Here we are. The offseason is quickly coming to an end, and the regular season will be here before you know it. But first, we have the all-important training camp. Rookies for multiple teams have already reported to work, and by the middle of next week, all 32 teams will be on the field in full force.
We've spent a lot of time using the Notebook to take in-depth looks at the shifting circumstances that impact player values every year. Now it's time to regroup, take stock, and reset the roles and competitions that will unfold over the next month. For those of you who have been diligently following all offseason, this will be a recap. For those who didn't? No better time than the present to start getting ahead of the competition.
We'll get the ball rolling with new faces in new places, starting with . . .
Backfields in Motion
Regardless of how you approach the position in terms of draft strategy, running backs are going to be an important part of your roster. Coming off an offseason that featured some major moves at the position, there's plenty for us to assess in the coming weeks.
Walker's Opportunity
The Chiefs signed former Seahawks running back Ken Walker III to a three-year, $43 million deal in free agency -- a clear sign, according to NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha, that Andy Reid wants to add explosiveness to an offense that needs to take pressure off Patrick Mahomes II as he returns from a torn ACL.
Walker definitely fits the bill. His game is built on yards after contact.
Walker broke 61 tackles last season (fifth among backs) and produced 33 runs of 10-plus yards, including 10 runs of 20-plus -- Chiefs backs Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco combined for just one such run all season. With Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith anchoring the line, Kansas City has the blocking to support an explosive rusher.
In Seattle, offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak arrived last year promising to feature Walker, yet it became close to a 50/50 timeshare with Zach Charbonnet. That was partly due to a foot injury that capped Walker's practice time in training camp and opened the door for Charbonnet to get more work.
Only after Charbonnet tore his ACL in the divisional round did Walker take over -- and he responded by leading all players in postseason scrimmage yards. Even then, Seattle used George Holani on a third of Super Bowl snaps, since Walker isn't strong in pass protection or as a receiver.
Could those shortcomings be factors in Kansas City, too?
Fantasy managers don't think so. Walker sits at RB11 in Average Draft Position (ADP) and our Footballguys projections.
Footballguy Jason Wood acknowledges, however, that ranking him inside the top 12 requires us to believe Reid will use the newcomer unlike any back we've seen in Kansas City in recent years, and that Walker can handle a real jump in workload.
If you buy both, he's worth the second-round price.
Will A Big Season Be Easy for Etienne?
The Saints closed 2025 with some optimism around Tyler Shough and opened free agency by signing former Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. to a four-year, $52 million deal.
Not everyone liked it.
ESPN's Seth Walder called it a signing he "can't endorse," while SBNation's Mark Schofield and James Dator were blunter in questioning the payday: "You can draft a Travis Etienne. The league is full of Travis Etiennes."
I'm open to better outcomes, however.
Alvin Kamara will return, but he played just 11 games in 2025 and posted a career-low 657 scrimmage yards after eight straight 1,160-yard seasons.
And we know the desired outcome. At $13 million a year, New Orleans didn't pay Etienne to split touches.
But Kamara's presence clouds the issue.
In addition, Etienne, despite a pair of top-10 fantasy finishes in the last three years, is a career 4.2 yards-per-carry back who's never been the dual threat advertised. It's also fair to wonder if the Saints, who ranked 23rd in Run Block Win Rate and 30th in yards before contact last season, have the offensive line to set the newcomer up for success.
That might explain why his RB18 ADP and Footballguys projection indicate a lack of confidence in his ability to reach that level in New Orleans.
His late-third-round price is fair, but if we see signs he's going to get a true featured role as camp plays out, it will be worth drafting him ahead of ADP.