Fantasy News

John Ross (shoulder) will be ready for training camp.

The second-year receiver from Washington spoke to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, and he opened up a bit about the disappointing rookie season in which he battled injuries and eventually had shoulder surgery in December. Ross said his “body didn’t respond” the way he wanted it to because of the shoulder surgery he underwent last year, which forced him to miss all of the offseason/spring training and fall behind. With the NFL Combine coming up this week, Ross’ name will come up a lot because he holds the 40-yard dash record, but he says he’s just “looking forward to August” and doesn’t really care about that. It sounds like Ross has the right mindset and really wants to show what he can do on the football field, and he should have the opportunity to carve out a huge role leading up to the 2018 season, despite not catching a pass as a rookie.

Via: Bengals.com 2/25/18 - 10:44 PM ET

The Ravens have agreed to a one-year deal with Robert Griffin III.

After a one-year hiatus, RGIII is back in the NFL. Baltimore explored signing Griffin last summer, but they opted to go with Ryan Mallett as the backup quarterback. Griffin is now 28, but this is still a very intriguing signing for both sides. For the Ravens, Joe Flacco is 33 and dealt with back issues last preseason—but he’s a former Super Bowl champion and the clear starter. Still, this is a good landing spot for RGIII after no teams gave him an opportunity in 2017, and he has the talent as a passer to turn his career around. Remember, Griffin is the last quarterback for the Browns to win a game (Week 17 of the 2016 season). The 2012 Rookie of the Year is likely to be Flacco’s backup this season and will look to show enough to stick around in Baltimore or get another chance someplace else.

4/4/18 - 11:54 AM ET

Alex Smith is getting a four-year contract extension with the Redskins, according to Adam Schefter.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen says Smith will get $23.5 million per year with $70 million guaranteed. Smith has one year left on his deal, so this will keep him tied to the Redskins through the 2022 season. While Washington couldn’t get a deal done with Kirk Cousins, they seemingly had no problem getting a long-term extension done with Smith; and frankly, Jay Gruden and the teams probably prefer Smith, who might be the league’s most underrated player and has the second most wins in the NFL since 2011 (behind only Tom Brady). Smith was a big reason Kansas City turned into one of the AFC’s top teams, and he’ll now try to do the same with the Redskins. The trade and contract will be official at the start of the new league year on March 14.

Via: Adam Schefter 1/30/18 - 10:13 PM ET

The Steelers re-signed running back Stevan Ridley.

Ridley finished last season with the Steelers after the team signed him in late December, and he can well when given opportunities down the stretch. Ridley gives the Steelers an excellent veteran presence and depth in the backfield. He could get some preseason first-team work if Le’Veon Bell holds out during training camp again.

Via: Adam Schefter 4/3/18 - 09:43 PM ET

Blake Bortles has agreed to a three-year contract extension with Jacksonville, according to multiple reports.

This is a bit of a surprise in a loaded offseason for the position, but the Jaguars must feel comfortable enough with Bortles as their starting quarterback, so they locked him up early. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the deal is worth $54 million with incentives, but it’s unclear if the team would be able to get out of it with minimal cap impact at any point. At the very least, this takes Jacksonville out of the market for Kirk Cousins, Sam Bradford, and others in free agency. However, they could still draft a quarterback in April if someone they like falls to them at the end of the first round. As for 2018, this could give Bortles confidence to put up some big numbers, especially if Allen Robinson is back. Remember, he isn’t far removed from a 35-touchdown season.

2/24/18 - 07:37 PM ET

The Rams have acquired wide receiver Brandin Cooks from the Patriots.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the news. New England is also sending a sixth-round selection with Cooks, and in exchange they are receiving the 23rd pick in the draft and a fourth-round selection. Cooks will immediately take over as the primary deep threat for Jared Goff and the Rams, as LA fills the hole left by Sammy Watkins’ departure in free agency. The Patriots must not have been willing to give Cooks, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract, a big long-term deal. The Pats will have Julian Edelman returning from his knee injury and in a receiving corps that includes Rob Gronkowski, Chris Hogan, Kenny Britt, Phillip Dorsett, and Malcolm Mitchell. Cooks joins a Rams team that is clearly going all-in for a title in 2018, but his fantasy value takes a hit because he’s leaving Tom Brady and is going to a Sean McVay offense that spreads the wealth and is centered around Todd Gurley.

Via: Adam Schefter 4/3/18 - 06:01 PM ET

Rob Gronkowski hopes to clear concussion protocol tomorrow.

Gronkowski was at an event playing Madden on Xbox, so it’s probably safe to say he’s feeling OK. The All-Pro tight end said he will play in Super Bowl LII, and he’ll be cleared within the next few days. Hopefully he’s able to get fully cleared within the next 24 hours so he can be full go as the team continues to prepare for the Big Game.

Via: Kimberly Jones 1/30/18 - 10:05 PM ET