The Dallas Cowboys are acquiring wide receiver Brandin Cooks from the Houston Texans, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones confirms. Houston will receive a fifth-round pick in 2023 and a sixth-round pick in 2024 as part of the trade, per ESPN.

Cooks, 29, had 57 receptions for 699 yards and three touchdowns despite missing four games last season. He slides into a Dallas pass-catching group that also includes CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and T.Y. Hilton. Since arriving in the NFL, Cooks has registered at least 42 receptions in each of his nine seasons. Six of his seasons have ended north of 1,000 receiving yards. 

The former No. 20 overall selection has now been traded four times in his career, after New Orleans traded up to take him in the 2014 NFL Draft. He played for the Saints in his first three NFL seasons before being traded to the Patriots. After one year in New England (2017) he was dealt to the Rams, where he played two seasons, then was shipped off to the Texans, where he’s played since 2020. Full Story

Adam Thielen’s time with the Minnesota Vikings ended after nine seasons (2014-2022), and he has finalized a second act with the Carolina Panthers, agreeing to terms on a deal, the team announced. The soon-to-be 33-year-old’s arrival in Charlotte comes on the heels of the Panthers former top wide receiver D.J. Moore’s departure to the Chicago Bears as part of the package sent to acquire the NFL Draft’s top overall pick. Thielen shared his excitement about his new home by posting an Instagram story of his children celebrating the new deal.  

Thielen’s deal is for three years, via NFL Media. He becomes the grown-up in Carolina’s wide receiver room as the team’s other projected starters Terrace Marshall Jr. (22 years old), Laviska Shenault Jr. (24 years old), and Shi Smith (24 years old) are all under the age of 25. The two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver’s presence, along with three-time Pro Bowl veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, should help accelerate the growth of whichever quarterback the Panthers select between Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Alabama’s Bryce Young, Florida’s Anthony Richardson, and Kentucky’s Will Levis.   

The New England Patriots have a new tight end as they’re signing former Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki, according to ESPN.

Originally reported as a one-year deal worth up to $9 million, Gesicki’s contract has a $4.5 million base salary with $3.5 million guaranteed, according to the Boston Globe. It also includes $4.5 million in performance incentives, which pushes the maximum to $9 million.

The move comes just a few days after the Pats moved on from Jonnu Smith, whom they traded to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a 2023 seventh-round pick. Smith had been one of two high-priced free-agent signings New England made at the tight end position prior to the 2021 season, when he signed for four years and $50 million and Hunter Henry signed a three-year, $37.5 million pact. 

Last season, wide receiver Allen Lazard had Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback and it looks like, despite changing area codes, No. 12 will be his quarterback once again, just in a different shade of green. The New York Jets signed Lazard to a four-year $44 million contract and Rodgers said it’s his “intention” to play for the Jets.

Nothing is official with Rodgers yet, but Lazard is already looking forward to the (possible) reunion, praising the Super Bowl champion and giving insight to their relationship.

“He’s a big reason why I’m here today,” Lazard said, speaking about Rodgers (via NFL.com). “I can’t deny that. He stood on a table for me in training camp when I didn’t deserve to make the roster, he called for me to be in the games, and he’s always believed in me.”

Rodgers was a bit frustrated with the Green Bay Packers in 2022 and made his concerns with his receiving core well known. Lazard clearly took all criticism and improved from it, becoming Rodgers’ go-to receiver. He had a career-high 60 receptions for 788 yards and six touchdowns last season. 

We’re operating under the assumption here that, at some point, the Jets and Packers will come to an agreement on a trade and Rodgers will end up as the Jets’ starting quarterback. And it’s worth pointing out that Rodgers just wasn’t all that good last season, Chris Towers wrote.

There are extenuating circumstances with Rodgers’ play, of course – most notably, he was playing through a broken thumb for much of the season. He also lost Davante Adams and was playing with rookies who he may not have entirely trusted, especially early on. 

And, even a cynic has to concede that it’s unlikely Rodgers will be worse than the Zach Wilson/Mike White/Joe Flacco/Chris Streveler combo was for the Jets last season. Rodgers doesn’t have to return to peak form to be an upgrade for the Jets, and it’s unlikely he will return to his peak with his 40th birthday looming. 

