Coming this summer!

The Las Vegas Raiders and two-time All-Pro punter AJ Cole agreed to a four-year, $15.8 million contract extension on Monday that includes $11 million guaranteed, multiple sources tell ESPN's Ryan McFadden. The deal makes Cole the highest-paid punter in the NFL. The 29-year-old previously signed a four-year, $12 million deal in 2021. The three-time Pro Bowler has been one of the top players at the position and has finished in the top five in yards per punt for four straight seasons. Cole was first in that category back in 2021, when he averaged 50 yards per punt. He is the latest Raiders player to receive a contract extension this offseason, joining All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby and new quarterback Geno Smith. Last year, Cole averaged 50.8 yards per punt attempt, which ranked second in the NFL. He also had 27 punts inside the 20-yard line.

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When asked when New York Giants rookie first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart will start, SNY's Connor Hughes said the earliest he could see the team turning to Dart as their starter would be in Week 10 against the Chicago Bears. In a perfect world, which would mean veteran Russell Wilson plays well all year, Dart wouldn't be the team's starter until 2026. Week 15 against the division-rival Washington Commanders is likely where the Giants hope they can get to before using Dart in 2025. Head coach Brian Daboll being on the hot seat could make this situation more unpredictable. Daboll could be more inclined to bring Dart in if both Wilson and Jameis Winston aren't getting it done under center in order to try and save his job. If Daboll feels his job is on the line, he could go to Dart before Week 10 to try and show the front office that Dart is indeed the franchise's future signal-caller.

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Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins is "at least" on the Pittsburgh Steelers' "radar" at the moment, even though free-agent QB Aaron Rodgers remains their preferred choice. The Steelers continue to wait for Rodgers to make a decision on whether he wants to play another season in the NFL. Cousins has $37.5 million in guarantees between 2025 and 2026, so the Falcons would need to offset some of that money to facilitate a trade. Fowler said that the feeling around the league is that Atlanta hasn't been willing to budge on that and haven't shown much interest in trying to trade Cousins this offseason. Right now, the Steelers might be the only hope for Cousins getting out of the backup role in Atlanta if something were to fall through between Rodgers and Pittsburgh. If Cousins is traded after June 1, the Falcons would save $27.5 million against the 2025 salary cap.

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Cleveland Browns rookie fifth-round quarterback Shedeur Sanders said that he and fellow rookie QB Dillon Gabriel, who was surprisingly taken in the third round of this year's NFL draft, are making the best of an unforeseen union and are "truly cool" with each other. "Everything's been cool," Sanders said. "He's a cool person. I like how he handles situations, especially just the negative media that's coming his way. I'm just happy he's positive, he's able to handle everything. We're truly cool." Sanders also said the two are "for sure" learning from each other in a unique QB competition in Cleveland this offseason that also includes veteran Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. Sanders' fall from being a potential top-five pick to going in the fifth round was the top story of this year's draft, and he has his work cut out for him to even land a backup role with the Browns.

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Cleveland Browns rookie second-round running back Quinshon Judkins is looking to make a mark on the franchise after winning the National Championship with the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2024 in his final collegiate season. "When I come to be a Cleveland Brown, I'm coming in to change the organization, contribute, do the best I can. I know what it takes to win, so I'm going to bring that mentality here to Cleveland and do the same thing," Judkins said. The 21-year-old had 1,000 rushing yards in all three of his college seasons and found the end zone 50 total times. With Nick Chubb now gone, rookies Judkins and Dylan Sampson will factor in alongside Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. in the backfield in 2025. In his rookie campaign with the Browns, Judkins is expected to take over the lead-back role, although Ford could work in most of the pass-catching situations.

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Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard, who signed a two-year deal with Chicago ahead of last season, said he "would love to be here long term, to finish my career with the Chicago Bears." Byard spent the first seven seasons of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans before playing with the Titans, Bears and Philadelphia Eagles the last two years. The 31-year-old veteran defensive back said he hasn't had any talks with the Bears about a contract extension after he had a career-high 130 tackles (80 solo), two sacks, five tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries in 17 starts with the team in 2024. The former third-rounder (64th overall) in 2016 out of Middle Tennessee State was a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro for the Titans in his second season in 2017 and repeated the feat in 2021. Byard has had at least 108 combined tackles in each of the last four years.

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Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown (knee) continues to be evaluated on a week-to-week basis as he recovers from the season-ending meniscus injury that he suffered last year, according to Joseph Person of The Athletic. Both Brown and head coach Dave Canales have emphasized that although they'd like to see the talented defender back on the field, they do not want to rush his recovery and rehab progress. He suffered the injury during Week 1 last year, putting an end to his season as soon as it had begun. In 2023, he made 103 tackles and registered two sacks while earning recognition as a Pro Bowler.

