NFL Player News

Spielman replaces Fran Foley, who was fired recently after three tumultuous months on the job. We’re surprised Spielman got another job so soon after a weak record in Miami. Coach Brad Childress should have more juice here than Spielman.

A 2022 UDFA, under-sized Thompkins caught 17 balls in 17 games last season, so it’s a little surprising to see him cut loose at this stage of the offseason. Heading into his age-25 campaign, 5-foot-8 Thompkins has roughly six weeks to land on someone else’s 90-man roster before training camp. That, of course, will depend on his health.

“He’ll be available at the start of training camp, so we won’t see him working through the rest of the OTAs,” coach Sean Payton claimed. “But, on the conservative side, he’s going to be just fine. It was all good news.” It, of course, isn’t good news that Estime required a scope at all, but a truly small scope would indeed have him ready for camp. Estime handled a huge 2023 workload for Notre Dame, but he is still only 20 years old and wasn’t as heavily featured in 2021-22. Provided his recovery goes according to plan, this shouldn’t be a long-term concern. Part of what Payton has promised will be a major competition at running back, Estime maintains late-round flier appeal.

The Cardinals selected Robinson with the No. 27 overall pick in this year’s draft in hopes of bolstering their defensive front. Robinson exploded for 14 TFLs and 8.5 sacks in his final season at Missouri and was named First-team All-SEC for his efforts. He has a chance help improve a defensive unit that allowed the second-most points per game and the eighth most yards per game in 2023.

Toub points out that the new kickoff rules could require kickers to be more involved in tackles — something the Chiefs may prefer for Butker to avoid. Toub said the team watched every kickoff in the XFL, which first experimented with this rule, and found that kickers were involved in “at least 25 to 40 percent of the tackles” in the tape they watched. Toub said safety Justin Reid has been viewed as a potential option to replace Butker on kickoffs, but it doesn’t seem like anything is definite at this time. It wouldn’t be surprising to see other teams consider this approach to avoid injuries to their kickers.

Presumed No. 1 RB Devin Singletary has been present at OTAs but Gray has also had a chance to work with the first-team offense. The Athletic’s Dan Duggan previously reported Gray has “a clear path... to have a bigger role” this year and Leonard’s report seems to affirm the opportunity. Gray played limited snaps as a 2023 rookie, delivering underwhelming rushing results (2.8 yards per rushing attempt) but played well in the passing game, catching six-of-seven passes and winning all three pass-protection repetitions.

The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider reports Mims “had a big day” in Thursday’s OTAs. We’re at the peak of coach-speak season, so take Payton’s quotes with a grain of salt, but a second-year leap from Mims could be on the way. Mims caught 22 passes for 377 yards and one touchdown as a rookie but was frustratingly buried near the bottom of Denver’s wide receiver depth chart behind the likes of Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Brandon Johnson. Payton and the Broncos traded up in the 2023 draft to select Mims in the second round, which should serve somewhat as a signal of how the team envisions him for the long term. With Jerry Jeudy now gone and rookie Troy Franklin carrying fourth-round draft capital, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Mims earn starting reps in his second season, giving Bo Nix an explosive weapon on the outside.

Odunze was sidelined with a hamstring injury during the first round of OTAs but was seen on video catching a deep pass from Caleb Williams in what appeared to be 7-on-7 drills. Odunze will be battling for targets in a wide receiver room that features veterans Keenan Allen and DJ Moore but could contribute immediately as a deep threat — something he specialized in during his days at Washington. As far as fantasy is concerned, Odunze’s rookie ceiling could be capped by the presence of Allen and Moore, but he should be good for a few splash weeks, making him an enticing pick in best ball drafts.

Slayton was hoping to earn a new contract this offseason but agreed to report to the team after having $2.5 million worth of incentives baked into his 2024 deal. Now in the final year of his contract, Slayton is set to earn at least $8.15 million this season and is likely headed for free agency in 2025, barring a breakout year. Slayton caught 50 passes for a career-high 770 yards last season and found the end zone four times. The speedy field-stretcher doesn’t profile as a WR1 and is expected to be behind rookie Malik Nabers in the target pecking order.

Lance continues to work his way back to relevance after being traded to the Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick last summer. Lance didn’t play a regular season snap in 2023, but McCarthy said, “He’s close to being a master of the system” and that Lance has a “really high understanding.” He added that getting Lance as many reps as possible will be key to him taking the next step in his development. Lance’s long-term NFL future is very much up in the air at this time, but the Cowboys may have some underlying incentives — particularly when it comes to Dak Prescott’s contract situation — to develop him as best they can. If he displays the potential that made him the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft, it’s possible he will eventually get a chance to battle for a starting job with the Cowboys or elsewhere.

Brightwell was released with a waived/injured designation. The three-year pro has contributed primarily on special teams and has just 52 offensive touches to his name. Brightwell was a sixth-round pick of the Giants in 2021 and should have a chance to catch on with another team in training camp if healthy. In addition to the release of Brightwell, the Giants also signed safety Elijah Riley, who has spent the last two seasons with the Steelers in a backup role.