The Atlanta Falcons signed rookie first-round edge rusher James Pearce Jr. to a four-year, fully guaranteed deal on Monday, a source told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Falcons made a big trade back up -- they gave up a second-rounder this year and a first-rounder next year -- into the first round of this year's draft to take Pearce with the 26th overall pick to help bolster the defensive side of the ball. The team also took linebacker Jalon Walker at 15th overall. Pearce was originally a potential top-five draft pick before he underwhelmed a bit in his senior season at Tennessee with 7.5 sacks. His size is a question mark for an outside edge rusher, but Pearce's athleticism isn't in question. The Falcons are hoping their selections of both Pearce and Walker pay off immediately and boost their pass rush in 2025.

From RotoBaller

The NFL announced on Monday that the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys will square off to open the 2025 regular season this fall in Week 1 on Thursday Night Football on Sept. 4. The Eagles and quarterback Jalen Hurts and All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley will look to get things started on the right foot in defense of their Super Bowl title in Brian Schottenheimer's first game as the head coach for Dallas. The Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott, who is coming off a torn hamstring in 2024, will also be looking to start out strong after going a disappointing 7-10 last year and missing the playoffs.

From RotoBaller

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie third-round running back Kaleb Johnson knows he must improve his pass-blocking skills if he wants to earn the coaching staff's trust with the hope of becoming an "every-down back" sooner than later. At 6-foot-1, 225 pounds, Johnson led the Big Ten in rushing yards (1,537), rushing touchdowns (21) and all-purpose yards (1,725) at Iowa in 2024. He's a scheme fit for Pittsburgh's zone-centric offense given his efficient production, writes The Athletic's Mike DeFabo. Even if the 21-year-old doesn't catch a ton of passes, he could stand out in fantasy with his big-play ability. There's opportunity in the Steel City, too, with Najee Harris no longer in town. Johnson is likely going to share touches with Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, but he probably has the highest fantasy upside of the trio already.

From RotoBaller

The Houston Texans have signed fourth-round rookie running back Woody Marks to a four-year, $5.2 million deal. Houston traded up to acquire the rights to the USC alum, sending a future third-rounder to the Miami Dolphins. Marks was a four-year player at Mississippi State and a prolific pass-catcher, particularly in his first two collegiate seasons when he totaled 143 receptions, 770 yards, and three touchdowns. He slowed down from there, but still caught at least 47 balls in two of his final three campaigns, including his last at USC. The 24-year-old isn't a burner, but don't confuse him with an early-down thumper. He's a decisive runner who trusts his blocking and possesses enough burst and shake to get to and through the second level consistently. Teammate Joe Mixon is the unquestioned RB1 in Houston, but there's little reason to think Marks couldn't challenge for backup duties. Due to his prowess as a receiver out of the backfield, seeing him garner snaps in those situations early on wouldn't be surprising.

From RotoBaller

Former Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Isaiah Iton has agreed to terms on a one-year, $840,000 contract with the New England Patriots. The Houston native signed as an undrafted free agent with Tennessee following the 2024 NFL Draft, but did not make the team's active roster. Instead, he spent the entirety of last season on the Titans' practice squad. Iton spent his three collegiate seasons with two schools, transferring to Rutgers to complete his senior year after two campaigns with Ole Miss. Over 36 games at the college level, the 23-year-old amassed an unremarkable 62 tackles, one sack, and five tackles for loss. He'll compete for snaps on the Patriots' defensive front and is currently listed third at right-defensive end (unofficially) behind teammates Christian Barmore and Joshua Farmer.

From RotoBaller

Free agent linebacker Jaylon Smith has agreed to terms on an undisclosed contract with the Las Vegas Raiders. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the news. The soon-to-be 30-year-old last suited up briefly with the Raiders back in 2023, but was released after one appearance and found no new work in 2024. In an attempt to restart his career, Smith was held on a tryout basis during Las Vegas' minicamp over the weekend and made a good enough impression to get a shot at the team. The Notre Dame product was a productive player during his last full season (2020), racking up 154 tackles in 16 games, and more recently accruing 88 takedowns over 13 contests as a Giant in 2022. A veteran presence in the Raiders' linebacker room would be a welcome addition, but there's no telling what kind of condition he'll be in after nearly two years off. He likely operates in a depth role on defense, with the opportunity for more depending on his performance.