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Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams was seen taking reps with the first team during the portion of last Tuesday's OTAs that was open to the media, according to Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com. Williams signed with Dallas during the offseason, and their crowded backfield now features Williams, Jaydon Blue, and Miles Sanders, among other depth pieces. While this update from Yarrish could provide some insight into the Cowboys' backfield dynamic, it's important to note that the regular season is still several months away and the depth chart is destined to change. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer echoed this sentiment, saying, "It's too early to tell. Last year, we went into it thinking it's going to be by committee and then at the end of the year, we changed that." He noted that Williams and Sanders got an early jump on the competition by signing during the offseason, but even Blue has made impressive progress in the few weeks since being drafted.

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Tennessee Titans cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (knee, quad) continues to make progress and should be "ready to go for the fall," according to Jim Wyatt of the team's official website. His rehab workouts have included reps on the grass, and head coach Brian Callahan is reportedly pleased with the cornerback's progress. Acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs last offseason, Sneed was only healthy for five games during his first campaign with the Titans. Along the way, he made 23 tackles but failed to force a turnover.

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Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange said on the O-Zone Podcast that he's ready to step into a bigger role with Even Engram now longer in town. "I'm definitely ready for it," Strange said. "I have a lot of confidence in myself and I've always had a lot of confidence in myself. I feel like I'm always one of the best players on the field. I feel like that's the mentality I bring." In 17 games (10 starts) last year, Strange finished third on the team with 40 catches and second with 411 receiving yards while scoring twice. Johnny Mundt, Hunter Long and Quintin Morris, who are behind Strange on the TE depth chart, had 31 combined receptions in 2024. Strange certainly has opportunity, but he's unlikely to be better than the third target for quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the passing attack when he's not blocking. At best, consider Strange a TE2 with upside in fantasy.

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Free-agent running back J.K. Dobbins remains unsigned as we head towards June. It's worth noting that the Los Angeles Chargers placed an unrestricted free agent tender on Dobbins. That means, the Chargers have exclusive negotiating rights if Dobbins remains unsigned in late July. That being said, Dobbins will likely try to sign somewhere before then given the Chargers already have plenty of options in the backfield. The Chicago Bears appear to be a decent landing spot for Dobbins or Nick Chubb. The Bears need to add another complimentary back alongside D'Andre Swift. Between the two, Dobbins appears to be the safer bet given he's coming off a strong 2024 campaign. Dobbins nearly rushed for 1,000 yards while in a committee role with the Chargers. The 26-year-old would give the Bears more depth and another viable option in the backfield.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White opened last season as the No. 1 option in the backfield. That didn't last too long before 2024 fourth-round pick Bucky Irving took over as the lead back. Irving quickly ran away with the job as he posted 1,122 rushing yards with eight touchdowns in 17 games. White went from being the primary back to moving into a passing down back role towards the end of the season. Now, White recently posted a picture hinting that he's going to have one last ride in Tampa Bay. The former third-round pick is set to be a free agent after the 2025 campaign. White could reinvent himself elsewhere, but has struggled as a runner during most of his professional career. Fantasy managers should consider him a decent bench stash given his upside, but White probably won't offer anything more than RB4 value with Irving starting in 2025.

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard recently gave some thoughts on his new organization. Howard said that the Steelers need a new gritty guy like they had with Ben Roethlisberger. It sounds like Howard wants to be that guy, but it's unclear if he'll get the chance. There has been plenty of speculation throughout the offseason that the Steelers are going to sign Aaron Rodgers. Currently, the Steelers have Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson, and Howard as their quarterback room. They certainly need to add another accomplished quarterback to the mix. Howard has mentioned that he wouldn't mind learning behind Rodgers in Pittsburgh. Sadly, Rodgers is taking an extremely long time to make up his mind on what he wants to do.

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Free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers continues to be vague about where he wants to play, but at least addressed it on Saturday. A fan asked Rodgers if he would consider playing for the Chicago Bears, which he said no. The long-time Green Bay Packers quarterback has no interest in backing up Caleb Williams. However, Rodgers said there is a team that he might play in Chicago this year. Both the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers play in Chicago this upcoming season. The Steelers remain the most obvious choice, but for some reason the two sides still haven't come to an agreement.

