NFL Player News

Russell appeared in 11 games and played mostly on special teams as he didn’t pick up a catch during the 2024 campaign. The 26-year-old will likely battle for one of the final tight end spots in the Seahawks’ room in 2025. John Rhys Plumlee was signed to the active roster to take Russell’s spot.

Taylor reported early in June that the Chiefs were “starting to experiment” with what works best with Walker’s skills. The veteran back prefers plays from under center rather than shotgun formation. Now that the Chiefs’ training camp is underway, we can confirm that they are putting his preferences into practice. More than half of the Chiefs’ snaps in the first team period came from under center, allowing Walker to practice running between the tackles under coach Andy Reid’s watchful eye. The Chiefs also continue to give Walker reps in the screen game, which can help keep Walker involved in the passing game, regardless of his development as a receiver and pass protector this offseason. Impressed with Walker’s screen game chops thus far, Chiefs C Creed Humphrey described Walker as “a dynamic player, a freak athlete and great with his reads.” Walker is a fantasy football RB1 who could surprise some this season.

This is notable because Mahomes used shotgun formation on 80.6 percent of snaps last season, the third-highest in the league per Taylor, and the Chiefs’ 22.6 percent play-action rate ranked just 26th. NFL offenses averaged 7.76 yards per pass play with play action and 6.65 without it last year. Upping the play-action rate would be great for fantasy purposes.

Claypool has not played since the 2023 season. Were he to sign with the Colts, he would not meaningfully impact the incumbent players’ target shares.

The deal includes $90 million guaranteed. Olave, 26, ranked sixth in the NFL with 151 targets last year despite missing Week 18 due to blood clots in his lungs. He spent the offseason recovering and, aside from holding in yesterday, participating as much as possible. He was cleared to fully practice on Tuesday. He is a fantasy football WR1, playing in an ascending Saints offense.

Shipley acknowledges that he keeps writing about how good Tuten has looked, but he reasonably counters that he can only report what he’s seeing. Evidently, he’s seeing Tuten “building a lot of momentum” while RB Chris Rodriguez (foot) is stuck in individual drills. Drafting players in ambiguous backfields has been an established, sharp strategy for years now. Although this bunch could be losing its ambiguity a tad, Tuten’s Rounds 5-6 best ball ADP could still end up being a bargain.

Odunze caused concern earlier this offseason, saying his 2025 foot injury created “a different type of foot structure” and that he was learning to deal with the “new normal.” Speaking with ESPN’s Courtney Cronin today, Odunze said he articulated his prior comments poorly and that his foot issue is “not even really something that I think about anymore.” Sounds like he has successfully adjusted to the new normal, which is great to hear. Odunze is jockeying for position in the Bears’ target pecking order with TE Colston Loveland and WR Luther Burden this summer.

The seventh-round rookie is back on the Seahawks roster after missing most of organized team activities and mandatory minicamp. He will now compete for a roster spot.

Branch was a screen game dominator in college, with speed to spare. Raimondi thinks the Falcons will attempt to replicate his Georgia game early on, but Branch has a chance to become “the No. 3 guy, maybe even the No. 2 guy at some point.” Falcons WRs Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus sit in those two spots. Branch is unlikely to contribute meaningfully in fantasy early in the year, but he is worth keeping an eye on in-season.

Raimondi believes Dotson’s ability to stretch the field from the perimeter adds an element to the Falcons’ offense that they lacked in recent seasons. Although WR Drake London has been regularly deployed as a part-time slot weapon, Dotson’s presence helps reinforce London’s slot opportunities this season. Great news for all involved.

Hankins entered the NFL as a 2013 second-round pick with the Giants. He played out his rookie contract before joining the Colts for a one-off campaign. After a four-year stay with the Raiders, he spent two seasons with the Cowboys and one with the Seahawks. A back injury prevented him from playing in 2025. The former run-stuffing defensive tackle ends his career with 239 solo tackles, 39 TFLs, 18.5 sacks, one interception and three forced fumbles.