NFL

A to Z Sports’ Mauricio Rodriguez detailed Blue’s offseason performance in two recent articles, labeling Blue “the biggest winner” at Cowboys OTAs. Early last week, we heard that Blue was rotating in behind RB Phil Mafah, so these new reports are very intriguing. Rodriguez notes that Schottenheimer tends to be transparent with the media, and the Cowboys’ coach was very complimentary of his second-year back. Schottenheimer and Blue had a “very candid” exit interview after last season, and Blue has shown up with a “night and day” difference in his demeanor this year. Schottenheimer also referred to Blue as being “football brilliant.” If he can continue to do his part, the Cowboys will use Blue’s “speed and explosiveness” as a complement to RB Javonte Williams this year. After a disappointing rookie season, Blue has seemingly bought himself another chance to earn the RB2 role in training camp. Stay tuned.

McDaniel runs a fantasy-friendly scheme, particularly for wide receivers. His play designs setup players to run for extra yardage after the catch. His frequent use of fullbacks, and moderate use of two-tight end sets, reduces the wide receiver position’s target competition quality. We can expect Chargers wide receivers to produce efficiently. Whether individual wide receiver produce voluminously comes down to whether two players can lock up the top-two starting roles. With WR Ladd McConkey likely operating as the WR1, Johnston and WR Tre’ Harris are set to compete for WR2 snaps. Martinez includes an intriguing clip in which McDaniel instructs Johnston to continue developing his already-strong “drive phase,” at the beginning of his routes. If Johnston can secure a dominant snap share as the WR2, he can easily return value on his current WR43 ADP in best ball.

Lloyd’s 2025 season ended with calf and hamstring injuries. The Packers held him out of team drills early on during OTAs, briefly causing a scare. Apparently, this was just precautionary. Lloyd’s successful offseason began in California, at the Meyer Institute of Sport, where Lloyd worked to prepare his body for his third NFL season. Evidently, his time there was successful. Lloyd will take a short break before resuming virtual work with Dr. John Meyer. Lloyd will also “practically have the undivided attention of the Packers’ training staff” from now until training camp. After a recent arrest, starting RB Josh Jacobs’ 2026 season outlook is clouded. If Lloyd can remain healthy, he will serve either as a capable No. 2 running back or, potentially, as a fill-in starter for the Packers this season.

Glenn reportedly wanted to use his backfield in a similar fashion last season before Allen went down in Week 4, according to an article published by ESPN. This would be potentially brutal news for fantasy managers eyeing Breece Hall in drafts, although it is worth pointing out that in the three complete games both Hall and Allen played together, Hall appeared on 59 percent of the team’s snaps while Allen played on 29 percent of snaps, and Davis just 15 percent. Hall also had 51 total opportunities over that span, while Allen and Davis combined for 22 opportunities. Time will tell if Glenn and offensive coordinator Frank Reich really do lean into this “three-headed monster” idea, but it’s hard to imagine Hall, who recently signed a three-year, $43.5 million contract, losing enough work to be forced out of the mix as a fringe RB1/RB2 given his three-down skillset. That said, both Allen and Davis could serve as viable late-round handcuffs for Hall should he ever miss time.

This comes after Keim spoke with Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough, who may also reportedly double the 23.8 percent of two-tight end sets the Commanders ran last season under Kliff Kingsbury. Keim noted last month that Washington’s offense was running “a lot more” plays from under center during practices that were open to the media this offseason, signaling massive changes to the scheme for Jayden Daniels entering his third season. Additionally, Daniels could see more bootlegs, which could create better opportunities for him both as a passer and as a runner if things break down and he needs to take off and run. Daniels’ sophomore season was marred by injuries and subpar play last season, as he regressed in nearly every metric in the seven games he appeared in, throwing for 1,262-8-3 while completing 60.6 percent of his passes and averaging just 39.7 rushing yards per game. Despite last year’s struggles, there’s hope that the new offense under Blough, coupled with the addition of free agent signings in Chig Okonkwo and Rachaad White, will help Daniels get back to his 2024 form when he won Offensive Rookie of the Year. There’s still a lot to learn about this offense, but Daniels’ rushing upside should keep him safely locked into the upper echelon of fantasy quarterbacks this season.

Campbell said that Branch hasn’t had any setbacks in his recovery from a torn Achilles, but wouldn’t put a timeline on the 24-year-old safety’s eventual return. Branch attended practice in a T-shirt and shorts on Thursday. Campbell jokingly set the timetable for Branch to return in December, just so the media would stop asking about it. Christian Izien and Chuck Clark continue to take the first-team safety reps for the Lions in practice with Branch and Kerby Joseph (knee) sidelined.

It’s a good sign. There’s no reason for the Lions to push LaPorta at this point after having surgery on his back in November. Detroit is taking the cautious approach with the 25-year-old tight end, holding him out of positional and team drills. Ideally, LaPorta will be ready for next month’s training camp.

Back in Michigan for a charity event, Ragnow met with the Detroit media and opened up on his retirement and failed comeback attempt. Ragnow, who turned 30 in May, said he didn’t plan on retiring last summer, but his body had other ideas. He admitted to feeling guilty watching the Lions struggle without him during the season, which is when he made what he called the “bonehead decision” to try to play again. Ragnow suffered a Grade 3 hamstring strain that derailed his comeback attempt. In typical Ragnow-like fashion, the resilient center wasn’t aware the injury was so severe. He made it clear he has no plans to try another comeback, closing the book on a career worthy of the Lions’ Ring of Honor. The Lions have moved on as well, signing C Cade Mayes to a three-year contract in free agency this offseason.

Per Shipley, Washington is now “in a full-time role on offense,” and believes the Jaguars are ready to let him “take his chance and run with it.” Jaguars coach Liam Coen said earlier this offseason that he wants to “unlock” Washington’s post-catch potential. Recently, he celebrated Washington’s ability to line up out wide, in the slot, run routes at all three levels and his improvements in reading coverages pre-snap. Last season, Coen employed three-wide receiver sets at the league’s third-highest rate (70.9 percent). If he does so again, the offense might be able to produce usable fantasy stat lines for Washington, WR Brian Thomas Jr. and WR Jakobi Meyers. If Coen shifts even 5-10 percent toward two-wide receiver sets, things could get slightly volatile. We should learn more in training camp. Stay tuned.

McCarthy fielded questions from reporters after practice on Tuesday and was asked about Heidenreich at the very end. McCarthy kept things short, but complimentary, saying Heidenreich is an instinctive, natural football player with an excellent skill set, who has had a tremendous start. The Steelers’ coach adds that Heidenreich has “picked up the offense” and has “positional flexibility.” Notably, the Steelers are listing him with an RB/WR designation on their team website. Heidenreich has a long way to go before becoming fantasy-relevant, but McCarthy’s words are encouraging.