The news cycle for the NFL has become year-round. To get an edge on your fantasy football leaguemates, let's take a look at the biggest NFL news stories from the past week.
News about AFC Teams
Denver Broncos News
WR Courtland Sutton did not report to the first day of voluntary workouts
Why It Matters: Sutton isn't as big a name as Justin Jefferson or CeeDee Lamb, but he actually could get moved during the draft. The Broncos already traded Jerry Jeudy for third-day picks this offseason, and both Jeudy and Sutton were rumored to be on the block last year. Sutton would only net a similar return with a $13 million salary this year, but he was more successful than Jeudy last year. The Broncos only have two picks in the top 120 this year, so they could be eager to add more picks at the cost of losing Sutton when they probably are still looking at being competitive two or three years down the line instead of this year.
Los Angeles Chargers News
The Chargers signed RB J.K. Dobbins (Baltimore) to a one-year deal.
Why It Matters: This makes sense for both sides. Dobbins is coming back from his second catastrophic injury, an Achilles tear, while the Chargers had Gus Edwards as their #1 back before this signing. Both Edwards and Dobbins played under offensive coordinator Greg Roman in Baltimore. Dobbins will be looking to prove that he can still make an impact in the NFL to set up a market for his services next year, and the Chargers should provide an opportunity for him to carve out a role. We'll need to wait to see the terms of the contract to see guaranteed money and structure to know if the Chargers see this as more of a tryout or have a dedicated place for Dobbins in their 2024 plans. The team is still likely to take a running back in next week's draft, perhaps even reuniting Blake Corum with his college coach, Jim Harbaugh.
Miami Dolphins News
The Dolphins will exercise WR Jaylen Waddle's fifth-year option.
Why It Matters: Miami is taking a different approach than Philadelphia, who signed Waddle's college teammate and fellow 2021 first-round pick DeVonta Smith to a three-year extension this week. The fifth-year option amount is estimated to be about $15.6 million by Overthecap.com, which would be a bargain by current wide receiver contract standards. There's a small chance that the Dolphins take a player from this excellent wide receiver class early enough to signal that they aren't certain about Waddle's long-term after 2025.
News about NFC Teams
Dallas Cowboys News
The Cowboys signed RB Royce Freeman (Los Angeles Rams) to a one-year deal.
Why It Matters: Freeman still has a pulse in dynasty leagues. As of right now, Rico Dowdle is his stiffest competition for touches, but the Cowboys are almost certainly going to draft a running back, likely on the second day. If that rookie Texas's Jonathon Brooks, there's always the matter of recovery from an ACL tear. Even if it's not Brooks, rookies aren't 100% reliable to take the spot on the depth chart in their first year that their team envisions when they take them, so Freeman could end up being relevant in fantasy leagues after reviving his career with the Rams last season.
WR CeeDee Lamb did not report to the first day of voluntary workouts.
Why It Matters: Lamb was the hottest receiver in football in the second half of the season and has earned a market-setting deal. The team's three other best players - Dak Prescott, Zack Martin, and Micah Parsons - are all set to have their contracts expire after this (Prescott) or next season (Martin, Parsons). The price for Lamb's services is only going to up the longer the team waits to find common ground on a contract, but the Cowboys made the same mistake by delaying Prescott's first contract after his rookie deal multiple years before signing him. It's still very unlikely that Lamb holds out into the season, but if there's an organization that could escalate a situation like this in a power play, it would be the Cowboys.
Minnesota Vikings News
WR Justin Jefferson did not report to the first day of voluntary workouts.
Why It Matters: If Lamb doesn't reset the wide receiver market, then Jefferson will, or they both will in succession. Unlike the Cowboys, the Vikings don't have a recent history of dragging their feet on deserved market-setting extensions, so this situation is much less likely to persist into training camp or the regular season. But we should monitor it until it is resolved nonetheless.
Philadelphia Eagles News
The Eagles signed WR DeVonta Smith to a three-year, $75 million extension.
Why It Matters: Howie Roseman has been doing work this offseason to keep the offense together for the foreseeable future. Now their quarterback, running back, top two receivers, right tackle, left tackle, and left guard are all signed through at least 2026, which helps stabilize the dynasty value of all of them. Smith has been a hit despite weighing only 170 pounds at 6-foot-0 at the combine in 2021, which has helped open the door for lighter receivers to be taken higher and used more early in their careers.
