July 2025 4for4 Player News Articles

As expected, wide receiver Chris Godwin and tackle Tristan Wirfs were placed on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Tuesday, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' training camp set to begin on Wednesday morning.

Godwin is recovering from a dislocated ankle suffered last season in Week 7, and the hope is he'll be ready to go closer to the start of the season. As the story points out, which we may have all forgotten, at the time of his injury, Godwin was leading the NFL in receptions (50), receiving first downs (33) and was second in receiving yards (576).

Commanders General Manager Adam Peters said earlier Tuesday that the team is going to do everything it can to get Terry McLaurin signed to an extension. The star wide receiver, though, remains without an extension and thus did not report to training camp, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

McLaurin is the only player missing from camp.

He expressed his frustration last week at the lack of progress on a deal.

McLaurin is headed into the final year of his contract set to make $15.5 million in base salary. McLaurin, 29, has topped 1,000 yards in each of the past five seasons and has not missed a game since 2020. With Jayden Daniels at quarterback in 2024, he produced a new career-high 13 touchdowns, the story said.

A report last week that Jauan Jennings wants to be traded if he does not receiver a contract extension from the 49ers was followed by one that said he planned to report to training camp on time despite those feelings. GM John Lynch confirmed that Jennings was at camp during the press conference and that the team expects he will be practicing while declining to say whether there were any contract talks going on.

Related players: Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, Brock Purdy

The story later said that Lynch wouldn't comment on any kind of contract talks, but Jennings didn't ask to be traded. With Aiyuk expected to be out until October, or even November, there's a good chance Jennings at least starts the season as the team's WR1.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford dealing with back soreness, Sean McVay told reporters.

Related players: Jimmy Garoppolo, Stetson Bennett

As a result, Schefter said Rams plan to limit Stafford’s practice time during the first five days of training camp. It may be something to watch, but Stafford is 37 after all, so it's likely just easing him back into things. Stafford ranks just 23rd on our QB list, but should make for a solid QB2 or a backup in one-QB leagues given the weapons around him.

San Francisco GM John Lynch told reporters today that 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk currently is “not anywhere close to having a concrete timeline” to return from the knee injury suffered last season.

Related players: Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy

The talk around Aiyuk is more of a return in October, or even November, according to those who follow the team. That means guys like Jennings, Pearsall, Robinson and Cowing could have a chance to be big factors in the 49ers passing game to start the season. As long CMC is healthy, it's possible he and Kittle will soak up a lot of Purdy's targets as well, but there could be some WR sleepers on the Niners available later in drafts.

Though Kyren Williams and the Rams have been discussing a potential new contract, the running back won’t stay away from training camp.

Via multiple reporters on the scene, Williams has reported with the Rams’ other veterans on Tuesday.

Related players: Blake Corum, Jarquez Hunter

Williams (25) is entering the last year of his deal. He's been a true bell cow over the last several seasons, surging to a fantasy RB1, despite the team drafting Corum last season. This year, he'll need to overcome Corum and another rookie in Hunter. The story pointed out that earlier this offseason, head coach Sean McVay noted there had been “positive progress” on a potential extension with Williams. The running back himself noted he was “feeling good” about a new deal eventually coming to pass, the story went on to say. Williams is ranked 11th among our RBs and could be another steal again this year with an ADP of the early third round.

As the Bills report to training camp on Tuesday, their star running back will be in attendance.

Via Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, James Cook plans to report to training camp even as he seeks a new contract from the club. But Cook is a potential hold-in candidate, as it’s currently unclear how much the running back will practice.

Cook, 25, is eligible for a new deal after completing his third season in the league. He led the NFL last year with 16 rushing touchdowns, earning his second consecutive Pro Bowl berth, the story pointed out. He was a second round pick in 2022. Cook did not attend the voluntary portions of Buffalo’s offseason program, but he was there for minicamp, the story said.

Adam Peters on Terry McLaurin: "First, without a doubt, I think everybody in this building values Terry very much. We knew that coming in and we know that even more after spending a year with him. ... We'll do whatever we can to get a deal done."

