Team news: Seattle Seahawks | Page 19

Per head coach Dennis Allen, "Our expectation is that Michael Thomas will be a full participant."

Related Players: Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Tre'Quan Smith

We've been down this road before, but if Thomas is truly fully healthy and expecting to be a full participant throughout camp, he will really be completely back on the fantasy radar. He is currently ranked as a fringe WR3/4 but makes for an interesting pick with how late (9th/10th round) he is currently going.

Devon Achane, a third-round rookie, has "already looked like one of the Dolphins' more explosive offensive players."

Related Players: Jeff Wilson, Raheem Mostert, Salvon Ahmed, Myles Gaskin

Beat writer Louis-Jacques would continue, "Even in non-padded team drills, Achane showed prowess as a pass-catcher and home run ability after the catch. It's a crowded running back room in Miami, but it may not be long before the rookie has a prominent role. "

We already have Achane ranked clear tiers above Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, as the RB27. Those of us who have been grabbing Achane throughout best ball drafts continue to hold our breath that the team won't sign a veteran in the vein of Dalvin Cook or Ezekiel Elliot.

Rams are bringing back veteran running back Sony Michel. It’s a one-year deal.

Related Players: Cam Akers, Kyren Williams, Zach Evans

While this may not seem like that big of a deal, this could turn out as bad news for Akers' between-the-20s and goalline ceiling. Michel could also be non-factor training camp release.

At the least, this probably puts a halt on Zach Evans as a late-round dart throw until we find out more details about the contract.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy resumed throwing this week after having surgery on his elbow roughly three months ago, general manager John Lynch told SiriusXM radio Wednesday.

Related Players: Trey Lance, Sam Darnold

The article would go on to quote Lynch as saying that the 49ers are "incredibly encouraged" by Purdy's recovery and that the hopes are that he is ready for training camp and, thus, the regular season.

“I mentioned Trey, I mentioned Sam, we feel good about that position holistically,” he said. “So we’re not going to do anything to put Brock in a situation where he’s not fully healed. That means not just getting back, but getting back, getting reps in under your belt — the whole deal. So we’ll take it as it comes, as we’re doing. He’s working incredibly hard, and the early returns are good.”

Purdy should be considered the heavy betting favorite to step into Week 1 as the 49ers' starting quarterback.

Per Tim, "Purdy is QB1. Nothing is guaranteed or permanent in football, but the entire premise of the 49ers’ QB situation, at this point, is that Purdy is first among equals because he earned it last December and January. Everything else — Lance’s practice time, Darnold’s arrival, the blurry timeline for Purdy’s return to full-go action — is about caution, not uncertainty."

Related Players: Trey Lance, Sam Darnold

Beat writer Kawakami repeated, in many different manners, that the only thing keeping Brock Purdy from a Week 1 starting job is the health of his elbow; Lance and Darnold are insurance policies, not hurdles. Purdy is scheduled to throw during the final week of May, which will give us a better idea of his standing for Week 1.

Kyle Shanahan said Trey Lance’s lower body is fine, and he’s throwing the ball very well at the start of the team’s offseason program because his finger is no longer an issue, either. Still, the 49ers consider Brock Purdy to be the top quarterback on the depth chart after winning eight consecutive games after taking over for Jimmy Garoppolo last season.

Related Players: Sam Darnold

We are assuredly going to be hearing news all over the place in regard to the 49ers QB situation from now until August, so it's important not to take one piece to heart. Purdy is still apparently four months out with his own injury issues, which puts his timeline basically right up against Week 1. If that's the case, we can only assume that Lance will get another chance to start the season, though Sam Darnold's helmet looms large in the background if the team opts to go in that direction.

We'll keep you posted.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are poised for an offseason quarterback competition between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask that could last deep into training camp.

Asked Wednesday about the balance between naming a starter early so he can get extra reps in the offense and allowing the competition to run its course, new offensive coordinator Dave Canales cited his experience last year during the Geno Smith-Drew Lock battle in Seattle.

The Tampa Bay job is sneakily a good one for fantasy purposes, as the team decided not to move on from any of their veteran pass catchers, despite many rumors to the contrary. Superstars Mike Evans and Chris Godwin may be aging, but they're still a fantastic one-two punch, while Cade Otton and Rachaad can pull their weight at their respective positions.
We would assume that Mayfield has the initial leg-up here since the team went out and got the former first round pick, who has 69 starts under his belt. Compare that to Trask, who has nine dropbacks to his name.

They (the Seahawks) wanted a slot receiver who understood zone coverage and how to feel underneath defenders and make himself available to the quarterback. They needed someone who was more quick than fast, but at the same time, crafty and explosive with the ball in his hands. Against man coverage, their preferred receiver needed to be proficient at the line of scrimmage and have a wide catch radius.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the perfect fit for Seattle’s offense.

Related Players: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett

The article mentions that the Seahawks ran a below-average amount of 11 personnel (53% of their plays), yet it was the team's most popular player grouping. The drafting of JSN should give a clue as to how they will prefer to run their offense this coming season, and all three receivers should have their moments, barring injuries.

If Metcalf and Lockett cut their prerequisite 100+ target seasons, it's difficult to see how Smith-Njigba has a ceiling outcome 2023 season. All three options are top-50 WRs in our current rankings, with Metcalf leading the way as the WR15.

The #Dolphins have signed TE Tyler Kroft to a one-year deal, per agent
Mike McCartney.

Related Players: Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert, Elijah Higgins

The Dolphins let Mike Gesicki walk this offseason but didn't do anything to replace the passing game specialist outside of sixth-rounder Elijah Higgins, who will likely be transitioning from the wide receiver position. Kroft has been bouncing around the last few seasons and hasn't produced much since his breakout 42-404-7 2017 season with the Cincinnati Bengals.

This situation is almost assuredly going to be rotational, with Durham Smythe being the de facto TE1. His previous career highs (34-357-0) came during the 2021 season.

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.