NFL Player News

Johnson (6'6/259) didn’t see much run during his first two years in Happy Valley and posted a minor breakout campaign in his third season on campus with a 20/328/4 receiving line. He followed that up with a 34/341/7 line in his final collegiate season. Johnson never took on a full-time role at Penn State, failing to reach a 60 percent route run in a single season. When he was on the field, he wasn’t a priority of the passing attack and logged a dismal .14 targets per route. Johnson drastically boosted his draft stock at the combine with a 4.57 40-yard dash and a 4.19-second three-cone drill. He also crushed the jumps en route to a 9.92 RAS. He showed glimpses of that athleticism in contested catch situations, bringing down 67 percent of his career contested targets, but he contributed little after the catch and was inconsistent as a blocker. Johnson has the size and athleticism to big a difference-maker at the next level, but he needs to drastically refine his technique as a run-blocker and as a route-runner. With rumors swirling that Darren Waller is retiring, Johnson may be thrust into a starting role as a rookie, even if his game isn’t NFL-ready just yet. He could provide TE2 numbers based on volume alone if Waller is out of the picture.

Zinter “looked comfortable” on the first day of rookie minicamp, per head coach Kevin Stefanski. This is the first time Zinter has taken the field since fracturing both his tibia and fibula in Michigan’s win over Ohio State in November. Zinter, who was taken in the third round, was a promising prospect whose draft stock slipped when he was unable to participate at the NFL combine. Michigan’s offense was anchored by a road-grading offensive line, and Zinter’s 73.8 PFF pass-blocking grade and 75.9 PFF run-blocking grade make him one of just two Michigan OL (min. 100 offensive snaps) to best 73.0 in both categories.

Jones visited with several teams, including the Titans, Chiefs, and Cowboys, before ultimately joining the Cardinals. The former second-round pick was released by the Jaguars earlier this month after the team drafted LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round but has been a coveted receiver on the open market. When he was at his best, Jones turned in an 82-823-5 season with the Jaguars in 2022, but injuries limited him to just nine games and a line of 34-321-2 in 2023. Playing primarily as an outside receiver, Jones should have no trouble earning a role opposite rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. Second-year receiver Michael Wilson could also challenge Jones for snaps, but the rest of the receiver room is relatively thin in Arizona. Jones could have some WR4 upside in PPR leagues if the snaps and targets are there.

Newton underwent surgery in January for the Jones fracture, an injury that he said he sustained during the middle part of the season. While the surgery kept him from working out at the NFL Scouting Combine and at Illinois’ pro day, it didn’t stop the Commanders from taking him with the No. 36 pick when he slipped outside of the first round. Now considered one of the potential steals of the 2024 NFL Draft, Newton will have a chance to bolster a defensive line anchored by Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. His injury is not considered to be a major issue at this time, which suggests he should be ready to play come training camp.

Nabers joins a wide receiver room that’s arguably the worst in the league. Considered by some to be the best receiver in this year’s rookie class, Nabers has a chance to step into a significant target share right off the bat as he and quarterback Daniel Jones look to turn around a passing attack that ranked 31st in passing yards per game (169.8) and threw for the fourth-fewest touchdown passes (15) on the year. Nabers caught 89 passes for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns during his final year at LSU and had two 1,000-yard seasons in his three-year career.

The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft was always expected to be named the starter, but credit the Bears for not wasting time with a phony quarterback camp battle before naming him the starter. Behind Williams is former Division II quarterback Tyson Bagent and NFL journeyman Brett Rypien — far from stiff competition for Williams. Now officially named as the starter, Williams will take all of the starting quarterback reps in camp and throughout the preseason as he prepares for his Week 1 opener in September.

Pederson said earlier this year that he needs to consider taking back play-calling duties in 2024 after the team struggled at various points during the season. Offensive coordinator Press Taylor, who was hired by the team in 2022, was tasked with most of the play-calling duties last season, but it sounds like Pederson is ready to take back the reins this season. We’ll learn more about this as the offseason progresses, but don’t rule out Pederson having more say in the plays come Week 1.

Cohen hasn’t taken a regular season snap since 2020, when his season ended with a torn ACL. A torn Achilles in 2022 ended his comeback attempt, but he was able to catch on with the Panthers last September and spent the remainder of the season on their practice squad. He now finds himself without a job after that nine-month stint. Set to turn 29 before the start of the season; it will be interesting to see if another team takes a shot on the vet.

This was the presumed next step after the Raiders opted not to select a quarterback in this year’s draft. Playing in a division that includes Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, it goes without saying that the combination of Minshew/O’Connell is far from ideal, but both quarterbacks were solid in 2023, with Minshew nearly leading the Colts to a playoff berth. In 17 games, Minshew threw for 3305-15-9 last season while leading his team to a 7-6 record over 13 starts. O’Connell became the Raiders full-time starter in Week 9 and led the team to a 5-4 record over that span while throwing for 1905-11-5 in those nine games. Neither quarterback is built for shootouts vs. high-powered offenses, but they’re effective game managers who can give their team a chance to win any game within reach. Head coach Antonio Pierce said O’Connell has “earned the right to get the first snap,” but Minshew will almost certainly get some reps as things progress.

Arnold and second-round corner Ennis Rakestraw Jr. both signed their rookie deals and will now look to help solidify a Lions secondary that allowed the sixth-most passing yards per game (247.4) last season. The Lions’ defense has shown minor improvements in their three seasons under defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, ranking 31st, 28th, and 23rd in points allowed per game over that span. If Arnold and Rakestraw can perform as expected, the Lions could be on track to have one of the better and younger secondaries in the league in the near future. In addition to Arnold and Rakestraw, the Lions also signed offensive tackle Giovanni Manu, running back Sione Vaki, defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo, and guard Christian Mahogany to their rookie deals.

This quote comes from Snead justifying the selection of Blake Corum in the third round of this year’s draft. Snead said the similarities between the two backs made Corum a desired pick and added that the team felt like they “need to have as many quality runners as possible” due to a 17-game season that could soon move to an 18-game season. For now, it sounds like Williams’ role as the team’s RB1 is secure, but fantasy managers expecting another 37 percent opportunity share, or 68 percent rushing market share, should adjust those expectations. It sounds like Corum will have a chance to contribute meaningful snaps early in the season and could stand to vulture valuable fantasy points from Williams this season. Corum’s value in the short-yardage situations and near the goal-line could give him some significant touchdown upside.