The Packers offense seems likely to take a step back with Jordan Love stepping in for Rodgers, though that is, admittedly, a total guess. The truth is, we haven’t really seen much of Jordan Love since before the Packers made him the No. 26 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He’s a mystery box. 

Dave Richard wrote about Love’s strengths and weaknesses as a prospect way back when, and it’s worth revisiting that here to get a sense of the baseline level the Packers are building from. Dave also went through and watched Love’s limited reps since.

“From what I’ve seen, his ball placement remains inconsistent. He’s on the money more often than not (especially in 2022), but he still threw behind or too high for receivers.”

Dave expects Love to be drafted around 20th at QB in 2023, and that sounds about right to me. I’m not exactly excited about drafting him, but if you want to stash a second QB on your bench just in case he surprises, it’s certainly justifiable. 

I wrote about the Cowboys decision to release Elliott for CBSSports.com Wednesday, and my main takeaway was it’s not as big a deal as you might think. Sure, with Elliott out of the way, Tony Pollard seems cleared for a huge role, but I think it’s safe to assume the Cowboys will add someone to split the backfield with him. 

If that someone is, say, Kareem Hunt, I think we’ll see Pollard with a similar or even bigger role than he had last season, and I’ll probably rank him as a top-10 RB for 2023. However, if the Cowboys do something like invest a first-round pick in Bijan Robinson, Pollard probably returns to being more like a high-end RB2. He should be super efficient with his touches, but the Cowboys may not view Pollard as a true every-down back. And if they bring in someone like Robinson who could be, then 2022 is probably closer to Pollard’s ceiling – he finished as RB10, though that was with Elliott missing a couple of games. 

Pollard may belong in the top 12 RB discussion when it’s all said and done, but this also might be the perfect time to sell him in Dynasty, as Heath Cummings pointed out on FFT in 5 with me today. This period between the Elliott release and the NFL Draft may just go down as the high water mark for Pollard’s Fantasy value. 

The Chicago Bears lost running back David Montgomery to the rival Detroit Lions in free agency, but Thursday, they picked up someone who can help make up some of his production on the ground. Per ESPN, the Bears have agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with former Carolina Panthers running back D’Onta Foreman. 

Foreman is coming off of a career year, in which he rushed for 914 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. He helped Carolina pick up the slack following the Christian McCaffrey trade, and was someone who turned into a key player for the Panthers offense. 

In reality, Foreman has impressed over his last two NFL seasons. He emerged as the Tennessee Titans‘ lead back in 2021 after Derrick Henry went down with a foot injury. Foreman rushed for 566 yards and three touchdowns in nine games played, and helped Tennessee secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC without its best player.

Former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan is headed to a rival, as he agreed to terms with the Chicago Bears on a one-year deal Thursday, per ESPN. 

Tonyan caught 53 passes for 470 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games played last season after tearing his ACL in 2021. He had a career year in 2020 with Aaron Rodgers, catching 52 passes for 586 yards and a whopping 11 touchdowns. 

Tonyan actually began his NFL career with another NFC North team in the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent out of Indiana State. However, he was released before the 2017 season began. From there, the Packers added Tonyan to their practice squad. In 68 career games played, he has caught 137 passes for 1,437 yards and 17 touchdowns.  

The New York Giants secured Daniel Jones with a multiyear contract extension and have since scoured the NFL for pass-catching talent to put around him. The latest is former Colts wide receiver Parris Campbell, who the team is signing to a one-year deal, NFL Media reported Thursday. 

As it relates to the financial terms, NFL Media adds that Campbell gets a $1.5 million signing bonus and his $1.4 million base salary is fully guaranteed. He’ll get a $100k workout bonus and $100k for each game active (up to $1.7 million in total). Campbell also has incentives that reach up to $1.9 million.

If he catches four touchdowns, he’ll earn $200k, and if he catches six and then eight touchdowns, he’ll make another $200k at each level. The same figures account for reception thresholds of 55, 65, and 75. The same goes for receiving yards at 700, 800, and 900. He also will get $100k for leading the team in any of those three receiving categories. 

