NFL Player News

Franklin (6'3/178) may have boosted his preseason stock more than any other 2024 wideout, as the Ducks’ star recruit of the 2021 class continues his ascension by reeling in 8-of-10 targets and catching another highlight-reel 49-yard touchdown reception from QB Bo Nix. Franklin is adept at creating separation at the second level with ball tracking skills that are elite which has helped him rise up Dynasty draft boards in recent weeks. He has been going in the late first-to-mid second round range in 2024 and 2025 Devy mocks while he was trending as a third round value in summer drafts. Franklin has the talent and pedigree to work his way into the upper tier of 2024 wideouts alongside Xavier Worthy and Marvin Harrison Jr. if he continues to produce at his current level.

According to Schefter, Rice will be present and participate in all activities. The second-year receiver has had a tumultuous offseason since winning the Super Bowl with the Chiefs back in February. In addition to being involved in a hit-and-run and charged with two felonies, Rice is also under investigation for assaulting a photographer at a nightclub earlier this month. Rice posted a receiving line of 79-938-7 during his rookie campaign and averaged 72.1 yards per game over his final eight regular season contests. What should have been an exciting 2024 for Rice has gotten off on the wrong foot, as he’s likely facing some sort of suspension from the league once his legal issues are fully sorted out. Assuming he misses some time, an early selection of Rice in fantasy could make for a risky selection this season.

Polian joined the Commanders in 2021 after spending 2013-2019 as the Jaguars’ director of pro personnel. The son of hall-of-fame GM Bill Polian, Chris spent 14 seasons with the Colts in various roles and one season (2012) as the Falcons’ executive scout. At this time, we don’t know what Polian’s new role will be with the Browns.

This presumably puts an end to any potential trade of Lattimore, which is something that had been loosely speculated throughout the offseason. The veteran corner had his contract restructured in early January and is coming a second-straight season in which he dealt with nagging injuries. Lattimore has played in just 17 games over the last two seasons and will be 28 at the start of the season. He earned a 69.1 PFF coverage grade over 10 games last season and held opposing receivers under 50 yards in seven games. He remains a solid option in the secondary and now gets to be paired with rookie Kool-Aid McKinstry.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first on the scene, as Sosna, who spent the last two years as the Lions senior director of football administration, is now set to join the Commanders. In another post, Schefter said Sosna is expected to report to GM Adam Peters and will “be the club’s lead contract negotiator” while also overseeing “a number of football operations departments.” Prior to joining the Lions in 2022, Sosna served as the Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director/Chief of Staff at USC and worked at the University of Cincinnati before then. Sosna is the latest hire for the Commanders, who continue to re-shape their front office post-NFL Draft.

Last week, it was reported that it was “unclear” whether Tagovailoa would report to OTAs, as he and the Dolphins are in the midst of contract negotiations. Tagovailoa reportedly turned down one contract offer from the Dolphins earlier this offseason, and with Jared Goff fresh off the heels of signing a new deal that will net him more than $50 million a year, a new precedent has been established for Tagovailoa, who could be seeking top dollar on a market that’s been very kind to quarterbacks in recent offseasons. Tagovailoa has thrown for 25-plus touchdowns in back-to-back seasons and led the Dolphins to a 19-11 record in his starts over that span. He’ll almost certainly get the deal he’s looking for at some point, even if the on-field performance hasn’t quite matched the high-end money coming his way.

Johnson announcing his retirement is more of a formality than him actually walking away from the game. The do-it-all back who flirted with a 1,000-plus rushing and receiving yard season back in 2016 didn’t play a snap of football in 2023 and spent much of 2022 as a free agent before being signed to the Saints practice squad and suiting up for five games over the final three months of the season. When he was at his peak, Johnson was one of the best running backs in football — both real and fantasy. He was a key part of the disastrous 2020 offseason trade orchestrated by Bill O’Brien that sent DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals and proved to already be past his prime by the time he arrived in Houston as a 29-year-old running back. Johnson retires, having amassed 6,876 yards from scrimmage and 57 total touchdowns.

Mayer has been a full participant in the Raiders’ offseason program. His attention now turns to how to co-exist with new first-round teammate Brock Bowers. Mayer, of course, has said all the right things about his new position group mate, but Bowers’ presence is going to make it virtually impossible for Mayer to crack the top 20 at tight end despite his promising rookie campaign.

Dell’s trainer, Delfonte Diamond, posted a video to X showing the second-year wide receiver running routes and performing drills at the University of Houston indoor training facility Saturday. The fact that Dell, who is also recovering from a fractured fibula, is running and going through drills is a good indication that he will be ready for the start of the 2024 season.

It was Cousins’ answers at his introductory press conference that more or less spurred the investigation, as the veteran quarterback suggested on numerous occasions that he had impermissible contact with several members of the organization prior to the start of the new league year. He also said he played a role in recruiting Darnell Mooney by calling him prior to the official start of free agency. The league’s investigation is still ongoing, but the Falcons run the risk of losing draft picks if any violations are found. It’s hard to imagine the league lacking evidence of tampering, given how plainly Cousins laid out everything, but whether or not what they have is considered severe enough to warrant disciplinary actions won’t be known until the conclusion of the investigation.

Teammate Jason Godrick was also arrested with Morris, as the two were reportedly booked at the Johnson County Adult Detention Center around 2 A.M. Friday morning. Both players have since posted bond and were released, with their court appearances scheduled for May 23. It continues to be a rough offseason for the defending Super Bowl champions, who are dealing with the legal issues Rashee Rice has found himself in, and controversial comments recently made by kicker Harrison Butker. Morris is expected to compete with rookie Kingsley Suamataia for the starting left tackle job this offseason. Both players could be subject to discipline from the NFL depending on how the rest of this shakes out.