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    Bucs OC new scheme has ‘a lot of play action’

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    Buccaneers TE Cade Otton said there is “a lot of play action” in new OC Zac Robinson’s scheme.

    This is the kind of thing we like to hear for QB Baker Mayfield and his pass catchers. Robinson did not feature play action during his two seasons as the Falcons’ offensive coordinator, nor did former Buccaneers OC Josh Grizzard, so Otton’s comments are reassuring. Per PFF, NFL offenses averaged 7.76 yards per pass play with play action and just 6.72 without it. Upping the play action rate should help the Buccaneers run a more efficient offense in 2026.
Kittle's grass field comments raise NFLPA concerns
George Kittle's comments on grass fields sparked a broader discussion about player leadership, with Mike Florio arguing that major NFLPA initiatives struggle to gain traction without support from the NFL's biggest stars.

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  • TB Quarterback #6
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    Breer believes they’ll get something done before Week 1 and thinks it will be in the neighborhood of $165 million over three years — a slight bit of cap inflation from contracts for Jared Goff, Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, and Justin Herbert are. The lack of progress on an extension this summer likely doesn’t mean much — deadlines drive action — and we’ve seen nothing so far that would lead us to believe the Buccaneers won’t reward Mayfield.
  • TB Quarterback #6
    This comes from a post that Buccaneers beat writer Rick Stroud wrote after having a chance to watch the series. In addition to the knee injuries, Stroud notes that Mayfield also had a “bad biceps contusion” that affected his velocity, in addition to the left shoulder injury he suffered in Week 12 against the Rams. Hopefully a healthy offseason and a chance to fully rehab these injuries will go a long way in Mayfield having a bounce back season after he was visibly struggling during various points of last season. The 31-year-old QB is entering the final year of his deal with the Buccaneers, and while he has expressed interest in signing a long-term extension, recent reports suggest he and the Bucs are nowhere near an agreement on a new contract.
  • TB Quarterback #6
    “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done on this one,” Garafolo continued. “The Bucs are in no rush.” All outward projections have been that Mayfield and the Buccaneers will eventually find a middle ground, and Todd Bowles recently said that there’s “absolutely no question” he wants Mayfield as his quarterback for a long term. But it does seem like the two sides have very different dollar values attached to Mayfield and that this might be something that simmers into training camp.
  • TB Quarterback #6
    Bowles praised his quarterback on Thursday in a media interview, calling Mayfield “a true pro” and expressing confidence that the two sides can come together on another contract extension. Mayfield is in the final year of a three-year, $100 million extension he signed in 2024 and is in the midst of negotiations for another deal before training camp begins. Mayfield has already gone on record saying he will not continue discussions once training camp starts, giving the two sides a little over a month to hammer out a deal. Bowles and Mayfield are entering their fourth season together and have enjoyed some success, with Mayfield going 27-24 as a starter while also leading the team to two postseason berths. Mayfield said last week that negotiations were “not anywhere close” to the deal he is seeking, suggesting there’s a lot of work to be done before a deal is reached.
  • TB Quarterback #6
    Mayfield is in the final year of the three-year, $100 million extension he signed with the Buccaneers in 2024 and is seeking another long-term deal to remain with the team. Speaking on Friday, Mayfield said that while negotiations are currently ongoing, that he will stop those talks once training camp starts up, putting somewhat of a deadline on when a new deal could be reached. The 31-year-old signal-caller is entering his first season without Mike Evans, and is coming off a year in which he threw for 3,693-26-11 in 17 games. Mayfield is just two years removed from throwing for a career-high 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, but a lot has changed since then between the loss of Evans and former OC Liam Coen. We’ll see if a new deal is reached before camp, or if Mayfield will be positioned to play out 2026 in a contract year in hopes of earning a lucrative pay day next offseason.
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    Delp last week made pre-draft visits with the Vikings, Patriots, and Ravens. Delp at Georgia was a little-used tight end who totaled 65 receptions for 793 yards and seven touchdowns over his final three collegiate seasons. He was targeted on a meager 13 percent of his pass routes over those three years. Delp, 23, profiles as a rotational tight end to start his NFL career, though he has some upside if he lands in the right spot. In LA he would compete with Oronde Gadsden II for tight end snaps and routes, and in Tampa he would compete with Cade Otton, who recently re-signed with the Bucs.
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    Mayfield is in the final year of his three-year, $100 million extension signed in 2024 and has a $39.975 million cap figure. His play down the stretch was rough, but he also was clearly laboring through injuries. Mayfield, entering his age-31 season, is probably destined for an interesting negotiation as a quarterback who clearly isn’t in line with the league’s elite, but also a quarterback who deserves a premium contract compared to the league’s stop-gaps and bounce back candidates.
  • TB Tight End #88
    Otton, 26, will remain with the Bucs for the foreseeable future on a new deal that guarantees him $20 million. The former fourth-round pick has gone for 500-plus yards in each of his last two seasons, and caught 59 passes for 572 passes and one touchdown last season. A versatile tight end who can play in line, out wide, and in the slot, Otton has finished second in receptions each of the last two seasons for the Buccaneers. He’ll be a decent plug-and-play tight end for the upcoming fantasy season but is unlikely to have consistent TE1 value.
  • TB Wide Receiver #13
    Bucs officials met with Evans’ representation at the NFL Combine and appear ready to make an all-out push to bring back the veteran for 2026. Evans, entering his age-33 season, said this month he would return for a 13th NFL season, but declined to say where he might play. Evans in 2025 struggled through injuries, including a collar bones injury, catching 30 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns while missing nine games. He posted the second lowest receiving success rate of his storied NFL career. Evans would be a good fit for multiple contenders, including the wideout-needy Patriots and Bills.
  • ATL Offensive Coordinator #5
    Robinson joined Atlanta two years ago when the team hired Raheem Morris as their head coach. He had previously worked under Sean McVay for five years, working his way up to pass game coordinator for the final two. Robinson started off strong, getting Atlanta to 13th in points scored despite Kirk Cousins struggling in his first year as a Falcon. The switch to Michael Penix in 2025 didn’t go as planned and the team cratered to 24th in scoring. The hope for Baker Mayfield and company will be that Robinson was simply dealt a bad hand in Atlanta. The hiring bodes particularly well for Bucky Irving. Atlanta ranked top-10 in rushing yards in both of Robinson’s seasons with the team.