It’s usually pretty hard out there for running backs in free agency, but Sanders did pretty well for himself in getting a four-year deal with a top-line number of $25 million – guarantees are not yet known for this deal, and that’s ultimately what really matters. It’s a fine landing spot for Sanders, who finally stayed healthy in 2022 and rushed for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns. Now he hooks up with new Panthers coach Frank Reich, who gave Jonathan Taylor 332 carries in 2021. 

Sanders probably won’t get that many carries, obviously, but he should get plenty of work as a primary engine for an offense that will be led by the No. 1 overall pick at QB. That should make Sanders a decent RB2, but whether he’ll have more upside than that depends on his passing-game role. Sanders showed some decent chops as a rookie, catching 50 of 63 targets for 509 yards, but he struggled with drops the following season and has been a non-factor in the passing game since – he had 20 catches in 17 games last season. If he can earn a true three-down role, Sanders might have an outside chance at top-12 upside next season, but I’m not betting on it. 

The Lions seemingly could have signed Jamaal Williams for less than they paid Montgomery, who signed for three years with $11 million guaranteed, while Williams got $8 million on his three-year deal with the Saints – so it’s not unreasonable to think they expect more from Montgomery than they would have from Williams. Williams had a fine season in 2022, buoyed by strong rushing volume and a ton of goal-line carries, but Montgomery is probably a more dynamic pass-catcher. Williams had 274 rush attempts-plus-targets last season, and I think it’s safe to assume a bunch of those are going to Montgomery. 

That’s bad news for D’Andre Swift, who has seemingly frustrated the Lions with his inability to stay healthy since he was the No. 35 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He was still a useful Fantasy option last season, but his usage was inconsistent, and he was heavily reliant on big plays in the passing game to create much value. If Montgomery is a good bet to best Williams’ 16 targets from last season (and he almost certainly is), that could limit Swift’s value even more. 

There’s also the Bears side of this, with Khalil Herbert currently standing as the clear lead back in Chicago. But there’s a lot of offseason left.

There’s your Mark Ingram replacement, and that could actually be a pretty valuable role this season, given the uncertainty around Alvin Kamara‘s availability. Kamara seems likely to face suspension stemming from off field legal troubles, and that could push Williams into a sizable role with the Saints. It’s not a great offense, but with Derek Carr there, it should be OK, and there will be opportunities to catch the ball out of the backfield. They may bring in another running back to handle passing downs work for when Kamara is out, but if not, Williams could be a top-24 guy for whatever time Kamara misses. It’s not a high-upside pick, but Williams will be worth snagging for your bench. 

This might surprise you, but I think this means the arrow is pointing up for Rhamondre Stevenson. James Robinson looked like a much-diminished version of himself coming back from a torn Achilles last season, and while it’s not unreasonable to think he could do better a full year further removed from the injury, I think it’s pretty unlikely. Remember, the Jets traded for Robinson after losing Breece Hall and then had him as a healthy scratch down the stretch. Robinson was dead last among all qualifying runners in the rate of his carries that went for more yards than expected, based on blocking and defensive positioning last season, per NFL Next Gen Stats, and if he’s the most notable competition the team brings into the RB room, I think Stevenson’s path to top-12 upside is pretty clear. 

Mayfield figures to compete with Kyle Trask to be the Buccaneers starting QB, and I’d bet on the former No. 1 overall pick here over the former second-rounder. Of course, the draft capital the Browns paid for Mayfield does matter much at this point, and Mayfield was pretty awful last season – 60% completion percentage, 3.0% touchdown rate, and a measly 6.5 Y/A across 12 games with the Panthers and Rams.

 The best any WR has ever done with Mayfield as his QB was when Jarvis Landry finished as WR22 in points per game in 2019, though I’d argue Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are both better than any wide receiver Mayfield has played with. Still, I don’t think either QB should get you excited about Godwin or Evans. I’m ranking both as low-end WR2s right now, and given how the Mayfield experiment went for D.J. Moore, even that might be generous. 

