NFL Player News

PFT’s Mike Florio says to not be surprised if Branch now ends up in Jacksonville with his former defensive boss in Seattle, Gus Bradley. Branch, 28, turned his career around with the Seahawks, and even after signing Roy Miller, the Jaguars need interior bodies. Branch is a behemoth at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds.

Delp has been out for multiple weeks with the hamstring issue. A DNP to open the season likely puts him on the wrong side of questionable. His absence will lock in Juwan Johnson as an every-down player, though that was barely a question even before this injury.

For the record, Flowers told reporters that he is feeling “great” earlier today, but opted not to disclose his injury details. Now we know he is dealing with a soft tissue issue. Flowers is on track to play, but as is always the case with hamstrings, his practice participation is worth tracking. Ideally, he is practicing fully by Friday and can be treated as a WR2 on game day.

Mayer, 25, immediately vaults into the TE1 tier, especially with a matchup against the Dolphins’ defense upcoming in Week 1. Mayer banked two top-five finishes last season, notably catching 9-of-10 targets for 89 yards in Week 17 with Bowers on injured reserve.

Pierce is recovering from offseason surgery that caused him to miss the entirety of training camp and the preseason. The lack of reps could leave him a little rusty heading into Week 1, but the good news is that a limited practice today means he should be active versus the Ravens. Pierce will be a high-risk WR4 for the first slate of the season. Josh Downs and Tyler Warren were not on the injury report.

Sadiq is not yet ready for fantasy football TE1 duties, but he appears to have recovered from the setback he suffered in his rehab related to a hernia back in August. The Jets published their Week 1 depth chart earlier today with Sadiq listed as the backup behind TE Mason Taylor.

Porter Jr. missed all of training camp with the back issue, though it’s widely believed that he was simply holding in while negotiating for a new contract. The team is likely working him up to full speed with today’s limited session. He should be good to go by Sunday for Pittsburgh’s date with the Falcons.

This news was expected, but it is great to see, regardless. Hall is set to handle a sizable, RB1-worthy workload this season, having been paid accordingly by the Jets’ front office back in May. The Titans field an unimposing defense. A ceiling outcome is in play for the veteran running back.

Bears coach Ben Johnson called Odunze “day to day” earlier this week. He went down with the calf injury in practice late last week. The initial reports were all positive, but it’s not a guarantee that Odunze will be ready for Week 1. A full practice over the next two days would be a good sign, though not necessary for Odunze to play. Assuming he does suit up, Odunze will be a high-riskF FLEX play.

Raiders No. 2 TE Michael Mayer should be added wherever available. On the plus side, this does not appear to be a long-term absence, but missing Bowers for a couple of games is obviously concerning. According to Schefter, Bowers “got banged up ‘a little in camp’ and the injury was diagnosed last week.” With any luck, fantasy managers can expect to get their TE1 back for the Raiders’ Week 3 game against the Saints. Mayer is a TE1 in the meantime.

Eagles DC Vic Fangio said during training camp that Greenard could miss Week 1, so even a limited practice today is a good sign for the veteran EDGE. Philly traded for Greenard during the offseason and immediately signed him to a four-year, $100 million extension. The team will see how he responds to a week of practices before making a decision on his status before Sunday.