Patriots Beat: TE Rob Gronkowski 'still not 100 percent healthy'

Sep 08, 2016

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is still not 100 percent healthy, still feeling the effects of when he pulled up and took himself out of practice on Aug. 15. He remains limited in practice with a hamstring injury.

Gronkowski's inclusion on the team's first injury report of the season Wednesday adds context to what he's been facing health-wise. Gronkowski took himself out of a joint practice with the Chicago Bears on Aug. 15 after attempting to catch a pass from quarterback Tom Brady along the sideline. He returned to practice Aug. 24, but didn't play in either of the final two preseason games, which wasn't a major surprise considering Gronkowski hasn't played in the preseason since 2012.

The Patriots kept four tight ends on their initial 53-man roster: Gronkowski, Martellus Bennett, Clay Harbor and AJ Derby. That is one more than the norm.

Fantasy Impact:

The implication is that Gronk may not play in Week 1, but if he's limited in practice on Wednesday, it's an indicator that he'll be out there on Sunday night. The Patriots play in Arizona, and players who are not going to play typically do not travel, so we should know more on Saturday.

Apr 17

Chargers to sign RB J.K. Dobbins on one-year deal

Tom Pelissero

Apr 17 · 7:45 PM EDT

Former Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins is planning to sign with the #Chargers on a one-year deal. Electric when healthy, Dobbins — who averages 5.8 yards per carry in his career — reunites with OC Greg Roman and can hit the market again in March.

Related Players: Gus Edwards

Fantasy Impact:

Dobbins has had poor injury luck in his career, but has only managed 234 total rushes since being drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. This is a low-risk, high-reward move by the Chargers and might give them a runway to wait a little longer in the '24 Draft before they address the position.

Apr 16

Cowboys sign RB Royce Freeman

Todd Archer

Apr 16 · 8:15 PM EDT

The Cowboys have signed running back Royce Freeman to a one-year deal. Freeman had 319 yards on 77 carries with 2 touchdowns last year for the Los Angeles Rams. He was 3rd round pick of Denver in '18.

Related Players: Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn

Fantasy Impact:

Freeman hasn't rushed for 500 yards since 2018, his rookie season. This shouldn't have any impact on the team drafting at the position and/or bringing back Ezekiel Elliott.

Apr 15

Eagles sign WR DeVonta Smith to three-year extension

Ian Rapoport

Apr 15 · 10:45 AM EDT

The Eagles have paid another big-time, rising player. This time, WR DeVonta Smith gets a 3-year, $75M contract extension that includes $51M guaranteed.

Related Players: A.J. Brown, DeVante Parker, Parris Campbell

Fantasy Impact:

Great news for Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense as a whole. Smith will continue his 1b role in which he finished the 2023 season as fantasy's WR22.