Team news: Washington Commanders | Page 62

Earlier this month, Eagles Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz made it abundantly clear that he wants to remain in Philadelphia for the rest of his NFL days, saying that "my goal is to be like Kobe Bryant and play for one organization my entire career." Well, it looks like he may soon inch one step closer to that ultimate goal as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports the Eagles have reengaged contract extension talks with the 29-year-old.

Related players: Dallas Goedert

Ertz still has two years left on his deal and many thought Goedert would eventually take over as the Birds top TE. But it looks like the Eagles want to keep Ertz around. The TE spot was a go-to position for Carson Wentz last year when a rash of injuries to the team's WRs hit. Ertz is ranked fourth on our TE list despite Geodert also being a threat at the position. Goedert is ranked 12th, proving just how much the Eagles target the position.

Drew Lock/Courtland Sutton. The first 11-on-11 play of training camp was a pass to Sutton and the duo are trending the right away. The in-sync part is important because I haven’t seen a glaring miscommunication between Lock and Sutton yet, which is a good sign considering the new playbook.

Lock/Jerry Jeudy. Agreed on your “getting there” analysis. They’ve had several nice completions, the same for Jeudy and backup quarterback Jeff Driskel.

Lock/K.J. Hamler. A tough break for the offense and for Hamler, who is out multiple weeks with a hamstring injury and whose status for Week 1 is in doubt. When Hamler gets back to practice, he and Lock will have to start over.

With Hamler out, the story said guys like tight ends Albert Okwuegbunam and Jake Butt and receivers Tim Patrick, DaeSean Hamilton and Tyrie Cleveland have all picked up the slack. Lock had time with Sutton last year so it makes sense they are on the same page. Jeudy will be a key to the offense as he and Lock look to get more comfortable with one another.

Rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk clearly established himself among the top – if not the top – wide receiver on the field during the first week of 49ers camp.

But Aiyuk’s status for the short term now is tenuous due to a hamstring injury he sustained during practice on Sunday morning.

Related players: Kendrick Bourne, Deebo Samuel, Trent Taylor

The 49ers did not immediately provide an update on Aiyuk's status. Aiyuk and Bourne have established themselves as the top wide receivers with Taylor consistently playing in the slot. The 49ers hope to have Deebo Samuel back for the regular-season opener after he underwent surgery in June to repair a Jones fracture.

Justin Jackson and rookie Joshua Kelley are neck and neck in the race for the No. 2 running back job behind Austin Ekeler.

Jackson started the week with a sizable lead after making a handful of long rushing gains in Monday’s and Tuesday’s workouts.

On Wednesday, Lynn said Kelley’s head was swimming with learning the new offense. Lynn changed his tone after Kelley ended the week with three impressive practices to narrow the gap on Jackson.

The story said by the end of the week, Kelley was running with the first team. The story went on to say Kelley might have the edge because he fills the role of the power running back, but Jackson continues to churn out yards at a high rate. Jackson has displayed power between the tackles and Kelley has made catches from the backfield.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Cardinals Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury praised backup RB Chase Edmonds and said he will be more than just an insurance policy for starter Kenyan Drake.

Drake arrived in Arizona from Miami midway through last season and finished the year on a blistering pace while Edmonds remained in a backup role. The article from the Cardinals website makes it clear that Drake is still the lead back in Arizona, but it appears that Kingsbury may have more planned for Edmonds than simply spelling Drake when he needs a rest. Edmonds is a high-upside late round pick.

"Last year, [Dwayne Haskins] didn't quite have the same confidence that he does now, and people can feel that. He'd be the first one to tell you that," WR Terry McLaurin said.

In 2020, that's no longer the case.

"Now, it's completely different. You can hear him clearly and concisely," McLaurin said. "He knows what he's looking for and he knows what he's looking at. I feel like that helps everyone else's game as well."

Related players: Alex Smith, Kyle Allen

Smith was just cleared to practice so Haskins is competing with Smith and Allen for the starting job. With Smith coming off a major leg injury and Haskins the team's 15th-overall pick a year ago, Haskins is probably the favorite. He's also been challenged to come out and win the job by the team.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is hopeful that WR Deebo Samuel (foot) could be available for Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals but added he “is not counting on it”.

Week 1 would be a pleasant surprise for the return of Samuel, who underwent foot surgery in June and was expected to miss 10-12 weeks, putting him on track to only miss about three or four games. A possible return date could the 49ers’ Sunday night date in Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Samuel is being drafted around the 10th round, which could end up a major bargain for those that take the chance on him. In the meantime, rookie Brandon Aiyuk will see plenty of practice reps and the team signed veterans Tavon Austin and J.J. Nelson.

49ers GM John Lynch says on KNBR that he won't put a timeline on Deebo Samuel's return from a broken foot.

Related players: Brandon Aiyuk, Trent Taylor, Jalen Hurd

Lynch added according to the tweet, "It's fair to say he might miss some games at the beginning of the year." The 9ers may need Brandon Aiyuk, as well as Trent Taylor and Jalen Hurd to step up, at least early on. Aiyuk was a first round pick this past spring.

#49ers WR Deebo Samuel suffered a broken foot on Tuesday during a throwing session with teammates in Nashville and will be having surgery today, I’m told. It is a Jones fracture, and he should be able to be on the field early in the season.

Primed for a solid WR2 season in San Francisco, Deebo Samuel's foot injury has him sidelined for 12-16 weeks. Hopefully, he's fully recovered in time to make a fantasy impact, but his ADP should take a decent dip in the weeks to come.

Former Jets’ WR Robby Anderson is signing a two-year, $20 million deal including $12 million in year one with the Carolina Panthers, per source.

This is a surprising signing given the team's top two receivers (D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel), but it's a further boost to Teddy Bridgewater's stock as he has one of the top receiving corps in the league. Anderson is a good all-around receiver but he thrives in the deep passing game which is not something that Bridgewater utilizes regularly. Robby Anderson and Samuel's fantasy stock are both down with this signing. Sam Darnold's stock is also down since it looked for a moment that Anderson might return to the Jets.