February 2015 4for4 Player News Articles

It’s a “safe bet” the Broncos will be applying the franchise tag to receiver Demaryius Thomas, per a source with knowledge of the situation. While the two sides are talking, a deal currently isn’t expected in the next two days.

While the magnitude of the parties’ positions isn’t known, Thomas stands to earn $13 million fully guaranteed in 2015, if the tag is applied and if he signs the franchise tender. After the tag is applied, the Broncos and Thomas will have until July 15 to strike a long-term deal.

With three straight top 5 finishes in both PPR and standard formats, and Peyton Manning likely back under center, the 27-year-old Thomas is one of the “sure things” at the receiver position. He got off to a slow start in 2014, averaging just 4.3-47-.33 (11.0 PPR FP) in the first three games, but caught fire after his team’s bye, posting 7.5-114-.77 (23.5 PPR FP) over the final 13 weeks.

The Browns agreed to terms with Josh McCown, 35, on a three-year deal Friday after a bidding war between the Browns and Bills, who are now coached by Ryan.

McCown's signing decreases the chances that the Browns will re-sign Brian Hoyer, who's gone 10-6 for them over the past two years, including 7-6 this season.

McCown will likely serve as the veteran competition for Johnny Manziel. With the loss of Josh Gordon (suspension) for the year and the likely departure of Jordan Cameron via free agency, this is shaping up as one of the worst passing games in the league.

Colts WR Reggie Wayne had triceps surgery and is now rehabbing as he mulls whether to play in 2015.

After 10 straight top 25 finishes in PPR formats, Wayne finished #72 and #50 in the last two seasons, respectively. He missed half of the season due to an ACL tear in 2013 and played 15 games (but wasn't himself) last season. If he retires, Donte Moncrief figures to be the biggest beneficiary.

With all the talk of whether the Dolphins will bring back receiver Mike Wallace, Miami has cut its other starting outside receiver.

Brian Hartline has been released, the Palm Beach Post has confirmed.

It's clear that the Dolphins are intent on upgrading or at least changing the look of its WR corps. Jarvis Landry was the #30 WR in PPR formats (#42 in standard) and should be able to improve on those rankings with additional playing time likely to be available.

Falcons released RB Steven Jackson, per source.

Looking at the running back position, Kyle Shanahan presided over three stellar fantasy seasons in his seven years as an offensive coordinator. In 2008, while Shanny was the OC of the Texans, Steve Slaton turned 327 touches (50 receptions) into 1,659 yards and 10 touchdowns. (Slaton averaged 77.6 total yards on 15.9 touches in 2009.) In 2012, rookie Alfred Morris racked up 1,690 total yards and 13 touchdowns. He followed it up with 1,353 total yards and seven scores in 2013. Shanahan even coaxed 86.7 total yards (on 18.2 touches) from Ryan Torain in 2010 and 67.9 yards on 13.3 touches from Roy Helu in 2011. Freeman wasn't terribly impressive in his rookie season (248 yards rushing, 3.8 YPC), but he was active and effective in the passing game (30 catches for 225 yards), so a Slaton-esque season isn't out of the realm of possibility. With Jackson out of the way, GM Thomas Dimitroff said that there was “no question” that Freeman is ready to be the feature back in Atlanta.

WR Harry Douglas has been released by the Falcons, per a league source.

Even though he missed four games with a foot injury, Douglas was set to make $3.5 million in the final season of his contract and offered a relatively cheap insurance policy for Roddy White. It's possible that the Falcons plan to upgrade the position to prepare for White's retirement. This year's crop of free agent receivers is deep and talented.

Chiefs will be releasing TE Anthony Fasano later today, source says.

The move will open up starter's snaps for Travis Kelce, who didn't get heavy run until Week 11. Kelce played 54% of the snaps from Week 1 to Week 10, averaging 3.8 catches for 49 yards and 0.44 TD in that span. He played 86% from Week 11 on, posting 4.7 receptions for 61 yards and 0.14 TD over the final seven games of the season. The rise in fantasy points wasn’t as dramatic since his touchdowns didn’t increase with his playing time, but that should rectify itself in 2015. He was the #4 TE in both standard and PPR formats in the final seven weeks of the season and is likely to go in the top 5 at his position in 2015 fantasy drafts.

Eagles beat writer Jeff McLane on the team's negotiations with free agent WR Jeremy Maclin:

Maclin should be the No. 1 priority for the Eagles before free agency starts on March 10. They lose him and they’re really going to have to pay if they want to sign a free agent of comparable skill -- if there is one remaining. It shouldn’t come to that. Maclin wants to stay, the Eagles want him, and last I heard they weren’t significantly far apart. He should end up with a contract somewhere in the $9.5-$10 million a year range with most of around $20 million guaranteed in the first two years. If a deal can’t be struck by Monday afternoon, the Eagles will have to decide whether or not to use the franchise tag ($12.8 million). It’s unlikely the Eagles will want to pay Maclin that much over one season.

Maclin was the #9 wide receiver in both standard and PPR formats last season. However, he did most of his damage in the first eight games (46-801-8, #2 WR) and faded from Week 10 on (40-528-2, #23 WR). His targets dropped from 10.5 per game in the first half of the season to just 7.5 T/G down the stretch. If Maclin re-signs with the Eagles, fantasy owners should keep his late-season swoon in mind.

The suspension of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been overturned.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that U.S. District Judge David S. Doty has ruled in favor of Peterson, granting an NFL Players Association motion to vacate a previous ruling by Harold Henderson.

"Petition to vacate the arbitration award was granted," Judge Doty remarked, according to Rapoport. "Case was remanded for further proceedings ... as the (collective bargaining agreement) may permit."

The NFL says it will "review the decision" by Judge Doty to make Peterson immediately eligible. According to NFL Media's Albert Breer, the league has the ability to seek a circuit court injunction to keep Peterson from being reinstated.

Peterson's Vikings future remains murky. The former league MVP said in a recent interview he is "still uneasy" about rejoining the Vikings after the team helped expedite his placement on the Commissioner's Exempt List in September. The two sides could also reach a financial impasse -- Peterson is scheduled to earn a base salary of $12.75 million and count $15.4 million against the salary cap in 2015. Peterson has said he doesn't believe he should have to take a pay cut.

Peterson and the Vikings seem to be on the outs. He doesn't seem flexible about taking a pay cut, so the Vikings may cut him or attempt to trade him away. Peterson would likely have to agree to a restructured contract to convince another team to bite on a trade. He has been linked to the Dallas Cowboys. If Peterson is out of the way, then Jerick McKinnon would likely see the most running back touches for the Vikings, though they could add a runner in free agency or the draft. McKinnon was the team’s primary runner from Week 4 to Week 12, averaging 81.5 yards on 16.4 touches per game. During that span, he was the #25 RB in standard formats and #20 in PPR.

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome said he spoke with trainers about Dennis Pitta’s status this week, and their main message was that an answer on his availability won’t come until this summer. The Ravens likely won’t wait until they get that definitive answer to spur into action.

The Ravens want to re-sign Owen Daniels and they hope Pitta can play again, but they will certainly have contingency plans in place.

“Are we going to try to add some tight ends to this offense? Yes,” General Manager Ozzie Newsome said during Tuesday’s press conference.

Newsome’s comment made it clear that the Ravens will look outside the building to bring in new pieces over the next few months. This year’s draft is considered thin at the position, but the Ravens will keep a close eye on prospects who could help the offense this fall.

Daniels finished as the #18 tight end on 78 targets (which were 17th-most at his position). Pitta's availability is very much up in the air, and the Broncos are rumored to have interest in Daniels now that Gary Kubiak is the Broncos' head coach.

Lions cut RB Reggie Bush, per source.

After finishing in the top 20 for three straight seasons in PPR points per game (including #6 in 2013), Bush was #32 in that category last season. His departure should solidify Joique Bell's workload and give Theo Riddick the opportunity to shine as the team's primary passing down back. Bell finished #14 in standard formats and #13 in PPR, so he should continue to produce high-end RB2 numbers provided he stays healthy and the Lions don't make any major moves at running back. As for Riddick, he averaged 13.2 fantasy points (in PPR formats) in the five games that Bush missed last season. That's about what Fred Jackson averaged as the #17 running back in 2014.

If they can bring back Justin Forsett, the Ravens are expected to pair him with a young running back. They met with Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin), David Johnson (Northern Iowa) and Duke Johnson (Miami) at the NFL scouting combine.

"He doesn’t have the wear and tear, and Justin did a very good job of coming in, competing and then being our bell cow," GM Ozzie Newsome said. "We would like to retain Justin, but I’ve learned something since the end of the season about Justin that I didn’t really know. He has mentored some very good, young backs, starting with Arian Foster, Marshawn Lynch, Maurice Jones-Drew when he was in Jacksonville.

"Having Justin here, and with the opportunity also bringing in hopefully another young running back, to have Justin be around that guy would be an asset also. So, we will work to try to retain Justin.”

Under OC Marc Trestman, Matt Forte caught 176 passes in the last two seasons, including 102 catches in 2014. Forsett caught 44 passes last season, and could potentially see that number double if he's the RB1 for the Ravens in 2015. Depending on his asking price, re-signing the 29-year-old Forsett isn't a no-brainer for the Ravens, though he's not likely to garner a huge contract in free agency. As the #8 RB in both standard and PPR formats in 2014, he'll likely hold RB2-type draft value if he stays in Baltimore. If the Ravens draft a running back early, it would certainly damper Forsett's outlook in 2015.

Jordan Raanan on the Giants' receiving corps:

This has nothing to do with free agency, but wide receiver Rueben Randle remains part of the Giants plans despite a season where he was twice benched for a quarter because of tardiness to meetings. Randle is not being shopped after multiple run-ins last season with Coughlin.

The Giants are moving forward as if Randle is part of the future, with the hope that he can excel next season playing alongside Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz. Randle is still just 23 years old and the team was happy with the way he played late in the season, when they used him more as a downfield threat instead of the possession-receiver role he filled early in the season.

"I think Rueben gets banged on a lot. Sometimes he should get banged on, but I think he gets banged on sometimes a little too much," general manager Jerry Reese said. "I think he is a good, young player and all he needs are some chances. With Odell and Victor, I think he will get plenty of chances."

But if things don't work out with Randle or Cruz (returning from a serious injury), one player I was told to keep an eye out for was Marcus Harris. The Giants were close to using Harris as a starter (in three-wide-receiver sets) last year before injuries shut him down at the end of the summer for the season. The 25-year-old really impressed the Giants last spring and summer.

Randle finished #32 in PPR formats and #37 in standard despite seeing the 20th-most targets (127) on the year, so he wasn't very efficient in his targets. He finished the season with 12 catches for 290 yards and a touchdown in the final two games. He's probably not going to finish in the top 30 in 2015 if Cruz comes back healthy since Cruz and Beckham will likely dominate the targets.

The Carolina Panthers have released franchise leading rusher DeAngelo Williams, the running back told a Charlotte television station.

Williams told WBTV in an exclusive interview Monday that he was cut by the Panthers last week during a meeting with coach Ron Rivera and general manager Dave Gettleman.

"We sat down, and he told me, 'The fact of the matter is we're going to have to release you,'" Williams told the station. "I said, you know, 'Why?' and he said, 'Because we don't run the ball enough. Just like you said back before the season started, we don't run the ball enough to keep you and [Jonathan Stewart] both, so we're going to release you.'"

Carolina will save $2 million in salary-cap space by designating Williams as a post-June 1 cut. Williams has one year left on his deal and is scheduled to count $6.3 million against the 2015 salary cap.

Jonathan Stewart was tremendous down the stretch, averaging 105 total yards (97.0 rushing) in the final seven games, including two playoff games. He averaged 5.30 YPC in that span, including 5.13 YPC versus Arizona and 5.38 YPC against Seattle in the playoffs. Over the final five games of the regular season, he was the #10 fantasy running back. He turns 28 in March, so there is definitely some tread left on his tires. Even though he has missed 20 percent of his team's games due to injury throughout the career, he'll be a high-upside pick with Williams out of the way.

NFL.com asked Texans coach Bill O'Brien this week if Arian Foster, who will turn 29 in August, has reached the age where the Texans need to re-think how they use him.

"I think any time a player reaches that age of 30 or close to that age of 30, and you know that the guy can still play, you know that he is a very talented player," O'Brien said at the NFL Scouting Combine. "Arian is a very talented guy in a lot of phases. He can run the ball, he can catch the ball, he's a good pass protector, he's a smart football player, but you've got to manage him. How do you manage that? You manage him in practice. You manage him in the games.

"That's something we'll always take into account. We communicate with the player. We communicate with Arian. How are you feeling this week? What's ailing you? Things like that. You take a lot of hits at running back in this league. I think we just continue to communicate with Arian and manage it. He's got a lot of good football yet."

O'Brien went on to say he's high on both Alfred Blue and third-down back Jonathan Grimes, though he didn't rule out adding a new face.

Foster averaged 22.9 touches per game (the 4th-highest workload in the league) and scored 0.79 fantasy points per touch (13th among the top 60 running backs). From a fantasy points per game standpoint, he was #2 in standard formats and #4 in PPR, so he's still playing at a very high level when healthy. However, he missed three games in 2014 and eight more in 2013, and has only played 14 or more games once in his last four seasons. Alfred Blue averaged 23.0 touches for 103 total yards in the three games that Foster missed, so unless the Texans go another direction at the position, Blue is a must-handcuff for Foster owners. It sounds as if the team will try to limit Foster’s workload as he enters his age 29 season, but he should easily average 18-20 touches when healthy.

Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins had 76 catches for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns and his numbers would have been even better if he hadn’t slumped to the finish line with two catches for five yards in Week 17. Hopkins had a decent excuse for the poor finish to the year, though.

He was listed on the injury report with a wrist injury and revealed during an interview with Sports Radio 610 in Houston that he had surgery to repair a torn ligament after the season. Hopkins said that he had a pin and rod inserted into the wrist that was set to be removed on Saturday and that he expects to get back to regular activities in a couple of weeks.

Hopkins finished as the #14 WR in both standard and PPR formats even though the Texans’ quarterbacks finished 17th in both touchdowns thrown and yards per attempt. Assuming the team gets similar play from the position in 2015, Hopkins should continue to produce solid to high-end WR2 numbers even though he continues to play second-fiddle to Andre Johnson in the passing game.

Titans QB Zach Mettenberger says he's been throwing, shoulder is 100%.

Mettenberger averaged 272 yards, 1.8 touchdowns and 1.0 interception in the four games that he started and finished. He was also on pace for 329 yards and 1.8 TD against the Texans in Week 13 before missing nearly half the game with a shoulder sprain. He wasn’t effective against the Giants in Week 14 before re-injuring his shoulder. For the most part, what we saw was encouraging, especially since he was just a rookie. If the Titans enter the season with Mettenberger as the starter, then we can expect the solid QB2 numbers that he posted in 2014 -- he’ll be a committee and/or streaming candidate.

CFL WR Duron Carter has generated interest in dynasty leagues since signing with Indianapolis, but general manager Ryan Grigson made it clear he hasn’t done anything yet in the NFL. 2nd year WR Donte Moncrief has already showed fantasy potential as a rookie. Head coach Chuck Pagano said he expects a “big second year” from Moncrief and the “sky is the limit”. In the early offseason, Moncrief is definitely ahead of Carter in the fantasy pecking order, with both obviously behind T.Y. Hilton.

Moncrief played at least 50 percent of his team’s snaps in six games as a rookie. In those games, he averaged 3.0 catches for 50 yards and 0.50 touchdowns, but that split includes both huge games (3-134-2 vs. Washington, 7-113-1 vs. Pittsburgh) and disappearing acts (a goose egg vs. Houston, 2-5 vs. Dallas, 3-16 vs. Tennessee), so his production was all over the place. With a year of growth and (potentially) starter’s snaps, Moncrief is a breakout candidate in 2015, provided he can hold off Carter.

Bills RB Bryce Brown – who played in just seven games, rushing 36 times for 126 yards in 2014 – GM Doug Whaley said he’s got a “clean slate” with a new coaching staff led by Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

“We’re excited to see him come in with a clean slate like everybody else and perform like we think he should,” Whaley said.

It doesn't sound as if Whaley is particularly excited about Brown's prospects if C.J. Spiller walks this offseason.

Mike McCarthy understands why a certain segment of the Green Bay Packers fan base loves wide receiver Jeff Janis so much. After all, the Packers head coach likes the 2014 seventh-round draft pick’s talent and potential as much as anyone.

But, McCarthy said Thursday at the annual NFL Scouting Combine, although Janis certainly made a splash in preseason, he needs to make a jump in the offseason and develop his raw football talent in order to be a contributor in 2015.

And McCarthy believes that’s going to happen.

“I think Jeff is going to take a big step,” McCarthy said during a nearly hour-long session at a hotel restaurant with reporters who regularly cover the team. “He’s got a big catching radius, and he needs to utilize it. Obviously, I think we all saw his vertical speed. He’s an extremely physical young man. He’s an Olympian in the weight room. He’s got a lot of raw skill, and I look for him to make that jump.”

“I thought probably after Thanksgiving, I thought Jeff really picked it up [in practice]. He was more comfortable, and so I look for him to take a step. He’s got to play with extension. That’s the one thing he has to do a better job of. But you can see it on the scout team, and at the end of the year he was running some really good routes. Really good routes.”

This may explain why the Packers haven't already locked up Randall Cobb to a long-term deal. If he walks, the team will lack experience in its receiving corps, turning to Davante Adams and potentially Janis to play big snaps.

Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff said Devonta Freeman can be the team's featured back.

Looking at the running back position, new OC Kyle Shanahan presided over three stellar fantasy seasons in his seven years as an offensive coordinator. In 2008, while Shanny was the OC of the Texans, Steve Slaton turned 327 touches (50 receptions) into 1,659 yards and 10 touchdowns. (Slaton averaged 77.6 total yards on 15.9 touches in 2009.) In 2012, rookie Alfred Morris racked up 1,690 total yards and 13 touchdowns. He followed it up with 1,353 total yards and seven scores in 2013. Shanahan even coaxed 86.7 total yards (on 18.2 touches) from Ryan Torain in 2010 and 67.9 yards on 13.3 touches from Roy Helu in 2011. Freeman wasn't terribly impressive as a runner in his rookie season (248 yards rushing, 3.8 YPC), but he was active and effective in the passing game (30 catches for 225 yards), so a Slaton-esque season isn't out of the realm of possibility. If the Falcons stand pat at running back, he'll have some middle round appeal, assuming his role looks to be bigger than Steven Jackson's.

While the Minnesota Vikings have tried to pave the way for Adrian Peterson's return to the team through numerous comments from top officials in the last week, the running back remains undecided about his future with the team.

Peterson told ESPN on Thursday night he is "still uneasy" about the prospect of returning to the Vikings in 2015, saying the organization working with the NFL to put him on the commissioner's exempt list last September made him question how much support he had from the team for whom he has played his entire career. The 2012 NFL MVP called that decision an "ambush," adding, "There were people (in the organization) that I trusted, who knew exactly what was said, that weren't heard from" in the decision-making process.

"I know there are a lot of people in the organization who want me back," he said. "But then again, I know the ones who don't. It's a difficult transition, and it's not just about me. I have a wife who was able to sit back and see how people in Minnesota said this and said that, how media in Minnesota took the head of the situation with my child, and were digging into things that weren't even relevant. That wasn't people in Texas -- it was people in Minnesota that dug in and brought things out. That impacted me, but most importantly, it impacted the people around me -- my family, my kids. This came from the state I love so much, that I wish to bring a championship to? This is how they treat me when I'm down and out? You kick me? My wife (and I), we've had several conversations about me returning to Minnesota, what the best options are. If I left it up to her, I'd be somewhere else today, and that's with her weighing everything. It's a lot for me to weigh; she understands that. But there are some things that I'm still uneasy about."

It sounds as if Peterson isn't happy with the way things went down last season, and is partly blaming the Vikings. In the end, it's his own fault, but he's not happy with the way the Minnesota media handled the fallout. The team wants to reduce his cap charge, but it doesn't sound like he's too interested in making amends.

Jaguars HC Gus Bradley... (on running back Denard Robinson being a top option in 2015)

"He was a pleasant surprise for us [in 2014] after his first year. He came back stronger and bigger and really shocked us. He had a couple of games in a row [of 100 yards rushing] where he did some really nice things for us and it was unfortunate he had the [foot] injury at the end. We’re really pleased with his progress and we’re hopeful that he takes the next step. Where that takes him in the rotation, that’s yet to be seen. He’s doing a great job coming back from his injury. The future is bright for him."

(on running back Toby Gerhart and if he can salvage a role in 2015 after a non-productive 2014)

"He’s done a good job. With a new offensive staff, that’s what we’re in the process of doing right now – looking at everybody’s strengths and how to best utilize those. Toby’s done a nice job for us. I know people may consider him a third down-type back or a short-yardage, situational back but we saw him do enough good things on first and second downs that he’ll have a place with us. He is a different style of back and we’re putting tougher an offense that best utilizes his strength."

Robinson averaged a solid 4.3 YPC on 135 carries, while Gerhart struggled to 3.2 YPC after suffering an early season foot injury. He did average 3.9 YPC from Week 9 on, and 4.0 YPC over the final six games, so things improved as he started to get healthy. Gerhart has a career 4.3 YPC, so he's probably better than he showed last season. We're currently expecting a RBBC with Gerhart and Robinson each getting a fair share of the workload.

Not that there was ever really a doubt, but Vernon Davis figures to return to the San Francisco 49ers next season.

Even after a down year that had the two-time Pro Bowl tight end rated as a “bad” player in a joint ESPN NFL Nation/Pro Football Focus project last month.

“Absolutely, absolutely,” Niners general manager Trent Baalke told a group of Niners reporters Tuesday, per the Bay Area News Group, at the NFL combine in Indianapolis when asked if he envisioned Davis on the team next season.

Davis is a talent, but the team didn't do a good job of using him last season. His 50 targets were his fewest since 2008, and his usage was way too low considering he has finished in the top 8 at his position in four of the last six seasons. He was targeted just once in the red zone after seeing 20 red zone targets in 2013. It's up to new OC Geep Chryst (formerly the team's QB coach) to get Davis more involved in the offense.

Dennis Pitta’s status came up again with Ravens coach John Harbaugh on Wednesday, but there’s no more clarity about the situation. Harbaugh said there’s “really nothing definitive” from doctors at this point regarding Pitta’s ability to return to the field and that he only wants Pitta to be able to do what’s best for Pitta.

“His hip is fully recovered in the sense that the blood flow is there and there’s no lingering problem from either one of the injuries,” Harbaugh said, via the Baltimore Sun. “So, he’s in great position to live a great life, which is the main thing. Whether it goes to the next step and he wants or is able to play football, that will be up to them. I’m like you. I’m waiting to hear.”

The Ravens need to deal with free agent Owen Daniels and make plans for the position that don’t include Pitta, but Pitta’s guaranteed $4 million contract means there’s no specific time pressure looming over the ultimate decision about his future.

It sounds as if the team are in 'wait-and-see' mode. For now, add the Ravens to the list of teams looking to shore up the tight end position.

Four games into the 2014 season, C.J. Anderson was the Broncos' No. 4 running back who didn't get to dress against the Arizona Cardinals.

By season's end, Anderson was a Pro Bowler. But Anderson started the final eight games with John Fox as head coach. Gary Kubiak is the Broncos' coach now.

Will Anderson start the 2015 season as the No. 1 running back, ahead of Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman?

"He's got to go earn that," Kubiak said. "When he walked off the field last year he was playing that way. He's a young player. I told him that when I talked to him. I said, "C.J. when you come back for the offseason you need to handle yourself like you're the starter. ... I think he's ready to do that."

This is a common motivational tactic that coaches use with young, less-established players, but Anderson should be the team's RB1 in 2015 provided he doesn't report to OTAs out of shape. He began to see starter-type touches in Week 10 with 17 touches for 163 yards and a touchdown against the Raiders. Over the final eight weeks, he averaged 24.0 touches for 132 yards and 1.3 TD, and was the #1 RB in that span. If the Broncos commit to Anderson, he should thrive under new Kubiak, who just coaxed a career year out of journeyman Justin Forsett. Provided QB Peyton Manning returns for another season, Anderson’s production should continue.

Browns coach Mike Pettine visited Johnny Manziel in the treatment facility the quarterback checked into last month to let him know the team is proud he decided to seek help and he has the Browns’ support.

“He’s in a much better place now than before he went in,” Pettine said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “He’s very determined to come out of it in a much better way.”

Despite that support, Pettine acknowledged the Browns are looking for other options at quarterback.

“It’s a position we’re going to look to address,” he said. “All options are on the table.”

Given the importance of the position, the Browns are wise (yes, wise) to continue to try to add talent at quarterback. Manziel still may turn into a capable starter, but at this point the franchise can't count on that happening.

Broncos HC Gary Kubiak "really, really liked" WR Cody Latimer when he spent time with him prior to the 2014 Draft. "I think a lot of his ability," Kubiak added.

Latimer is a player to monitor this offseason, especially if Wes Welker retires and Emmanuel Sanders moves inside. Latimer had a disappointing rookie season and wasn't even able to beat out Andre Caldwell. However, it takes time to earn Peyton Manning's trust, and the franchise didn't draft him in the second round to ride the proverbial pine.

The quarterback competition that Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden discussed after the season apparently has ended. Gruden told reporters at the NFL scouting combine Wednesday that Robert Griffin III will enter next season as the starter.

"We'll go into the season with Robert as our No. 1 guy," Gruden said. "It's up to Robert to continue to grow and mature as a quarterback and as a person. Moving forward we want to see improvement. It's up to us as a staff to get more out of him."

RG3 averaged 12.0 fantasy points in the six games that he started (and finished) in 2014. That's what Blake Bortles averaged as the league's #24 fantasy quarterback. We know Griffin is capable of more, but he hasn't been the same player since his rookie season. Specifically, he's not running the ball as often or as effectively.

As PFT reported earlier, the Cardinals have gained nearly $13 million in cap space thanks to a new deal with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, guaranteeing that one of the franchise’s icons will remain in the fold after months of uncertainty because of Fitzgerald’s salary and cap hit for the 2015 season.

PFT has learned a bit more about the deal via a league source. Fitzgerald’s old deal ran through the 2018 season and was set to pay him a non-guaranteed $16.5 million in 2015 while counting $23.6 million against the cap. He was also set to make a non-guaranteed $15 million salary.

That deal has been replaced by one that guarantees Fitzgerald $11 million per year over the next two seasons.

$11 million per season is a high price to pay for a soon-to-be 32-year-old who is coming off of his worst fantasy season of his career. However, there is a reason for optimism: Fitzgerald averaged 5.3 catches for 81 yards and 0.33 TD in six games with a healthy Carson Palmer. Extrapolate that pace over a full season, and it's about what Mike Evans (PPR) and Golden Tate (standard) scored as last season's #13 WR. Assuming Palmer is good to go, Fitzgerald could be a nice middle round value heading into 2015 fantasy drafts.

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin’s end-of-season assessment of WR Martavis Bryant, who was inactive for the first six games of his rookie year only to come on to catch 26 passes for 549 yards (21.1 average) and eight touchdowns was on point. “I saw growth in him. And that growth came with snaps,” said Tomlin. “I would imagine he is going to get more opportunities to grow with those snaps. The thing is, he has to continue to grow and have an open mind. He has to acknowledge that he doesn’t have all the answers. Sometimes that is seemingly more difficult than it appears. He probably has less anxiety now than he did nine or 10 months ago because there are less unknowns. Sometimes that’s a good thing for men, and sometimes that’s a bad thing for men. I am going to be watching him very closely as he proceeds.” If Bryant remains the coachable individual he was in 2014, he can develop into a dynamic NFL receiver.

Bryant averaged 2.8 catches for 56 yards and 0.82 TD in the final 11 games of the season (including a 5-61-1 outing against Baltimore in the playoffs). Thanks to the incredible touchdown rate, those are high-end WR2 numbers in standard formats and solid WR2 numbers in PPR. What's more, he didn't play 60 percent of the snaps until the postseason, so there's upside here from a playing time standpoint. If he earns a starting role this offseason -- and it looks like he will -- he’ll be a middle round pick in 2015 fantasy drafts.

Raiders RB Latavius Murray will be given every chance to show he can be a feature back, but HC Jack Del Rio said it's far from a done deal. He'll give Maurice Jones-Drew a chance to rejuvenate his legs, but he's a question mark based on last season's 2.2 yards per carry average. Darren McFadden is an unrestricted free agent.

We don't think that Murray will need extra chances to prove he's a feature back. He rushed 82 times for 424 yards (a 5.2 YPC) and two touchdowns, including an incredible four-carry, 112-yard, two-TD performance against the Chiefs in Week 12. He still averaged a solid (if unspectacular) 4.0 YPC when that game is excluded. With good size (6'2", 223 lbs) and great speed (4.38 40-yard dash), Murray has all the physical tools to succeed at the position. He even showed solid hands with 17 receptions on 23 targets.

At tight end, the Packers like what last year's third-round pick, Richard Rodgers, showed late in the season, when he became more involved in the offense, but it's still too early to say whether he'll be the playmaker that Jermichael Finley was before his neck injury. Behind Rodgers and Andrew Quarless, the Packers are thin. Once a promising prospect, Brandon Bostick was released on Monday, a month after he botched the onside kick recovery in the NFC Championship Game.

Neither Rodgers nor Quarless established themselves as a consistent threat as a fantasy tight end. The Packers may look to shore up the position this offseason.

Julius Thomas' representatives, with his back-to-back seasons of 12 touchdown receptions, are looking to move him into the upper reaches of the pay-grade at the position. With a long list of free agents that includes wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, the Broncos are not expected to put a better offer in front of Thomas than he could get elsewhere.

Thomas finished with the 4th-highest PPG in standard formats in each of the last two seasons, but he missed two games in 2013 and three more (plus reduced snaps in three additional games) in 2014. His value is likely to take a hit if he signs elsewhere.

Since Carson Palmer's injury there has been plenty of optimism, from himself as well as Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians, over the idea that he will be ready to go when the new season begins.

Friday, as a guest of Doug and Wolf on Arizona Sports 98.7 F for Newsmakers Week, GM Steve Keim had a similar tone.

"He's awesome," Keim said. "He came in, I believe it was yesterday and I talked to him at length, he's more energized than ever and he looked fantastic.

"It looks like he put on some lean muscle; he is working his tail off. And I know he's at a point in his rehabilitation process where he's doing some running and he's ahead of schedule. And again, he's more energized than ever."

Palmer averaged 271 yards, 1.8 touchdowns and 0.5 interceptions in six 2014 starts, or 17.2 fantasy points per game. Those are fringe QB1 numbers, so if Palmer is good to go for 2015, he'll be on the radar as a late-round value for those owners looking to stream or form a committee at the position. Keep an eye on the Larry Fitzgerald situation -- if he parts ways with the team, it's going to be a blow to Palmer's upside.

Contrary to a report last week, Broncos receiver Wes Welker is not mulling retirement.

Welker, who ranks 20th all time among receivers with 890 career catches, said Monday he intends to play on.

"Just getting ready for 2015," Welker told The Denver Post via text.

FoxSports.com cited sources in its report on Feb. 10 that Welker was considering retirement.

"Never ever came out of my mouth," Welker said.

Where Welker plays is uncertain. He becomes an unrestricted free agent on March 10.

Welker's numbers were way down last year (49-464-2) compared to his first season in Denver (73-778-10) even though he played one additional game. The Broncos' pass attempts dropped by 10 percent, and Welker's targets took the biggest hit. We don't expect him to be back in Denver, especially if the team is serious about getting Cody Latimer more involved. Emmanuel Sanders can play the slot with (free agent) Demaryius Thomas and Latimer playing on the outside.

Jerick McKinnon entered December with not only a spot near the front of the NFL’s rookie rushing ranks, but also a painful lower back injury.

While many of his teammates headed home after the season or to exotic locales much warmer than Minnesota, the Georgia native has stayed in the Twin Cities so he can rehab his injury at Winter Park with the team’s athletic training staff. He has only a couple more weeks left before the process is completed.

“It’s been pretty good. It’s been a long process, but that’s just the way it goes after surgery. I’ve been here all offseason working really hard,” McKinnon said last week in a phone interview. “I’ve just been in the training room with [assistant athletic trainer] Tom Hunkele pushing myself to the limit and just trying to get back ready. It’s been a long grind but it’s definitely working.”

There have been no setbacks, and McKinnon says he will be ready to participate without any limitations in the offseason workout program, which can begin April 20.

McKinnon was the team’s primary runner from Week 4 to Week 12, averaging 81.5 yards on 16.4 touches per game. During that span, he was the #25 RB in standard formats and #20 in PPR. However, he failed to score a touchdown while Matt Asiata found the endzone 10 times. Asiata is a restricted free agent, so he should be back in 2015. Adrian Peterson is also under contract, but his future in Minnesota is cloudy. If Peterson leaves town and McKinnon enters the season as the team’s primary back, then low-end RB2 numbers are within reach.

Jaguars WR Allen Robinson’s late-July hamstring injury kept him out of every preseason game. But he had at least four catches in each of his last nine games and was targeted 10 or more times in four games. Robinson had eight “explosive” receptions and played 516 snaps.

Robinson underwent surgery in November for a stress fracture but is expected to be full-go when the offseason program starts in April.

“He’ll have an offseason, an OTA, a training camp and should be able to accelerate his game,” WR coach Jerry Sullivan said. “The thing about all these young guys, they come out of college, they train for the Combine and then they train for each team that wants to work them out. Now they can really compartmentalize what they need to do.”

Robinson averaged 5.2 catches for 61 yards and 0.22 TD from Week 2 to Week 10, which extrapolates to an 84-9774-3.6 over the course of a full 16-game season. Those are fringe WR2-type numbers. The Jacksonville receiving corps should feature Robinson, Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns and perhaps Justin Blackmon. If QB Blake Bortles can progress, this could be a dangerous passing game.

Giants beat writer Dan Graziano: They really like Larry Donnell and believe he's in the midst of developing into a very good player. They like his athleticism and his size, and most of all they really believe in his offseason dedication and determination to work on and learn the things he still needs to learn. Donnell made a huge leap from 2013 to 2014, and the Giants believe that his offseason work ethic will lead to another big leap in 2015. They believe they have not only a starter, but a future star in Donnell.

Donnell finished the season as the #11 TE in both standard and PPR formats, but did not crack 60 yards or find the endzone in the final six games. He had the 17th-most targets (5.2 T/G) over that span, after seeing the 7th-most (6.1 T/G) in the first 11 weeks. He'll continue to be a red zone threat, but with Odell Beckham and a presumably healthy Victor Cruz gobbling up targets, Donnell is unlikely to see more than six looks per game in 2015.

The team will not exercise its option on running back Chris Johnson and he can become an unrestricted free agent on March 10.

Johnson's release is not a surprise, though there are now approximately 179 touches up for grabs in New York. The team has been linked to free agent C.J. Spiller, who had his best season (250 touches, 1703 total yards, eight touchdowns) under new Jets OC Chan Gailey back in 2012. If the Jets sign Spiller, he would form a one-two punch with Chris Ivory, who rushed for 821 yards (on 4.1 YPC) last season.

The Seattle Seahawks are willing to pay big money to keep Marshawn Lynch. The question is whether Lynch's health will ultimately determine his NFL future.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Friday's edition of NFL Total Access that Lynch's back issues are chronic and will be a major factor in his decision-making this offseason, according to people close to the star running back. Lynch has compressed cartilage in his back, a condition that will not heal and can get worse as a result of Lynch's punishing running style.

It seems quite possible that Lynch hangs 'em up this offseason, but we may not know for sure until we get deeper into the summer. The Seahawks have Robert Turbin and Christine Michael under contract in 2015. Michael (career 4.9 YPC) has been considered the heir apparent, but he's been consistently running behind Turbin (4.0 YPC), who's physical style more closely resembles Lynch. The team may be active at the position in free agency and/or the draft, and their actions will give us a better indication of how they feel about Lynch's availability heading into the 2015 season.

If the Broncos continue emphasizing three-WR sets, and Wes Welker does not return, there's a role for WR Cody Latimer, perhaps lining up outside with Emmanuel Sanders moving into the slot in that package, or even in the slot, on routes like the one he ran in Dallas in the preseason finale last summer.

One aspect of Latimer's skill set that must be noted is his blocking ability, considered by some to be the best among last year's wide receiver class. If he can take his outside blocking skills and transfer them to the inside -- not as a tight end, but standing up in a tight slot alignment -- then the Broncos could have the blocking effectiveness of a two-tight end set with a three-wide receiver formation.

Latimer is unproven, but presents possibilities that the new coaching staff will likely explore.

Latimer is a player to monitor this offseason, especially if Welker retires and Sanders moves inside. Latimer had a disappointing rookie season and wasn't even able to beat out Andre Caldwell. However, it takes time to earn Peyton Manning's trust and the franchise didn't draft him in the second round to ride the proverbial pine.

According to Preble County court records, Indianapolis Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw was cited for marijuana possession and following too close.

It's possible that the Colts still may want to bring the highly-effective yet injury-prone Bradshaw back in 2015. Through the first nine weeks, Bradshaw was the #6 RB in standard formats (#5 in PPR). He averaged 79 total yards and 0.88 TD per game (including six receiving scores).

Peyton Manning reassured Denver Broncos officials, including general manager John Elway, that he is physically and mentally prepared to play at a significant level in 2015, league and team sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

The two sides met Thursday in Denver and while retirement technically remains an option for Manning, it is not one he expressed to Elway and CEO Joe Ellis, sources said.

Manning took it upon himself to get a comprehensive evaluation from a renown performance manager and trainer, Mackie Shilstone, during the past 2½ weeks in New Orleans. Shilstone, who was worked with several elite athletes in the latter stages of their careers, has given the quarterback a strong assessment based on numerous workouts and tests, a source said.

The quad injury that plagued Manning at the end of the 2014 season is fully healed.

Manning first popped up on the injury report with a thigh injury after Week 15 (vs. San Diego). When looking only at his first 13 games, Manning averaged 301 yards, 2.8 TD and 0.8 INT, or 21.4 fantasy points per game. That would have been good enough for the third-highest average if he were able to keep that pace. In the final three weeks, including the game in which he injured the thigh, Manning averaged 272 yards and just 1.0 TD versus 1.3 INT. Even with the reduced production, Manning finished as the #4 quarterback in 2014. If he's fully healthy and ready to go, we'd expect him to be selected in the top 5 in 2015 fantasy drafts, though the Broncos' activity in free agency (namely re-signing Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas) will impact his value.

Steelers star running back LeVeon Bell is expected to be suspended for the first two games of next season as a result of his August arrest on marijuana charges, sources told ESPN NFL Insider John Clayton.

Bell was shaping up as the top overall pick in 2015 fantasy drafts, but a potential two-game suspension will cause his draft stock to take a hit. It's difficult to draft a player who is going to miss at least two games in the first round.

Steven Jackson, who turns 32 in July, is likely to be released with one year left on his contract. The move would save the Falcons $3.75 million against the salary cap. And the Falcons no doubt want younger, fresher legs in Kyle Shanahan's offense.

If the Falcons part ways with S-Jax, it could be a sign that they're ready to hand Devonta Freeman the keys. They are also likely to address the position in free agency or the draft, but the quality of the signee/draftee will give us an idea of what Freeman's role might be.

Greg Cosell compares Raiders QB Derek Carr to the rest of his rookie class...

I think Carr has the best combination of arm strength, pocket play and movement. He has a really good arm. There are times he snaps it off like Aaron Rodgers in the pocket.

Carr’s tendency to get rid of the ball short isn’t a bad thing. The Raiders’ sack numbers were way down. He didn’t stand there and hold the ball with a deer-in-the-headlights look. That tells me his processing was functioning. He didn’t always throw to the right guy, but he didn’t get stuck in the pocket. He struggled at times with lower body mechanics, but he had the instincts and feel of a pocket quarterback. And he showed progress with his lower body mechanics as the season went on.

Carr played well as a rookie, and as long as he progresses as he should in seeing things at the intermediate level, there’s a lot to like with him going forward.

Carr finished the season as the #20 QB in fantasy and averaged 12.5 FP per game. He'll be in the mix for QBBC and streaming strategies heading into the 2015 season.

Greg Cosell on Jagaurs QB Blake Bortles:

This offseason, Bortles has to go back to basics. He lost his technique.

There are all kinds of valid reason for that – the Jaguars offensive line was below average, the offense was inconsistent, there was an inability to stay on schedule during games because of that inconsistency and the Jaguars trailing most of the time – but the bottom line is he lost his technique and needs to go back to school and start from scratch. I don’t mean that in a negative way. But before the Jaguars get to “What are the best route concepts against ‘Cover 4’ zone?” they need to work with him so he has repetitive proper fundamentals. Otherwise he won’t throw it accurately enough on a consistent basis.

One thing I noticed is Bortles started to have a tendency to drop the ball too low in his release. That throws off the timing, if the release and stride isn’t working together. Then you lose velocity and accuracy. Bortles has a good arm (though not a great one) but his arm strength suffers when the mechanics suffer. There are too many moving parts.

Bortles averaged 12.0 fantasy points per game, which led to a #24 finish at his position. He's a passer who could make a leap in his second season if the Jaguars can give him time to throw and he can clean up his fundamentals. The receiving corps is young but talented, with Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns and potentially Justin Blackmon all capable of producing when given the opportunity. Bortles averaged nearly 30 yards rushing, so he offers some baseline production as a runner.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was critical of Josh Gordon on Wednesday, but doesn't sound like he's in any rush to release the former All-Pro receiver.

Gordon is serving his third NFL-imposed ban for violating the league's substance-abuse policy -- this time for a minimum of one year. He played just five games in 2014 after missing the first 10 games for failing a drug test last spring. The club also suspended him for the season finale for missing a walk-through.

Haslam was asked directly if the team planned to cut Gordon. The owner said the length of the suspension gives them time to decide his fate with the franchise.

"That's a decision that we will need to look at make a certain point," Haslam said. "He's out for a year so there's no huge hurry. We'll address that at the proper time."

Gordon is a tremendous talent, but has been unable to follow the league's strict substance abuse rules. He's out for the year, so he's not on the redraft radar unless something drastic happens.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said Wednesday that he still firmly believes Johnny Manziel can be a successful NFL starter if he gets his act together off the field.

"Absolutely,'' said Haslam in a 50-minute meeting with Browns beatwriters. "I ask that question a lot to our football people -- as recently as today. 'Do we still think he can be a starter in the NFL?' And the answer is consistently yes. I don't have the ability to judge that. I don't have that kind of technical expertise. Now, he's got to get himself straightened out and you've got to do that on the field, but yes.''

We'll see if the Browns do anything in the offseason via the draft or free agency to upgrade the position. Actions speak louder than words, especially during the spring and summer.

Buccaneers announced they released QB Josh McCown, the top free-agent QB from last off-season.

It appears that the Bucs are planning to draft a quarterback with the top overall pick.

Falcons OC Kyle Shanahan said he loved Devonta Freeman last year coming out of college. He’s still evaluating offensive talent on roster here.

Looking at the running back position, Shanahan presided over three stellar fantasy seasons in his seven years as an offensive coordinator. In 2008, while Shanny was the OC of the Texans, Steve Slaton turned 327 touches (50 receptions) into 1,659 yards and 10 touchdowns. (Slaton averaged 77.6 total yards on 15.9 touches in 2009.) In 2012, rookie Alfred Morris racked up 1,690 total yards and 13 touchdowns. He followed it up with 1,353 total yards and seven scores in 2013. Shanahan even coaxed 86.7 total yards (on 18.2 touches) from Ryan Torain in 2010 and 67.9 yards on 13.3 touches from Roy Helu in 2011. Freeman wasn't terribly impressive in his rookie season (248 yards rushing, 3.8 YPC), but he was active and effective in the passing game (30 catches for 225 yards), so a Slaton-esque season isn't out of the realm of possibility. If the Falcons stand pat at running back, he'll have some middle round appeal, assuming his role looks to be bigger than Steven Jackson's.

Broncos RB C.J. Anderson did enough behind an offensive line that struggled mightily at times in an offense that couldn't find its rhythm over the season's final month to open the offseason as the starter. What happens next, however, will be a test of his football maturity as well as his preparation given success can often be more difficult for some to handle than adversity. Montee Ball, too, has promised to return "ready to win the job." Ronnie Hillman has plenty of untapped potential as well, even as the Broncos keep waiting for the career light to go on with their former third-round pick. They thought it had when Hillman had two 100-yard games in a three-week span in October only to have his season derailed by a foot injury.

Anderson probably holds the most risk of the top 12 running backs heading into the offseason. He was tremendous down the stretch, but there's a new regime in town (though he's considered to be a good fit for new HC Gary Kubiak's zone-blocking attack). Remember, he didn't keep himself in top physical condition last offseason, so that's something to monitor this spring and summer.

Giants TE Larry Donnell was a productive receiver, but he has to be more consistent both catching the ball and blocking. If nothing changes, he should be the top tight end entering training camp. But the Giants will look to upgrade that position as they will all others and it’s possible someone not currently on the roster will provide Donnell with his toughest competition for the job.

Donnell finished the season as the #11 TE in both standard and PPR formats, but did not crack 60 yards or find the endzone in the final six games. He saw the 17th-most targets (5.2 T/G) over that span, after seeing the 7th-most (6.1 T/G) in the first 11 weeks. He'll be a red zone threat, but with Odell Beckham and a (healthy?) Victor Cruz gobbling up targets, Donnell is unlikely to see more than six targets per game in 2015.

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers appears to have avoided surgery on his ailing back, which affected his play down the stretch of the 2014 season.

Rivers told 101 KGB FM radio in San Diego on Monday that he currently does not need surgery to repair the balky back.

"At this point, the back injury is not requiring surgery," Rivers said. "We'll kind of revisit it in a month or so. But everything is improving. I'm back to my regular workouts and running around. Me and my wife played a little tennis the other day. I've hit the golf ball a few times, so I'm actually on the up and up. So I'm pretty excited."

Rivers played at an extremely high level for the first half of the season, completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 277 yards, 2.5 TD and just 0.6 interceptions through Week 8. He posted #3 QB numbers in that span, but he was the #19 QB down the stretch after injuring his hand in Week 9 against the Dolphins. He then suffered back and rib injuries and threw for multiple touchdowns in just two of his final eight games (and averaged 1.6 INT) as the Chargers fell out of playoff contention. If he's fully healthy entering the 2015 season, he will once again be a fine value pick in the later rounds, but owners should be prepared to stream if the injuries start to pile up.

LeGarrette Blount and Brandon Bolden, who excels on special teams, are going to be on next year's roster. There will be one pass-catching back; whether that player is Shane Vereen or James White or someone else remains to be seen. If Stevan Ridley is re-signed, that's four running backs. There will also be competition from Tyler Gaffney, a 6-foot-1, 227-pound back who spent his rookie season on injured reserve. So Gray will probably have to prove himself in the offseason.

Vereen, who had 11 receptions in the Super Bowl, is a free agent. He probably won't cost the team a ton (for reference, Danny Woodhead got a two year, $3.5 million contract from San Diego in 2013).

The Patriots let Woodhead walk because they also had Vereen, so their decision may be based on their depth at the position. If they feel confident that rising second-year pro James White can fill Vereen's spot, you might not see No. 34 in a Pats uniform come next fall.

Part of Vereen's appeal is that he plays in a friendly system, but he lacks consistency, even in PPR formats. The team's willingness to re-sign Vereen will likely come down to price.

The rocky relationship between the Indianapolis Colts and running back Trent Richardson built up over time during the 2014 season because of weight issues, accessibility and an absence, multiple sources told ESPN.com.

Richardson, whom the Colts acquired from Cleveland in September 2013, had weight issues during the season, was difficult to get in touch with and didn't tell the team he wouldn't be at the walk-through the day before the AFC Championship Game, a source said. He was suspended two games by the team for missing the walk-through.

He served the first game of the suspension during the AFC Championship Game against New England. His second game will be served next season -- if he's still with the Colts.

Because of default language in his contract, the Colts could exercise an option to void $3.1 million in guaranteed money owed to Richardson next season. The NFL Players Association would likely challenge that ruling if it occurs.

It's unlikely that Richardson will be back with the Colts next season. The team is likely to (finally) admit its mistake and move on.

Eagles beat writer Sheil Kapadia on the state of the team's tight end corps:

Brent Celek played 69 percent of the snaps last year and finished with 32 catches for 340 yards and a touchdown. Celek was very good as a run blocker, and it's no secret that Chip Kelly thinks the world of him.

Zach Ertz is one of the best receiving options on the team, having finished with 58 grabs for 702 yards. The feeling here is that he was underutilized (50 percent of the snaps) in 2014.

Celek is 30 years old and certainly does not provide the same threat as a receiver that he once did. But it's impossible to overstate how much Kelly loves him. This is still a run-based offense, and Celek is the best blocking tight end on the roster. He carries a $5 million cap hit, which doesn't seem unreasonable. In other words, I don't think he's going anywhere.

Many (including yours truly) thought Ertz would take a bigger chunk out of Celek's snaps last year. Ertz will have to continue to improve his run blocking to earn Kelly's trust. But his role should continue to expand in his third season.

Ertz's run blocking improved dramatically this year, per the grading of the analytics sites. Still, Kapadia's comments about Kelly's affection for Celek do not indicate that the team is ready to give Ertz significantly more playing time. Ertz finished as the #13 TE in standard formats even though he played just 50 percent of his team's snaps.

Bengals.com writer Geoff Hobson on the team's running back situation: Jeremy Hill may be the bell cow next year, but Giovani Bernard is still going to get a lot of key touches as the change-of-pace guy. If Hill gets 15-to-20 touches a game, Gio gets 8-11. The only question is how. I think Hue Jackson uses him a lot more in the pass game this year. With Jermaine Gresham expected to be gone, I’m going to write in Gio for 60 catches.

Over the first seven weeks, Bernard averaged 18.7 touches compared to 9.0 for rookie Jeremy Hill. The script flipped once Bernard missed three games in the middle of the season due to injury. Hill averaged 22.0 touches for nearly 130 yards during that span and took over as the team's primary runner. Then, over the final six games, Hill averaged 20.0 touches for 104 total yards, while Bernard saw 13.3 touches for 67 total yards. Bernard averaged 12.2 PPR FP in that span, so he should still be a solid RB2 in PPR formats, even in a reduced role.

Bengals.com writer Geoff Hobson on the team's TE situation: It looks like there is a very good possibility they won’t re-sign Jermaine Gresham, but it’s not a pass catcher they need to replace. They’ve got that in Tyler Eifert. They’re going to need a big guy that can block the tall, lean, big pass rushers like Terrell Suggs. Gresham did a good job with that and I suspect they’ll have an easier time finding that guy in free agency rather than the draft. The guy won’t be the target that Gresham is, but they’ll still be able to play double tight end sets.

If Gresham is out of the way, Eifert should be a nice late-round pick provided he can stay healthy. He has good size and speed, and showed pretty good hands as a rookie. He only played about 60 percent of the snaps in 2013, and averaged 0.14 FP (PPR) per snap. Extrapolate the same production to 90 percent of the snaps (which is typical for a starting tight end), and Eifert shouldn't have any problem posting top 15 numbers. With solid improvement, he could very well be this year's Jordan Cameron (2013) or Travis Kelce (2014).

“I’ve got the green light to do anything and everything I need to do to get back to where I need to be,” Bengals WR Marvin Jones texted Thursday after another workout. “I’ve been surprised at the progress I’ve made in only going on my second week training and at the rate I’m going I’m sure I will be in game shape very soon.”

Jones was one of our favorite sleepers heading into the season, but ankle and foot injuries made it a "lost year" for the talented wideout. Mohamed Sanu stepped in and shined as the team's WR2 opposite A.J. Green. If Jones and TE Tyler Eifert make a full recovery, Andy Dalton will have a nice group of receivers to target in 2015.

Lions RB Joique Bell, who underwent minor offseason surgery, said everything was good from a health standpoint and that he’s started working out. He plans to be back for organized team activities (OTAs) in April, but couldn’t commit to being 100 percent for them just yet.

It sounds like he's on a path to a full recovery. Bell was the #17 RB in standard formats (#13 in PPR), while racking up 257 touches in 15 games. That works out to a 17.1-touch average. While he certainly benefited from Reggie Bush's injury-plagued season, Bell dominated the touches even when Bush was active and playing. Bell should continue to see RB1-type touches in 2015, though we'd feel better about his situation if Bush were out of the way. Bush is signed for two more seasons and is a cut candidate heading into the offseason.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back LeVeon Bell will spend 15 months on probation in a first-offender's program stemming from his arrest on marijuana possession and DUI charges with former teammate LeGarrette Blount.

Bell may face a two-game suspension from the league as a first time DUI offender.

Frank Cignetti is in line for a promotion in St. Louis.

Cignetti, currently the Rams’ quarterbacks coach, is expected to be promoted to offensive coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The announcement is expected next week.

Cignetti was hired when Fisher first took the Rams’ head-coaching job and has been the quarterbacks coach the last three seasons. He’s never been an offensive coordinator in the NFL before, but he’s been the offensive coordinator for six different college teams: Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Cal, North Carolina, Fresno State and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

The Rams were 28th in yards and 21st in points. Sam Bradford is under contract for another season, but he's not a shoo-in to start in 2015.

With the Broncos' return to zone blocking in 2015 under Head Coach Gary Kubiak and Offensive Coordinator Rick Dennison, C.J. Anderson's rampage through opposing defenses could be just the beginning. Kubiak and Dennison's penchant for extracting career seasons from running backs continued last year in Baltimore, when they helped craft an offense that turned Justin Forsett loose.

"I just can't wait to get to work, to be honest," Anderson said.

Anderson began to see starter-type touches in Week 10 with 17 touches for 163 yards and a touchdown against the Raiders. Over the final eight weeks, he averaged 24.0 touches for 132 yards and 1.3 TD, and was the #1 RB in that span. If the Broncos commit to Anderson (and why wouldn’t they?), he should thrive under new Kubiak, who just coaxed a career year out of journeyman Justin Forsett. Provided QB Peyton Manning returns for another season, Anderson’s production should continue.

Jets beat writer Rich Cimini identifies two potential cap cuts:

Percy Harvin, wide receiver ($10.5 million cap charge): Former general manager John Idzik executed a desperation trade last October that made sense on the risk-reward scale, but the landscape has changed. Not only is $10.5 million too much money for a player of Harvin's ilk, but there's also draft-pick compensation to consider. The Jets owe the Seattle Seahawks a conditional sixth-round pick that improves to a fourth-rounder if they keep him on the roster until March 19. The X factor is offensive coordinator Chan Gailey; his spread offense would be a nice fit for Harvin (if that's the system they choose to run). The March 19 deadline allows the Jets to explore free agency before making a decision on Harvin, who hasn't been an impact player since 2011.

Chris Johnson, running back ($5.25 million): The Jets have until Feb. 16 to decide whether to pay a $500,000 option bonus, part of the two-year, $8 million contract Johnson signed last April. The amount of the bonus isn't prohibitive, but the cap charge is steep for a player who would be no more than a part-time back again. Johnson was a worthwhile signing a year ago, but he'll be 30 in September and isn't close to being the player he once was. The Jets can save $3.5 million by parting ways with Johnson. That probably will be the outcome.

Johnson averaged 4.3 YPC in his first season with the Jets. He and Harvin were two high-profile acquisitions last season, but there's a new regime in town, so expect plenty of change.

The Falcons reached an agreement in principle for Dan Quinn to be their next coach, source said. It’s a 5-year deal.

Quinn has been the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks for the last two seasons. Seattle has finished with the top overall defense in both years. It looks like a good hire for the Falcons, who are desperate on that side of the ball.

Dallas Cowboys running back and Wichita native Joseph Randle was arrested in Wichita early this morning, police said. Randle was arrested after police responded to a domestic violence call in the 700 block of South Main at about 3:00 a.m.

Police said a 22-year-old woman reported she and Randle were arguing in a hotel room. Officers found marijuana in the room, and arrested Randle on a drug charge.

Randle's offseason is not off to a good start. There was an outside chance that he would take over as the starter in Dallas if the team couldn't come to terms with DeMarco Murray, but that's looking like a serious long shot after this arrest.

Former Steelers DC Dick LeBeau is expected to be named assistant head coach/defense with the Titans, per sources.

Ray Horton ran the defense last season but hasn't been fired, so he's likely to work under LeBeau in 2015.

Colin Kaepernick’s strength is his ability to take off and gobble up yards once he gets a full head of steam, something he did to the tune of 639 yards last season but mostly on broken, not designed, plays.

One of themes of the 49ers’ head-coaching interviews with NFC West defensive coordinators Dan Quinn and Todd Bowles was puzzlement about why the 49ers in 2014 mostly abandoned the read-option plays that were so effective in previous seasons.

A significant change in 2015 figures to be a return to the read-option. The degree to which it will be used is unknown, but coach Jim Tomsula and CEO Jed York have mentioned in recent interviews that the 49ers will take better advantage of Kaepernick’s legs.

Kaepernick ran the ball 12 more times in 2014 than he did in 2013 for an additional 115 yards, so it's not like he abandoned the scramble. It sounds like it's more about utilizing the read-option as a larger part of the offense. If that's the case, it could be a boon to Kaepernick's fantasy value. He was the #14 QB in 2014 after finishing #9 the season before, though his overall production only dipped by 11 fantasy points. He's a bounce-back candidate provided new OC Geep Chryst can design an offense that can move the ball. Chryst previously served as the OC for the Chargers in 1999 and 2000, but his offenses ranked 26th and 28th overall in that span.

The Colts have added an intriguing talent with great pedigree to their receiving corps. Indianapolis announced Monday it agreed to terms with CFL wideout Duron Carter, son of Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter.

Duron Carter goes 6-5, 205 pounds. After a checkered college career, he caught 124 passes for 1,939 yards and 12 touchdowns in two seasons with the Montreal Alouettes.

"His length is what jumps out right off the bat and his ability to make the big play with that length in a variety of ways," Colts GM Ryan Grigson said. "He has very good quickness and wiggle for his size and has excellent ability to adjust to the ball in air."

Per College Football Talk...

The (Florida Atlantic) Owls were the fourth collegiate stop for Carter, son of former star NFL receiver Cris Carter, the past three years, with academics serving as a significant hurdle at nearly every one of them. Carter was declared academically ineligible for Ohio State’s appearance in the Rose Bowl game following the 2009 regular season, an issue that also kept him out of spring practice in 2010.

He left the Buckeyes in June of that year and enrolled at a junior college in Kansas. After transferring to Alabama in April of 2011 from the JUCO ranks, eligibility issues again involving academics kept him from practicing with the Tide until late August.

It was announced in late September of 2011 that Carter would not play at all that season and would instead take a redshirt. He was suspended for spring practice this year, which prompted him to take his leave of Tuscaloosa and officially transfer to FAU.

College Football Talk also mentioned that Carter was the No. 11 ranked receiver of his high school class. The signing puts a dent in the upside of Donte Moncrief, who will now have Carter to contend with if he hopes to start in 2015. Reggie Wayne and Hakeem Nicks may or may not be back in the fold, so this is a situation to monitor this offseason.

Johnny Manziel entered treatment on Wednesday, adviser Brad Beckworth told ESPN.com on Monday through a spokesman for the Browns quarterback.

"Johnny knows there are areas in which he needs to improve in order to be a better family member, friend and teammate, and he thought the offseason was the right time to take this step," Beckworth said.

The quarterback is expected to be in rehab at least a few weeks, but the amount of time depends largely on what doctors recommend, according to a source close to Manziel.

The quarterback is voluntarily entering treatment as a direct result of his lifestyle away from the field, and he informed people in his circle last week that he wants to "figure out his value system," a source said.

This is a mature move by the normally immature Manziel. It's a good sign for his future that he's taking a look at his life and trying to "figure out his value system." To make it in the NFL, he's going to need to act like a professional, and this is a good first step.