And there’s your Jakobi Meyers replacement, seeing as he signed for the same terms (three years, $33 million) as Meyers did in Las Vegas. Smith-Schuster isn’t a perfect comp for Meyers, who is a more dynamic route runner, but he figures to step into the Meyers-shaped hole in the Patriots offense. That probably means more opportunities from the slot for Smith-Schuster than he got in Kansas City, and probably a bigger target share.

Meyers averaged 6.9 targets per game in New England compared to 6.3 for Smith-Schuster in Kansas City, so the arrow might be pointing up slightly for Smith-Schuster, who figures to be more of a focal point with his new club. However, his production probably won’t be that much different: he had 78 catches for 933 yards and three touchdowns last season, while Meyers had 67 for 804 and six. That’s WR3-type production in PPR, and that’s where I suspect we’ll see Smith-Schuster drafted in 2023 leagues. 

The Detroit Lions agreed to a three-year contract with David Montgomery, guaranteeing Montgomery more money ($11 million) than all of the rest of the running backs who had signed up to that point combined. The deal has far-reaching ramifications for backs on multiple teams and at least one guy who hasn’t found a team yet. Let’s start with the Lions’ duo.

In 2022 the Lions created offense created 546 running back opportunities (rush attempts plus targets), the third-highest mark in the league. A whopping 274 of those opportunities went to Jamaal Williams, who presumably will be looking for a new team. Only 169 of those opportunities went to D’Andre Swift, much to the chagrin of his Fantasy managers. Those Fantasy managers, at least the ones in Dynasty and keeper leagues, entered the offseason hoping Swift would get more chances with Williams leaving to free agency. This contract makes that seem unlikely.

Perhaps the biggest risk for Swift is that he also loses some passing downs to Montgomery. Williams only saw 44 targets in two years with the Lions while Montgomery has two 40-catch seasons on his resume. Montgomery also has a better career catch rate, yards per catch, and yards per target than Montgomery. And last year the gap was as big as it’s ever been. Full Story

The Raiders quickly added Jimmy Garoppolo and Jakobi Meyers to their offense in the first two days of free agency, a sign they don’t plan on taking a step back in the aftermath of the release of Derek Carr, although they will be doing so without Darren Waller. 

Garoppolo, rejoining his former offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, received a reported $34 million guaranteed from the Raiders which signals they plan on starting him for at least 2023. That doesn’t mean they won’t draft a quarterback, but they probably won’t draft a quarterback they plan on starting this season.

From the Raiders’ perspective, this provides some much-needed stability after they let Derek Carr go earlier this offseason. Garoppolo has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL when he’s been healthy.

The Giants needed to add some pass-catching talent after re-signing Daniel Jones, and Waller is a very talented pass catcher. The question is whether he’s still a difference maker heading into his age-31 season, coming off two injury-plagued campaigns, though for the price of a third-round pick, it’s hard to complain either way. 

At his best, there weren’t many tight ends who presented a bigger challenge to defenses than Waller, who put up consecutive 1,100-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020. He wasn’t quite George Kittle or Travis Kelce with the ball in his hands, but Waller had the skill set to make plays down the field and after the catch, and if he can get back to that level, he’ll be a boon for this offense.

The nice thing is we can be pretty confident he’s going to get the opportunity. The Giants likely aren’t done making additions to their receiving corps, but right now, he’s by far the best pass catcher on this offense. Waller might just open the season as Jones’ No. 1 option, and that’s a very good place for any tight end to be, even if you aren’t a believer in Jones – and I’m not. 

Prior to this trade, I had Waller as my No. 9 tight end for 2023, but I think this realistically pushes him back into the top-five discussion. We’ll see who else the Giants add, but right now, I’m thinking Waller slots in between T.J. Hockenson and Dallas Goedert as my TE5. For more thoughts, check out Dan Schneier’s writeup on the Waller trade. And you can listen to the FFT team’s thoughts on the trade here. 

