Team news: Detroit Lions | Page 8

We knew it was only a matter of time before he emerged as TE1. The question was whether that would occur during the season or at some point before then. But at this rate, LaPorta looks like TE1. He’s quite obviously the most talented player at the position, and he received plenty of first-team reps Sunday. He might’ve already passed Brock Wright. The only thing holding him back would be the Lions trying to ease him into NFL action. But he looks ready to roll.

It's perfectly natural to be trepidatious about rookie tight ends performing in fantasy right away, but we've been proven wrong more in recent years, with specialized tight ends coming in and taking a much larger workload than they historically do. With no Jameson Williams for much of the year, it's very possible that LaPorta can carve out a role in the offense right away.

As of now, he's a back-end TE2 option, but streaming weeks are certainly in the cards if he's taking a majority of the tight end snaps.

The New York Jets are trading Mims and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Detroit Lions for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Wednesday night. The condition on the pick swap is that Mims makes Detroit's 53-man roster, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Thursday.

Related Players: Corey Davis, Randall Cobb, Mecole Hardman, Marvin Jones, Kalif Raymond

The impact in the fantasy world is likely slight, if at all, but Mims can be on Dyntasy radars for those looking to get a cheap former second-rounder. This trade could very well lock Corey Davis into a roster spot which makes him similarly watchable.

The Lions will be patient with Sam LaPorta, but he’s already shown enough physical tools to warrant immediate snaps. If the mental side catches up, he could be the starting tight end in Week 1.

Related Players: Brock Wright, James Mitchell

Rookie tight ends notoriously take a long time to get up to speed, but if LaPorta is starting in Week 1, he finds himself in a great offensive environment. Lions tight ends set the receiving touchdown record last season, despite trading away TE1 T.J. Hockenson.

The Broncos are picking up the fifth-year option on WR Jerry Jeudy, locking him in for 2024. No surprise, they had plenty of interest from teams wanting to trade for him, but Jeudy is a big part of their future.

Related Players: Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Marvin Mims

"Plenty of interest" seems like quite the stretch, considering the rumors that the team was shopping both Jeudy and Courtland Sutton for months now. The team also spent a second-round pick on Marvin Mims. A fading Russell Wilson needs all the help he can get, but this could possibly point toward a future trade involving Sutton.

As it stands, Jeudy finds himself somewhere in the WR3 range for fantasy.

The Lions are receiving a fourth-round pick in 2025 and a seventh-rounder (No. 219) this year, while the Eagles get D'Andre Swift and Detroit's seventh-round pick (No. 249).

Related Players: Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Rashaad Penny, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott

Swift has had quite the Draft weekend after Detroit snagged Gibbs incredibly early in the proceedings. The writing was on the wall, and now he joins a moderately crowded backfield in Philadelphia. The move doesn't necessarily kill the value of Penny, because the team was practically guaranteed to add someone due to Penny's extensive injury history.

Scott and Gainwell, on the other hand, will once again be on the outside looking in, in terms of fantasy viability.

NFL suspended 5 players, including Lions WR Jameson Williams, for violations of NFL gambling policy. Lions’ CJ Moore & Quintez Cephus, plus Commanders Shaka Toney, are suspended indefinitely (at least 1 year). Williams & Detroit’s Stanley Berryhill are suspended 6 games.

This puts a giant wrench into the further development of Williams, who was only healthy for six games during his rookie season, catching one-of-eight targets for a 41-yard touchdown. This could clear the way for a heavier role for veteran Marvin Jones, if the team doesn't decide to bolster the position through the NFL Draft.

The Rams and Steelers are working to finalize a trade that would send Robinson to Pittsburgh, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday. Pittsburgh has been granted permission to give Robinson a physical, and if the Steelers are comfortable with the results, the former Pro Bowler is expected to land in Pittsburgh.

Related Players: George Pickens, Calvin Austin

Assuming Robinson can return to form, this is a huge upgrade over 5'8" slot receiver Calvin Austin. Robinson is coming off two disappointing seasons but lodged a 1,305-108-6 year in 2020 with the Bears.

Rams coach Sean McVay confirms the team has an interest in bringing back Odell Beckham Jr. and says he loves him but notes there are a lot of other teams interested, so they’ll see how it plays out.

Related Players: Allen Robinson, Van Jefferson, Cooper Kupp

It's been well over a calendar year since we've seen Beckham in a uniform, but he had some truly great moments with the Rams, including a touchdown in the Super Bowl and a 113-yard game in the Conference Championship. He also proved to be an inconsistent part of the offense at times. If Los Angeles brings him back, he would eat heavily into Allen Robinson and/or Van Jefferson's snaps, as they deployed him from out wide on around 80% of his snaps through his 12 games with the team.

Broncos WR K.J. Hamler recently underwent surgery after suffering a partially torn pec while training on his own. The recovery timeline is four to six months, giving Hamler a chance to be ready right around the start of training camp in late July.

Related Players: Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick

Hamler was limited to just six games in 2022 while recovering from a knee injury and dealing with hamstring issues. You hate to see another injury setback to the 23-year-old but we'll see how this influences his future with the Denver Broncos.

Saints and former Lions’ RB Jamaal Williams have agreed on a 3-year deal for $12 million, including $8 million fully guaranteed.

Related Players: D'Andre Swift, David Montgomery, Alvin Kamara

The writing was on the wall after the Lions signed David Montgomery, so Williams is off to New Orleans. Considering the Saints' current depth chart and the likely discipline that Alvin Kamara is facing, Jamaal has a great shot at carving out a large role with the Saints.