Team news: Chicago Bears | Page 34

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey and WR D.J. Moore caught punts during Panthers practice Friday, according to Joseph Person of The Athletic. “Wherever they want to put me is where I’m gonna be,” McCaffrey said. “So whether it’s punt return, kickoffs, I don’t really care where it is. If they want me on the field, I’m gonna be there.”

Head coach Matt Rhule said he wanted to get the two reps in case the team needed a home-run threat with a game on the line.

McCaffrey may be pushing through another ceiling in terms of fantasy, especially if your league allows for return yards and touchdowns. CMC and Moore are dynamic talents with lofty expectations heading into the 2020 season. Any boost is accepted here.

According to The Athletic, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams has spent extra time with teammate Keenan Allen in an attempt to improve his route running skills.

Mike Williams is already a threat downfield and in the red zone, but if he can improve his ability to separate thanks to tutelage from one of the best route runners in the game, he should take full advantage of the opportunity afforded to him. Mike Williams has shown some glimpses of the upside that made him the seventh overall pick back in the 2017 NFL Draft, but has yet to truly put it altogether to become the dominant receiver many had envisioned. He managed to crack the 1,000 receiving yard barrier in 2019, but saw his touchdown count drop from 10 in 2018, to just two scores. Our 41st ranked receiver for the 2020 season, Mike Williams could exceed expectations if he can apply what he is learning in live game action.

Early observations out of Lions training camp practice in Allen Park are showing that Georgia might have underutilized D'Andre Swift in the passing game.

Related players: Kerryon Johnson

Swift's looked very crisp as a receiver early on and he excelled in one-on-one passing drills against defenders on Tuesday, the story said. His combination of quickness, speed and suddenness has proven to be a tough combination for defenders to lock onto early in camp. We have Swift ahead of Johnson in our RB rankings and it will be good news for owners if he's utilized in the passing game.

The Lions have added another running back to the roster as padded practices get underway this week.

The team announced that Jonathan Williams has signed with the team on Monday morning. Running back Wes Hills was waived to make room for him on the roster.

Related players: Kerryon Johnson, D'Andre Swift

Williams had 49 carries for 235 yards and a touchdown for Indianapolis last season. Williams will battle behind Johnson and Swift for playing time.

The Lions are just two years removed from selecting Kerryon Johnson in the third round of the draft and one year past making him their "running back of the future." Finishing 21st in the league in rushing yards and 29th in rushing touchdowns forces a change in philosophy, which is part of the reason why the team took D'Andre Swift in the second round this year -- he was too good to pass up at No. 35 overall.

Based on Swift's draft selection and how productive he was at Georgia, it's expected he'll take over the role as primary ball carrier at some point.

We think Swift has three-down ability and agree that Swift is likely the lead back in what will at least be a committee to start the season. We rank Swift 27th in our PPR rankings at RB.

The Rams expect that Josh Reynolds will, or at least play a significantly increased role, this season.

Related players: Van Jefferson, Greg Dortch, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Nsimba Webster

The Rams think Reynolds can step in with the loss of Brandin Cooks to the Texans. A fourth-round pick in 2017, Reynolds served mostly as a backup the past three seasons, but filled in as a starter when needed. In 48 games, Reynolds caught 61 passes for 832 yards and seven touchdowns.

The Detroit Lions' backfield battle will be one to watch once training camp starts later this month.

Detroit drafted multifaceted Georgia product D'Andre Swift in the second round to bolster a running back crew that has lacked pizzazz when incumbent starter Kerryon Johnson has gone down with knee injuries.

Swift said in the story he's not sure what role he'll have this season with the Lions assuming Johnson is healthy and ready to go. The story added Swift brings a dual threat out of the backfield with his ability to catch passes. We have Swift 20th among our RBs with Johnson 47th, so we think Swift is the back to own now.