NFL Player News

The Cowboys’ depth chart has veteran Ezekiel Elliott leading the way with Rico Dowdle, Royce Freeman, Deuce Vaughn, and others competing in the backfield. In a projection of the Cowboys’ 53-man roster, Machota projects Elliott, Dowdle, Freeman, and fullback Hunter Luepke to be the team’s backs. He especially said, “at this point, it would be a surprise for Dowdle not to make it” onto the roster. Elliott will likely be the No. 1 back with the veteran status and production he’s given the Cowboys in his career. However, the 26-year-old Dowdle has been doing well in camp and now Machota has him as the “favorite to lead the team in rushing.” There are still preseason games to see the backfield pecking order, but Dowdle is catching some steam to be a major value at his current price in fantasy.

Richardson aggravated the AC joint in his throwing shoulder, which he had surgery on in 2023. Per Steichen, he won’t undergo surgery at this time. Steichen said he expects Richardson back “at some point” in training camp. It’s a nightmare scenario for the young passer. On top of the obvious risk that the injury becomes a long-term issue, Richardson missing crucial reps in the offseason will put him behind the eight ball to win the starting job. All signs have pointed to his competition with Daniel Jones being a legitimate one and now the latter will get more time to win over the coaches. Jones has to be considered the favorite to start Week 1 at this point, making Richardson undraftable in most fantasy formats.

Per Schultz, McLaurin is “frustrated with the lack of progress on a long-term deal.” McLaurin originally showed up at voluntary OTAs but abruptly left, putting his discontent with the situation on full display. He is now entering a contract year and little progress has been made on getting him a new deal. Coming off a 13-touchdown season that saw him form an instant connection with rookie passer Jayden Daniels, McLaurin has more than earned an extension of some kind. Whether the Commanders can meet his demands is up in the air. Deebo Samuel will get more work with Daniels for as long as McLaurin remains away from the team, giving him a chance at usurping McLaurin as the team’s top receiving option. Likely facing some amount of touchdown regression already, McLaurin is becoming an increasingly risky fantasy pick.

Campbell giving props to his starters is nothing new. The Williams drumbeat has been marching onward all offseason and has no end in sight. Jahmyr Gibbs is one of the most electric backs in the NFL. It’s no suprise he’s standing out in padless practices. The most interesting name of the bunch, outside of a handful of defenders Campebll also shouted out, is LaPorta. The third-year tight end took a step back in 2024, going from 86 receptions for 889 yards as a rookie to 60 grabs for 726 yards and three fewer touchdowns. LaPorta got a slow start to the year and was then hampered by ankle and shoulder injuries. After making noise in early offseason practices, it’s safe to assume this is the healthiest he has been since his rookie season. Even if LaPorta’s target volume is capped by the surrounding talent in Detroit, his involvement as a red zone weapon alone keeps him in the middle of the TE1 mix.

Speaking on the BMore Baseball Podcast, DeCosta mentioned that he met with Jackson in person last week. DeCosta, however, didn’t make it sound like a deal was getting done anytime soon. Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million contract with the Ravens in 2023. He is under contract through 2027, so DeCosta doesn’t have to rush the extension. With the price of elite quarterback play skyrocketing, the two-time MVP is rightfully eying a raise. That may not come this offseason, but the Ravens aren’t going to let Jackson hit free agency when the time comes. They placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson last time his contract was set to expire and he publicly requested a trade. Even though an extension was eventually reached, DeCosta flew dangerously close to the sun while trying to get the most affordable deal. He described those negotiations as arduous and it’s hard to imagine him not getting ahead of the situation this time around.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal includes $20 million in guarantees. The former first-round pick hasn’t lived up to the hype of being the No. 27 overall selection, but he finally found his stride in 2024. Bateman caught 45 passes for 756 yards and nine touchdowns. His yardage and touchdown totals were easily career-highs. Bateman has settled in as a splash play specialist and a high-volume option in the red zone. His five red zone touchdowns tied Isaiah Likely for second on the team behind only Mark Andrews. Bateman is a frustrating fantasy option on a week-to-week basis, but the extension could signal more involvement for him in 2025, especially with Mark Andrews on the decline. Bateman will be a boom/bust WR5 for the upcoming fantasy season.

