The news cycle for the NFL has become year-round. To get an edge on your fantasy football leaguemates, let's take a look at the biggest NFL news stories from the past week.
News about AFC Teams
Cleveland Browns News
The Browns and RB Nick Chubb reworked his contract so that he'll get $11.75 million for 2024, with the chance to earn back what was lowered through incentives.
Why It Matters: There was never a real chance that Chubb would be released, even though he's coming off of another catastrophic knee injury and carrying one of the highest running back salaries in the league, and this confirms that. Chubb's early Underdog ADP of 93.7 was always too good to be true. While this isn't a big change in Chubb's 2024 outlook, the visibility of this announcement during a lull in the NFL calendar should move his ADP up significantly. If Chubb is anywhere near ready to go for Week 1, he's worth a third-round pick at worst.
Jacksonville Jaguars News
The Jaguars signed EDGE Josh Allen to a five-year, $150 million contract.
Why It Matters: The Jaguars will free up cap room for this season because Allen won't be playing on the franchise tag. The Jaguars haven't had as splashy an offseason as the Houston Texans, who eclipsed them to win the division last year, but securing the services of their best defensive player is still important. Cincinnati WR Tee Higgins and Tampa Bay S Antoine Winfield Jr are still set to play on the tag, but Higgins has requested a trade, so the franchise tag news cycle might not be over yet.
Kansas City Chiefs News
An arrest warrant has been issued for WR Rashee Rice in Dallas for six counts of collision involving bodily injury, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury, and one count of aggravated assault after he was involved in a pileup on an area freeway caused by a car he was driving and another car racing each other.
Why It Matters: It's hard to see Rice avoiding a suspension after this development, although the league has preferred issuing suspensions after the legal system runs its course, so we may not see him miss time this year. There has been speculation that the Chiefs could ask him to stay away from the team on paid leave, as they did with Tyreek Hill during his legal troubles, and some have even opined that they could seek to void his contract. Our Drew Davenport, a criminal defense attorney, isn't striking as dire a tone. Rice's ADP has already fallen to 37 in early Underdog drafts and should fall even further. It might end up being a good time to buy Rice in dynasty leagues, but if the Chiefs go wide receiver in round 1, Rice's value will fall further. Still, even though the Chiefs took Mecole Hardman in the second when Tyreek Hill's future was uncertain, the authorities chose not to press charges, and anyone who bought Hill during the dip was handsomely rewarded. We'll make sure to keep you updated on the fantasy football implications as this story unfolds.
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New England Patriots News
The Patriots signed S Kyle Dugger to a four-year, $58 million contract.
Why It Matters: Dugger is now a signature player for the Jerod Mayo Patriots, and he has earned that. Previously, he was set to play under the transition tag, but now his cap number for 2024 now drops $6.3 million to give the team more flexibility going forward. He'll remain a top 10 safety in IDP leagues with a boom/bust weekly scoring profile.
Tennessee Titans News
Offensive Coordinator Nick Holz said he sees Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard as interchangeable.
Why It Matters: While this sounds like trouble for fantasy, it can mean that both are every week RB2/Flex plays if Will Levis improves and the offense moves up in production and efficiency. Pollard's ADP hasn't dropped too significantly after he signed with Tennessee, sitting at 84.7 in early Underdog drafts, but Spears fell more to 114.1, which might have been unwarranted if we are taking Holz's words at face value. Unless you think Pollard is the superior talent and will return to his 2022 form with fewer touches per game, Spears is the better investment at cost in redraft and best ball leagues.
News about NFC Teams
Carolina Panthers News
The Panthers signed DT Derrick Brown to a four-year, $96 million deal.
Why It Matters: Brown is one of the best defensive tackles against the run, but he also had 15 quarterback hits last year, even though he only recorded two sacks. The Panthers were able to lock up their 2020 first-round pick long-term in the same offseason that they traded away their 2019 first-round pick, Brian Burns.
Philadelphia Eagles News
The Eagles signed OT Jordan Mailata to a three-year, $66 million extension.
Why It Matters: The Eagles just signed their left guard, Landon Dickerson, to a $21 million a year extension, and now their left tackle is the fourth highest paid in the league at the position. The team clearly believes in Mailata, and they believe that the cost to sign him long-term would go up significantly if they waited. Mailata was still under contract through the 2025 season before signing this deal, so it's important to note that this extension's numbers will apply when the cap has gone up twice after it went up much more than anticipated this year. This deal also ensures that the team will have their right tackle (Lane Johnson), left guard, and left tackle signed through 2026, which is great news for Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, and Saquon Barkley, who are all signed through that season. The next order of business is extending WR Devonta Smith, who is currently set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract next year.
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