NFL
The Hall of Fame Game between the Steelers and Cowboys has been cancelled
Why It Matters: This isn't a surprise as there has been buzz for weeks that the NFL would shorten the preseason to two games this year. Roger Goodell also said multiple teams are preparing for veterans to report to camp on July 28, so this isn't a sign that the NFL is slowing down their plan for the 2020 season.
AFC
Baltimore
Head coach John Harbaugh said C Matt Skura (knee) is ahead of schedule in his “remarkable” recovery.
Why It Matters: The Ravens are going to have to deal with the retirement of guard Marshal Yanda, one of the best offensive linemen of this era. Skura tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL and dislocated his kneecap in Week 12 last year, so if he can be on the field for Week 1 that would be remarkable indeed. The Ravens could get a break here if they only have to replace one starter on the line. We’ll be watching the reports about Skura when camp opens.
Josina Anderson reports that Baltimore is not a potential future destination for Antonio Brown.
Why It Matters: Brown's cousin Marquise Brown plays for the Ravens and they were seen working out with Lamar Jackson earlier this offseason, but Anderson is reliable and connected, so there's little to no chance Brown becomes a Raven. She did say his name "came up", but there hasn't been "earnest" discussion or recent talks internally.
Cleveland
Kareem Hunt said “no question” he would like to sign an extension with the Browns
Why It Matters: Dynasty players with visions of Hunt starting and being the workhorse for another team in 2021 may have to temper that with the possibility that Hunt is where he wants to be. The Browns organization took a chance on him after the Chiefs released him following a domestic violence incident, and a new regime stood by him after an offseason speeding stop that revealed marijuana in his vehicle. He could still be an RB2 in PPR leagues this year with Nick Chubb carrying the load, but going to another team with more opportunity next year is the best-case scenario for his long term production.
Kevin Stefanski said Odell Beckham is 100 percent and "free and clear" following offseason hernia surgery and that Jarvis Landry (hip) was "looking great" but on a "different recovery program.
Why It Matters: Beckham is getting little respect for his past accomplishments in fantasy drafts. He was affected by the injury all season and should have a bounceback year. Landry is still not a sure thing for Week 1 after finally having surgery in February, but at least this is a good sign. We'll be watching Landry closely when camp opens.
New England
Mohamed Sanu is “way ahead of the curve” in his recovery from ankle surgery and “faster, quicker, leaner, and in better shape” according to his trainer Hilton Alexander.
Why It Matters: The Patriots offense is no place to look for fantasy overachievers, but Sanu is probably still being overlooked in deep leagues. He immediately hurt his ankle after the Patriots traded a second-round pick for him, so his impact on the offense is being underestimated if we are looking at last year’s numbers. While this does keep Sanu in the deep sleeper conversation, it could also take the edge off of what little upside Julian Edelman represents now.
New York Jets
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport expects the Jets will “stand pat” and let the Jamal Adams trade situation “play out” even though he has named eight teams he will play for this year without a new contract, including Dallas which appears to be his top choice. Baltimore, Kansas City, Houston, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, San Francisco, and Seattle are the others.
Why It Matters: It’s easy to believe that the Jets will just force Adams to play out his contract and make him the best offer they can to retain his services long term, even if Adams makes it increasingly clear that he doesn’t want to play for the Jets. There are rumors that Adam Gase is the main problem, which is not hard to believe. Trent Williams, Jalen Ramsey, and Stefon Diggs have been able to force their team’s hand into trading them recently, so Adams does have an incentive to see if he can follow in their footsteps. Yannick Ngakoue’s situation with the Jaguars is similar, and it’s still possible that he is dealt before the season, or early in the season after he does not report to the team.
NFC
Carolina
Offensive coordinator Joe Brady said Curtis Samuel will be “critical to success” on offense.
Why It Matters: Samuel was vastly underutilized in the Panthers offense last year. He was getting open deep at will, but Kyle Allen was unable to hit him consistently. Scott Turner used Samuel more as a runner (nine carries in four games) after he took over playcalling, and new Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady made one of the best college football offenses in history last year, so there’s hope of Samuel getting more usage and with more accurate passes coming from Teddy Bridgewater. Turner is now the offensive coordinator in Washington, so remember that bodes well for RB/WR third-round pick Antonio Gibson.
Chicago
Ted Ginn Jr said “right now, I believe Mitchell Trubisky will be our starter” in an interview this week.
Why It Matters: Ginn prefaced his comment with “right now” so we shouldn’t read too much into it. It’s possible that the team is still trying to build Trubisky’s confidence and wants him to beat out Nick Foles in a best-case scenario. The more likely outcome, especially with the Bears turning down Trubisky’s fifth-year option and guaranteeing 21 million dollars to Nick Foles over the next three years, is that the team expects Foles to be their Week 1 starter.
