NFL Player News

As expected, rookie NT Kenrick Ellis is active for the first time this season. C Nick Mangold (ankle) is also active and in the starting lineup for the second straight week. The fact that Baxter is amongst the inactives is a good indication Mangold’s injury is a dead issue. The Jets will be thin at cornerback with both Trufant and Strickland missing, but it should only be a problem if Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie or Kyle Wilson goes down with injury.

Kelly’s assessment might just be an indictment of the Dolphins’ other wide receivers. To be fair, Kelly also notes that Washington “has been praised in the past for his ability to learn and execute the offense.” Regardless, Washington seems to be in the driver’s seat at the moment. If he is going to be anything more than a matchup-based WR5/FLEX slot receiver, though, Washington will need to earn a role in two-wide receiver sets. Keep an eye on him this summer.

Dulcich, 26, chipped in as a small-time contributor in the second half of the year in 2025. For those bold enough to stream him in Week 17 championships, he turned in 16.1 PPR points. Per Kelly, Dulcich is “seemingly developing chemistry” with QB Malik Willis, but Kelly still wonders whether Dulcich can become a reliable run blocker and pass protector after four NFL seasons. It’s a fair question. Still, if Dulcich can carve out a role as a featured pass catcher, he will be a worthwhile dart throw in best ball formats.

Fowler adds that “there is some interest in potentially coming back there,” and suggests the two sides might be able to agree to a revised deal. Fowler’s commentary is convoluted, and New Orleans Football’s Nick Underhill points out that Fowler may have misinterpreted Kamara’s current contract numbers as well. Regardless, we believe Fowler is saying that Kamara would like to remain a Saint, but the team has not been interested in the suggested resolutions coming from Kamara’s camp. Per Over The Cap, the team would save only $376,000 by releasing him after June 1st. Beat reporters have recently opined that releasing Kamara would create the need for outside help at the RB2 spot. Retaining Kamara on a revised deal could benefit both sides.

The 49ers voided Aiyuk’s 2026 guarantees in November and will only be required to pay him if he remains on the roster on September 1st. Fowler said a trade is still possible, but questions remain about Aiyuk’s surgically repaired knee. He also has not spoken to the organization for some time. It’s an unfortunate situation that could drag on for a while.

The two sides are currently “working on” trade terms. The Patriots hope to get the deal done shortly after the league calendar rolls over at 4:01 pm Eastern tomorrow, at which time, the Eagles can spread out Brown’s salary cap over two seasons instead of one. Per Fowler, the Patriots “have not been overly crazy” about meeting the Eagles’ first-round-pick asking price. He wonders if the Eagles would be comfortable accepting a conditional pick for Brown, or if they might be willing to send a pick of their own to New England. Ending this saga as quickly as possible would likely be best for all involved, because it ends the storyline for the Eagles and allows Brown to begin studying his new playbook before training camp.

Moore sort of bumbled his way through a status check from Buffalo News’ Katherine Fitzgerald. Initially, the veteran wide receiver said things are “going good,” before talking his way into an up-and-down write-up. Growing pains are expected, especially in the spring, but we sure hope Moore tells us things really are “perfect” a few weeks from now. Moore, 29, has a chance to resume operating as a clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver with his new team. The Bills have lacked a difference-making perimeter threat for years. If he can master the playbook, a stable WR3 season could be in play for him.

Raanan’s assessment comes after Giants LB Brian Burns’ charity softball game. Beckham attended and signed autographs for fans. This doesn’t give us a ton to go on, but Beckham is at least spending time with the team off the field. If he were to sign in New York, it is unlikely that he would be able to return FLEX value on a weekly basis, but he would deepen the pass-catching corps for QB Jaxson Dart. Beckham and other free agent wide receivers will workout for the Giants on Monday.

The Patriots hosted two organized team activities (OTAs) sessions last week, one of which was open to reporters. Gonzalez was not present. Reiss notes that Gonzalez “had participated in the team’s voluntary offseason program each of the prior three seasons.” His absence “coincides with this offseason marking the first time Gonzalez is eligible for a contract extension.” The Patriots exercised Gonzalez’s fifth-year option late in April, keeping him under contract through 2027. When dealing with established starters, teams frequently sign players to long-term extensions after picking up the fifth-year option. Perhaps the two sides are working on an extension at the moment.

It is important to remember that first-team usage in team drills generally tells us more than what we see in positional drills. That said, positional drill ordering can sometimes reflect the position’s depth chart. Douglas was, in no way, the Patriots’ No. 1 wide receiver last year. In fact, his productivity was limited by his slot-bound, No. 3 deployment. We suspect Douglas is most likely competing for the No. 3 role again, behind WR Romeo Doubs and wind-sprinter WR Mack Hollins, as the roster currently stands. Do not rush to conclusions about a breakout year from Douglas. For now, just file this one away and check back to see what Douglas is doing in the coming weeks. He has a long way to go before we can view him as more than a boom-bust FLEX.

Queen, 26, ranked second on the team with 79 tackles last season. He also chipped in 17 quarterback pressures, one sack and one pass breakup. He is scheduled to enter free agency next offseason. The Steelers can save $13.3 million by trading him after June 1st. Queen addressed rumors about a potential trade by saying, “some of it was true, but some of it was extended truth.” Queen was a second-team All-Pro member in 2023 and earned Pro Bowl nods in 2023 and 2024. The Steelers have a capable backup in LB Cole Holcomb. Although they would surely like to retain Queen, we suppose a trade could make sense.