Reports say McLaurin could report but be a hold-in for camp, meaning he won't take part in drills. We rank McLaurin 20th among our WRs with an ADP of the early-to-mid fourth round.

If Jakobi Meyers continues to work primarily from the slot during training camp, receivers who are more effective on the outside will have a leg up in the competition. As it stands, it’ll be a three-man race between Dont’e Thornton, Tre Tucker and Jack Bech. Thornton stood out the most among the group during OTAs. He’s just different physically — he’s 6 feet 4 and has blazing speed — and is working on the nuances of route running and increasing his knowledge of Chip Kelly’s scheme. Tucker was also ahead of Bech in the rotation and had his moments during OTAs.

The most interesting name in that group may be Bech, the rookie. So far reports about Bech haven't been great. While he's better in the slot, the story pointed out there is a logjam at that position, so Bech will need to learn to play on the outside. The story added Bech has some work to do to make up ground on Thornton and Tucker at this point.

Just under nine months after Stefon Diggs tore his ACL, the New England Patriots cleared their biggest offseason acquisition for full participation in training camp, league sources said Tuesday. The team’s training camp opens Wednesday.

The story went on to say the team will, of course, monitor his reps early on. The story added Diggs has looked strong in his return after tearing his ACL last October while taking team reps with second-year QB Drake Maye. Diggs, 31, suffered the injury in Week 8 while playing for the Houston Texans. Diggs is expected to be the team's top target this season.

The Lions drafted quarterback Hendon Hooker in the third round in 2023, but through two NFL seasons Hooker has played only in garbage time, and late last season the Lions brought in veteran Teddy Bridgewater and put him ahead of Hooker on the depth chart to back up Jared Goff.

As the Lions open training camp this year, Bridgewater is no longer on the team and Hooker is competing with Kyle Allen to be the Lions’ No. 2 quarterback. Lions head coach Dan Campbell says it’s time for Hooker to take the next step in his career.

The story indicated the team could bring back Bridgewater, but that seems like it will only happen if Hooker doesn't take control of the QB2 job. There have been indications recently on X that Hooker has looked good, so if Goff owners are thinking about a handcuff, keep an eye on how Hooker progresses in camp.

There's still time for 2023 first-round pick Anthony Richardson to prove he's capable of being a QB1 in the NFL, Colts owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon said Monday.

It's not a new topic for Irsay-Gordon -- far from it -- but she said she'd like to bring "urgency" to all sides of the conversation around the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft. That's why Richardson will arrive to training camp in a competition with Daniel Jones, the sixth pick in the 2019 draft with the New York Giants.

"Where he is in his career and in his deal as a rookie, we still have time," Irsay-Gordon said in a wide-ranging interview with Colts.com.

"He still has time to prove it. ... Bring a sense of urgency. And nothing brings a sense of urgency more than competition."

It's been a quick fall for Richardson since 2023. As the story said, injuries and availability have been a big issue. While Richardson was limited in the offseason by his shoulder injury, GM Chris Ballard said there are no restrictions for the quarterback entering this year's training camp, according to the story. Accuracy was another issue, the story pointed out. He had a league-low 47.7 completion percentage last season.

Running back Nyheim Hines has found a place to continue his NFL career.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Hines has agreed to sign with the Chargers. Hines has not played since suffering a serious leg injury in a jet ski accident in July 2023.

Related players: Najee Harris, Omaarion Hampton

Hines was playing for the Bills at the time of his injury and signed with the Browns last year, but never came off of the non-football injury list while in Cleveland, the story went on to say.
Harris is currently on the non-football injury list after suffering an eye injury in a fireworks accident and Hampton is a rookie, but both are still expected to lead the way in the backfield this season for the Chargers. It's possible Hines, if healthy, could carve out a role in the passing game.

Bengals Offensive Coordinator Dan Pitcher said that RB Chase Brown will be one of the focal points of the Bengals offense this year.

