers and the Raiders reached an agreement on a 3-year, $33M deal that includes $21 million guaranteed.

Related Players: Hunter Renfrow

Davante Adams' role in the offense is safe, but Jakobi Meyers is a reliable possession receiver who will assuredly eat into Hunter Renfrow's work out of the slot. Another Patriots tie-in for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and head coach Josh McDaniels

The Falcons are signing former Commanders QB Taylor Heinicke. With plenty of starting experience, Atlanta adds a veteran to their QB room.

Related Players: Desmond Ridder

For the Falcons and Taylor Heinicke, it’s a two-year deal worth up to $20 million. Atlanta has said Desmond Ridder is the starter, and that's top-end backup money.

Trey Wingo (who was the first to indicate the Jets had spoken to Aaron Rodgers last week) has tweeted that the deal is “done.” We’ve heard the same thing, albeit not quite as definitively.

Meanwhile, various Jets players are dropping hints about it on Twitter, from cornerback Sauce Gardner to running back Breece Hall to receiver Garrett Wilson to tackle Mekhi Becton.

The evidence is largely circumstantial. It hit our radar screen because Rodgers is involved in trying to persuade one or more free agents to join the Jets. Gardner hinted at “package deals” last week, if Rodgers were to accept a trade to the Jets.

There is enough smoke here to start processing the fantasy implications of an Aaron Rodgers trade to the Jets. Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore, and Corey Davis are all under contract, and all three would get a boost if Rodgers is under center in 2023. As for Rodgers, he'll have a chance to rebound from his QB15 finish last season, though he's still dealing with a relatively raw receiving corps. Davis is a productive vet, while Wilson was one of the top rookie receivers in 2022, so this does look like an upgrade from his weapons in Green Bay. Jordan Love will finally get his chance to start, though he's expected to be a downgrade from Rodgers in his first season as the starter. The Packers will likely try to establish a strong running game to take the pressure off of Love.

Miami is giving former Jets’ QB Mike White a two-year deal worth up to $16 million, per source.

This signing looks like quality Tua Tagovailoa insurance. White has had his moments with the Jets, though he's not a clear starting-caliber QB in the NFL.

The Raiders are closing in on a deal with QB Jimmy Garoppolo, sources say. After six seasons and a Super Bowl appearance with the #49ers, Jimmy G is on his way to Vegas, the site of this season’s Super Bowl, to reunite with Josh McDaniels.

Schefter: Raiders are giving former 49ers’ QB Jimmy Garoppolo a three-year, $67.5 million deal, including $34 million guaranteed, per source.

This is a good landing spot for Garoppolo, who is set to start for the Raiders in 2023. This almost certainly takes the Raiders out of the running for Aaron Rodgers, but Las Vegas hasn't seem to interested in Rodgers in the last few weeks. Davante Adams, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow form a good receiving corps, so Garoppolo will have some QB2/streaming appeal in 2023.

Chargers’ RB Austin Ekeler is requesting permission to speak with other teams about a potential trade after preliminary talks with the team aimed at a contract extension did not progress, his agent Cameron Weiss told ESPN.

This would obviously be a big deal if the two sides can't come to an agreement. If Ekeler is traded, he'll likely see a similar role to what he has with the Chargers, though he could land in a more crowded backfield and see his usage decline. Ekeler was fifth in the league in receptions (107) and was second only to Christian McCaffrey in receiving yards (722) among running backs.

Sterling Shepard will be back with the #Giants on a 1-year deal for the 2023 season. Allows Shep to continue his rehab from ACL here rather than elsewhere.

Fun fact: Sterling Shepard hasn't averaged less than 50 yards receiving per game since his rookie season (2016). He had back-to-back 10-target games in Week 2 and Week 3 prior to his injury.

Sources: The Patriots are trading TE Jonnu Smith to the Falcons, as a former big-ticket free agent heads elsewhere and creates space for New England.

Smith is reunited with his former coach, Arthur Smith. In his last season in Tennessee, Smith posted 41-448-8 on 65 targets and was the fantasy TE11. Don't expect those numbers with Kyle Pitts soaking up most of the tight end targets.

Sources: Former Titans and Rams WR Robert Woods is signing with the Texans, adding a veteran presence to a young team. He gets a 2-year, $15.25M deal with $10M fully guaranteed and a max value of $17M.

There are targets available in Houston if the Texans do indeed trade Brandin Cooks away. Nico Collins figures to emerge as the team's top target, but Woods may be able to carve out a 5- to 7-target role for himself.

Sources say the Bears are trading the No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers in exchange for big-time compensation including multiple 1st rounders. Chicago loads up and lands at No. 9, while Carolina can draft its QB of the future.