Rotoworld

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    49ers CB Nate Hobbs did not practice on Sunday.

    Hobbs’ one-off season with the Packers was derailed by a recurring knee injury. Hopefully, this isn’t the same issue. He currently projects as a second-stringer. 49ers backup OT Vederian Lowe left practice early with an apparent right ankle issue.
  • SF Running Back #29
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    ESPN’s Nick Wagoner reports that 49ers RB Jordan James “appears to be” the team’s RB2 right now.

    Wagoner said he saw “some good stuff” from James as a rusher and receiver today, but noted it’s still early. Today was the 49ers’ first training camp practice. Wagoner’s notes seemed to indicate rookie RB Kaelon Black is in the No. 3 spot while veteran RB Patrick Taylor Jr. sits at No. 4. Things can change quickly, but today’s report backs up what we catalogued here from March through May — that James is next up behind starting RB Christian McCaffrey. He is a worthwhile late-round dart throw in summer drafts right now.
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    49ers coach Kyle Shanahan briefly attended practice on Sunday.

    Day-to-day updates may not be necessary here, but this seems like an important first step for the 49ers’ head coach. Shanahan was only an observer today. He arrived after the period where reporters are allowed to record videos and take photos, sporting a soft cast on his left hand and wearing sunglasses. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows said Shanahan’s facial swelling seems to have subsided, which is nice to hear. He stood with general manager John Lynch, watching team drills and departed early, before practice ended. Assistant head coach and OL coach Chris Foerster is serving as the team’s acting head coach for now. Shanahan is expected to be ready to coach in Week 1 against the Rams. Hopefully, a smooth recovery allows him to resume coaching soon.
  • LA Offensive Lineman #67
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    Rams placed OL Justin Dedich on the non-football injury list.