Related players: Chase Brown, Zack Moss, Samaje Perine

It's an exciting through for those who own or will own Brown this season, especially considering how high-powered the offense can be, and, with a defense that struggled to stop anyone last season. Brown finished as the fantasy RB11 overall and RB16 on a per-game basis. He took over the backfield after Moss went down and made the most of his opportunity, ranking as the RB6 from Week 9 to Week 17. He caught 54 passes—5th among running backs—and played a key role in one of the league’s best offenses. The Bengals brought Moss back and added Perine, who could siphon off passing-down work and limit Brown’s weekly floor. Still, Brown looks like the favorite to lead this backfield in touches and carries high-end RB2 value in a high-scoring offense. If he holds onto the passing-game role, there’s room for more. He could be great value with his current ADP of the early-to-mid third round.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice will be a full participant at training camp, coach Andy Reid said, after Rice was sentenced to five years of deferred probation and 30 days in jail as a condition of his probation last week.

“We’re going to progress as normal with (Rice),” Reid said Sunday after the Chiefs arrived at Missouri Western State University’s campus for training camp. “He’ll go in and take all the reps that he’ll normally take. We always rotate that position, so depending on what happens here with the future, whoever needs to play will step in and know what they are doing and be in good shape to do it.”

Reid said he did not know when the NFL would decide on a potential suspension for Rice, the story went on to say. It added that last Thursday, Rice pleaded guilty in a Dallas County court to two third-degree felony charges, including a collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury.

Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Jaydon Blue fired back after a former Cowboys assistant fueled rumors that the franchise's fifth-round pick is viewed as "borderline lazy" by the rest of the team. Glenn Smith, who previously worked on the Cowboys' staff from 2000-01, made the claim during a recent appearance on the "Locked on Cowboys" podcast, explaining that some inside the building are frustrated with Blue's work habits.

Related players: Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, Deuce Vaughn, Phil Mafah

The former Texas standout projects to be an immediate factor in the Cowboys backfield this season with a lack of explosiveness elsewhere in the room.

Blue didn't let the criticism go unchecked, posting on social media, "lmao taking time out yo day to make fake article about me for attention," according to the story. Blue is expected to have a big role in the offense this season, especially considering Williams and Sanders are coming off disappointing seasons a year ago and sit above him on the depth chart.

Terry McLaurin hasn’t announced whether he’ll attend the Washington Commanders’ training camp if the two sides can't agree on a contract extension. He also hasn’t decided whether he’ll ask for a trade. McLaurin, an All-Pro receiver and team captain, is most interested in "trying to bring a deal together, not breaking the team apart," according to a source close to McLaurin.

The story went on to say that's why all eyes will be on McLaurin when Washington veterans report on Tuesday for the start of camp, particularly after he skipped mandatory minicamp this offseason. The story added that McLaurin will explore every option, including a holdout, a hold-in and a trade request, per the source. "Everything will be on the table," the source said to the author of the story, Henry McKenna.

According to the Broward County Clerk of Courts office, no court date has yet been set for the next step in the legal process in Browns 2nd-round pick Quinshon Judkins' domestic violence case.

Related players: Dylan Sampson, Jerome Ford

He was arrested on July 12 and released the following day on a $2,500 bond the post went on to say. Needless to say, things are up in the air right now for Judkins and there are a lot of possibilities as far as how this plays out. As far as fantasy goes, dynasty owners are the ones likely following this story the closest. For those in redraft leagues, or for those who already drafted fellow rookie Sampson, both Sampson and Ford would benefit the most if Judkins has to miss any kind of time.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin, who still is recovering from a dislocated ankle, will not participate in team related activities to begin training camp.

Related players: Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, Mike Evans

Godwin will instead continue to rehab with trainers, Stroud said. This could really open the door for receivers like Egbuka and McMillan while Godwin is working his way back. Godwin is still expected to be ready for Week 1, according to reports, and Egbuka and McMillan will eventually compete for the WR3 spot behind Evans and Godwin. The team did extend Godwin in the offseason.

Titans QB Will Levis will undergo surgery on his throwing shoulder, sources say, ending his 2025 season. Surgery is July 29.

