Despite the fact that Cincinnati Bengals rookie first-round defensive end Shemar Stewart was the only first-rounder that didn't take part in any offseason workouts due to a contract dispute, the coaching staff remains high on him. "It's a lesson for him in the NFL -- control what you can control," defensive coordinator Al Golden said. "From our standpoint he's done a good job in terms of the learning. We are as excited as anybody to get him out there." The 21-year-old pass-rusher was taken with the 17th overall pick and could take on an even bigger role in his first NFL season if the Bengals end up trading All-Pro pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson. However, despite the fact that Stewart seems like an eager learner, the lack of on-field reps during offseason workouts will most likely shorten his learning curve in 2025. It would be a surprise if Stewart doesn't sign his rookie deal before training camp.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving, who is expected to see more opportunities in 2025, has improved his footwork and pass protection, according to head coach Todd Bowles. "He got to where he needed to be, but his footwork wasn't always the cleanest last season," Bowles says. "He's cleaned that up." Despite only "starting" three games in 2024, Irving finished as the RB13 in point-per-reception scoring in fantasy in his rookie season by racking up 1,122 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 207 rushing attempts. He added 47 receptions on 52 targets for 392 yards through the air. The 22-year-old makes up for his lack of size and athleticism with excellent vision and a knack for breaking tackles in open space. The primary concern with Irving as it pertains to being a true RB1 is the question of whether he can be a true workhorse back and withstand all the physical punishment between the tackles.

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Free-agent kicker Justin Tucker received a 10-game suspension from the NFL on Thursday, according to league insider Ian Rapoport. The eight-time All-Pro was released by the Baltimore Ravens this offseason after allegations of sexual misconduct by numerous accusers. The 35-year-old suspension will begin on the NFL's roster cutdown day (August 26), and he will be eligible for reinstatement following Week 10 of the 2025 campaign (November 11). His suspension can be served whether he is with a team or not. Tucker is one of the best kickers in NFL history, but the off-the-field developments are sure to negatively impact his legacy and his chances to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the future.

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Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis finds himself as the backup quarterback to No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, just one season after he was looking to establish himself as the franchise QB of the future. Levis showed a few flashes of upside in his 21 game appearances since being selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Kentucky, but overall, it hasn't been good enough. Levis has completed 61% of his passes for 3,899 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions en route to a 5-16 record as a starter. Still, Levis continues to have a positive attitude and outlook heading into 2025. "Will has been great with how he's handled this kind of new situation," offensive coordinator Nick Holz said. "Attitude-wise, he's a good dude and a good teammate. I give him a lot of credit for that because when you draft another quarterback with the No. 1 pick, it's not an easy situation." The latest rumors suggest the team is willing to keep Levis on the roster, but that could be a negotiating tactic to eventually trade him at the end of training camp. While his accuracy and decision-making have drawn plenty of criticism, he has top-tier arm talent and could use a fresh start.

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New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough was selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and veteran signal-caller Derek Carr (shoulder) announced his retirement shortly after. This leaves Shough as the favorite to win the QB1 job in his rookie season, though he is competing with sophomore Spencer Rattler. After a long college football career full of adversity, Shough is ready for the growing pains and downs of his first year in the NFL. "I think for me and what I've been through: I've been carted off the field, I've been booed, I've been an MVP, I've been a starter, I've been a backup to [Justin] Herbert," Shough said. "You're not going to faze me if we start off 0-2 or I suck. It's going to be fine." The former Oregon Duck, Texas Tech Red Raider, and Louisville Cardinal acknowledge that while he's an older first-year player, he's still a rookie who will have to learn. Even if Shough pans out, he likely won't be a fantasy football contributor in single-QB leagues this season since he does not have much of a rushing skill set. That said, he could be a QB2 sleeper for Superflex and two-QB leagues while throwing passes to Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Alvin Kamara, Juwan Johnson, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Devontez Walker was a fourth-round selection in last year's NFL Draft, but the North Carolina product only played in nine games and caught just one pass for 21 yards and a touchdown. Entering his sophomore campaign, the 24-year-old said he feels more comfortable and ready to play at full speed. Head coach John Harbaugh is optimistic about the speedster's future. "Every day, all he does is show up and go 100 miles an hour," Harbaugh said. "He's got a chance to be really good." While Walker figures to open the season as no better than the WR4 behind Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and DeAndre Hopkins, he could be worth a final-round dart throw in best ball formats based on the offseason praise. However, it would be a surprise if he's a consistent fantasy producer and worth rostering in 12-team setups.

