If You Ain't First You're Last Playoffs

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Bub Means (ankle) said that he was cleared from his ankle injury in late January and is back to full speed as he prepares for his sophomore season in 2025. Means suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 8 and then had a setback that cost him the final nine games in the second half. The 24-year-old fifth-round pick (170th overall) caught nine of his 15 targets for 118 yards (13.1 yards per reception) and one touchdown in his seven games played (one start) in his first year in the NFL for the Saints. The Pittsburgh product emerged as an intriguing downfield threat for New Orleans in his rookie season and won't be hindered by his ankle this offseason as he prepares for what will hopefully be a bigger role in 2025. Means will most likely be a boom/bust receiver for fantasy purposes for a Saints team that still hasn't settled on a new head coach.

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The Washington Commanders announced on Thursday that they re-signed running back Michael Wiley to a Reserve/Futures deal. Wiley was an undrafted rookie out of the University of Arizona but eventually found his way onto the Commanders' practice squad during the 2024 season. The 24-year-old never got brought up to the active 53-man roster for a regular season game, though, and he will now look to continue his development this offseason in Washington before he makes his case for a roster spot in spring training this summer. Wiley stands at 5-foot-10 and 209 pounds and is a native of Houston, Texas.

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ESPN's David Newton reports that Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen plans to play in 2025. Thielen said at the end of the 2024 regular season that he was contemplating retirement, but after hinting toward a return recently, it appears that he will indeed return to the team next season. The 34-year-old veteran pass-catcher has one year left on the three-year, $25 million contract he signed with Carolina before the 2023 campaign. The two-time Pro Bowler had the third 1,000-yard receiving season of his career in his first year with the Panthers but regressed to 615 receiving yards and 48 receptions in 2024, although he also played in a career-low-tying 10 games due to a hamstring injury. Thielen won't be an upside target in fantasy, but his chemistry with young quarterback Bryce Young should not be discounted as a flex option in 2025.

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Former Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen is expected to join the Buffalo Bills coaching staff as a senior defensive assistant, according to Bruce Feldman of the Athletic. Nielsen spent the 2017 through 2022 seasons with the New Orleans Saints in various roles before running the Atlanta defense in 2023 and the Jacksonville defense in 2024. Both of his head coaches were fired after his lone season with the respective teams, so he's now set to join Sean McDermott in Buffalo. The Jaguars surrendered the sixth-most points per game in 2024 (25.6).

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The Seattle Seahawks and defensive lineman Leonard Williams have agreed to a restructured contract, according to team beat writer Corbin K. Smith. Seattle is converting $18.745 million of his salary into a bonus and adding two void years to the end of his deal. By doing this, Seattle drops his cap hit for 2025 by nearly $15 million. However, his cap hit will now jump to $29.6 million in 2026, and the Seahawks will carry $9.372 million in dead money in 2027 if he is not extended before the void years kick in. Williams, who was traded from the New York Giants during the 2023 campaign, registered 64 total tackles, 11 sacks, and a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown in 16 games in 2024 for Seattle.

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During an interview on The Pat McAfee Show during Super Bowl week in New Orleans, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson indicated that either a new deal or a trade are the only viable options for him moving forward. Hendrickson is heading into the final year of his deal in 2025 after leading the NFL in sacks (17.5), which earned him an All-Pro selection. This really isn't nothing new, as the 30-year-old star pass-rusher stated his desire for a new contract last year after a failed trade request. He also had 17.5 sacks in 2023. All four of Hendrickson's seasons in Cincy have resulted in Pro Bowl appearances, but he currently ranks 11th in annual salary among edge rushers. The Bengals have said that Hendrickson is a priority this offseason, but they will also be negotiating a bit-time contract extension for receiver Ja'Marr Chase and could be looking to re-sign receiver Tee Higgins as well.

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ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the Jacksonville Jaguars plan to hire former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, likely as their passing-game coordinator, according to sources. Waldron coached with new Jaguars head coach and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen with the Los Angeles Rams from 2018-20. Before serving as the Bears' offensive coordinator last season, Waldron served as the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator from 2021-23. He didn't make it through a full season in Chicago and was fired after just nine games. With the Rams, Waldron served as tight ends coach, pass-game coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2017-20. In Jacksonville, Waldron will work closely with first-time offensive coordinator Grant Udinski to hopefully help quarterback Trevor Lawrence bounce back in 2025.

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Speaking on Breakfast Ball, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said he believes in the organization and that the Bengals have the salary cap space to retain core players like receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins (impending free agent), defensive end Trey Hendrickson and tight end Mike Gesicki (impending free agent). Burrow added that he's motivated to keep the core of the team together and that he'd be willing to restructure his contract in order to make that happen. Although the Bengals couldn't overcome a dreadful start in 2024 to make the postseason, Burrow led the NFL in pass attempts (652), completions (460), passing yards (4,918), touchdown passes (43) and passing yards per game (289.3) in 17 games. Even without the elite rushing ability of QBs like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, Burrow finished as the QB2 in overall fantasy points and will be a top-five QB in drafts this fall.

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Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice (knee) is making good progress in his recovery from knee surgery, according to head coach Andy Reid.

Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter (illness) missed his media availability on Wednesday due to an illness, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Philadelphia has yet to release a practice report for Wednesday, so it remains to be seen if he took part in the first official session of the week. Needless to say, it would take a lot for a player to miss the Super Bowl, so it would be a shocking development if he wasn't ready to suit up against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The 23-year-old made his first Pro Bowl roster and earned a second-team All-Pro nod in just his second NFL season this year and will be a major factor in whether the Eagles can limit Patrick Mahomes by providing pressure against the Chiefs' stout interior offensive line.