Related players: Cam Ward, Brandon Allen, Tim Boyle

Levis has elected to have the procedure to ensure long-term health, based on medical opinions, one that should help him be ready for the 2026 season, Rapoport added to his post. Levis wasn't going to be the team's starter anyway, as Ward is set to take over the duties in just a few weeks. Based on our depth charts, the team will have to decide between Allen and Boyle as the backup to Ward. It's possible the Titans bring in another option as well, at least for training camp. Unless he's moved to another team, at this point it's hard to see Levis as anything but a backup even when he returns in 2026.

"One of the things about Tyjae Spears is I heard a lot about Tyjae when I got here, about the type of person and the player that he was," said Brian Callahan this offseason. "And we've had conversations, but he did have a challenging year, both personally and professionally and there was some things that we've had to sit and visit about on different occasions. I give a lot of credit to him because he's had an unbelievable offseason in terms of his energy, his effort, his clarity and what he wants to get done. So I've been really pleased with where Tyjae is at."

Related players: Tony Pollard

The hope for Spears' owners is he'll be a bigger part of the offense this season. While the story goes on to say Pollard had his best year statistically, and is viewed as the starter, the Titans run game overall was not that impressive. Pollard ranked just 19th when it came to gaining 10 yards or more, according to the story. An impressive offseason by Spears is at least a good sign, but right now he's probably not more than a depth piece or a handcuff for most redraft leagues.

The Rams signed second-round pick tight end Terrance Ferguson.

As the logjam of unsigned second-round picks breaks, Ferguson received about 83 percent of his contract fully guaranteed. Ferguson could be in the mix almost immediately in the Rams offense. He posted almost 1,600 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in four seasons at Oregon and, given his size and ability, could become a favorite target sooner rather than later for quarterback Matthew Stafford. Rookie tight ends are always tough to project in their first year. Ferguson is averaging as the 27th tight end off the board.

The Saints signed second-round rookie quarterback Tyler Shough to a four-year deal worth $10.795 million.

The contract value was already known via the rookie wage scale, but with other second-round picks this year, it came down to how much of that money was going to be fully guaranteed. Shough received 100% of his deal fully guaranteed. Schefter also notes Shough received an annual Roster Bonus structure, meaning he will receive majority of his compensation each year during the first week of camp.

Shough had the leverage of being a quarterback when it came to the guarantees and saw every other player selected above him in the second round, except Browns RB Quinshon Judkins, who hasn't signed yet due to his legal issues, receive a fully guaranteed contract.

Shough will be in a camp battle with Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener for the starting role. Regardless, the outlook for the Saints is not a very strong one. That said, Shough could be the starter sooner rather than later. He's the quarterback that was brought in by new head coach Kellen Moore and the team spent a top-40 pick on him. Rattler and Haener were both Day 3 picks. The Saints report to camp on Tuesday, begin their preseason schedule August 10 on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers and kick off the regular season at home on September 7 against the Arizona Cardinals.

49ers placed WRs Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list.

Related Players: Jauan Jennings, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing

Aiyuk was expected, but Pearsall seems to be dealing with an undisclosed injury. We'll keep an eye on things, but we still expect the latter to be ready for Week 1. Regardless, Jennings continues to creep up rankings dispite his current contract dispute and finds himself as a borderline WR2/3 in our rankings, while Pearsall hovers in the WR4 range.

[Glenn] Smith said that coaches with the Cowboys have expressed that Blue is “borderline lazy” and that the team is not thrilled with his work habits. That isn’t a great sign for a fifth-round pick who is not only trying to earn a role on the offense, but also make the roster.

Blue was a part of OTAs and rookie minicamp, but there haven’t been any reports of him working with the first team yet. And this could explain why.

Related Players: Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, Phil Mafah

Mosher later reiterates that Blue could legitimately be fighting for a roster spot here, so the news really couldn't be much worse for the rookie. If Blue can't deliver an impact, we have even more questions for a Cowboys backfield that already looked like one of the weakest in the league. Williams and Sanders have been woefully inefficient over the last couple of seasons, and Mafah was himself a seventh-round selection hoping to lock in a roster spot. We currently have Williams ranked as a mid-tier RB3, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to sniff around on Mafah in Dynasty leagues, where he could be on waiver wires, depending on roster sizes.

Holdout over: Tre Harris has now agreed to terms and will sign his rookie contract, sources say.

Related Players: Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Jalen Reagor, KeAndre Lamber-Smith, Derius Davis

That lasted all of five days, and comes on the heels of Mike Williams' retirement earlier today. Harris will now use training camp to attempt to climb his way to the top of the depth chart and work as Justin Herbert's main outside option.

Sources: Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams’ agent Tory Dandy informed the team last night that, after eight seasons, his client is retiring from the NFL. Williams walks away from the game at age 30.

Related Players: Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Tre Harris, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Derius Davis

This comes as quite a shock, but the veteran was set to hit PUP heading into training camp, and either the injury was more severe than we thought or Williams didn't want to deal with another stint on the sidelines after missing so much of 2023 with a torn ACL. Tre Harris is still unsigned as of this news, which could put Quentin Johnston back in line to operate as the main WR2 once again. It's hard to see McConkey getting any more of a target share after his massive rookie output, but that could very well be the case.

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. is believed to have recovered from his recent right shoulder setback as the team prepares to report for training camp next week.

Richardson, who underwent season-ending surgery to repair an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder during the 2023 season, missed the final two weeks of the team's offseason practices in June after experiencing soreness in that shoulder.

Related Players: Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard

Looks like we've got an old-fashioned QB battle on our hands, fantasy enthusiasts. Holder continues to note that Richardson will likely be evaluated next week and could be on a "pitch count" to avoid fatigue. If Richardson gets the nod to start most of the games this season, it will likely come with a shrinking target count for the Colts' pass-catchers, but he has proven to be a valuable fantasy asset due to his rushing. He is still a stay-away until deep in drafts, as we truly have no way of knowing how many games he can/will be allowed to play in.

Vikings WR Jordan Addison's case has also concluded with a fine and probation, per his agent.

Related Players: Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor, Tai Felton, Rondale Moore, T.J. Hockenson

Much like Rashee Rice, who was sentenced to probation mere hours before this release, we'll have to take a wait-and-see approach to whether or not Addison misses games. The best bet is likely a two-game suspension, but that's all speculation for now. If a potential suspension happens earlier in the season, we could see more work out of rookie Tai Felton than we would have imagined, and Jefferson's target share could be massive without a locked-in WR2.

ESPN sources: A Dallas County judge just sentenced Chiefs WR Rashee Rice to five years probation and 30 days of jail time that can be served during those five years stemming for his role in a multi-car crash in Dallas during the 2024 offseason.

Now that the judge has ruled, the NFL can expedite its disciplinary process and Rice is likely to receive a multi-game suspension.

Related Players: Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, Skyy Moore, Jalen Royals, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Travis Kelce, Noah Gray

We'll keep an eye on things to determine whether a "multi-game suspension" equates to two, four, or six, but regardless, it would be an obvious blow to his fantasy bottom line if that comes in 2025. If/when that decision comes down, it would open up the middle of the field for Kelce, where the two have operated in recent history. If Rice's ADP drops precipitously over a two-game suspension in the middle of the season, he'll start to be an even bigger target in drafts.

Chargers GM Joe Hortiz said Najee Harris (eye) will likely begin training camp on NFI. Harris is expected to report to The Bolt later today, per Hortiz. Harris has been receiving treatment from doctors at Stanford.

Related Players: Omarion Hampton, Kimani Vidal

NFL reporter Ian Rapoport followed up this report by saying "it's expected to be a short stint." We'll see if that's the case, but if this is a superficial injury, you wouldn't expect him to be missing much time. As it stands, Hampton's ADP continues to climb and that may have been the case regardless of this incident.

Najee becomes more interesting the further his ADP dips, but the rookie is really projecting as a legit fantasy RB2.

On Wednesday, on the practice field inside the TCO Performance Center, J.J. McCarthy resembled his former self in almost every way. No, the 22-year-old was not doing any chest-bumping. This was more about his arm, his comfort and his command.

“He’s done an unbelievable job,” said coach Kevin O’Connell. “You forget the fact (that) this is his first runway since the injury. It’s a credit to the work he put in.”

The author said McCarthy’s throws spiraled the same way they did last year. He absorbed the play verbiage, stepped into the huddle, spit out the calls, walked to the line of scrimmage, hollered out the cadence and urgently progressed through reads. He did all of the things you have to do, with few hiccups, to be a successful quarterback in this league. But the story also warned the team isn't naming McCarthy the starter just yet. However, one thing to keep in mind is it's only Sam Howell and Brett Rypien behind him at this point, so McCarthy looks poised to be the starter this season.

As C.J. Stroud evolves in his NFL journey, one of his main focuses this offseason has been body transformation.

The Houston Texans' quarterback understood his training would have "risk and reward," but heading into Year 3, he felt he needed a change.

"I've been working really hard on getting my body right -- losing body fat, trying to be faster, stronger," Stroud said. "And it went really well. ... [Working] pocket mobility, running out the pocket, throwing the rock. Everything kind of works hand in hand."

The story said the extra work left him with general soreness in his throwing shoulder that caused him to miss practices this spring, but he felt it was necessary after he saw dips in passing yards (3,727) and touchdowns (20) in Year 2 after being named the Offensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler in a season where he had 4,108 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. As the story added, he also threw 12 interceptions last season, seven more than his rookie year.

Coming out of Clemson in 2021, quarterback Trevor Lawrence was hailed as the Prince that was Promised to save and fundamentally transform the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise. Five years into his time in the NFL, whether or not that fundamental transformation has occurred is up to the interpreter.

Now, Lawrence enters Year 5 of his NFL career under a new coach in Liam Coen, and yet again is under the microscope that comes with his billing coming out of college and a contract worth $55 million annually. 2025 marks an ample time for Lawrence to live up to what's expected of him, and he made it clear he's aware of that during an appearance on Pardon My Take.

"I feel like this is like getting into my prime," Lawrence said. "I got a lot of good years left ahead of me, and I need to really turn it on. And I think what we've built around me and what they've done this offseason has been a great start."

While Lawrence has had his share of success, including in a Pro Bowl season in 2022 that culminated in a comeback playoff win against the Los Angeles Chargers, he has also not been able to transcend the Jaguars franchise's issues around him. After collapsing in the second half of the 2023 season, the Jags plummeted further to 4-13 in 2024 as Lawrence dealt with turnover issues, injuries, and all that had been built up around him by coach Doug Pederson fell apart, the story all said. The union with Coen this season is giving a lot of hope around the team, especially the offensive side of the ball.

On Tuesday, Terry McLaurin said that he’s unhappy with the lack of progress that’s been made toward a new deal.

“I’ve been pretty frustrated, I’m not gonna lie,” McLaurin said, via JP Finlay of NBC Washington. “Everything that has transpired up to this point has been disappointing and frustrating. I’ve wanted to continue my career here, created my life here. My wife and I bought our first home here so this is somewhere where I’ve always wanted to be. Just to see how things have played out is disappointing.”

The story went on to say McLaurin did not attend the Commanders’ offseason workouts as he looks for a contract that will keep him in Washington beyond the 2025 season. McLaurin has a base salary of $15.5 million for the coming season, which lags far behind the numbers in Garrett Wilson’s new deal and those signed by a number of other receivers since McLaurin signed his pact with the NFC East team, the story said.

The Jets ran the ball less than any team last season. The biggest reason for that (Aaron Rodgers) is gone. It would not shock me if the Jets went from last to first in terms of rushing attempts — the product of a run-first scheme led by offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, and the dynamic, dual-threat quarterbacking of Justin Fields in the fray. The Jets are modeling their offense after the one Engstrand and Aaron Glenn came from in Detroit, where, in theory at least, Breece Hall would play the Jahmyr Gibbs role while Braelon Allen would step in as the David Montgomery, power-running type. — Zack Rosenblatt

Those are pretty big expectations, but the thought of it is exciting. Rosenblatt went on to say Allen was a training camp breakout last year who never got a chance to get going in a bad offense, but he’ll have plenty of opportunities in 2025 to make his mark and prove he can be the long-term starter with Hall in the last year of his contract.

