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| Thursday, March 28, 2024 |
| The NFL Annual League Meeting began this week and Jamey Eisenberg was able to glean a great deal of insight from coaches around the NFL .For those seeking to understand how coaches perceive their recent acquisitions in free agency, Jamey's AFC and NFC owners meeting articles provide interesting perspective. During the league meetings, coaches will often express their vision for newly acquired players. |
| Based on statements made by coaches during league meetings, Fantasy managers can begin to develop a plan for their respective drafts. Whether it's understanding a player's recovery timeline from injury, examining their role in a new offense, or postulating how a team will compensate for production they lost in free agency, Jamey has you covered with an in-depth review of the NFL Annual League Meeting. |
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| Fantasy Football AFC Buzz |
| Much of the New York Jets' success hinges on Aaron Rodgers' recovery from an Achilles injury. Additionally, if Mike Williams , still recuperating from last year's torn ACL, can replicate his 2021 performance, it could significantly boost the Jets' offense. Jets head coach Robert Saleh expressed optimism about Rodgers' readiness for OTAs but was cautious regarding Williams' status. |
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| Saleh mentioned that Williams still has a "long way to go" in his recovery but remains enthusiastic about his potential contribution to the team this season. Despite the Jets' quarterback challenges last season, Garret Wilson remained productive. With Rodgers returning and the addition of a true No. 2 wide receiver, Wilson could see increased opportunities for big plays in 2024, as defenses will be less inclined to double-team him. |
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| While the New York Jets have a clear starting quarterback, the Pittsburgh Steelers may have a quarterback competition brewing. The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Russell Wilson to a veteran's minimum one-year contract, then made a trade for Justin Fields. The Steelers gave up a sixth-round pick that could become a fourth-round pick contingent upon Fields' playing time. Contrary to popular belief, Wilson had a good season in Denver in 2023. He threw for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns against just eight interceptions prior to being released by the Broncos this offseason. |
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| Fields' 2023 season was nothing to sneeze at either. We got a glimpse of his potential as he was tied with Kirk Cousins for the league lead in touchdown passes following the first five games of the season. He then missed the next four games with a dislocated right thumb. Fields clearly has a ton of ability and while it's been widely reported that Fields is on a succession plan to eventually become QB1, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin did not rule out Fields as a candidate for the starting job this season. "Rest assured, when it's time to compete, Justin will be given an opportunity to compete, and we'll allow those guys to sort themselves out," Tomlin said. If Fields does become the starter, expect big things for Najee Harris who will likely become the biggest beneficiary of Fields presence in the lineup, thanks to his mobility. |
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| Much like the Steelers, the Tennessee Titans were busy during free agency as well. They signed wide receiver Calvin Ridley who will be paired with all-world wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins . According to Jamey Eisenberg, Ridley is worth drafting as a high-end No. 2 Fantasy receiver. Titans new head coach Brian Callahan echoed Jamey's sentiments when he highlighted Ridley's strengths during league meetings "His speed, his ability to get out of breaks, to separate, are all really kind of top level for the position in the league." |
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| The Titans also picked up running back Tony Pollard in Free agency. Callahan has stated that he aims to use Pollard and Tyjae Spears in a variety of ways this year and exclaimed they make a "pretty formidable 1-2 punch." What Callahan left out was who will get the lion's share of carries. Both backs will likely receive a fair share of work next season since they're seemingly interchangeable and can be used to keep each other relatively fresh. |
To get a better feel for where Pollard, Spears and others should be targeted in your next draft, be sure to check out Jamey's Fantasy Football AFC Buzz article that highlights the latest AFC news from NFL owners meetings. |
| Fantasy Football NFC Buzz |
| With the recent departure of Tony Pollard, the Dallas Cowboys are set to begin the season with Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Snoop Conner, and Malik Davis at the running back position. When it comes to the 2024 NFL Draft , the cupboard is relatively bare at the position, so there likely won't be many opportunities for the Cowboys to upgrade the position in the draft either. |
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| During league meetings, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy expressed that he was pleased to bring back Rico Dowdle but added that he'd like to supplement the running back room with more talent. "We're not done with that room by no means. Signing Rico back was important. He's definitely someone who was part of the 1-2 rotation last year. We have some young guys that will be a part of it also," McCarthy said. Dowdle scored at least 12.2 PPR points in each outing last season, but don't be surprised to see Deuce Vaughn step in and gets quality reps in 2024 as well. |
| The Cowboys may not know who to turn to at running back just yet, but the Green Bay Packers have their backfield all figured out. After signing Josh Jacobs to a four-year $48 million deal, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is, of course, excited about his rugged running style and high-volume potential, but he's also thrilled about the prospect of adding Jacobs' ability as a receiver. "Just studying him, I think there's more out there for him in regards to the passing game, using him out of the backfield. He's put some really good choice routes on tape. That's something we always try to get to," LaFleur said. |
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| Jacobs has two seasons in his career with at least 53 catches. He averaged 39.4 receptions in five years with the Raiders. With the move to Green Bay, Jamey believes Jacobs is a top-10 Fantasy running back heading into the season. With that said, Jamey encourages Fantasy managers to exercise caution when drafting Jacobs as the Packers are still very high on A.J. Dillon . LaFleur believes he has another high-volume running back in Dillon. Dillon could ultimately limit Jacobs' ceiling if he operates in a tandem with Jacobs, but Dillon is also a high-upside handcuff if Jacobs misses any time next season. |
| While the Packers added a major piece to their offense in free agency by acquiring Josh Jacobs, the Arizona Cardinals lost a couple of very talented wide receivers in Marquise Brown (Kansas City) and Rondale Moore (Atlanta). The Cardinals' wide receiver corps is seemingly headed for a complete overhaul and has become the favorite to land the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers. Unlike the running back position, there are so many talented wide receivers in the 2024 NFL Draft . This class is so deep at wide receiver that it probably wouldn't be hard to find another starter to pair with Harrison or Nabers as late as Round 4. |
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| Finding new weapons for Kyler Murray to throw to will be critical to the Cardinals' success in 2024. Murray suffered a torn ACL in 2022 but finished 2023 without injury. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is looking forward to Murray getting a full offseason of work to allow him to become more familiar with the offense. "Being in the spring and going through the spring, it's really going to help his development within our system," Gannon said. "He's going to bank all those reps in the spring. That's why I say his best football is ahead of him, which is interesting to say because he's playing at such a high level." Jamey has Murray penciled in as a top-10 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues and expects his value to rise after the Cardinals beef up their wide receiver corps in the 2024 NFL Draft. |
| For more quotes from coaches highlighting the strengths of their best players and new free agent acquisitions, take a moment to read Jamey's Fantasy Football NFC Buzz article featuring the latest NFC news from NFL owners meetings. |
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