NFL 2021 - NFL Pre-Season Discussion

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QB Taysom Hill worked with the first team offense to begin Saints training camp.
Sean Payton said that the first team quarterback will change daily, but New Orleans is clearly holding a true quarterback competition. The Athletic's Katherine Terrell reported that Jameis Winston "looked the part" of the Saints next quarterback in practice. The Athletic's Larry Holder also reported that Winston was "throwing darts left and right with the second unit." It's possible that Winston is actually the favorite to start, with Payton was simply showing deference to Hill, who has been in New Orleans since 2017. Fantasy managers should be open to all possibilities here, including Winton and Hill forming a quarterback by committee this season.

 

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Rams TE Jacob Harris will be sidelined for "the next couple of weeks."
The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue reported that Harris underwent a procedure for a minor core injury. He will be held out of practice while he recovers. Harris was not added to the PUP list, so the injury doesn't appear to be too concerning. Still, it's notable that Harris, who is attempting to convert from wide receiver to tight end in his rookie season, will be out of action for several weeks of training camp.

 

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On Friday, O.J. Howard practiced for first time since tearing his Achilles last October.
Howard was Tampa Bay's first round pick in 2017. He averaged 2.05 yards per route run through the first two years of his career and looked to be an emerging star at tight end. In 2019 his production fell off, however, as he delivered just 33 receiving yards per game with 1.22 YPRR. His 2020 season showed promise for a rebound, but it was ultimately cut short after four games. Howard will play this season on his fifth-year option, and will be a free agent following the season. Hopefully he can recapture his early career form.

 

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Patriots activated RB Rhamondre Stevenson from the non-football injury list.
The Patriots selected Stevenson in the fourth round of this year's draft. At 5'11" 231 pounds he's drawn comparisons to LeGarrette Blount. However, Stevenson was also an efficient receiver at Oklahoma, averaging 2.11 yards per route run over his college career. His versatility does not seem lost on the Patriots coaches, given that his receiving ability was on display at OTAs. Stevenson's quick stint on the NFI shouldn't impact his chances of making a rookie year impact. His return could spell trouble for Sony Michel, who is far from a lock to be on New England's roster in Week 1

 

[J Shuttlesworth]

QB Taysom Hill worked with the first team offense to begin Saints training camp.
Sean Payton said that the first team quarterback will change daily, but New Orleans is clearly holding a true quarterback competition. The Athletic's Katherine Terrell reported that Jameis Winston "looked the part" of the Saints next quarterback in practice. The Athletic's Larry Holder also reported that Winston was "throwing darts left and right with the second unit." It's possible that Winston is actually the favorite to start, with Payton was simply showing deference to Hill, who has been in New Orleans since 2017. Fantasy managers should be open to all possibilities here, including Winton and Hill forming a quarterback by committee this season.

Such a strong bromance Payton & Taysom.

 

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ESPN's Jamison Hensley reported Friday that Sammy Watkins has been Baltimore's best wide receiver at training camp.
Ravens OC Greg Roman, whom Watkins played under in 2015, went further: “he’s one of the best receivers in the NFL, period.” Calling Watkins one of the best wide receivers in the league is peak July, but it's worth considering that Waktins was a standout in minicamp as well. He appears likely to have a sizable early role in the Ravens offense, and perhaps a role with more versatility than he saw in Kanas City. If the Ravens passing game takes even a small step forward this season, Watkins could be a steal in the late rounds of fantasy drafts.

 

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Such a Cowboys thing to say ....nek minute, 5-12 season

Speaking Friday, HC Mike McCarthy indicated the Cowboys would keep the playoffs in mind when deploying Ezekiel Elliott this season.
Dallas appears to be happy with its running back depth, with McCarthy stating, "we've got some younger guys who can play and produce, so it's not necessary for Zeke to run the ball 25-30 times a game. When you get to December, January football, you want him to be in top form to be able to run the ball 25-30 times if needed." The Cowboys relied heavily on Elliott to begin 2020, feeding him an outrageous 88% of snaps. For the remainder of the season, Elliott managed just 64% of snaps, at times battling through injuries. Elliott can still deliver a strong fantasy season non-every down role, provided he still has a lock on goal line duties in what should be a prolific Cowboys offense. Fantasy managers will also be hoping that Elliott can maintain the vast majority of passing down snaps, which would go a long way in preserving his career high 6.6 targets per game with Dak Prescott under center last season.

 

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They better not sign some bum free agent its time to see if Eason can actually do anything

 

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The Athletic's Connor Hughes reported that Denzel Mims worked with the Jets third string offense on Friday.
Well that escalated quickly. Despite being the Jets second round pick last year, Mims was working alongside Jeff Smith and Lawrence Cager today. At this point, there can be no doubt that free agent addition Keelan Cole is firmly ahead of Mims on the depth chart. Rookie Elijah Moore has also continued to impress and is poised to play ahead of Mims as well. Mims offers size, deep speed and contested catch ability, so it's possible he eventually earns a meaningful role this season. It's hard to imagine a more inauspicious start to training camp, however.

 

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what a fascinating battle, two heavyweights going blow for blow...

Broncos coach Vic Fangio said there has been "no separation" in the quarterback battle between Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater so far.
Lock ended Friday's practice with a 45-yard touchdown to K.J. Hamler but Bridgewater has reportedly been the more accurate passer (especially in the red zone) through Denver's first few practices. It's an ongoing battle that will likely last until the end of the summer, eventually benefitting whomever earns the nod since the Broncos are quietly projected to face the league's softest schedule of opposing pass defenses this year. It remains an important battle to monitor for Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant, etc.

 

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Lions coach Dan Campbell referred to D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams as a "one-two punch."
“It’s a one-two punch,” Campbell said. “We’re going to use both of those guys, they know that. A guy gets a hot hand, he’s rolling. If Jamaal is in there, we’re rolling. Jamaal is going to be rolling, and we’ll use Swift for other things. Which is fine. That’s a good problem to have. I’m glad we got him, I know that.” For what it's worth, OC Anthony Lynn also said he'd "ride the hot hand at running back" when asked about their roles earlier this spring. Campbell, who worked with the Saints last year, is clearly envisioning an Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram-like timeshare between Williams and Swift, though New Orleans had other weapons including a competent quarterback to help fool opposing defenses. Swift, currently being drafted as the overall RB15 near the end of the third round, will have to bank on efficiency and voluminous usage in the passing game in order to return value given Williams' clear-cut role in a timeshare.

 

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So many interesting stories out of training camp today, prepare yourselves for a barrage of tweets

 

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oh baby

 

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[J Shuttlesworth]

But are they 'NFL Rumors' or true?

 

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hes my GOAT backup for a reason, what a beast

 

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But are they 'NFL Rumors' or true?

they are true rumours

 

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