Compensation update, per sources: Bears trading No. 1 overall pick to Carolina for:

-pick No. 9
-pick No. 61
-a first-round pick in 2024
-a second-round pick in 2025
-WR D.J. Moore

Moore finally cracked the four-touchdown mark in 2022, but he only gained 888 yards receiving after three straight 1157+ yard seasons. In theory, Justin Fields represents an upgrade from the quarterbacks that have been throwing to Moore in recent years. His arrival is a downgrade for Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet, though it was expected that the Bears would address the receiver position in a major way this offseason.

The Vikings are releasing two-time Pro Bowl WR Adam Thielen today, per sources.

A onetime undrafted free agent from Minnesota State who went on to catch 55 touchdown passes for his hometown team, Thielen has plenty left in the tank at age 32 and wants to land with a contender.

In 2022, Thielen averaged 42.1 yards per game, his lowest average since 2019 (41.8) and his second-lowest average in the last seven seasons.

Ravens sent notice to the NFLPA that they placed the $32.41 million non-exclusive franchise tag on QB Lamar Jackson. He now is allowed to negotiate with other teams, but the Ravens have the right to match any offer sheet he signs or take two first-round picks in return for him.

The Ravens are letting Jackson set the market for his services and have the option to match the contract or receive two first-round picks in compensation. Wherever he lands, Jackson will hold solid QB1 value due to his dual-threat ability.

So Giants QB Daniel Jones gets his deal, 4 years and $160M with $35M more available in incentives.

Saquon Barkley gets the tag.

Jones was a top-10 fantasy quarterback last year in his first season with HC Brian Daboll. Given his ability to run the ball, he has a good chance to post low-end QB1 numbers again since the Giants are likely to improve his receiving corps. As for Barkley, we'll see how he responds to being tagged. Assuming he's willing to play in 2023 for top-5 money, he'll continue to be drafted near the 1st/2nd turn.

GM John Lynch and the 49ers understand the need to focus on Brock Purdy's long-term health, even though the six-month recovery timeframe currently sits at the second week of September. Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season kicks off on Sept. 7.

Typically, the six-month recovery from a UCL repair is broken up into two time periods. The first three months is spent simply recovering from the procedure while minimizing swelling and inflammation. In the final three months, Purdy should be able to start throwing the football, with full recovery expected at the end of six months.

Trey Lance is currently going off the board as the QB13 at Underdog, though it's not clear that he's the starter if Brock Purdy is healthy.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Jaguars have franchise-tagged TE Evan Engram.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports the Raiders placed the franchise tag on Josh Jacobs.

As expected. Both players' value get a boost since we now know where they'll be playing in 2023. Expect the Raiders to continue to use Jacobs in a bell-cow role. Engram had his best season in some time playing for HC Doug Pederson and should continue to be a big part of the Jacksonville passing game. Though with Calvin Ridley added to the mix, targets may be harder to come by.

Geno Smith and the #Seahawks are finalizing a three-year contract extension worth $105M with the ability to earn $52M in the first calendar year, sources tell @theScore.

Smith earned Comeback Player of the Year and Pro Bowl honors after leading the NFL in completion %.

Smith was the fantasy QB5 last season, though he played 17 games and his per game average was the 11th-highest at his position. This signing is good news for both Tyler Lockett (WR13) and DK Metcalf (WR18), who both posted solid to high-end WR2 numbers with Smith at quarterback. Smith will be in the high-end QB2 mix in 2023.

Cowboys now have placed their franchise tag on RB Tony Pollard, per source. RB franchise tag is $10.09 million.

In 16 games, Pollard finished as the fantasy RB7 and had the ninth-highest per game average, all while playing in a timeshare with Ezekiel Elliott. Per PFF, he had the fourth-highest run grade and the ninth-highest receiving grade among running backs. Per Pro Football Reference, he led the league in yards after contact per attempt (2.6) and was 15th among running backs in rush attempts per broken tackle (17.5). In other words, he's really, really good. Early ADP has him going off the board as the RB13 in the early fourth round. Considering his age and 2022 finish, and the possibility that the Cowboys part ways with Ezekiel Elliott, he looks like a good value in the so-called "RB dead zone."

The Saints are giving their new QB Derek Carr a 4-year deal, source said. With a big QB number coming, they'll make it work with their cap situation.

Carr is a competent (if unexciting) quarterback. He should provide an upgrade over Andy Dalton for the Saints' skill position players, specifically Chris Olave and Michael Thomas, if he returns. He also has developed a nice rapport with Darren Waller over the years, so Juwan Johnson may be able to build off of his breakout season. As for Carr, he has low-end fantasy QB2 value, especially if the Saints continue to give Taysom Hill snaps at quarterback.