NFL Player News

McKnight is most famous for being Mark Sanchez’s friend. A seventh-round pick last season, he was waived at final cuts. A third-year undrafted free agent, Ganaway has never appeared in a preseason game.

While Quinn and the coaching staff won’t commit to a starting quarterback at this point in the offseason, we know Daniels has handled the majority of first-team reps, and he’s left coaches impressed with his effort on and off the field. In an article published by ESPN’s John Keim, quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard said Daniels is “a student of [the game]” while adding that Daniels “loves talking about it, loves watching it, loves playing it, loves practicing it.” Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury also credited Daniels for having a high football IQ. With OTAs and minicamp now over, the next stop for Daniels is training camp, which is scheduled to begin in about a month. Given his draft capital, reps with the first team, and high praises thus far, it would be a surprise if Daniels wasn’t under center for the Commanders in Week 1 when they take on the Buccaneers. Fantasy managers looking for a reliable quarterback at a discount can look to Daniels, whose rushing upside helps make for a strong fantasy floor and a potentially high-end QB1 ceiling if he’s able to put everything together early in the season.

Surtain is entering his fourth season as a pro and is coming off arguably his worst year. The former No. 9 overall pick earned a PFF coverage grade of 64.7 last season while allowing 56 receptions for 701 yards and three touchdowns. It was the most receptions and yards he had ever allowed in a season, while opposing quarterbacks also enjoyed a 93.9 passer rating when targeting the Broncos’ CB1. The bill will soon come due for Surtain, who had his fifth-year option picked up earlier this offseason. While it’s possible he will play out this season without an extension, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him ink a new deal next offseason if the Broncos view him as part of their long-term plans.

This one shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Thornton, a former second-round pick of the Patriots in 2022, has been slowed by injuries and offered little offense upside when healthy. Through 22 career games, he’s caught just 35 passes for 338 yards and two scores, with most of that production coming in his rookie season. In addition to playing under a new coaching staff, Thornton is also set to compete against rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. Polk is already locked into a roster spot as a second-round pick, and the Patriots used a fourth-round pick on Baker, which should all but secure his spot. Outside of one or two depth options, the Patriots’ wide receiver room feels fairly in place. It may take a camp injury or two for Thornton to stick on the roster come cut day.

Kaboly went on to add, “Freiermuth might not have dropped a pass all month” and reiterated his “instant connection” with Russell Wilson — something he mentioned earlier this offseason. Playing in an offense that, outside of George Pickens, looks thin at receiver talent, Freiermuth has a chance to be a key contributor for the Steelers in 2024. Add to that the fact that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith targeted his tight ends 173 times from 2021-2023, the third most of any team in the league, and it’s possible this year is setting up to be the best of Freiermuth’s career. Injuries limited him to just 12 games last season, but in 2022, he caught 63 passes for 732 yards and two touchdowns. Currently going as a fringe TE1/TE2 in fantasy drafts, Freiermuth could turn into a solid value for fantasy managers who opt to wait on the position in drafts.

After redshirting in his 2022 rookie campaign, Austin caught 17 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown for the Steelers last season. The speedy fourth-round pick “continued to get better from the first day to the last” throughout the offseason, per Kaboly, and will have a chance to compete for a starting job on a wide receiver depth chart that is wide open after Pickens. Austin earned five-plus targets in three of his first four games to start last season, but was targeted just nine times in his final 13 games — a brutal footnote on his sophomore season. Even if he earns a “big role” in 2024, expectations should be tempered in an Arthur Smith/Russell Wilson led attack.

Buggs has been arrested twice in less than a month after misdemeanor charges were filed against him on May 29 for cruelty to dogs in the second degree. According to an article by ESPN, Buggs was booked into the Tuscaloosa County jail and later released on a $5,000 bond. Buggs appeared in 10 games last season for the Lions and was signed to the Chiefs practice squad in January 2024, shortly after the Lions released him. We don’t know much about this incident outside of Buggs’ arrest and release, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the Chiefs cut ties with him in the coming days given the recent string of events.

Currently in search of a new contract from the Steelers, Heyward said last week that he and his wife had discussed the possibility of needing to play elsewhere if he doesn’t re-sign with the Steelers beyond this season. Heyward, 35, appeared in 11 games for the Steelers last season, totaling two sacks and six TFLs. He combined for 20.5 sacks and 29 TFLs from 2021-2022, but he’s well past the age where we begin to see players decline. Heyward skipped OTAs but was present at minicamp, so we wouldn’t expect a holdout when training camp ramps up next month. With that said, we could be looking at the final season in Pittsburgh for a player who has long been a staple along the Steelers’ defensive interior.

“It’s like he’s been a four- or five-year vet,” Herbert gushed. “He understands the game. He understands leverage. He’s a smart player, and he’s very athletic. I’m really looking forward to getting him the ball.” Herbert’s assessment is matched by the Los Angeles Times’ Jeff Miller, who reports McConkey “displayed the most potential throughout the offseason program.” On the one hand, it’s not surprising a highly-experienced second-round prospect is looking good in shorts and t-shirts. On the other, McConkey is playing with a quarterback entering his prime and an exacting head coach in Jim Harbaugh. Standards are going to be high. So far, McConkey is meeting them. Although the situation is jumbled, McConkey is the modest favorite for No. 1 duties in L.A.

“I think it’s important,” Maye said. “It’s picking up little things every day.” This kind of story is often an offseason practice contrivance, but it’s easy to spot the significance in this instance. Maye is the Patriots’ new franchise player and Polk sits atop a ludicrously thin receiver depth chart. Any success they might have on offense this season is going to depend in large part on this connection. It’s a great sign they are already working overtime to establish it.

The 12-year veteran cornerback started all 17 games for the Cowboys in 2023 but was not re-signed following the season. Gilmore is not short on accomplishments during his illustrious career, having earned five Pro Bowl nods, two All-Pro honors, and a defensive player of the year award and even received above average grades across the board from PFF in his 12th season last year. Even so, Gilmore is likely looking at a veteran minimum contract at this point in the offseason unless he waits for injuries to start piling up once the season begins.