NFL

Ogundeji was a fifth-round pick of the Falcons back in 2021. As a rookie, he totaled 33 tackles, five TFLs, and one sack and posted 42 tackles, three TFLs, and two sacks in 2022. An ankle injury suffered last August ended his 2023 campaign before it ever began. Ogundeji has appeared in 32 games and made 27 career starts and could catch on with another team if he’s fully recovered from his injury.

The Rams selected Brockers No. 14 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. He spent nine seasons with the team before joining the Lions in 2021. Brockers racked up 57 tackles for loss or no gain over his 11-year career, bullying linemen as a run-stopper and part-time pass rusher. He spent 2023 as a free agent before announcing his retirement on social media this week.

Thornton stated his aim is to play at 190 pounds this season, both to improve his on-field performance and reduce his likelihood of suffering another impact-related injury. Thornton has failed to clear 0.80 yards per route run in his first two seasons, ostensibly slowed by an August 2022 clavicle injury and an August 2023 shoulder injury. Thornton must prove he belongs on an NFL roster this year.

Edmunds was traded from the Eagles to the Titans last season and totaled 48 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one interception while splitting time with the two teams. The former first-round pick was let go by the Steelers after his rookie contract expired at the end of the 2022 season and is now set to play for his third team in two years. He’ll have a chance to provide added depth to the Jaguars’ secondary but is unlikely to be viewed as a starter at this point. In addition to Edmunds, they also signed cornerback Tre Flowers and linebacker Ty Summers.

Hyde is once again mulling retirement but affirms “it’s Bills or retire.” He is reportedly in no rush to make a decision and the team has players in place should Hyde choose to hang up his cleats. He remains a capable coverage defender and was targeted at the position’s eighth-lowest rate last year (6.0%), ranked among safeties with at least 500 coverage snaps.

Tonyan joined the Bears as a free agent last offseason and caught just 11 passes for 112 scoreless yards while playing primarily behind Cole Kmet. He’s a player with two seasons of 450-plus yards on his resume, including a productive 2020 in which he went for 52-586-11. With that said, Tonyan is once again looking to be banished to the bench behind T.J. Hockenson and veteran Josh Oliver. While it’s possible he works his way on the field in two tight end sets or due to injuries, he has little to no fantasy upside at this time.

Lloyd has a chance to earn significant snaps early in his career. Despite a crowded backfield that includes Josh Jacobs and AJ Dillon, Packers OC Adam Stenavich said earlier this month that he hopes to play Lloyd “as much as possible.” Lloyd is a versatile, explosive back who made the most of his one season at USC. Last season with the Trojans, he rushed for 116-820-9 while adding another 13 catches for 232 yards. Lloyd has early fantasy value as a handcuff to Jacobs/Dillon, but could emerge as a more meaningful contributor once we see how things play out in training camp.

Pleasant was signed by the Rams as their defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator last offseason and is now going to add the title of assistant head coach to his resumé. Pleasant helped coach up a Rams defense that surprisingly ranked 19th in the league in points allowed and 20th in yards allowed. It wasn’t stellar, but for a defense that was expected to be among the worst in the league, it’s easy to say they outperformed expectations. Pleasant could find himself in contention for head coaching jobs next offseason with another solid year in 2024.

Cephus’ release comes on the heels of the Bills signing safety Dee Delaney. Cephus was signed by the Bills shortly after being reinstated from a year-long suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy but clearly didn’t impress enough to remain with the team ahead of training camp. Cephus has caught 37 passes for 568 yards and four touchdowns in his three-year career and could earn another opportunity elsewhere ahead of training camp.

To be fair, Johnston doesn’t have anywhere to go but up at this point. The 2023 first-round pick took a back seat to several receivers last season and wound up catching 38 passes for 431 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie campaign. the 6-foot-4 speedster was targeted on just 13.3 percent of his routes, which ranked 50th amongst 60 receivers (min. 400 routes run). With Keenan Allen in Chicago and Mike Williams in New York, Johnston has a chance to open the season as the Chargers’ WR1. A step forward would be great for the Chargers and fantasy managers, who are looking for far more production in 2024 than we saw in 2023.