Asked about what role he’ll have in Ben Johnson’s offense, Moore said he wouldn’t know that until much later in the offseason. ‘‘Right now I don’t have goals because I’m still learning everything and I don’t even know if I’m going to touch the ball as much as I did some years or if I’m going to be used the same way,’’ said Moore, coming off his worst season as a pro during which he often displayed on-field frustration with Caleb Williams and a dysfunctional Chicago offense. Johnson has said the new Bears coaching staff has yet to determine roles for their various wideouts, including Moore. ‘‘We’re not necessarily putting guys and plugging them into certain spots and saying, ‘Stick and stay,’ ’’ Johnson said when asked about Moore’s slot usage. ‘‘We’re moving guys around. We’re getting a great feel this springtime of what guys can and can’t do.” Moore should be a viable top-24 fantasy wideout in 2025 if he remains the team’s top pass-catching option.

Per Schefter, multiple teams have reached out about trading for Pitts. While the Falcons aren’t actively looking to move him, they aren’t turning away the calls either. This is not the vibe a team puts out if they want to keep the player in question. As Schefter notes, the issue with a trade isn’t Atlanta’s love of Pitts, it’s his contract. Pitts is on the final year of his rookie deal and is set to make just shy of $11 million, all of which would be inherited by the team trading for him. The price in dollars and draft capital may be too high for any team to make an offer worth Atlanta’s time. For now, Pitts remains out of practice while dealing with a strained foot muscle. Fantasy managers can pass on Pitts as even a TE2 until he returns to practice.

Miami gave up its 2025 third-round pick to get into the fourth round and draft Wright at No. 120 overall last year. Their investment didn’t yield any returns in year one as Wright ran for 249 yards on 68 attempts. He played sparingly behind a hobbled Raheem Mostert and an overworked De’Von Achane. The latter was historically efficient in 2023, averaging 7.8 yards per carry on 103 attempts as a rookie. He took on more work in 2024 but his home run potential vanished. He averaged just 4.5 yards per carry on nearly twice as many totes. Miami needs to get something out of Wright and has a starter who thrives on lighter workloads. It makes plenty of sense to get Wright more involved as the successor to Mostert, who was cut this offseason.

‘‘Just don’t do it,’’ Moore said Johnson told him. ‘‘Just keep it inside. Talk about it later. Just don’t put it on film. Don’t put it on TV.’’ Moore was spotted a handful of times in 2024 showing frustration and disappointment on the field as Caleb Williams struggled through his difficult rookie campaign. The body language issues came to a head in a Week 9 loss to the Cardinals, when Moore walked off the field and sat on the Chicago bench in the middle of a Williams scramble drill. Moore later said he had tweaked his ankle during the play. Moore said Bears coaches had reprimanded him about his body language during offseason practices, adding that he was determined to avoid further body language issues. Coming off a 2024 season that marked career lows in yards per reception and receiving success rate, Moore will look to bounce back in 2025 as the nominal WR1 in Johnson’s offense.

It’s a funny quote to say the least, but it also gives us a glimpse into Carr’s mindset as he was deciding on his future. He told Front Office Sports he could either undergo surgery and sit on the sidelines for a year or play through the shoulder issue. In the latter case, Carr said he would not be “near 100 percent.” Between his shoulder injury and the Saints eying up a potential rebuild, retirement made sense for both sides. Carr didn’t sound interested in returning when prompted, noting he was enjoying time on the beach with his kids when his agent asked him if he was still comfortable with his decision. He obviously said yes. Carr also said he would “absolutely” get into the media side of the NFL. All of this is to say Carr shouldn’t be expected to make a surprise return to football at any point.