Fantasy News

Ito Smith has been released.

Smith had flashed over the past three seasons with Atlanta, but the team could potentially have a whole new backfield in 2021. Not turning 26 until the fall, Smith shouldn’t have trouble getting a shot elsewhere this summer, though redraft value is unlikely at this point. Even after signing Mike Davis (and Cordarrelle Patterson), the Falcons could be a team that drafts a running back early later this month.

4/15/21 - 01:34 PM ET

The Texans signed Anthony Auclair.

Auclair spent the past four years with the Bucs after going undrafted in 2017, and he has a Super Bowl ring to show for it. He’ll now join a Houston squad that’s been adding a bunch of players this offseason and will certainly be preaching competition, so we’ll see if he can win a big role in the Texans offense this summer.

4/14/21 - 05:00 PM ET

The Falcons are excepted to sign Cordarrelle Patterson.

NFL Network reports that Patterson is on a visit to Atlanta with a deal expected, and now Patterson has tweeted that he’s going to miss his teammates in Chicago, so it looks like something should be finalized very soon. Patterson is obviously an elite weapon on special teams as a kick returner, and he can also contribute on offense at both running back and receiver. This signing is interesting and somewhat reminiscent of when fellow all-time returner Devin Hester joined the Falcons late in his career.

4/14/21 - 02:38 PM ET

The Steelers re-signed Joshua Dobbs to a one-year deal.

Pittsburgh has a crowded quarterback room behind Ben Roethlisberger with Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins also on the depth chart, but the team likes what Dobbs brings to the table in terms of intelligence and some playmaking ability. It will be interesting to see a potential battle for the No. 3 job in the preseason between Dobbs and Haskins.

4/14/21 - 12:59 PM ET

Washington signed Sammis Reyes.

This is an interesting signing, as Reyes participated in Florida’s pro day last month, and Washington must have really liked what they saw to sign him already. Reyes is part of the NFL International Pathway Program, and he’s a former basketball player that played at Tulane and in Chile. Washington has helped former Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas continue to make a strong transition to the tight end position, so perhaps Reyes feels the team was a good spot for him. Reyes is someone to keep an eye on this summer.

4/13/21 - 12:26 PM ET

The Cardinals are signing James Conner.

It felt like things were headed in this direction when Conner went on a visit and took a physical with Arizona yesterday. The former Steelers starter joins Chase Edmonds in the Cardinals backfield, and the two figure to form a one-two punch in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. We’ll see if it’s just an open competition for carries, but Conner is probably the favorite to handle the majority of the work on the ground with Edmonds working more as a receiver—though both certainly have the skillset to do it all. Keep in mind, when Conner was at his best in 2018 for Pittsburgh, current Cardinals running backs coach James Saxon was there with him. The Cardinals have been very aggressive in adding productive, veteran talent this offseason.

Via: Jay Glazer 4/13/21 - 11:20 AM ET

Julian Edelman has retried from the NFL.

As a seventh-round pick in the 2009 draft, the former college quarterback obviously had an outstanding NFL career. In a retirement video announcement you can view in the link below, Edelman says that like everything in his career he had to work for, this announcement is not easy; but he said he would play until the “wheels fall off”, and they have after last season. Edelman’s career ends with 620 receptions for 6,822 receiving yards and 36 receiving touchdowns along with 58 carries for 413 yards, but he was at his best in the postseason, as he’s second in league history to only Jerry Rice in playoff receptions (118) and receiving yardage (1,442)—and he has three Super Bowl rings and a Super Bowl MVP to show it. Among Edelman’s most noteworthy and all-time plays are the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seahawks, and the ridiculous diving catch in traffic during the Patriots’ 28-3 comeback in Super Bowl LI (and he racked up ten receptions for 141 yards and won Super Bowl LIII MVP in the third title victory, so he had quite the impact in the Big Game). Edelman will undoubtedly make the Patriots Hall of Fame, and he has a real case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame given all of his playoff success in particular.

Via: Julian Edelman 4/12/21 - 05:35 PM ET