NFL Player News
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Devontez Walker WR | BAL
Ravens' Devontez Walker: Leading candidate for WR4 job
Walker was Baltimore's most consistent wide receiver during spring practices and appears to be the frontrunner for the WR4 job, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.
Walker was a fourth-round pick in the 2024 Draft and saw just three targets across nine regular-season appearances as a rookie, catching one pass for a 21-yard touchdown. Walker played just 57 offensive snaps across those nine contests and was sixth amongst Baltimore's wideouts in targets. The Ravens signed DeAndre Hopkins in the offseason and kept Tylan Wallace with a one-year deal, but Hensley believes Walker is positioned to leap Wallace for the WR4 gig despite Wallace posting an 11-193-1 line on 12 targets and 275 snaps last regular season.
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P.J. Locke SAF | DEN
Broncos' P.J. Locke: Recovering from surgery
Locke underwent spinal fusion surgery during the offseason and is still recovering, he recently disclosed on his YouTube channel.
Locke played through the back injury during the 2024 season and managed to play 982 total snaps over 15 regular-season games despite dealing with considerable pain. His ability to return to the field was in question, but Locke said that his pain levels are minimal and he hopes to be cleared for training camp.
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Darren Waller TE | MIA
Dolphins' Darren Waller: Out of retirement, dealt to Miami
Waller is coming out of retirement and was acquired by the Dolphins in a trade with the Giants on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
The two teams are swapping late-round picks, with the Giants acquiring a conditional sixth-rounder in 2026 and Miami also getting a 2027 seventh-rounder. Waller will sign an adjusted, incentive-laden deal to facilitate the trade to Miami, according to Pelissero. Waller turns 33 years old in September and retired ahead of training camp last summer. However, he recently informed the Giants of his desire to return to football, but only if it could be in Miami. With Jonnu Smith traded by the Dolphins to the Steelers on Monday, Miami had a massive hole at tight end. Waller is getting up there in age and hasn't been particularly effective or healthy since 2020 with the Raiders. It's still a worthwhile flier for a Dolphins offense that was lacking established pass catchers behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
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Pat Freiermuth TE | PIT
Steelers' Pat Freiermuth: Joined by Jonnu Smith
Freiermuth will play alongside fellow tight end Jonnu Smith after the Steelers traded for Smith on Monday, Steelers Now reports.
Coming off an 88-catch breakout campaign while playing in all 17 regular-season games, Smith represents a threat to Freiermuth's playing time in 11 personnel even if they can work together symbiotically in multi-TE formations. Freiermuth is entering the first season of a four-year, $48.4 million contract extension, while Smith just signed a one-year, $12 million extension through 2026. Both tight ends will find it difficult to approach their 2024 volume, competing against each other (and WR DK Metcalf) for targets from a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers in Arthur Smith's run-first offense.
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Jalen Ramsey CB | PIT
Steelers' Jalen Ramsey: Traded to Pittsburgh
The Dolphins are trading Ramsey to the Steelers, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith are headed to Pittsburgh in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, with Day 3 picks going in both directions. The 2-for-1 trade allows Miami to shed salary without totally punting, while Pittsburgh now has standout strengths at cornerback and tight end. Ramsey may end up in an IDP-friendly role as a slot guardian and/or safety, considering the Steelers seemingly have a solid pair of boundary corners in Joey Porter and Darius Slay. They also have slot corner Beanie Bishop returning, so there's no shortage of options for nickel packages.
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Minkah Fitzpatrick FS | MIA
Dolphins' Minkah Fitzpatrick: Traded to Dolphins
The Steelers are trading Fitzpatrick to the Dolphins as part of a deal for tight end Jonnu Smith and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
The trade allows Miami to shed salary while adding a standout replacement for safety Jevon Holland, who left this offseason to sign with the Giants. Fitzpatrick previously was traded in the other direction, from Miami to Pittsburgh, back in September 2019, just three weeks into his second NFL season. He ended up intercepting five passes in 14 games for the Steelers that year, earning First Team All-Pro honors for the first time (also in 2020 and 2022). Fitzpatrick had just one INT and seven pass breakups in 27 regular-season games over the past two seasons, but he's only 28 years old and should still offer some playmaking ability for Miami's secondary.
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Jonnu Smith TE | PIT
Steelers' Jonnu Smith: Traded to Pittsburgh
The Dolphins are trading Smith, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Steelers in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-round pick, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Smith was said to be unhappy with his contract in Miami following last year's career highs for catches, yards and touchdowns. A move to Pittsburgh reunites him with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who was the head coach in Atlanta when Jonnu Smith played there. It isn't an especially promising move for Smith's fantasy value, as the Steelers likely will run the ball a lot and already have Pat Freiermuth at tight end.
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L'Jarius Sneed CB | TEN
Titans' L'Jarius Sneed: Proclaims himself healthy
Sneed (quadriceps) recently said during his football camp that he's healthy and "ready to get back on the field," Buck Reising of 104-5 The Zone reports. "I'm healthy as I've been," Sneed proclaimed.
Sneed missed Tennessee's final 12 games last season due to a quadriceps issue and didn't participate in the Titans' minicamp in mid-June. If the former Chief is indeed back to health, he will look to rebound in the second year of the $76.4 million contract he signed in March 2024. It's still not certain that Sneed will be ready for the beginning of Tennessee's training camp, which kicks off July 22.
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Dylan Sampson RB | CLE
Browns' Dylan Sampson: Getting reps in receiving game
Browns running backs coach Duce Staley said at mandatory minicamp in mid-June that Sampson has gotten work "as a running back and a receiver," Dan Labbe of cleveland.com reports.
Staley also said that Sampson has worked with wide receivers coach Chad O'Shea, and that the rookie fourth-round pick "is able to go play in the slot and also he's able to go and play on third down and maybe sprinkle in a little second down." The running backs coach also noted that fellow rookie RB Quinshon Judkins, whom the Browns drafted two rounds ahead of Sampson, will be "able to do a little something [...] at receiver, too." Meanwhile, incumbent Jerome Ford has already demonstrated tangible pass-catching chops, and Staley praised his "speed" and ability to "pick up the blitz and catch the ball." While all three of Cleveland's top running backs could see tangible usage in the passing game, Labbe hypothesizes that as things currently stand Judkins and Sampson project to lead the Browns' revamped backfield, with Ford serving as the No. 3 back. Sampson didn't catch many passes in college at Tennessee, including as the team's starter in 2024, so it would come as a surprise if he in fact beats out Ford for passing-down reps at training camp, but if the rookie fourth-rounder can manage that feat he'll have a clear path to fantasy relevance in Year 1, especially in PPR formats.
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Obo Okoronkwo DE | CLE
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo: Let go by Browns
Cleveland released Okoronkwo on Thursday, Kelsey Russo of the team's official site reports.
Okoronkwo had been under contract with the Browns for one more season via the three-year, $19 million deal he inked with the team in 2023, so his release is somewhat surprising even after a down year in 2024. He played a sizable rotational role in Cleveland's pass rush in both 2023 and 2024, finishing last year with 23 tackles (15 solo), including 3.0 sacks, plus one forced fumble while playing all 17 regular-season games. Okoronkwo will draw fair interest around the league for teams in need of a rotational contributor, and his departure opens up opportunities behind Myles Garrett with the Browns for all of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire.