March 2016 4for4 Player News Articles

The Raiders are very high on TE Clive Walford, want to expand his role going forward.

Walford got more playing time as the season wore on, and he looked to have a pretty good rapport with Derek Carr down the stretch. He'll be third in line for targets after Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Consider him a TE2 in most formats.

Dunbar saw his 2015 season cut short in October when he suffered a major injury to his left knee against the New Orleans Saints, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and the patella tendon.

There is a chance he might not be ready for the start of the regular season, let alone the start of training camp and is a good candidate to put on the physically unable to perform list.

Related players: Darren McFadden

In theory, this helps the stock of Darren McFadden since he would serve as the team's primary passing down back with Dunbar sidelined.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that Vernon Davis is signing a one-year deal with the Washington Redskins, per a source informed of the situation. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports first reported the news.

Davis won't be much of a fantasy option behind Jordan Reed and Niles Paul.

Former New England Patriots wide receiver Brandon LaFell has reached agreement with the Cincinnati Bengals, agents Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod said.

In two seasons with the Patriots, LaFell caught 111 passes and scored seven touchdowns. However, his role diminished greatly in 2015 and he was released March 2.

LaFell had a career year with the Patriots in 2014, his first season with the club, totaling 74 receptions for 953 yards and seven touchdowns. He started 13 of 16 games during the regular season and then all three playoff contests, adding 13 catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs.

An injury to his left foot, however, affected his offseason, and he opened 2015 on the physically unable to perform list. LaFell never seemed to find his groove upon his return, finishing this past season with 37 catches for 515 yards and no touchdowns.

Last season, LaFell was never able to recapture the magic from the year before, when he finished as the #22 fantasy receiver in standard formats. The Bengals lost both Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu this offseason, so LaFell will have the opportunity to start if the team doesn't use an early draft pick on a receiver.

Tight end Jared Cook will sign a deal to join the Green Bay Packers, sources told ESPN.

Cook is in Green Bay taking a physical before the deal will be official, a source told ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky.

The Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears also had interest in the 28-year-old, sources told ESPN, but he opted to join Green Bay and its offense led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Cook finished #28 in 2015 (PPR), but in the four prior seasons, he posted an average ranking of 16.3. He ran a 4.49 40-yard dash at the combine back in 2009 and while he's probably lost a step along the way, he can still threaten the seam better than Richard Rodgers. It's not inconceivable that he turns into a fantasy starter, but the position is deep this year and unless he vastly outplays Rodgers, he's more likely to form a committee with the third-year tight end.

The New Orleans Saints are keeping tight end Josh Hill by matching the offer sheet he signed with the Chicago Bears, the team announced Friday.

This means that Hill is staying in New Orleans. He isn't likely to have much fantasy value playing behind Coby Fleener, but owners should have him on speed dial if Fleener can't stay healthy.

The Patriots are signing former Texans and Titans WR Nate Washington.

Washington is turning 33 in August. He averaged 3.4 catches for 47 yards in 14 games last season with the Texans. It's not inconceivable that he wins the starting job on the outside, but he'll have to beat out Chris Hogan, whom the team prioritized in free agency.

Robert Griffin III was sold on Cleveland as soon as his meeting with Browns head coach Hue Jackson and associate head coach Pep Hamilton was complete.

Now, the former Washington Redskins quarterback is focused on just one thing: Coming to the Cleveland and competing to become the team’s starting quarterback.

Griffin, a free agent, made it official Thursday when he signed with the Browns.

“I'm excited about the opportunity to join the Dawg Pound and help build something here in Cleveland,” Griffin said. “Coach Hue and Pep, I had a great meeting with them. I really believe in what they preach and how they can help not only me as a player but this team win games and that's what we're all about.

“I'm just excited to come in and compete. Nothing's ever been given to me in my life, so I just want to go out and compete with the guys and grow with this team. I feel like that's all I'm really focused on.”

RG3 will have the opportunity for a fresh start after an up-and-then-down stint in Washington. We're not immediately writing off the Browns potentially having a few quality fantasy players in 2016 with Griffin, Duke Johnson, Gary Barnidge and maybe Josh Gordon in the fold. Griffin's short-term upside depends largely on the presence of Gordon, who is a game-changer in the passing game.

For the first time in his NFL career, Rueben Randle won't be wearing a Giants uniform. After four years in New York, the free agent receiver is jumping ship for a division rival.

The 24-year-old agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Eagles on Wednesday, the team announced. Randle's agent, Vincent Taylor, told NFL.com that the deal includes $500,000 in guaranteed money and can be worth up to $3 million if Randle meets all of his incentives.

Before the Eagles added Randle on Wednesday, new coach Doug Pederson had mentioned that Nelson Agholor and Jordan Matthews would be the top two outside receivers heading into OTAs. If that doesn't change, Randle will likely compete against Josh Huff for playing time at the No. 3 receiver spot.

Randle will likely compete with Josh Huff for WR3 duties, but he could push the unimpressive Nelson Agholor for snaps as the team's WR2. Randle has largely been a fantasy disappointment, but he did finish as the #28 WR (standard) in 2015 and #37 the year before.

Buccaneers HC Dirk Koetter says he feels good about his receiving corps and is not of the belief Vincent Jackson "is anywhere close to being done."

Jackson struggled with a knee injury in 2015, but produced as a fringe fantasy WR2 (3.9-66-0.38) in the eight games that he was able to finish. Ageism is real in fantasy football, and given his 11th-round ADP, owners are already writing him off in early drafts. If his knee looks healthy this offseason then he'll be a nice value later on in the draft.

Eagles HC Doug Pederson said Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor are the two starting outside WRs entering spring. “Yes, that’s how it looks right now."

Agholor was a major fantasy disappointment in his rookie season, but it sounds as if the team hasn't given up on the possibility that he'll develop into a productive starter. He's currently going in the 10th round of early fantasy drafts.

Carlos Hyde seems to have recovered from foot surgery.

Hyde’s Miami, Fla.-based trainer recently posted a reel of Hyde and 49ers teammate Bruce Ellington going through drills and both players look ready for the team’s offseason program, which begins April 4.

The clip shows Hyde, who had surgery in December to repair a stress fracture in his left foot, weaving through cones, hopping over hurdles and looking perhaps a little slimmer than the 235 pounds at which he was listed last year.

Hyde was the #14 RB (PPR) through the first six weeks before missing the rest of the season with a foot injury. Chip Kelly's teams in Philadelphia had an average ranking of 7.3 in total rush attempts, so Hyde should get plenty of work as the team's lead back. The team re-signed Shaun Draughn after he showed solid productivity down the stretch, but Hyde is the better talent and should serve as the team's RB1.

Running back Thomas Rawls will be ready for the start of the season, tight end Jimmy Graham could be, and the Seahawks did not like the idea of two personal fouls resulting in an ejection.

On how Thomas Rawls is doing in his recovery: “He’s doing really well. He should be fine and we anticipate that he’ll be fully recovered and ready to go at least by the time the season starts and hopefully by camp. Thomas had a terrific season. He just came out of nowhere and most people, they didn’t have any idea what he was going to do. He brought us attitude and style of play that we like. He was really physical and really tough, so we’re thrilled to have him coming back and we need to get him some help. Christine Michael re-signed with us which is a good thing; Christine did his best job of playing football for us in the short stint that he had. So those two guys will be the one-two punch right now and we’ll see where we go from there.”

On Jimmy Graham: “I’m communicating with Jimmy regularly. He should be fine. It is a substantial recovery. He’s doing great and he’s doing everything he needs to do, and he’s really competitive about it. We’re anticipating that he’ll come back and again we hope to have him by the start of the season. We’ll see how it goes as far as camp and all of that, but he’s an incredible football player and a great team member and we’re thrilled to have him on our club. We were just getting going with Jimmy last year, so we’ll be really excited to get him back in the lineup.”

Carroll sounded more optimistic about Rawls being ready for camp than he did of Graham. With Marshawn Lynch out of the way, Rawls is first in line for workhorse back duties given his performance in 2015. In the six games in which Rawls played and Lynch did not, the rookie averaged 20.5 touches for 120 yards and 0.84 touchdowns (on a stellar 5.6 YPC). That doesn't even include Week 3, when he turned 16 carries into 104 yards while Lynch was limited to five carries. Michael may form a "1-2 punch" with Rawls but we expect that Rawls will get the clear majority of the carries.

Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder also gave injury updates on a number of players Tuesday afternoon.

Running back Jamaal Charles and cornerback Phillip Gaines each underwent ACL surgery early last season. Both are doing “great,” and both are training at the team’s facility and will get some limited work during organized team activities and minicamps in May and June.

Charles tore his ACL in mid-October, so he will be nine months into his recovery in mid-August. Historically, it takes a year to fully recover from a torn ACL, but that timeframe has been decreasing in recent years.

Bears GM Ryan Pace said WR Kevin White is 100 percent healthy.

White, who spent the entire year on the shelf with a severe case of shin splints and/or some sort of leg injury, should have a big role in 2016. He was starting to practice before the end of the season but landed on injured reserve since he wasn’t in game shape and there was no really point in rushing him back in what became a lost season for the Bears. He was the #7 overall pick in the 2015 Draft and the bottom line is that the Bears need him.

It is a 3-year contract for TE Josh Hill and Saints have until Sunday to match Bears offer.

Hill was a 4for4 sleeper last summer until it became clear that the Saints were intent on starting Benjamin Watson at tight end. If Hill signs with the Bears, then he'll likely back up Zachary Miller who played very well down the stretch last season.

Former Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris will sign a two-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys, his agent confirmed to ESPN.

Morris, 27, rushed for a franchise-record 1,613 yards as the Redskins captured the NFC East title in 2012. He benefited from the zone read option, but also excelled out of any look in the Redskins' outside zone system.

This past season, Morris finished with 806 yards overall and one touchdown. He averaged career lows in yards per carry (3.7) and yards after contact (1.45).

On the outs in Washington, Morris's career may be on the upswing as he lands with a team who not only wants him, but also has one of the best offensive lines in football. His arrival puts a big dent in Darren McFadden's upside as the duo will probably form a timeshare as long as both players stay productive. Morris may hold more value in standard formats while McFadden will compete with Lance Dunbar to serve as the team's primary back on passing downs.

Mike Tomlin: "We’re excited about growth and development of Sammie Coates. I’m more concerned about [Martavis Bryant] the man than contributor to offense."

The team has been talking up Coates since news broke of Martavis Bryant's suspension. He's likely to fill the WR3 role occupied by Markus Wheaton last year. Wheaton is likely to see full-time snaps. As the WR3, Coates could be 4th or 5th in targets after Antonio Brown, Wheaton, Ladarius Green and LeVeon Bell.

The NFL is now clarifying that it can rule on Josh Gordon's reinstatement "when appropriate,'' and the Browns aren't counting on him for 2016.

First, he has to be reinstated, which is no sure thing. Then, they have to see where his head is at.

They know where his body has been -- in the same vicinity as Johnny Manziel's a lot lately, but they're claiming that's not an issue at this point.

And now, the NFL is making it clear that the 60-day timeframe to rule on Gordon's reinstatement from his indefinite drug ban is a guideline and not written in stone.

Owners drafting early may want to slow their roll with Gordon given this language. It sounds as if the team isn't terribly optimistic about his return, and there's no telling when the league will rule on his request for reinstatement. He's currently being drafted at the end of the 3rd round and that's a steep price to pay for a player surrounded by this much uncertainty.

G.M. Les Snead, appearing Monday on NFL Network, said that Case Keenum will be the starting quarterback “at the beginning of the season.”

That hardly means Keenum will be the starter when the season ends, or when the month of September ends. It also creates a potentially awkward situation in the quarterback room, where Keenum will make roughly $3 million in 2016 and backup Nick Foles will make more than $12 million.

Keenum completed 60.8% of his passes last year with a 4:1 TD-to-INT ratio. The Rams will no doubt continue to look for a long-term solution at the position but for now they seem content with Keenum as their starter.

Lions and former Jets WR Jeremy Kerley have agreed to terms on a contract, per source.

Kerley fell out of favor with the new regime in New York and never really recovered. He's 27 years old and has an 800-yard season on his resume. He'll provide depth in Detroit behind Golden Tate and Marvin Jones.

The Packers and RB James Starks reached an agreement for him to return. It's two years for $6M, source said.

Last year, Starks rushed for 601 yards and added another 392 yards receiving, finishing as the #21 running back in PPR formats. Eddie Lacy has been training with the P90X creator and is expected to report to camp in better shape as he heads into a contract season, but Starks gives the team a fallback option if Lacy can't regain his early-career form in 2016.

RB Chris Johnson is re-signing a one-year deal with Arizona, per source.

Johnson was the #15 RB (standard) through the first 11 weeks prior to going down with an injury in Week 12. The dynamic has changed with David Johnson likely to assume RB1 duties. Johnson will provide depth and eat into Andre Ellington's potential upside.

Injuries opened the door for Christine Michael to return to Seattle; his play at the end of last season paved the way for a new contract with the Seahawks. Michael re-signed with the Seahawks Thursday, meaning the former second-round pick who Seattle traded before the start of last season, will be back in 2016.

Seahawks coaches noticed a change in Michael nearly as soon as he arrived in Seattle, and it showed up on the field, with Michael rushing for 192 yards on 39 carries in three regular season games. Michael added 71 yards on 20 carries in Seattle’s playoff win over Minnesota.

Michael averaged 4.9 YPC after returning to Seattle last season. He figures to serve as Thomas Rawls' primary backup.

The Chicago Bears are trading tight end Martellus Bennett to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round draft pick, league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The teams are finalizing a deal, but the Patriots will also receive a sixth-round draft choice in exchange for Bennett, according to sources.

The Patriots have traditionally preferred to run a multiple tight-end offense, which hit its peak in 2011 with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. In 2015, the club thought it had a strong 1-2 punch with Gronkowski and Scott Chandler, who was signed as a free agent, but Chandler didn't pan out after inking a two-year contract worth a maximum value of $5.3 million.

The Bears found a taker in the Patriots, who have been searching for an athletic tight end to fill the Aaron Hernandez role in the offense. Bennett will play second fiddle to Rob Gronkowski, and will likely trail Julian Edelman and Dion Lewis in targets. Bennett's departure opens the door for starter's snaps for Zachary Miller in Chicago. Miller could post TE1 numbers after coming on strong down the stretch last season.

Fox Sports reporting the Patriots have struck a deal with RB Donald Brown, the former UConn workhorse.

Brown is a versatile back who finished 28th in PPR formats back in 2013 when he took over for Trent Richardson in Indianapolis. Since then, he has averaged 3.14 YPC over two seasons for the Chargers. The San Diego running game was a dumpster fire last year, and the Patriots obviously believe that Brown still has gas left in the tank. He could conceivably form a one-two punch with Dion Lewis.

Eagles and WR Chris Givens agree to terms on a one-year contract.

Givens caught 19 passes for 346 yards and one touchdown in 12 games with the Ravens. He should provide depth as a situational deep threat behind Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor and Josh Huff.

Mike Wallace signed with the Ravens on Tuesday for two years at the same $11.5 million in salary and said at a press conference that he’s looking forward to playing with Joe Flacco, whose years with Baltimore have featured plenty of deep balls that turned into catches or pass interference penalties.

“You have a quarterback that can really sling the ball,” Wallace said, via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. “That’s what I need.”

There are a lot of question marks in the Ravens receiving corps, but things should look a lot better than they did this year if Wallace revive his deep threat credentials while Steve Smith and Breshad Perriman return from injuries in good form.

Wallace is a good fit for Joe Flacco's big arm. The Ravens didn't have a deep threat last season with Torrey Smith gone and Breshad Perriman on the shelf. Wallace is past his prime but he's bound to have a few big games given his ability to go deep. Consider him a WR5 type if Perriman is healthy.

The Denver Broncos on Tuesday matched the offer sheet that running back C.J. Anderson signed from the Miami Dolphins last week.

Anderson told ESPN he had "mixed emotions" when he was informed he would be staying with the Broncos.

"I felt disrespected, of course, but that's what put me in the position I'm in today. You know, always grinding and always working hard for that opportunity."