    Dedich played in 16 games for the Rams last year, including six starts. The then-second-year player earned a 69.7 PFF run-blocking grade along the way. The Rams also placed rookie DB Al’zillion Hamilton on the physically unable to perform list.
  • DEN Linebacker #55
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    Broncos placed LB Jordan Turner on the non-football injury list.

    The Denver Post’s Luca Evans describes the development as being “potentially quite notable” for the Broncos’ inside linebacker depth. He believes Turner “had a real shot” to win the No. 3 role behind LB Alex Singleton and LB Justin Strnad. Perhaps he still can. Only time will tell. The Broncos also placed OG Nick Gargiulo on the physically unable to perform list.
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    Jaguars placed LT Cole Van Lanen on the physically unable to perform list with a knee injury.

    Van Lanen took snaps at four-of-five offensive line spots last season before ultimately settling in as a breakout left tackle. The Jaguars rewarded him with a three-year, $51 million extension on January 2nd. The knee injury he is currently recovering from occurred on January 4th. According to Sports Illustrated’s John Shipley, Van Lanen “did not do much during the offseason program, and it remains to be seen exactly what his timeline looks like.” Whether he starts in Week 1 against the Browns is unknown.
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    Lions placed S Kerby Joseph on the physically unable to perform list with a knee injury.

    Just yesterday, Joseph implied via social media that he would avoid the physically unable to perform list. So much for that. Joseph dealt with a recurring knee issue for the entire 2025 season, which was first reported on at the end of July 2025, roughly three months after the Lions made him the NFL’s highest-paid safety. Given Joseph’s post, one imagines he has a chance to resume practicing relatively soon, but only time will tell. Branch suffered an Achilles tendon rupture in Week 14 last year. As of June 13th, Lions coach Dan Campbell said there was no timetable for his return. The Lions also placed TE Tyler Conklin on the physically unable to perform list.
  • NE Wide Receiver #9
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    ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports that Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte “delivered highlight plays each of the first two days of training camp.”

    Boutte has been getting behind the Patriots’ defense thus far, maintaining the positive downfield play he demonstrated last season. The fourth-year wide receiver was the subject of trade rumors earlier this offseason. Training camp hype could get that news cycle going again. That said, having a deep receiving corps is a great problem to have. If Boutte is willing to buy into a rotational WR3/4 role behind WR1 A.J. Brown and WR2 Romeo Doubs, keeping Boutte in a Patriots uniform could be best for all involved. It will be very difficult for him to warrant FLEX treatment in re-draft formats with his current squad, though.
  • SF Wide Receiver #3
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    The Athletic’s Matt Barrows reports that 49ers WR Christian Kirk “walked off with a trainer midway through the session” on Sunday.

    Kirk, 29, is entering his ninth NFL season. As is often the case with NFL veterans, Kirk has picked up his fair share of injuries over the years, including two hamstring strains last season. Fortunately, we are a long way from Week 1. There is no cause for concern at this time. 49ers acting head coach Chris Foerster will address the media shortly, so we could have clarity as to what the issue is soon.
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    ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Cardinals and QB Jacoby Brissett “reached agreement today on a reworked contract.”

    Brissett was scheduled to make up to $4.88 this year, in the final year of his old deal. His new contract increases his compensation for this season, but he is still scheduled to hit free agency next offseason. The new deal includes a $15.5 million base salary. He can make up to $21 million via incentives. Things can always change in-season, but this appears to be clear-cut starter money — and it’s good news for Cardinals pass catchers. Although the Cardinals struggled to win games with Brissett under center last year, he was a very productive passer. Theoretically, he should be able to support TE Trey McBride and likely one of WR Marvin Harrison Jr. or WR Michael Wilson reliably. Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur confirmed that the plan is for Brissett to start in Week 1 against the Chargers.