NFL Player News

Having played both tight end and defensive end at an elite level in high school, Sanders (6'4/245) was a five-star, positionless recruit for Texas. He was deemed a tight end ahead of his freshman season but spent the bulk of his time on special teams. Sanders was promoted to a starting role in 2022 and returned the favor with 54 grabs for 614 yards and five scores. With Adonai Mitchell transferring to Texas for an immediate breakout season, Sanders’ cut of the passing game took a hit in his final season. He caught nine fewer passes and saw his touchdown total drop by three. However, the diverted attention from defenses allowed his efficiency to take a leap. His YPC jumped from 11.4 to 15.2. He also made gains in yards per route run and yards after the catch. Sanders shows good long speed on tape and leverages his frame to win contested targets at a high clip. His 4.69 40-yard dash was a strong start at the combine, but eight reps on the bench press and a 30-inch vertical tanked his RAS down to a 5.65. Though he may lack the athleticism to ascend to true stardom in the NFL, Sanders should contribute as a pass-catcher in Carolina in his rookie season. He will rank as the TE3 of the class in dynasty leagues.

Although Levis said he expects a balanced attack, he also believes the Titans will have “a lot of drop-back game in situations where we might not have seen that last year.” He also emphasized “we’re gonna throw the ball on first down.” In other words, the Titans are ditching Mike Vrabel’s archaic approach and even if they aren’t passing “harder,” they will be passing “smarter.” As astute of the observers of the modern game know, it’s not so much about volume as sequencing. Levis might not have a sophomore step forward to take, but he is at least going to be put in better position to succeed between his upgraded supporting cast and seemingly updated offensive philosophy.

“The thing I love about them is they can catch the football,” Jordan gushed. “They can turn a check down into a big play.” Jordan’s answer was in response to a question about how he might divvy up touches between his top-two backs. Although it doesn’t really clear things up from a fantasy perspective, Jordan is not wrong. It also hints the Titans and new coach/ex-Bengals assistant Brian Callahan will very much carry over the Bengals’ penchant for involving the running back in the passing game. Pollard is currently the RB25 on Underdog, with Spears checking in as the RB38. Spears is probably the more appealing option at that ADP since the Titans might be sincere about treating the backs as interchangeable, especially on some of the most important fantasy downs.

The deal, of course, includes a fifth-year team option for 2028. Although the Raiders were an unideal landing spot for 2024 — their quarterback situation is amongst the league’s worst, while the skill corps is surprisingly crowded — Bowers could clear out the field soon enough. Neither Davante Adams nor Jakobi Meyers will be around for the long haul, while second-year pro Michael Mayer could already be a stranded asset of the previous regime. It’s disappointing that Bowers doesn’t have a clear rookie path to top-five status at a thin position, but that could arrive as soon as 2025. As it is, Bowers is still worth back-end TE1 consideration for the upcoming season, and that could end up a conservative projection.

Fuaga will be tasked with turning around an offensive line that PFF graded as the seventh-worst pass-blocking line in the league last season. Saints head coach Dennis Allen said after the team drafted Fuaga that he could eventually move to left tackle, but didn’t say whether or not that would be the plan for him early on. Fuaga never took a snap at left tackle during his time at Oregon State which could make for a steep learning curve if he were to eventually make the switch. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him get reps at both tackle positions in camp before the team ultimately decides where he’ll open the year.

According to Callahan, the signing of Tyler Boyd didn’t have anything to do with Burks’ performance, or lack thereof — which he shared with Burks after the signing. Regardless of what Boyd’s signing means for Burks, it’s hard to overlook his familiarity with Callahan’s system and the fact that he’s a veteran who has provided multiple years of high-end production. In addition to Boyd, Burks also has to find a way to earn targets with DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley both on the roster. Burks has dealt with injuries throughout his brief career and has a career receiving line of 49-665-1, spanning over 22 career games. It’s difficult to imagine Burks earning enough opportunities to become fantasy-relevant in 2024, but time will tell as we begin to learn more about how he’s being used in training camp.

This report comes via CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, who spoke to the veteran free agent. Gilmore, 33, played on 999 defense snaps for the Cowboys last season, earning a PFF coverage grade of 72.3 while allowing 50 receptions for 653 yards and four touchdowns on the year. The veteran corner still has plenty to offer as a second corner, but his interest in returning for “the right opportunity” likely means he’d prefer to join a postseason contender. Plenty of teams should be interested in his services, but it’s possible he doesn’t land a deal until closer to training camp.

It was rumored earlier in the day that the Rams were planning to release Skowronek, who was a seventh-round pick from the 2021 class. Now, the Rams are set to deal Skowronek and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Texans in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. Skowronek, who has a receiving line of 58-575-1 through 45 career games, joins a crowded receiver room in Houston but can provide added depth both out wide and in the slot. He’s made 12 starts in his career but has surpassed 50 receiving yards just once in his career.

Greenlaw suffered a torn Achilles in the 49ers’ Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs. The veteran linebacker said the recovery is “a long, slow process” and that he’s currently working on getting his strength and mobility back. The 49ers signed veteran linebacker De’Vondre Campbell to help mitigate the loss of Greenlaw, who totaled 120 tackles and five TFLs for them last season, and Campbell is expected to see a significant amount of snaps early in the season. We’ll likely no more on Greenlaw’s readiness as training camp approaches, but given the lengthy recovery time that comes with his injury, he’ll most likely open the season on injured reserve.

In addition to the Chargers, Dupress has also met with the Falcons and Steelers. Dupree spent last season with the Falcons, amassing 39 tackles and 6.5 sacks, and was with the Steelers from 2015 until 2020. The veteran pass rusher has totaled 53 sacks over his nine-year career and was tied with Calais Campbell for the most sacks for the Falcons last season. Dupree can still provide plenty of help on passing downs but shouldn’t be counted on too heavily as an every-down player heading into his 10th season.

Wiggins checked in at 173 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine, which created concerns about how his size would affect his transition to the pros. Similar concerns were made about Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes last season when Forbes weighed in at 166 pounds just months before the Commanders made him the No. 16 overall pick. Despite his success at Mississippi State, Forbes struggled through much of his rookie season and was bullied at times by more physical receivers. As Wiggins pointed out, he’s “only 20 years old” and “not fully [grown] yet.” His elite coverage skills while at Clemson popped up frequently on tape. If he can attain a more ideal weight while retaining his 4.28 speed, he could make life very difficult for opposing receivers in the near future.