This one comes as a legitimate surprise, as it seemed like Thomas was on his way out in New Orleans after restructuring his contract back in January. However, he’s returning to New Orleans on a one-year, $10 million deal with incentives that could push it as high as $15 million. Derek Carr isn’t a superstar, but he’s probably the best quarterback the Saints have had since Drew Brees. 

However, Thomas isn’t returning to the same team where he once led the league in receptions. He’ll be competing for targets with second-year receiver Chris Olave, who looked like a potential superstar while Thomas was once again sidelined for nearly all of the 2022 season. Thomas did have three touchdowns and 171 yards in three games last season, and could still be a useful Fantasy option, though almost certainly not the No. 1 guy he was. He might complement Olave very well, and the fit with Carr could be pretty good, so he’s back on Fantasy radars as a sleeper for 2023. I won’t pay much for him after he’s played just 10 games over the past three seasons, but I can’t say I won’t draft him this offseason. 

Across five seasons, Penny has played just 42 of 82 possible games, so he was almost certainly always going to end up in a committee of some sort. As committees go, of course, this isn’t a bad one. He missed most of the 2022 season after fracturing his tibia, but he was once again playing very well to open the season for the Seahawks, rushing for 346 yards and two touchdowns on 57 carries in four and a half games. He’ll have a chance to fill the Miles Sanders role, and Sanders had 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns as a rusher last season. Penny has a lot of injury risk, but he’s going to come cheap enough to make it worth the gamble, in my view. I would probably be willing to draft him as an RB3, especially if we get reports indicating he’s going to get a chance to be the lead back. 

The Dolphins have been busy reinforcing their defense early in 2023 NFL free agency. On Tuesday, they pivoted to the other side of the ball, agreeing to terms with running back Raheem Mostert on a two-year contract, the veteran’s agent announced. Later in the day, despite reported interest in a potential trade for Vikings star Dalvin Cook, the Dolphins also agreed to a new two-year deal with Jeff Wilson Jr., who split carries with Mostert late in 2022.

Mostert, 30, has spent the last six seasons working under coach Mike McDaniel, dating to their time with the 49ers. He led Miami with 891 rushing yards in 2022, and will earn $5.6 million on his new deal, per NFL Media. The contract includes $2.2M guaranteed, and can escalate to $7.6M with incentives, the Miami Herald reported Tuesday.

Wilson, who was acquired from the 49ers at the trade deadline, ran for 392 yards in eight games last year. His deal is worth up to $8.2M, per NFL Media, suggesting he’s just as viable a candidate to serve as the Dolphins’ lead ball-carrier moving forward.

In all likelihood, neither of these deals is likely to matter much. Heinicke gives the Falcons a competent backup behind Desmond Ridder, but you have to imagine they’re going to give Ridder the first crack to win the job. And, while Smith would, at first glance, represent some complications for Kyle Pitts, I’m not sure that’s actually the case. Smith played 72% of his snaps in 2020 lined up as a true tight end in Arthur Smith’s offense, while Pitts was at just 38% last season. The Falcons are going to play with plenty of two-TE sets, and I have to imagine Pitts will be the priority on passing situations anyway. I don’t think this impacts him much – the Falcons need to throw more for him to live up to his potential, and not much else matters. 

With Justin Fields coming off a solid second season where he took a big step forward, the Bears were in a tough spot once they locked in the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, and they’ve decided to stick with Fields, sending the pick to the Panthers Friday in a massive trade that will net them two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and wide receiver D.J. Moore. It’s a huge haul, one that will have big ramifications for both teams, so let’s get into it, starting with the Bears side of the deal. 

Once the Bears decided they were going to stick with Fields, adding a high-end wide receiver to help him develop would be a high priority this offseason, and that’s just what they did with D.J. Moore. Moore will be 26 in 2023 and had three straight seasons of 1,157 yards or more before he stumbled to 888 in 2023.

Moore is an obvious upgrade to the Bears receiving corps, which was led last season by Cole Kmet’s 544 yards and Darnell Mooney’s 493 – the latter in just 12 games. Moore has thrived in the NFL as both a possession-type receiver and as a deep threat, and it’s the latter skill set that will fit in well with Fields especially.