NFL Player News

The Eagles released Vallos at final cuts. But with starting center Jason Kelce (knee) out at least 4-6 weeks, he’s needed for depth. Vallos will be the direct backup to new starting center Dallas Reynolds.

Watkins drew positive reviews as a rookie last summer, but September ankle and calf injuries stunted his development, pushing him to the bottom of the depth chart. Cowing’s second NFL season was derailed by a recurring hamstring strain. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows listed him as a standout at Thursday’s practice, but he caught just four passes as a 2024 rookie. Expectations for him must be tempered. Watkins is worth monitoring for deep-league managers.

Olave is up to about 200 pounds, but expects to lose five pounds during training camp. Saints QB Tyler Shough said Olave looks “better than I’ve ever seen him,” noting Olave maintained his speed and change of direction despite his increased size. Head coach Kellen Moore noted Olave’s physical transformation as well, saying Olave has had an “awesome” offseason. Olave, 25, is due for a contract extension with one year remaining on his rookie deal, but he believes it will be handled soon and is “not really worried about it.” He’s a fantasy WR1 in an ascending offense.

Others reported seeing Skattebo sporting a jersey and helmet, talking to OC Matt Nagy and working with trainers. Stapleton’s phrasing sort of makes it sound like Skattebo literally snuck off and took a few reps. Either way, he seems to have made it through today’s organized team activities session just fine. This is the first time reporters have seen Skattebo suited up for practice since he suffered his season-ending injury. He has maintained that he will be on the field for the Giants in Week 1. He is seemingly on track to do so.

Lewis believes that “in the long haul, the Vikings project a potentially game-breaking role.” Thus far, Claiborne’s new teammates have taken to addressing him by his childhood nickname, “Lightning.” And, Lewis, in an admittedly over-the-top manner, describes Claiborne’s lateral movements as “the closest thing you’ll find to real-life teleportation.” Hyperbole aside, beat reporters do not always take the time to write features on sixth-round rookies. Given Lewis’ short-term stipulations, it sounds as though Claiborne might be given the chance to compete for a role in the passing game this summer. Starting RB Aaron Jones is entering his age-31 season, and RB Jordan Mason, 27, is a one-dimensional rusher. The two veterans are ahead of Claiborne on the depth chart, no doubt, but this is not an elite one-two punch. Keep an eye on Claiborne this summer.

Florida Times-Union’s Demetrius Harvey noted that Rodriguez was absent on Tuesday. Sports Illustrated’s John Shipley later added that Rodriguez was spotted riding a stationary bike while his teammates practiced. Per Shipley, another reporter asked Jaguars head coach Liam Coen about whether Rodriguez was okay, to which a grinning Coen responded, “yeah, the injury report will come out at some point here.” Shipley believes Rodriguez is likely dealing with a minor injury, noting that Jaguars coaches typically avoid discussing injuries whenever they can. We expect Rodriguez back before long, but any missed time gives RB Bhayshul Tuten to establish himself in what Coen calls a “wide open” backfield.

Lawrence found his groove after the team’s Week 8 bye, totaling 20 passing touchdowns, seven rushing touchdowns and seven interceptions. Coincidentally, Coen notes, their “average depth of target went up towards the second half of the season.” Coen wants to “keep pushing that envelope a little bit -– especially with [Lawrence] and BT.” Lawrence and Thomas have put a lot of work into trying to get their timing down this offseason, and Lawrence said, “it’s starting to pay off.” He feels like the two of them are “clicking more and more every day.” That’s great to hear. Thomas’ play dropped off significantly after an explosive rookie season, and trade rumors have swirled around him prior to the 2026 NFL Draft. If he can return to rookie season form, Thomas can smash his ADP this season.

Stafford’s degenerative back issue cost him almost all of training camp last year, yet he “returned and cast those fears aside with the best season of his life.” The Rams have reportedly realized how well the time off served Stafford, as a “critical form of load management,” and plan to do some of that again this year. Per Atkins, this has been the plan for some time, and it explains why the Rams tried to sign veteran QBs like Jimmy Garoppolo and Kirk Cousins, “and why they valued the backup role enough to help justify spending the No. 13 pick on QB Ty Simpson.” In other words, don’t be alarmed if we see Simpson taking a few first-team reps this summer. Stafford remains a locked-in QB1. However, we will, of course, track all of his notable offseason developments here at Rotoworld.

Fowler notes that both Gibbs and Falcons RB Bijan Robinson are eligible for extensions right now. Both players will likely reset the market. Whichever player signs second could end up making more money. Fowler adds that some around the league believe Gibbs “is the very best, No. 1 running back in the entire NFL.” Both players are in contention for the overall RB1 spot in fantasy this year.

Olszewski, 29, now faces a lengthy and rigorous recovery. His return timeline is currently unknown. Olszewski functioned as the Giants’ primary kick and punt returner last year. He signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract this offseason, with $300,000 in guarantees. Olszewski is the third Giants player to rupture an Achilles tendon in spring workouts this year.

Last week, Ward told reporters that he lost 10 pounds this offseason because he wants to play “faster.” The comment rightly caught one astute Rotoworld analyst’s attention. New Titans OC Brian Daboll has incorporated quarterback rushing into his prior offensive schemes, and it sounds like Daboll and Tierney want Ward to run a bit more than he did last year. Tierney has coached under Daboll at every stop since 2017. The key is drawing a line “between being aggressive and being reckless.” Tierney does not want Ward to run as often as his former quarterback, Jaxson Dart, did last year. Dart averaged 6.1 attempts per game. Instead, Tierney hopes Ward might try “to gain that last necessary yard on a third-and-6 scramble,” yet refrain from trying to bowl through a defender, seeking 10 more yards. We should not expect Ward to suddenly become a true dual-threat quarterback, but he should average more than the 9.4 rushing yards per game that he produced as a rookie.