In his 2024 rookie season, Bowers caught 112-of-148 targets for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns. His targets, receptions and yardage totals all ranked in the top 10 among NFL pass catchers. Per Edwards, the Raiders’ offensive staff is “in the process of concocting multiple ways to get Bowers involved in their scheme, with versatility being his greatest weapon.” This is the kind of stuff we want to hear. Finding a true difference-making tight end is rare. Bowers is firmly in play as fantasy’s TE1 this season.
The sale is not yet complete. Broncos ownership has until June 30, 2027, to exercise their option to buy the former railyard for $45.8 million. The deal is expected to close this fall. Ownership reportedly has plans to build a new stadium and an adjacent entertainment district. The state purchased Burnham Yard in 2021 for $50 million and hoped “to use some of the land for transportation-related purposes,” but those plans “fizzled.” Broncos ownership is hoping that the new stadium will be ready for the NFL’s 2031 season.
Per Fowler, QB Shedeur Sanders “has his moments this spring,” but Watson apparently fits well in coach Todd Monken’s scheme. The new offense has “some concepts” that Watson has run in the past, which allow him to freelance at times, and Watson “likes that.” The Browns are hoping that one quarterback does enough for the coaching staff to name a starter by the time training camp rolls around in July. Once a starter is named, we can begin to assess whether the victor is actually playing well, or if he simply outperformed an uninspiring teammate.
Sources tell Fowler that Murray is handling himself “like an alpha quarterback,” possessing “the experience and the swagger of a guy who has been to Pro Bowls and had success.” Recent interview clips involving Murray and fellow Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy reinforce Fowler’s sentiments, with Murray conducting himself with calm confidence. The coaching staff also complimented McCarthy’s development, but Murray seems to be winning the competition right now.
McCarthy “has shown some things this spring that have been impressive so far.” Specifically, McCarthy is “layering the ball a little better” and is “not throwing a fastball all the time.” McCarthy’s accuracy and touch needed work, so this is good to hear. It still sounds like QB Kyler Murray is ahead of McCarthy in the battle for the starting role, but McCarthy is at least getting positive reviews at this time.
Olszewski was coming off the line, running a route, when he fell to the ground and “appeared to grab at his right lower leg,” immediately showing “significant frustration.” Olszewski’s teammates were reportedly upset by what they saw. This sounds like it might be an Achilles injury. Hopefully, it’s not. Olszewski earned first-team All-Pro honors while leading the league in punt return yards in 2020. Losing him to a significant injury would hurt the Giants’ special teams unit.
LaPorta underwent back surgery in November and is still in recovery. The Lions’ offseason program includes organized team activities and a mandatory minicamp, sporadically taking place from May 27th to June 17th. A prior report indicated that the Lions hope to have LaPorta on the field when training camp begins in July. That could still happen, though he may need to be eased in after the extended absence. Things appear to be on the right track for his regular season readiness, though.
Both of the Lions’ starting safeties, Joseph and Brian Branch (Achilles), are rehabbing significant injuries. While it would be great to get one or both of them back on the field this spring, Campbell does not want to hurry his injured stars back and risk re-injury. Late in April, Lions general manager Brad Holmes said both safeties are “trending in the right direction.” However, last we heard, Branch was not expected to be ready to play in Week 1. Joseph will likely sit out spring practices, but seemingly has a chance to participate in training camp. Stay tuned.
The nature of the “violation” appears to be purposefully omitted, although the fact that Swinton lasted less than three months with the club raises significant questions. It remains uncertain whether the full details will ever be released, with the only thing we know for sure being that Swinton is out in Pittsburgh.
The veteran lineman was to enter the final year of a three-year, $57 million contract in 2026, albeit with no guarantees. The updated deal lowers his cap hit by $7.5 million while converting $10 million to a fully guaranteed base salary and signing bonus, giving the player more security while the team gets more roster flexibility. Looks like a win-win for both parties ahead of training camp next month.
Bosa has been rehabbing this offseason after tearing his ACL early in November. He said he is “far along” in the recovery process and should be good to go for the 2026 season. Bosa tore his right ACL in high school and his left ACL in 2020. Although having experience in this department is less than ideal, Bosa said his prior experiences have helped him during this rehab process.
McCaffrey practiced with the team on Wednesday. He was held out of team drills on Thursday and worked on his conditioning on a side field instead. Late in March, coach Kyle Shanahan said he wants less “wear and tear” on McCaffrey this season. The plan to reduce wear and tear may be limited to the practice week. McCaffrey told reporters today that he thinks “the workload in our sport is really monitored in practice, not in games,” and that he likes to prepare himself “for playing every snap.” McCaffrey posted a league-leading and career-high 413 touches last season. If sitting out practices regularly allows him to handle a similar workload this season, he will once again compete for the overall RB1 spot in fantasy.