Anderson wasn’t fully healthy heading into the season and struggled at the onset, averaging just 2.69 YPC on 11.4 rushing attempts through the first six weeks of the season. He turned it around in a big way after the Week 7 bye, however, racking up an average of 64.5 yards on 11.6 carries (5.57 YPC) and 0.58 TD over his final 12 games, including the playoffs. Those are mid-level RB1 numbers in standard formats and low-end RB1 numbers in PPR. Moreover, the Broncos committed to Anderson down the stretch, feeding him 15.6 carries over the final five games. In that span, he averaged 13.7 fantasy points in standard (and 15.9 FP in PPR). Those averages would have been good enough to finish #3 in both formats. Even though he finished strong, playoff numbers don’t count for fantasy, so the fact remains that Anderson burned his owners in 2015. As a result, his ADP is likely to remain depressed heading into 2016 fantasy drafts. But Ronnie Hillman is unlikely to return after a poor finish (while Anderson is a restricted free agent), so the Denver backfield is one to monitor in the offseason. As the clear RB1, he’s going to be a fantastic value in the 4th round and a solid value in the 3rd.

WR Andre Holmes and the Raiders reached an agreement for him to re-sign on a 1-year deal worth up to $3M, source said. $1M fully guaranteed.

Holmes was 4th in targets last season behind Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and Seth Roberts. He's likely to serve as depth again in 2016.

If Zachary Miller is called on to be the Bears' No. 1 tight end this season, he's ready.

The contract he agreed to Monday certainly makes it appear the Bears believe he can handle the role. Miller flew in Monday night to sign a two-year deal worth $6 million with a chance to earn another $2 million.

The Bears leaned on Miller, 31, during the second half of last season, when he finally received an opportunity. With Martellus Bennett's situation tenuous at best, Miller is ready to pick up where he left off.

"I think I showed (I could be a No. 1)," Miller told the Tribune. "If that is wanted of me, I definitely can do it. However it plays out with Marty, I know he is a great player and a great friend. Love being around him, but that is out of my control, out of his control."

Miller was the #5 TE over the final nine weeks of the season, and that includes Week 17, which he missed due to injury. He averaged 3.9 catches for 51 yards and 0.63 TD (on 5.1 targets per game) in that span. In the four games that Martellus Bennett missed, Miller averaged 5.0-55-0.50 on 6.8 targets per game. Those are solid TE1 numbers in both standard and PPR formats. Miller is 31 years old and has had trouble staying healthy throughout his career, but he'll be a compelling pick in the later rounds if the Bears part ways with Bennett and re-sign Miller.

Steelers WR Martavis Bryant is dropping his appeal of his suspension. He's going to be suspended a year.

Bryant is eligible to apply for reinstatement no sooner than 60 days before 1-year anniversary of the suspension.

Related players: Markus Wheaton, Ladarius Green, Darrius Heyward-Bey

Markus Wheaton sees the biggest bump in fantasy value with the news of Bryant's suspension. He caught 44 passes for 749 yards and five touchdowns on the season, but really came on down the stretch, averaging 4.7 catches for 79 yards and 0.67 TD (on 7.8 targets per game) over the final six games of the season. (He was the #12 fantasy receiver in that span.) Though he only gained 53 total receiving yards in two playoff games, he was targeted 13 times, so he was an integral part of the offense late in the year. Wheaton fared well on a per target basis, finishing 22nd and 27th (out of 121 eligible receivers) in fantasy points per target in standard and PPR formats, respectively. Consider Wheaton a fantasy WR3 with WR2 upside. The other players who stand to benefit are TE Ladarius Green (especially in the red zone) and deep threat Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Tom Brady’s new contract would save him a lot of money — almost $2 million — if he ends up being suspended for Deflategate.

A three-judge panel is currently weighing whether to overturn a judge’s decision last August that reversed the NFL’s decision to suspend the Patriots quarterback for four games. If they agree with the NFL, which appealed Judge Richard M. Berman’s ruling, Brady would face being sidelined for the first four games of the 2016 season.

Honestly, we thought Deflategate was behind us, but it's like a bad penny that continues to turn up. It sounds as if there's a real possibility that the three-judge panel will overturn the judge's decision, which would mean that Brady would have to serve his original four-game ban. If that's the case, his draft stock will take a hit, and there's an opportunity to use the Angry Tom strategy again in 2016.

Martavis Bryant, the Steelers’ talented but troubled wide receiver, is facing a full-season NFL suspension in 2016 for again violating the league’s substance abuse policy, two sources confirmed to DKPittsburghSports.com this morning and a third this afternoon.

Bryant and his agent, Tom Santanello, have filed an appeal. If the suspension goes through, it would be a shocking, seismic blow to a contending team that’s set a seventh Super Bowl as its goal for next season.

If this report is accurate and Bryant is indeed suspended for the year, then it's obviously a big blow to the Pittsburgh offense and QB Ben Roethisberger. However, the two biggest beneficiaries of Bryant's potential absence are WR Markus Wheaton and TE Ladarius Green. If Bryant is out, Wheaton turns into a fantasy WR3 with WR2 upside while Green shouldn't have any problem seeing enough targets to make him a solid TE1.

Broncos acquire Mark Sanchez from Philly for conditional draft pick.

Sanchez is likely being brought in to be the backup for whomever the team acquires to start at quarterback, but he could hold down the fort for a year if they're unable to bring anyone better in.

It's a three-year deal for WR Jermaine Kearse and the Seattle Seahawks. Spent four days testing the market and came back.

Kearse was inconsistent last season but was pretty solid down the stretch, after Jimmy Graham went down with an injury. He was the #26 WR from Week 12 to Week 17, but will be fourth in line for targets after Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett and Graham.

Schefter: C.J. Anderson's offer sheet with the Dolphins: 4 years, $18 million. Denver has five days to match or lose Anderson.

Benjamin Allbright: Broncos source texts back "Unlikely to match"

It appears that Anderson is on his way to Miami. He will be reunited with his old OC, Adam Gase, who is now the HC of the Dolphins. Gase presided over Anderson's breakout late in 2014, when Anderson was the #1 fantasy running back over the final eight weeks of the season. He wasn’t fully healthy heading into the 2015 season and struggled at the onset, averaging just 2.69 YPC on 11.4 rushing attempts through the first six weeks of the season. He turned it around in a big way after the Week 7 bye, however, racking up an average of 64.5 yards on 11.6 carries (5.57 YPC) and 0.58 TD over his final 12 games, including the playoffs. Those are mid-level RB1 numbers in standard formats and low-end RB1 numbers in PPR. Moreover, the Broncos committed to Anderson down the stretch, feeding him 15.6 carries over the final five games. In that span, he averaged 13.7 fantasy points in standard (and 15.9 FP in PPR). Those averages would have been good enough to finish #3 in both formats. Even though he finished strong, playoff numbers don’t count for fantasy, so the fact remains that Anderson burned his owners in 2015. As a result, his ADP is likely to remain depressed heading into 2016 fantasy drafts. Given his history with Gase, Anderson is likely to assume the RB1 role in Miami with Jay Ajayi serving as his primary backup.

Falcons agreed to terms with former Bengals WR Mohammad Sanu on a five-year deal, per source.

Sanu averaged 5.5 catches for 96 yards and 0.50 TD in the four games that A.J. Green missed in 2014, but keep in mind that Marvin Jones also missed all of that season with a foot injury. Regardless, Sanu looks like a pretty good fit opposite Julio Jones and will be getting a promotion from the WR3 in Cincinnati to the WR2 in Atlanta.

The Jets are signing ex-Saints RB Khiry Robinson, per sources.

The Jets have been busy at running back, signing Matt Forte, Bilal Powell and now Robinson, who is more of a between-the-tackles banger than either Forte or Powell. He should get a few touches each week but isn't likely to be a fantasy factor without injuries higher on the depth chart.

Jets are re-signing RB Bilal Powell, per source.

Powell held more value when he was playing alongside Chris Ivory, since the two players have complementary skillsets. That's not the case with new Jet Matt Forte, who is basically a rich man's Powell. Both Forte and Powell are capable runners but make their mark in the receiving game. Will the Jets take their RB1 off the field to give Powell snaps? Last year, the answer was a resounding yes, but with Forte on board, we're not so sure about the size of Powell's role in 2016.

The Titans have agreed to terms with receiver Rishard Matthews on a three-year deal.

Through 11 weeks (and prior to his injury), Matthews was the #22 receiver in fantasy and was on pace for a 67-1059-6.4 season. Tennessee is not the ideal landing spot, though he'll enjoy solid QB play from Marcus Mariota and compete with Kendall Wright and Dorial Green-Beckham for targets in the team's passing game. He'll have to win a starting job to be fantasy relevant and even then it will be iffy given the lackluster performance of this offense.

WR Brian Quick has agreed to terms and will return to the Rams for the 2016 season.

It's a curious move by Quick since it seems like he fell out of favor in 2015 as he came back from a shoulder injury.

The Saints announced that tight end Coby Fleener agreed to a five-year contract Wednesday. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports it's a $36 million contract. The former Indianapolis Colts tight end should be a good match for Drew Brees, who is at his best throwing the ball up the seams.

This is a great landing spot for Fleener after the Colts decided to instead re-sign Dwayne Allen. In the 22 games that Fleener has played over the last three seasons with Allen sidelined, he has averaged 4.1 catches for 54 yards and 0.45 TD. Those averages would have been good enough to finish 7th in standard scoring and 6th in PPR in 2015. When only looking at seven such games in the last two seasons, Fleener has averaged 5.4 catches for 82 yards and 0.86 TD. It doesn't hurt that he hasn't missed a game in the last three years, either. He and Brees should develop a quick rapport.

The Eagles didn’t use DeMarco Murray as the workhorse back that he was in Dallas, but Titans General Manager Jon Robinson says that things will play out differently in Tennessee.

“DeMarco is a premium back in this league, and I have admired his running style from afar for a long time,” Robinson said in a statement formally announcing the trade. “We are expecting him to embody all that we want to be about as a team moving forward — tough, dependable and team-first. He will be a workhorse for us and his presence in our offense will help everyone around him.”

Murray seems to have his eyes on that kind of role in the offense. He said in a statement that he’s willing to do anything the Titans ask, “whether it is carrying the ball 20 times, 30 times, whatever.”

As we stated earlier when the trade news broke, this puts a damper on the fantasy value of David Cobb as well as Antonio Andrews and Bishop Sankey. Murray is considered a volume rusher and seems poised to get a big workload, however the Titans OL has struggled over the past few seasons.

The Texans long-awaited deal for RB Lamar Miller is 4 years, $26M, source said. $14M fully guaranteed.

This is a good signing for the Texans as Miller is a talented all-around back who has finished in the top 10 in back-to-back seasons despite being underutilized in Miami. The Texans should give him plenty of work, but keep an eye on the offensive line. If it comes together, Miller should see enough work to finish in the top 10 for a third straight season.

I'm told QB Brock Osweiler has agreed to a deal in principle with the Houston Texans.

Osweiler averaged 16.6 FP in the six games that he started and finished. That equates to middle of the road QB2 numbers, and his receiving corps won't be quite as good as it was in Denver. DeAndre Hopkins is a nice target, but there is no Emmanuel Sanders on the Texans' roster at the moment. Osweiler will be in the streaming conversation if things go well.

Matt Forte is signing with the NY Jets, per source.

Forte finished as the #9 RB in standard (#7 in PPR) despite missing three games. He's on the wrong side of 30, and his YPC is down over the last couple of years, but he's still a very capable runner and is fantastic in the passing game. Chris Ivory has already signed elsewhere and it appears that Bilal Powell may be gone as well, so Forte figures to serve as the Jets' three-down back barring another big signing/draft pick.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and running back Doug Martin have reached agreement on a five-year deal worth over $35 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Martin, 27, is coming off a huge bounce-back season in which he finished second in the NFL in rushing (1,402 yards) and in yards after contact. He also caught 32 passes for 271 yards and scored seven touchdowns (six rushing) to make his second Pro Bowl.

In 2015, Martin was the #5 RB in standard formats (#6 in PPR), so his decision to re-sign with the Bucs will keep his value high. He will enter the season as a fantasy RB1 and will likely be drafted in the first two rounds once his ADP catches up with the news of his signing. His return to Tampa is obviously bad news for Charles Sims, but Sims will remain a good value in the middle rounds, especially in PPR formats.

Giants TE Larry Donnell received full clearance from his neck injury, per agent Tamika Cheatham.

Will Tye was the #11 TE (PPR) after Donnell's injury, and both players are under contract via tender. If they both remain with the Giants they'll compete for the starting job.

Former Chargers TE Ladarius Green is expected to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, per source.

There were better potential landing spots, but this is still great news for his fantasy stock. He'll compete to be the third option in the passing game behind Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant. In 13 career games where he's seen at least five targets, he has averaged 3.5 catches for 52 yards and 0.38 TD, which are solid TE1 numbers in both standard and PPR formats. He's not guaranteed at least five targets per game, but the now-retired Heath Miller saw at least five passes come his way in 17 of his last 32 regular season games and his skills were diminishing. Green has the speed to threaten the seam and will see single coverage with Brown and Bryant drawing most of the attention of the defense.

Veteran tight end Antonio Gates will not be leaving San Diego this year.

Antonio Gates and the Chargers have agreed to terms on a new contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The 35-year-old Gates has spent his entire 13-year career with the Chargers, and now he’ll remain in San Diego. Although he’s not quite the player he once was, he’s still an important part of the Chargers’ offense. Last year Gates caught 56 passes for 630 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games.

Gates averaged 5.1 catches for 57 yards and 0.45 TD in 11 games, so he was scoring at solid TE1 pace when healthy. He appeared on the injury report for five weeks with knee and hip issues and ended up missing five games -- four due to suspension -- so he finished as the #11 TE in standard formats and #12 in PPR. If the Chargers don't re-sign Ladarius Green or find other significant help at tight end, then Gates will once again be a solid value in the later rounds. Potential owners should be sure to draft a backup or target a surprise TE early in the waiver wire process since it’s likely that Gates will miss some time due to injury as his body continues to break down.

Marvin Jones signing in Detroit per sources.

Jones has averaged 3.6 receptions for 48 yards and 0.44 TD in his last 32 games. He's been especially good at catching touchdowns, so he'll try to pick up the slack after Calvin Johnson's retirement. Used inconsistently in Cincinnati, he should see plenty of work with the Lions, though we expect he'll play second-fiddle to Golden Tate in terms of total targets. This is a good landing spot for Jones. Consider him a fantasy WR4 with some upside heading into 2016.

I’m told WR Travis Benjamin plans to sign with the Chargers when the market officially opens tomorrow. San Diego gets a dangerous weapon.

With Malcom Floyd's retirement, the Chargers are losing a field stretcher and they found a good replacement in Benjamin, who managed to produce 68 catches for 966 yards and five touchdowns with a three-headed quarterback throwing to him in Cleveland. He averaged 7.8 targets per game, however, while Floyd averaged just 5.2 T/G after the arrival of Keenan Allen. Stevie Johnson is also under contract and the team figures to re-sign Antonio Gates and/or Ladarius Green, so Benjamin's targets are likely to have a lower ceiling that they did in Cleveland. On the plus side, his quarterback situation will be much better, so he'll certainly be fantasy relevant heading into 2016 fantasy drafts.

One of the stalwarts of the New York Jets' offense won't be returning to the team in 2016.

Running back Chris Ivory, who racked up more than 1,000 yards last season, will sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars after NFL free agency opens on Wednesday, a source told NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.

In addition, the Jaguars are planning to release Toby Gerhart on Wednesday, a source told Rapoport.

Related players: T.J. Yeldon

Ivory reportedly got approximately $6 million a year which is quite surprising considering the team's other needs, the presence of T.J. Yeldon and the fact that Ivory is mainly a two-down player. The signing is obviously bad news for Yeldon's stock, which is dependent on expected volume. Ivory is a pretty good runner and it's conceivable that the duo will form a timeshare in 2016.

Vikings are releasing Mike Wallace, source said.

Wallace had a very disappointing first season in Minnesota. He was outplayed by Stefon Diggs, who enters the offseason as the team's WR1. The Vikings are likely to address the position in the offseason. As for Wallace, the free agent WR market is weak, so it's likely that some team will overpay him based on his past success.

Ravens have agreed in principle to a deal with free agent TE Benjamin Watson, per source.

This signing is a surprise considering the Ravens already have Crockett Gillmore and Maxx Williams on the roster, so it could be an indication that they aren't confident that Gillmore will be ready for the season after shoulder/back surgery. Watson won't have great fantasy value considering his competition in Baltimore, but could emerge if he gets the starting nod. As for the Saints, will Josh Hill finally get a chance to start? He was one of our favorite sleepers last summer until it became clear that the team was going to start Watson ahead of him. We'll keep an eye on the Saints' TE situation, but if they don't add a quality tight end, Hill will be moving up the rankings.

Broncos just released TE Owen Daniels.

Denver will be in the market for a new tight end, and it will be a good landing spot for someone like Coby Fleener or Ladarius Green. The team could also elect to promote Virgil Green.

Calvin Johnson is hanging them up, the Detroit Lions announced Tuesday.

The most prolific wide receiver in franchise history and one of the most talented at the position in NFL history is retiring after nine professional seasons in which he accumulated over 11,000 receiving yards, seven 1,000-yard seasons and six Pro Bowl invitations.

Related players: Golden Tate, Eric Ebron

With Johnson’s retirement, Golden Tate steps into the WR1 role assuming the Lions don’t target a receiver in the 1st round of the draft (or acquire a bona fide WR1 via trade). Over the last two seasons, in 11 games in which Johnson was questionable, doubtful or out, Tate averaged 6.6 receptions for 77 yards and 0.73 TD. That’s about what Allen Robinson scored as the #6 WR in PPR formats in 2015. It’s also solid WR1 production in standard formats. Tate averaged 5.5 catches for 62 yards and 0.10 TD (high-end WR3 numbers in PPR) in the other 21 games. The defense will be more focused on Tate, so we’re expecting WR2 numbers in 2016. Eric Ebron also stands to benefit greatly from Johnson's departure.

DeMarco Murray's rocky tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles is suddenly over.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the Tennessee Titans will acquire the former NFL rushing champion from the Eagles in a trade. The terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed.

ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the move, which won't become official until Wednesday.

Murray altered his contract to accommodate the trade, but he did not lose his $21 million in guaranteed money, per Rapoport, according to a source informed of the deal.

This would seem to solve the Titans' problem at running back and kills any positive offseason buzz for David Cobb. The Titans have struggled to run the ball in recent years, but Murray will be an upgrade at the position. He'll likely be drafted as a middle-of-the-road RB2 in August. In Philadelphia, it's a boon to Ryan Mathews' value, provided he stays put.

The Colts had two tight ends poised to become free agents. They now have one. But the one who re-signed isn’t the one anyone expected to re-sign.

Per a league source, the Colts and tight end Dwayne Allen have worked out a four-year, $29.4 million deal. He’ll get $12 million in year one, $17 million total through two years, and $22 million through three years. The includes $16 million guaranteed; it’s unclear how much is fully guaranteed at signing.

Related players: Coby Fleener

This is a surprise since the Colts were rumored to be set on re-signing Coby Fleener, not Allen. If Fleener moves on, Allen will be a sleeper provided he's the primary receiving tight end in Indianapolis. He has only averaged 3.4 targets per game in 43 career games, but if Fleener is out of the way, that number may double.

The Broncos will use a low-round tender on restricted free agent RB C.J. Anderson. Worth $1.671M for 2016.

This means that the Broncos won't receive any compensation if they don't choose to match an offer that Anderson gets on the open market. It's somewhat surprising, but the team is salary cap strapped at the moment. Anderson wasn’t fully healthy heading into the season and struggled at the onset, averaging just 2.69 YPC on 11.4 rushing attempts through the first six weeks of the season. He turned it around in a big way after the Week 7 bye, however, racking up an average of 64.5 yards on 11.6 carries (5.57 YPC) and 0.58 TD over his final 12 games, including the playoffs. Those are mid-level RB1 numbers in standard formats and low-end RB1 numbers in PPR. Moreover, the Broncos committed to Anderson down the stretch, feeding him 15.6 carries over the final five games. In that span, he averaged 13.7 fantasy points in standard (and 15.9 FP in PPR). Those averages would have been good enough to finish #3 in both formats. Even though he finished strong, playoff numbers don’t count for fantasy, so the fact remains that Anderson burned his owners in 2015. As a result, his ADP is likely to remain depressed heading into 2016 fantasy drafts. But Ronnie Hillman is unlikely to return after a poor finish (while Anderson is a restricted free agent), so the Denver backfield is one to monitor in the offseason. If Anderson returns as the clear RB1, he’s going to be a fantastic value in the 4th round and a solid value in the 3rd.

The Redskins are informing Robert Griffin III today they are releasing him per sources.

Given the state of the quarterback position around the league, Griffin is sure to draw some interest in free agency. A change of scenery should do him good, though he's unlikely to produce like he did in his rookie season.

Los Angeles Rams running back Tre Mason was subdued with a Taser and arrested Saturday night in Hollywood, Florida, according to a Broward County Clerk of Courts police report.

The Hollywood Police Department arrested Mason on suspicion of possession of marijuana, reckless driving, failure to register a motor vehicle and resisting arrest.

Mason is expected to back up Todd Gurley. He may have to serve a suspension after this incident.

Peyton Manning's Super Bowl 50 victory over the Carolina Panthers was indeed his last rodeo.

The five-time NFL MVP is retiring, the Denver Broncos announced Sunday. The team will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. ET Monday for Manning to discuss his stepping away from the game after 18 seasons and two Super Bowl victories.

Manning's retirement clears the way for Brock Osweiler, who is in contract negotiations with the Broncos.

New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz missed all of 2015 after a torn fascia in his left calf led to surgery.

Cruz has missed the last 26 games after a patellar tendon tear cut his 2014 season short as well. But in a video for Bleacher Report’s UNINTERRUPTED, Cruz says he resumed running for the first time on Wednesday and feels he is making significant progress in his recovery.

“I’ve been making a lot of progress. The calf is starting to feel really, really good. I’m excited about the process. I’m excited about what’s to come,” Cruz said.

The Giants will likely lose Rueben Randle to free agency, so it would be a boost if Cruz can return fully healthy. His 2016 salary is a steep $7.9 million. He'll be back on the fantasy radar provided he has a healthy offseason and isn't cut by the Giants.

Colts have told WR Andre Johnson that they are releasing him, per source.

Related players: Donte Moncrief, Phillip Dorsett

Donte Moncrief finished his second season with 64 catches for 733 yards and six touchdowns, but his numbers were a bit depressed due to the midseason loss of Andrew Luck. In seven games with Luck, Moncrief averaged 4.6 catches 50 yards and 0.71 TD (on 7.7 targets per game), which extrapolates to a 73-802-11 season. Fantasy-wise, that’s about what Michael Crabtree scored as the #19 receiver in standard formats. With Andre Johnson out of the way, Moncrief’s playing time and targets should increase a bit. He’s a serious threat to break out in his third season. Phillip Dorsett figures to step into the WR3 role, and will be fantasy relevant assuming the Colts' offense returns to form.

All running back Antonio Andrews has ever wanted was a chance, and he got one last season with the Titans.

Now, he’s getting another – Andrews on Thursday signed a one-year deal with the team.

Andrews averaged 3.6 YPC last year on 143 carries, so it's doubtful that Andrews will be the team's starting running back this fall.

Big move: Arian Foster has been told the Texans are releasing him, per a source close to him. After great run, Foster finished in Houston.

On a per game basis, Foster had the #4 and #3 per game average over the last two seasons, and has five top 5 finishes in that category in the last six seasons. So he's been extremely productive when healthy. Unfortunately, he hasn't played more than 13 games since 2012, and has only appeared in 25 of his last 48 games. He turns 30 this August and is coming off of a torn Achilles in October. If he lands in good fantasy situation (Dallas, New England, etc.), he'll be on the fantasy radar, but he's not likely to see the 19.1 touches per game that he's enjoyed during his career.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco wasn't in a rush to sign a contract that would make him among the highest-paid players in NFL history.

Flacco said the sides hammered out the three-year extension quicker than he anticipated, and the deal was essentially completed earlier in the week.

The three-year agreement is worth $66.4 million and includes an NFL record $40 million signing bonus, a source told ESPN's Adam Caplan. This allows the Ravens to keep their franchise quarterback under contract through 2021 and alleviates some restless nights in the future for general manager Ozzie Newsome.

The touchdowns weren't impressive (14), but Flacco averaged 41.3 pass attempts and 279 yards passing in 10 games before tearing his ACL in November. He was on pace for 661 pass attempts and 4,464 yards, which would have been good for 1st and 6th in 2015. He'll be far off the fantasy radar in one-QB leagues, but with Marc Trestman at offensive coordinator and what should be an improved (i.e. healthy) stable of weapons, Flacco will be in the streaming discussion when he has a favorable matchup.

49ers bringing back their late-season standout, reaching agreement with RB Shaun Draughn on a 1-year deal.

Draughn will likely back up Carlos Hyde in 2016.

Dynamic wide receiver Roddy White, the Atlanta Falcons’ all-time leading receiver, was released on Wednesday.

White, who had two years remaining on his contract, was not anticipating being released. “It would be a tragedy if I had to leave,” he told the AJC’s Jeff Schultz just last week. White, who was on his way to Belize, texted back, “I’m out of the country.”

White was set to make base salaries of $2.75 million in 2016 and $3 million in 2017. His release saves the team $2.45 million against their salary cap.

After a #26 finish (standard) in 2014, White's production fell off a cliff in his age 34 season. Leonard Hankerson took a good portion of his targets early in the season, and White just never got going despite staying pretty healthy the entire year. We'll be keeping an eye on the Falcons this offseason -- they are desperate for weapons to complement Matt Ryan and Julio Jones.

With the new league year starting next week, teams are getting their houses in order by dispatching players who are under contract and out of their plans for monetary or performance reasons.

The Patriots joined that group on Wednesday. According to multiple reports, they have released wide receiver Brandon LaFell and tight end Scott Chandler.

After a #22 finish in 2014, LaFell struggled to make an impact in 2015, averaging just 4.8 fantasy points (standard) in 11 games. The Patriots will likely look to improve the receiving corps this offseason.

The Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a two-year contract with quarterback Sam Bradford, keeping Bradford off the free-agent market without using the franchise tag.

The deal is worth $36 million, with $26 million of that guaranteed, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Bradford was the #24 QB in 2015, but owned the #30 per game average. He averaged 268 yards, 1.4 TD and 1.1 INT in the 13 games in which he played at least 98% of the snaps. He's a low-end QB2.