Dallas
Dak Prescott signed his franchise tender
Why It Matters: Prescott and the team will have until July 15 hammer out a long term deal, and with the cap possibly flattening or reducing due to coronavirus hits on NFL revenues, it could be in Prescott’s best interest to sign a long term deal now. The team has an incentive to get Prescott signed because it could lower his 31+ million dollar cap hit this year and open up room to trade for Jets safety Jamal Adams, who appears to prefer Dallas over any other destination.
Ezekiel Elliott said he feels “good” and “normal” after having one or two days of coronavirus symptoms
Why It Matters: It was previously reported that Elliott was asymptomatic but this isn’t true. There’s still no reason to be alarmed about any aftereffects or diminished capacity in Elliott’s case, but for every player that had a positive diagnosis, we will need to monitor their camp reports to see if the top-end athleticism and conditioning was affected by the virus.
Philadelphia
Adam Caplan of Sirius XM believes first-round pick Jalen Reagor will lead the Eagles receivers in receptions and snaps
Why It Matters: Caplan’s excitement is worth considering, but if he meant pass-catchers, there’s no way Reagor will out-snap or out-catch tight end Zach Ertz without an injury to Ertz. Reagor has recently been in the news because the Eagles are only getting him ready at “Z” receiver behind Desean Jackson. Jackson’s injury history indicates that Reagor will get a big opportunity sooner or later this year if the Eagles keep him in that narrow role, but Caplan, who has been close to the Eagles for a long term, sees a more rosy outlook. If we hear the Eagles are running more screens and slant to get the ball into Reagor’s hands quickly and running sets with Jackson and Reagor on the field at the same time in camp, this will be easier to believe, and if we are strictly speaking about wide receivers on the Eagles roster, Reagor is the best bet to lead the team in snaps and receptions. If he doesn’t Desean Jackson may end up being one of the steals of the late rounds.
Dallas Goedert is expected to be okay after visiting the hospital when a sucker punch in a restaurant knocked him unconscious
Why It Matters: Goedert has a lot of time to get out of unofficial concussion protocol and we should probably remember this incident if he suffers a concussion later this year. He is poised to be as valuable as any second tight end in football and might get into the TE1 ranks again if the Eagles can’t get their wide receiver group to gel for the second straight year.
San Francisco
Trent Williams officially passed his physical
Why It Matters: This year there has been a long delay between the announcement of contracts/trades and the physicals that make them official, so we couldn’t write this one in ink until this news came across the wire. Williams had a plethora of injuries during his stay in Washington and there was a breakdown in trust between him and the organization, but it appears that there are no long-lasting effects from that saga. The 49ers shouldn’t miss a beat after Joe Staley announced his retirement. The meager price of a fifth-round pick this year and a third-round pick next year is well below what Washington could have gotten for Williams if they had traded him before last season.
Richie James recently broke a bone in his wrist and will miss at least two months
Why It Matters: This helps the case for Travis Benjamin to make the team over James, whose main value was in the return game. There is some opportunity at wide receiver with the injury to Deebo Samuel, but James won’t be one of the players who can take advantage of it. He’s a candidate to be released or put on injured reserve.
Seattle
Fourth-round pick Colby Parkinson suffered a broken bone in his foot and had surgery on June 2
Why It Matters: Parkinson is basically an oversized slot receiver, but he wasn’t in line for opportunities in the passing game with the signing of Greg Olsen and Jacob Hollister this offseason, along with the hopeful return to health from Will Dissly. He’s a candidate for injured reserve, but don’t forget about him in tight end premium dynasty leagues.
According to Mike Silver, the Seahawks have had internal discussions about signing Antonio Brown and Mike Garofolo of NFL Network added “Whether it’s Josh Gordon or Antonio Brown, there’s a strong sense the Seahawks will eventually take a chance to upgrade at receiver.”
Why It Matters: This would lower the top end outcomes for Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, and Greg Olsen, but increase the upside of Russell Wilson this year. Gordon is the more likely signing considering his history with the team, but he needs to be reinstated by the league first. Brown also has a possible suspension coming after multiple off-field trouble surfaced over the last year, but he has more upside as a fantasy receiver. There has been more buzz about Brown getting signed somewhere recently, so the buy-low window in early drafts and dynasty leagues is closing.
Tampa Bay
At least two Buccaneers players tested positive for coronavirus
Why It Matters: Florida is one of the hardest-hit states by coronavirus right now, and it’s likely this won’t be the end of hearing that players had positive results. Hopefully, the states with current outbreaks will be able to contain them by the open of training camp or we could see the start of the season delayed, as Albert Breer reported that several teams want the start of the season pushed back.