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Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams is ready for a fresh start after inking a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the team in March. The 25-year-old showed promise during his inaugural season, finishing with 1,219 yards from scrimmage while combining for seven touchdowns. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in October 2022 and didn't look like the rookie version in his final two years in Denver. However, Williams recently reported he's finally feeling good after sustaining the injury nearly three years ago. "I feel completely like myself," said Williams. "I probably can get more flexible and things like that, but as far as healing up, that I feel like is done." The 2021 No. 35 overall pick is eager to prove himself, especially now that he feels as well as he did before the knee injury. The backfield is crowded in Dallas, with Miles Sanders signing with the club this offseason. Deuce Vaughn is also still on the roster, at least for now, and the Cowboys bolstered the backfield even more by adding Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah via the 2025 NFL Draft. Yet, it appears Williams is the early favorite to sit atop the depth chart heading into Week 1, considering he's taken the bulk of first-team snaps at OTAs. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer plans to utilize the run more often, so there could be plenty of reps for multiple backs. If anything, Williams seems to be in line to handle most of the touches to begin the 2025-26 campaign. With that in mind, the upside is there, but fantasy managers should be prepared to draft an insurance policy in case Williams cedes carries as the year progresses.

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) is "grateful" to be healthy. The wideout finished the 2023-24 campaign by amassing 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and totaling 14 touchdowns. However, he wasn't as productive last season, finishing with 101 grabs for 1,194 yards while finding the end zone only six times. Unfortunately, Lamb sustained an AC joint sprain in Week 9, an injury that plagued him for the remainder of the year while also causing his decline in production. However, he appears in good spirits and ready for Week 1. "I want to say a good five months of real recovery and rehab," said Lamb. "I don't know. I'm grateful to have two arms. I can tell you that." Lamb has seen his fantasy stock fall somewhat this offseason after regressing in 2024-25. Yet, if Lamb and Dak Prescott (hamstring) can both stay on the field this season, the 2020 No. 17 overall pick is in the running to reclaim his spot as the top fantasy receiver.

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Arizona Cardinals second-year wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who bulked up and added muscle to his frame this offseason, said he's confident in what the Cardinals offense can do in 2025. "I'm very confident in what we have offensively," Harrison said. "From top to bottom, the quarterback, offensive line, skill positions, I think we have everything we need to accomplish our goals." The 22-year-old fourth overall pick last year finished his rookie campaign with 62 catches, 885 yards and eight touchdowns, ranking fifth in receiving yards for a rookie. Harrison said he has spent plenty of time with quarterback Kyler Murray outside the facility as he continues to gain chemistry with him. Fantasy managers that draft him in 2025 will be hoping that his added strength will make him more of a contributor after the catch. Although his rookie year didn't live up to expectations, Harrison could easily take the next step in 2025.

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If New Orleans Saints rookie second-round quarterback Tyler Shough wins the team's QB competition this offseason and starts in Week 1 this fall, he would be the first Week 1 rookie starter for the organization since Archie Manning did it in 1971 after being taken second overall out of Ole Miss. After Derek Carr's abrupt retirement, Shough will be competing with Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener (oblique) for the starting gig under center after being taken 40th overall in the second round in April. He's the third-highest QB selection for the Saints in their history after taking Manning at No. 2 overall and Bo Burris at 27th overall in 1967. Perhaps giving Shough a leg up is the fact that he's old for a rookie -- he will turn 26 on Sept. 28 after seven seasons in college. Considering his draft status, Shough is considered the early favorite to win the job. If he does, he'll be a low-end QB2 in superflex fantasy leagues.

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Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (knee), who is recovering from the torn left patellar tendon he suffered in the wild-card round of the playoffs last season, has taken up ballet to become lighter and more agile. "There's way more flexibility, of course. Way more mobility," Dean said of the results of his ballet training. "It's definitely something that's helping with my rehab." Last year, Dean and Zack Baun were the Eagles' top two tacklers, with Dean contributing 128 to go with three sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception. The 24-year-old played a career-high 815 defensive snaps in 2024 in 15 games and was an elite run-stopper for Philly's strong defense. Dean finished as the No. 14 linebacker in IDP fantasy leagues in his third year in the NFL. He is likely to be ready for the start of the 2025 season this fall, but don't be surprised if the Eagles manage hi workload carefully early on.

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New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore said that tight end Dallin Holker (undisclosed) is dealing with a "minor" injury during OTAs. It's unclear exactly what is bothering Holker or if it will keep him out of mandatory minicamp in early June. The 25-year-old went undrafted out of Colorado State before debuting with the Saints last year. Holker mainly served as New Orleans' No. 3 tight end a year ago and caught only three passes on four targets for 21 yards in 12 games played (two starts). Foster Moreau (knee) is also sitting out of OTAs due to injury, which will lead to more reps for Juwan Johnson, Jack Stoll and Michael Jacobsen. If Holker is healthy for the start of the 2025 regular season, he'll once again serve as TE dept for the Saints and can be ignored in fantasy leagues.

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