NFL Player News

Coming out of Tacoma High School in 2020, Fuaga (6’6/324) was barely recruited by Power Five programs, as is evidenced by his 82 player rating from 247Sports, which is a low three-star caliber prospect grade. Solely a RT for the duration of his college tenure at OSU, he played only sparingly until 2022 when Fuaga earned an 80.4 PFF offensive grade over 810 snaps while allowing 11 pressure and zero sacks. The Second Team All-Pac-12 RT entered 2023 with confidence and it showed, as he solidified himself as an elite mauler by leading the nation with a 91st percentile run block grade to go with a microscopic 0.6% blown run block rate. While Fuaga is at his best when clearing a path for Beavers RB Damien Martinez, there is still work to be done with his pass sets. Despite him not allowing a single sack in his Oregon State career, his 80th percentile pass block grade ranked 37th nationally. While Fuaga is nearly impossible to defeat with power thanks to his noticeably wide frame and tree trunk lower half, he had difficulty staying in front of technically refined rushers like Washington’s Bralon Trice who could maneuver around the mammoth tackle. His 93rd percentile 32” vertical and 90th percentile 9’03 broad jump were both incredible marks, as was his 1.77s 10-yard split (83rd%) which illustrates the advanced movement skills he brings to the run game. He explodes off the ball and quickly climbs to the second-level hunting for prey and crushing anything in his wake. Toss in a pair of vice grip-like 10.125” hands to complete Fuaga’s 9.60 RAS, and you’ve got a powerful RT with balance, lateral agility and an enticing all-around NFL-ready profile. He’ll join a New Orleans offensive line graded by PFF as last year’s seventh worst pass blocking unit.

Per Jackson, organized team activities and mandatory minicamp “offered clues” about Monken’s use of motion and how he plans to “hunt mismatches in the quick passing game and use misdirection to create space and passing lanes for the quarterback.” That said, Jackson also believes that either TE Harold Fannin or fellow rookie WR Denzel Boston will be the “leading receiver.” It remains to be seen whether Monken will actually dial up a high target volume for an X-receiver like Boston. He featured WR Zay Flowers, who Concepcion has been likened to, as the top target-earning wide receiver with the Ravens. If Concepcion only gets a few designed looks per game, it will be tough for him to produce reliably in fantasy. If he can be more than that, even while earning targets behind Fannin while Boston stretches the field, Concepcion can return FLEX value in his first season.

This means that Fannin missed all of organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, which is slightly concerning. Fannin’s only injury, on record, is the groin injury he suffered during a Week 17 practice, which limited him to less than one quarter of play through the season’s final two weeks. We hope to get word on whatever is ailing him by the time training camp rolls around. For what it’s worth, Jackson seemed unbothered by Fannin’s absence and expects him to compete for the No. 1 pass-catcher role. We do, too. He has decent odds of winning the role.

Reed did end up playing with the first-team offense, at one point snagging back-to-back completions from QB Jordan Love. Golden disappointed as a rookie last year, posting a 29.361/0 receiving line. Reed went 19/207/1, but played in only seven games due to injury. Golden, a first-round pick from 2025, is getting his chance to earn a role in two-wide receiver sets opposite WR1 Christian Watson. Returning reliable FLEX value is difficult if one is limited to the WR3/slot role. If Reed is unable to beat out Golden in training camp, we could be looking at another volatile season from Reed. Golden’s outlook is tough to forecast, but getting on the field in heavy personnel packages would be positive.

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald revealed on Wednesday that Arroyo was working through something, but was expected to be ready for training camp. Getting back early, even in a limited capacity, is good to see. Arroyo’s past few years, both in college and in his NFL rookie season, have been slowed by knee issues. Fellow backup TE Eric Saubert resumed practicing as well. Hopefully, both players are practicing fully before long.

Both Pollard and Spears are entering contract years. Pollard, 29, has missed just one game over the past two seasons, while Spears, 24, has missed nine. Spears also entered the NFL with concerns regarding one of his knees, which has full thickness cartilage loss and is missing its ACL. Pollard has been far more productive than Spears, who acknowledges he needs to prove his consistency to the coaching staff, but Pollard’s age is working against him. Both players appear locked into the top-two spots on the depth chart, but Glennon thinks it’s “not a huge stretch to see” RB Nicholas Singleton becoming the team’s primary ball-carrier in 2027. Of course, we are a long way from having an answer to this. The Titans’ backfield developments in training camp are worth following, though.

In a lengthy report on Walker’s acclimation to his new team, Taylor explores the ways in which Chiefs coach Andy Reid, RB coach Eric Bieniemy and OL coach Andy Heck are tinkering with different run concepts. Walker prefers running the ball when the quarterback is under center, rather than in shotgun, and the Chiefs led the league in yards per play (8.3) back in 2022, the final season of Bieniemy’s stint as their offensive coordinator. He spent 2025 as the Bears’ running backs coach and is expected to implement the “clever shifts, motions and counter-attacking runs” he learned from coach Ben Johnson. Taylor notes that Walker is diligently working on his pass protection and receiving abilities, noting that in the two practices open to reporters, Walker has caught every pass thrown by QBs Patrick Mahomes and Justin Fields. Walker’s “speed and vision” on a “sophisticated screen pass” elicited cheers from his teammates. This is a positive update on Walker’s quest to be a “feature back” in Kansas City.

The Bills waived Strong yesterday, with a non-football injury designation. Strong’s football future was uncertain after he underwent surgery to correct a neck injury in February, but apparently, there is a chance he can play again at some point. The Bills moved him to season-ending injured reserve after signing him, so he will ostensibly rehab all year in an effort to resume playing in 2027.

Studesville spent 2022-25 serving as the Dolphins’ assistant head coach and running backs coach under former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel. According to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Jason Lieser, over the past year, Johnson has mentioned multiple times that he is fascinated by McDaniel’s creativity in the run game. Lieser did not elaborate on which tactics Johnson is interested in learning more about, but a cursory PFF data review shows the Dolphins used lead run concepts at the league’s third-highest rate (32.5 percent) last year, while Johnson’s Bears used them at just a 14.6 percent rate. Adding some of the creative — and successful — concepts that Studesville learned from McDaniel can only be viewed as a good thing for Bears RBs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.

Engram is “making light work of linebackers in coverage with eye-widening catches,” which Renck thinks could suggest Engram is headed toward a bounce-back campaign. Renck also believes Engram will be more involved in the offense thanks to Davis Webb’s promotion to offensive coordinator. Webb recruited Engram, his former teammate, to join the Broncos last year. Renck also rightly believes new WR Jaylen Waddle will command safety attention, clearing out the middle of the field for Engram. However, he does not address the fact that Waddle represents a massive increase in target competition. Renck also spends the entire piece comparing Engram to a banana and asks whether said banana is ripe or stuck in a tailpipe. Seriously. Engram can be viewed as a potential TE2 candidate in best ball, but we fear a tailpipe scenario is in play for those hoping he produces a TE1 outcome.

Oh, boy. Kelly giveth and taketh away. On the one hand, Kelly believes Tolbert “seems ready to handle the split end, possession receiver role.” On the other hand, Kelly thinks Tolbert is a replacement-level player. Tolbert has cleared 275 receiving yards just once in his four-year career. Kelly is probably right. If Tolbert can become the clear-cut No. 1 target, he might be able to return FLEX value, but he could be an extremely volatile producer.