Washington Commanders LB Dante Fowler led the Commanders with 10.5 sacks in 2024, and he ranked fourth in the NFL in sack rate among players with at least 200 snaps.

From TheHuddle

Atlanta Falcons WR Ray-Ray McCloud had a career-high 62 catches for 686 yards in 2024 after recording 90 catches for 768 yards in his first six seasons combined.

From TheHuddle

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Britain Covey (neck) was a full participant at practice to kick off their week of Super Bowl prep. The Utah product is working back from his second stint on injured reserve this season. Covey's first stay on IR came in late September for a shoulder injury. He'd eventually work his way back to the field in Week 12 but played just two weeks before sustaining a neck ailment that's kept him from action since. The team opened his practice window two weeks ago, though Wednesday was his first full session. The 27-year-old is not heralded for his pass-catching chops but is better known for his work as a kick returner -- a position he held for Philly over the past two seasons. If he can get healthy enough to suit up for Sunday's outing against the Kansas City Chiefs, that's likely the role he'll operate in.

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Philadelphia Eagles tight end C.J. Uzomah (abdomen) was listed as a full participant in Wednesday's team practice. The 32-year-old picked up an abdomen injury back in Week 17 and could not participate in team activities until last week when his 21-day practice window was opened. Fortunately, he's continued to practice fully, putting him on track to potentially be ready to go for Sunday's Super Bowl showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs. Considering Uzomah hasn't suited up in over a month, he'd likely be on a snap count even if he did play. Look for fellow tight ends Grant Calcaterra and E.J. Jenkins to continue rotating in behind Dallas Goedert on the Eagles' offense if that's the case.

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Per Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com, Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs told 97.3 The Game that he thinks his team should invest in a true standout WR1 moving forward. "We've got a really young group of receivers. All can be really, really, really special," said Jacobs. "But I think personally we need a guy...that we know is going to be a little bit more consistent." Green Bay enjoyed much success this season -- finishing 11-6 -- but could not gain any traction in the playoffs. Despite the Packers bolstering four wideouts aged 25 or younger that eclipsed 400 receiving yards in 2024, none of them reached the 1,000-yard mark. However, Green Bay did rank eighth in the league with 26.1 points per game and lost their best deep threat (WR Christian Watson) to a late-season ACL injury. We'll see if the Pack move to secure a new alpha with a few big-name free-agent wideouts available in 2025, such as Tee Higgins, Cooper Kupp, and Amari Cooper.

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Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo skipped last weekend's Senior Bowl to focus on the upcoming NFL draft and scouting combine later this month. Skattebo had a huge 2024 season for the Sun Devils, recording 1,711 rushing yards (5.8 yards per carry) , 605 receiving yards (13.4 yards per catch) and 25 total touchdowns while helping ASU to an 11-3 record and a Big 12 championship. The 23-year-old forced 102 missed tackles, behind only Ashton Jeanty among RBs last year. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound back is powerful but also has good hands, catching 69 passes in his two years at Arizona State. While he's a physical RB, Skattebo isn't expected to wow at the combine and isn't expected to come off the board in April's draft in the first couple of rounds. Skattebo will be hoping to improve his draft stock at the scouting combine in Indianapolis and at ASU's pro day.

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Skyy Moore (abdomen) was the only player on the team listed as limited in their first practice of the week on Wednesday. The Chiefs opened Moore's practice window last week to return from Injured Reserve potentially for the Super Bowl this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, although the Chiefs listed him as doubtful last Friday. The 24-year-old is going to have to upgrade to a full practice on either Thursday or Friday to improve his already dim chances of being activated from IR and suiting up this weekend in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX. He has been on IR since October with a core-muscle injury, so even if he were to be activated, he may not even see the field at all. Moore has so far been a bust for the Chiefs since being taken in the second round in 2022, catching 43 of 74 targets for 494 yards and one touchdown in three seasons.

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Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (triceps) said he remains on track to play on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in what will be his final NFL game, according to FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. Graham suffered a torn triceps in Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams and had surgery in late November, but he returned to limited practices last week and was also limited on Wednesday. The 36-year-old has a couple more days to prove to the Eagles coaching staff that he deserves to be activated from Injured Reserve by Saturday to play in the Super Bowl. The former first-rounder's return would be a boost to an already strong defense, but given his extended absence, we would expect Graham to be on a limited snap count if he's active. He had a career-high 11 sacks in 2022 but has just 6.5 sacks in 28 games since.

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Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell (concussion, knee) returned to practice on Wednesday and was limited. Gainwell suffered a concussion and knee injury in the victory over the division-rival Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship and was unable to practice at all last week. While his availability for Super Bowl LIX this Sunday in New Orleans against the Kansas City Chiefs is still up in the air, it's a good sign that Gainwell is back at practice to begin the week. The 25-year-old will likely need to upgrade to a full participant in practice by the end of the week, though, in order to be cleared by an independent neurologist to play in the Super Bowl. If Gainwell does gain clearance to play this weekend, he could have an even smaller workload behind starter Saquon Barkley and cede touches to third-stringer Will Shipley.

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Despite not practicing at all last week, Philadelphia Eagles tight ends Dallas Goedert (ankle) returned to a full practice session on Wednesday. TE C.J. Uzomah (abdomen) was also a full-go. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise after the Eagles didn't list Goedert on last Friday's final injury report. They were merely giving the 30-year-old tight end some extra rest in the extra week leading up to Super Bowl LIX. Goedert will be a full-go this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs and should remain a focal point of Philly's passing attack as the team looks to prevent the Chiefs from winning their third straight Lombardi Trophy. He was also listed with an ankle injury in the week leading up to the NFC Championship against the division-rival Washington Commanders, but he played and caught seven passes for 85 yards. Goedert has been busy with 15 receptions, 188 yards and a score in three postseason games this year.

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