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Arizona Cardinals rookie first-round defensive tackle Walker Nolen III has impressed coaches and teammates right away during OTAs and minicamp and looks the part while fitting into a veteran defensive line room from not only a physical perspective, but also while standing out on the field at practice, according to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. "He has unbelievable lateral quickness. Very few players can go kind of backdoor and to come down the line and make a [tackle for loss]," veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell said. "He's one of those guys that has that unique ability where he has quickness. His quickness is different level, and he has good instincts." The 21-year-old 6-foot-4, 296-pounder had 14 tackles for loss and a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2024 at Ole Miss. Nolen won't be on the IDP fantasy radar in 2025, but he could be a key pass-rusher on the interior in Arizona before long.

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ESPN's Marc Raimondi writes that people have done nothing but rave about Atlanta Falcons rookie first-round linebacker Jalon Walker, from his physical abilities to his football acumen. The Georgia Bulldog alumni has made a seemingly seamless transition so far at the NFL level at the Falcons' team facility, which is around 43 miles northeast of where he played his college ball. "The human, the character, the person, the player, the all-in mentality," head coach Raheem Morris gushed. "He has those captain-like traits, and when you first meet him, you get that feel, you get that vibe from him, and he'll be one of those guys." The 21-year-old was the 15th overall pick in this year's NFL draft and could be used as both an off-ball linebacker and as a pass-rusher off the edge in Atlanta. Eventually, he should be a three-down linebacker, but in 2025, his playing time could be spotty as the Falcons figure out the best way to use him.

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ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques writes that Miami Dolphins rookie first-round defensive tackle Kenneth Grant has impressed during offseason workouts with his work ethic and mentality away from the football field. Head coach Mike McDaniel said that Grant "works endlessly" at the stuff he's asked to do. "You're hitting a home run with the team when a first-round draft pick comes in with that mindset, so we can work with that and veterans know you can count on that," McDaniel said. "There's been ebbs and flows like for every rookie, but what I've seen from him, I've seen production where he wins based on technique and fundamentals early in the snap, and I've seen late-down wins where he's straining and utilizing grit and finish to make plays." The 21-year-old is a hulking figure at 6-foot-3, 331 pounds and should quickly settle in as a full-time starter on the interior to help replace Christian Wilkins.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced on Thursday that they signed head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht to multi-year contract extensions. Bowles' extension is for three seasons, according to sources, and will push his deal through the 2028 season. He is entering his fourth year as the head coach in 2025 with a 27-24 record and having won three straight NFC South titles from 2022 to 2024. Licht is entering his 12th season with the franchise and is currently the league's fifth-longest-tenured traditional GM. Under Licht, the Bucs won Super Bowl LV and have drafted key players such as Mike Evans, Tristan Wirfs, Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield Jr., Chris Godwin, Bucky Irving, Cade Otton, and more. Tampa leads the NFL in total snaps and starts by homegrown players that were selected in the first five rounds since 2014.

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Veteran cornerback Shaquill Griffin is signing with the Seattle Seahawks, reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Griffin began his career with Seattle after the organization selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of the University of Central Florida. He spent four seasons in Seattle, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2019. He joined the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2021 offseason before shorter stints with the Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, and the Minnesota Vikings. Overall, Griffin has tallied 407 tackles (323 solo), 70 pass deflections, nine interceptions, 11 run stuffs, one sack, and one forced fumble in 106 career games. In Seattle, he'll join a talented CB room featuring Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen. He'll also practice against quarterback Sam Darnold for the second straight season.

Seattle Seahawks WR Cooper Kupp 'looked the part' of 'a legitimate complementary piece' to WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba during minicamp and OTAs, in the opinion of Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, who writes that Kupp 'still has enough wiggle, understanding of leverage and quickness' to make things difficult for defenses both in underneath routes and the red zone.

Fantasy Spin: Before we get too carried away, let's point out that Dugar writes that Kupp is obviously not the same guy he was in 2021 when he led the league in catches, yards, and TDs. That version of Kupp is gone, but the one Seattle signed may have more juice left than his 67-710-6 effort last year suggests. The veteran is an elite route runner, and if the Seahawks feed him the ball on short routes he could rack up the receptions in 2025. Still, at 32 and having missed 18 games combined over the past three seasons, Kupp is more of a risk-reward option as your fourth or fifth receiver.

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Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers plans to spend time with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to find a 'middle ground' between Rodgers' 'pass-happy' approach and Smith's 'run-heavy' play-calling, according to The Athletic's Mike DeFabo. Rodgers finished second in the NFL in pass attempts last season while Smith called the fourth-most running plays.

Fantasy Spin: Rodgers' move to Pittsburgh is one of the NFL's more compelling storylines heading into 2025. As has been mentioned in numerous spaces, the veteran should be the best quarterback the team has had since the days of Ben Roethlisberger, though Smith and Rodgers striking a balance between their divergent approaches will be an interesting subplot. The veteran projects as a low-end QB2 in the same area as other immobile signal callers like Matthew Stafford and Tua Tagovailoa.

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New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields is impressing the coaching staff this offseason with his work ethic as he heads into his first season with the team. "He's going out there and he's busting his a-; trying to be the best quarterback he can be for this team. Everybody sees that and I like that," head coach Aaron Glenn said. The biggest knocks on the former first-rounder in 2021 by the Chicago Bears were accuracy issues and his processing at the line of scrimmage. "The biggest takeaway I would say is that this guy is just a workaholic," offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand said. If Fields can improve his accuracy and decision-making while throwing to college teammate Garrett Wilson, he could become the long-term answer in New York and give fantasy managers clear QB1 upside given his elite rushing abilities. The 26-year-old has a high floor as a QB2 because of his rushing prowess.

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San Francisco 49ers rookie first-round defensive end Mykel Williams has earned positive early reviews for his willingness to learn from veteran pass-rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "He's got a lot of talent, a lot of eagerness to learn, more so than I've seen probably from any young guy," Bosa said. "He just wants to learn as much as he can, and I'm excited to give all the knowledge I can to him." Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek has been pleased with Williams' approach, and the 20-year-old 11th overall pick should have a substantial role in Year 1 opposite Bosa. With that said, the 6-foot-5, 260-pounder could be more of a developmental project for the Niners in his first year with the team. The Georgia product is unlikely to be a must-roster player in IDP fantasy leagues in 2025.

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Las Vegas Raiders rookie first-round running back Ashton Jeanty has made a strong impression within the organization, according to ESPN's Ryan McFadden. Head coach Pete Carroll said Jeanty was "every bit" of what the team hoped for during offseason workouts as he showcased his pass-catching abilities and understanding of the offense. The Boise State product received most of the first-team reps during OTAs and minicamp, an indication that he's already established himself as the team's RB1. "He's such a strong and dynamic back," left tackle Kolton Miller said. "Even if he gets hit, he's still balanced, and that's super unique." There's been talk that the Raiders could use a committee backfield in 2025, but they didn't draft Jeanty sixth overall for that. He's going to cost a pretty penny in fantasy drafts and is already considered a top-five fantasy back going into his rookie campaign.

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ESPN's Jordan Raanan writes that New York Giants rookie first-round defensive end Abdul Carter has looked explosive during offseason workouts, and it was evident from the moment he first set foot on the field. "He looks quick," veteran middle linebacker Bobby Okereke said of Carter. The 21-year-old third overall pick in this year's NFL draft was used as an edge rusher, defensive tackle and inside linebacker during spring practices and didn't look out of place physically or mentally. Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen has already noted Carter's versatility, so the rookie's usage early in his first year in the league will be worth watching. Carter could be on the IDP fantasy radar sooner than later in 2025, and the combination of him, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns could make the Giants defense one of the best pass-rushing units in the NFL.

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Arizona Cardinals WR Zay Jones likely will serve as the No. 3 receiver for the Cardinals this upcoming season, in the opinion of CardsWire's Jess Root.

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During a recent appearance on the "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast, San Francisco 49ers George Kittle said he feels great physically and mentally, and he is not putting a timeline on his retirement. The former fifth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Iowa said he will play "Literally until I don't have fun anymore." The Pro Bowl and All-Pro fixture recently signed a four-year extension to remain with the Niners long term following a 78-catch, 1,106-yard, and eight-touchdown season in 2024. "The one benefit of not making the playoffs is you get an entire month off," Kittle said. "I haven't had January off since 2020." This sounds like a great development for Kittle fantasy managers and his upside in 2025, especially after the departure of Deebo Samuel Sr., who was traded to the Washington Commanders. Kittle is currently being priced as the TE3 in half-PPR ADP, and it would be a surprise if he's not in contention for the overall TE1 once again in his ninth NFL campaign.

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Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey was selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, which was a surprise to many. Most draft analysts projected Harvey to be a third or fourth-round pick, so Sean Payton's conviction to select him early immediately increased his fantasy football value. However, the recent signing of veteran ball carrier J.K. Dobbins brought a new factor to Harvey's perceived value. Broncos reporter Nick Kosmider said that should not be the case. [Dobbins] signing had nothing to do with a souring outlook on Harvey." Kosmider wrote. "If anything, Harvey has exceeded expectations during his early days in Denver. He's in tremendous shape and has shown a natural feel as a receiver. Truer tests of his progress and his immediate readiness to contribute will come in training camp and the preseason, but the Broncos have been pleased with his progress to this point and plan to have him be a significant part of the offense." Kosmider said the Broncos targeted Dobbins well before April's draft, and Payton prefers a 1-2 punch approach. While Dobbins' presence somewhat lowers Harvey's ceiling, he should retain his RB2 upside in 2025. Dobbins is entering his age-26 season and has dealt with a multitude of significant injuries. If he gets banged up again, Harvey could be an RB1 with league-winning upside.

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