He saw just four games his sophomore season before tearing up his knee chasing down a defender after a Patrick Mahomes interception. But the good news amid the bad news: Rashee Rice did not tear his ACL but his LCL, which meant a shorter recovery time. Thus, the wideout was back on the field this spring for the Chiefs, and coach Andy Reid said he expects him to be full-go for the start of training camp. Rice’s return will be crucial for an offense looking to rediscover its explosiveness. — Zak Keefer

Keefer went on to say Rice had 938 receiving yards as a rookie in 2023 and was building off that early in Year 2. Kansas City has been waiting for a WR1 to step into the role vacated by Tyreek Hill in 2022. He’s not Hill, but Rice might be this team’s best bet. He has future Pro Bowler written all over him, according to Keefer. Rice was good his first four games and seemed on his way to a bust-out year last season. Rice seems to be a late third round target in 12-team leagues so far this summer.

The 2024 first-round pick, Brian Thomas Jr., had an electric rookie season with 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, so it’s fair to argue he’s already broken out. But considering that production on a bad team with turbulent quarterback play, Thomas could explode if the Trevor Lawrence-Liam Coen pairing works out the way it’s been envisioned. — Jeff Howe

Related players: Travis Hunter

Howe went on to point out with Hunter on the other side, defenses will have to decide where to load their coverage. If Hunter comes as advertised as a full-time wideout, Thomas could soon be knocking on the door as one of the league’s premier receivers, Howe went on to say. Thomas is already poised to go early in the second round of drafts.

It’s cliché to choose the second-year, top-10 pick. But Rome Odunze’s rookie season seemed more disappointing than it actually was. He was fifth among rookies in receiving yards (734) and caught only 53.5 percent of passes thrown his way. However, Odunze served as an example of the inconsistency that plagued the 2024 Bears offense. — Kevin Fishbain

The story went on to say Odunze didn’t meet outside expectations, but it’s not because he was dropping passes or running poor routes. With a better scheme and improved quarterback play, he should take off in Year 2, according to Fishbain. Odunze will likely be a more popular pick this draft season.

The arrival of No. 8 pick Tetairoa McMillan should take some pressure off Xavier Legette, whom the Panthers traded up to take at No. 32 in 2024. It’s not like Legette was a total bust: The 6-foot-3, 227-pounder caught 49 passes for 497 yards and four touchdowns. But as Bryce Young develops and McMillan draws coverage his way, Legette’s production should increase this season. — Joseph Person

Legette shouldn't be a highly-sought pick in upcoming drafts this summer, so maybe he's worth taking a shot on toward the end of your draft. The story added Legette wasn’t a full-time starter until his fifth season at South Carolina. So there were naturally growing pains for Legette, whose eight drops — including one on Young’s potential game-winning touchdown pass at Philadelphia — put him among the leaders in that category, the story pointed out.

John Morton replaced Ben Johnson as the team’s offensive coordinator this offseason and Jahmyr Gibbs revealed one of the new wrinkles he’s installed into an offense that scored the most points in the league last season. It involves Gibbs lining up outside of the backfield more frequently than he did in his first two seasons.

“Nothing too much changed, so a lot of the stuff is the same,” Gibbs said, via WXYZ. “I gotta learn the formations for this, but I’m being split out, I guess, like way more than I was the past two years. That’s good, that’s going to be fun. I’ve been waiting on that. He wants me to be more involved in it, so that’s what he plans on doing.

The story pointed out Gibbs caught 104 passes over his first two NFL seasons, but it looks like the team has plans to make him an even bigger part of the passing game. Owners are hoping to not see a TD regression this season after the back scored 20 TDs total last year, and this may be a chance for Gibbs to keep up that pace.

Jets and wide receiver Garrett Wilson reached agreement on a four-year, $130 million contract extension that includes $90 million guaranteed.

It marks the first time in NFL history that a receiver has received an average over $31 million after playing only three seasons. Wilson now will be under contract the next six seasons, through 2030.

Related Players: Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard, Arian Smith, Malachi Corley

This is a massive vote of confidence from a team that desperately needs Wilson to play out of his mind to support a middling group of pass-catchers. Justin Fields isn't likely to be a voluminous passer, but Wilson presents an obvious opportunity to soak up a ton of the target share in 2025. We currently have him ranked as a mid-tier WR2.