It’s possible this is just a maintenance-related coaching decision, but it is still slightly concerning. Injuries have limited Lloyd to just 10 offensive snaps through two NFL seasons. Packers starting RB Josh Jacobs was arrested on Tuesday and was not present on Wednesday, allowing the backups to take first-team snaps. Per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Lloyd “took part in team drills during Tuesday’s closed session but did only individual work Wednesday.” Packers RB Chris Brooks began team drills with the first-team offense before subbing out for RB Pierre Strong. The Packers had the day off on Thursday and will resume practicing tomorrow. The Packers “remain optimistic that the powerful and speedy Lloyd can repay the team for their patience,” but he needs to retake the field soon if he hopes to prove his reliability. Hopefully, Lloyd is back in action.
Brooks opened team drills as the Packers’ starting running back on Wednesday. Fellow backup RB Pierre Strong then subbed in, taking first-team reps as well. Starting RB Josh Jacobs was arrested on Tuesday for domestic abuse and was not present. Presumed RB MarShawn Lloyd practiced on Tuesday, but was limited to individual drills for an undisclosed reason on Wednesday. Injuries derailed Lloyd’s first two NFL seasons, so his absence is worth monitoring.
The list of finalists includes Vikings executive vice president of football operations and interim general manager Rob Brzezinski, Broncos assistant general manager Reed Burckhardt, Bills assistant general manager Terrance Gray, Rams assistant general manager John McKay and Seahawks assistant general manager Nolan Teasley. Per The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, it “remains unclear whether or not ownership wants to do more due diligence, most have expected a resolution late May/early June.”
Stefanski went on to explain that he believes accuracy is “the most important trait at the position,” after referring to Tagovailoa’s accuracy as being “God-given.” Stefanski then quickly added that “all” of the Falcons quarterbacks have this innate trait, but it was easy to see that his focus was on the former Dolphins quarterback. Tagovailoa’s downfield passing showed signs of decline last season, but he has evidently earned a public compliment from his new head coach. The battle for the Falcons’ starting job between Tagovailoa and QB Michael Penix continues.
Bowers’ 2025 season was hampered by a PCL sprain and bone bruise that he suffered in Week 1, which eventually led to an injured reserve placement in Week 17. The 23-year-old tight end is now set to operate as coach Klint Kubiak’s No. 1 pass-catcher in what should be a far more fantasy-friendly offensive scheme. Kubiak endearingly referred to Bowers as “a football robot from heaven” last week. He’s a candidate to compete for the overall TE1 spot this season.
McCormick could get a chance to compete for a roster spot elsewhere. The 49ers correspondingly signed RB Jordan Mims, formerly of the Titans, and RB Jermar Jefferson, formerly of the Cardinals. The 49ers also placed S Darrick Forrest on injured reserve.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan broke the news this afternoon. This is a bummer. Earlier this month, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur said he believed Guerendo was “buried” on the depth chart and will likely “be looking for a new team” at some point. The team could end up releasing him with an injury settlement, but we suppose some sort of reserve list placement is possible. 49ers RBs Jordan James and Kaelon Black can be expected to compete for RB2 duties at this time. The team also signed RBs Jordan Mims and Jermar Jefferson today.
Reid gave a meandering response when asked about the team’s discussions with the league regarding Rice’s latest off-field issues. Rice is currently serving a 30-day jail sentence for violating his probation. Per Reid, the team spoke with the league, and “as far as any further ado to that, there’s been no talk about anything further.” Reid said only, “don’t know,” when reporters tried to clarify whether Rice might be suspended. The Chiefs are evidently “moving forward, just normal as we go here.” Drawing a firm conclusion from this is difficult, but we suppose that the fact that the league did not bring up a possible suspension when speaking with the team is a positive sign.
Regarding Higgins’ on-field development, Ryans is “really excited to see how he’s going to look this season.” Ryans covered all the bases here. It’s always nice to hear that a player worked hard to prepare for organized team activities, but physical improvements are only half the battle. Hopefully, positive reports on Higgins’ route running and film studies are soon to follow.
Jordan is participating in some capacity. Per Ryans, Jordan “had a really big play yesterday on a choice route.” Jordan, 25, has played just two games in each of the last two seasons, having torn an ACL in September 2024 and another in August 2025. If he can remain healthy, Jordan will compete for a backup role this season.
Earlier this month, NBC Sports Houston’s Aaron Wilson reported that Dell is “doing well,” and has been running and cutting, but is not yet 100 percent healthy. Today, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans refrained from updating Dell’s expected recovery timeline, saying, “when that time is set for him to be back, he’ll be back.”
The Saints have been conducting on-field, non-contract drills since April 20th. Organized team activities officially began yesterday, though media members were not allowed to attend. Tyson has already been given rest days, as the team puts together “a plan for him,” and per Triplett, Tyson’s limited participation was expected. The rookie wide receiver “was dressed in jersey and helmet and stood by for the entire practice.” We are not concerned about Tyson’s health at this time, but hope to see his participation increase in the coming weeks.
For the time being, Kamara remains a Saint. It is entirely unclear how long that will remain the case. Early last week, general manager Mickey Loomis said the team is trying to figure out Kamara’s fit on the roster. A few days later, New Orleans Football’s Mike Triplett said he thinks the team would “go shopping” for an RB2 candidate if Kamara leaves the team via trade or release. If that’s the case, it suggests the Saints still see a talent gap between Kamara and his backups. Perhaps, keeping Kamara in New Orleans ends up making sense for both sides.