49ers WR Jauan Jennings, who is scheduled to make $7.5 million this season in the final year of his deal, wants a new contract or a trade, per sources.

49ers extended Jennings’ deal last year, but that does not change how Jennings feels about this year.

Related Players: Ricky Pearsall, Brandon Aiyuk, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing

This is a good time for a power move from Jennings, as we are still unclear exactly how long Aiyuk will be out as he recovers from his ACL & MCL injuries. We'll keep an eye on this, but if Jennings misses time or does happen to find himself on another team, former first-rounder Ricky Pearsall would be flying up rankings and draft boards.

Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris sustained a superficial eye injury at a Fourth of July event but is expected to be ready for the 2025 NFL season, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday.

Harris' agent, Doug Hendrickson, said a fireworks mishap resulted in injuries to his client and multiple people attending the event.

"Najee Harris was present at a 4th of July event where a fireworks mishap resulted in injuries to several attendees," Hendrickson said in a statement, via Rapoport. "Najee sustained a superficial eye injury during the incident, but is fully expected to be ready for the upcoming NFL season."

Related Players: Omarion Hampton, Hassan Haskins, Kimani Vidal

Harris is "likely" to miss the start of training camp, but that's about all the follow-up news we've been allotted to this point. Hampton was already going to give the veteran a run for his money, but the rookie could very well end up as the lead back heading into Week 1, and if it goes well, he might not give it up. He is currently projected as a fantasy RB2.

A year ago at this time, Dak Prescott was being questioned about a photo that surfaced of him on vacation wearing a walking boot on his right foot. No such injury concerns this year as the Dallas Cowboys franchise quarterback prepares for his 10th training camp.

“I’m healthy,” Prescott said Tuesday from his annual youth football camp. “I’ll be a full-go for camp. I’m healthy. I think soon here I’ll probably get the official sign-off from Doc, but I’m healthy.”

Related Players: Joe Milton, Will Grier

The article goes on to mention Prescott's excitement around his potential connection with newly added George Pickens, which is clearly what we want to hear. Pickens and CeeDee Lamb create the best 1-2 punch we've seen at the quarterback's disposal and could help Prescott return to the heights we saw from him in his near-MVP season of 2023. We currently have him ranked in the middle ground of the league's QB2s, but he will consistently be on the streaming radar in plus matchups.

After a strong offseason, Reynolds is the clear-cut leader for the WR2 job. He arrived with little fanfare as a free agent (one year, $2.8 million), mainly because of a down 2024 with the Broncos and Jaguars. It also was a turbulent year; he suffered arm and head wounds in a shooting.

New Jets coach Aaron Glenn knows Reynolds from their time in Detroit, where the 30-year-old receiver was a solid complementary option. Beyond Garrett Wilson, the Jets lack big-play ability after cutting Davante Adams. Reynolds has separated from Allen Lazard and others.

Related Players: Tyler Johnson, Arian Smith, Malachi Corley

This seems a little surprising, until you look at the rest of the depth chart, that is. With Justin Fields at the helm, we should expect a very run-heavy offense in New York, and even if he loses the job, we would expect more of the same from Tyrod Taylor. Reynolds makes for an interesting stacking partner with Fields, though he's much closer to a fantasy WR5 than a WR2.

The Giants get a 2026 sixth-round pick from Miami for Darren Waller and a conditional 2027 seventh-rounder, per source.

Essentially a free pick for New York for a player who was retired, and a low-risk flier for Miami on a player who, at his peak, was one of the NFL’s best.

Related Players: Pharoah Brown, Julian Hill

Waller was a favorite of some as a cheap, late-round dart throw with the Giants last season before he unexpectedly retired. If the veteran were going to come out of retirement, this is about the best place you could land, but we'll see whether the time away from the game will make an impact on his effectiveness.

He certainly doesn't offer the type of upside we would have seen out of Jonnu Smith, but he should be on the radar as a low-end TE2 until we start to see how he looks/integrates during training camp.