From RotoBaller

Free-agent LB Jaylon Smith (Steelers) agreed to terms with the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday, May 11, according to a source. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

From TheHuddle

Tennessee Titans rookie running back Kalel Mullings (abdomen) is recovering from offseason core-muscle surgery and will be limited at the team's rookie minicamp, according to the Nashville Post's John Glennon. Additionally, rookie safety Kevin Winston Jr. (knee) is not participating at minicamp, although he's getting closer to a return from his knee injury. The 22-year-old Mullings was taken in the sixth round of this year's NFL draft. When he's cleared from his injury, he will compete for the RB3 role in Tennessee in his first year in the league behind running backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. Mullings won't have any redraft fantasy value in 2025 unless one of Pollard or Spears miss time with injury. Winston, who was taken in the third round, is recovering from a torn right ACL that caused him to miss most of the 2024 season at Penn State.

From RotoBaller

New Orleans Saints rookie fourth-round cornerback Quincy Riley (undisclosed) is recovering from an undisclosed surgery and did not take part in drills at rookie minicamp on Saturday, according to The New Orleans Times-Picayune's Matthew Paras. Head coach Kellen Moore said that Riley's surgery was not related to the ankle injury that he dealt with in college at Louisville. The young defensive back is missing valuable reps with the rest of the team's rookies, and it remains to be seen if he'll be ready for on-field work during organized team activities in late May. Hopefully, Riley will at least be ready for the start of training camp at the end of July. Even if Riley is ready to go for OTAs later this month and mandatory minicamp in June, he'll be competing for a depth role with the Saints as he heads into his first year in the NFL.

From RotoBaller

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed free-agent running back Trey Sermon to an undisclosed one-year deal on Sunday, sources told FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. Sermon will head to the AFC North after spending the last two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts as a backup to Jonathan Taylor, where he saw 91 carries for 319 yards (3.5 yards per carry) and two touchdowns on the ground in 31 games (three starts). He added 19 receptions on 25 targets for 112 yards through the air. The 26-year-old former third-rounder (88th overall) by the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 out of Ohio State will now join a crowded backfield in Pittsburgh that includes rookie third-rounder Kaleb Johnson, Jaylen Warren and free-agent acquisition Kenneth Gainwell. Sermon only averaged 2.8 yards a carry in 2024 and will likely need an injury or two to resurface on the fantasy radar in the Steel City.

From RotoBaller

In the wake of quarterback Derek Carr's (shoulder) retirement on Saturday, New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore said that the team will rotation all of their quarterbacks -- rookie second-rounder Tyler Shough, second-year man Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener -- to give them all opportunities as they look to win the starting job heading into the 2025 season. "We're going to let all three of these guys roll," Moore said. Shough is already 25 years old and has plenty of collegiate experience, giving him the initial leg up as the favorite to take over for Carr this year. However, Rattler, a fifth-round pick in 2024, did play in seven games (six starts) in his rookie campaign, completing just 57% of his 228 pass attempts for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. Haener has thrown only 39 NFL passes. Whoever wins the job in New Orleans will be considered a low-end QB2 for those in superflex fantasy formats.

From RotoBaller

The Denver Broncos have intentionally been getting rookie second-round running back RJ Harvey pass-catching reps in rookie minicamp. General manager George Paton said that Harvey might have the best vision of any RB in this year's NFL draft. The young runner set Central Florida's all-time touchdown record and led the Big 12 in rushing touchdowns in his final season in 2024. He also became the second player in school history to record consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Harvey caught only 20 passes at UCF last season, but head coach Sean Payton said Harvey will have the ability to play on third down -- in addition to first and second own -- because of a variety of protection options. It sounds like Payton plans on using Harvey more as a pass-catcher at the next level, and he has the skills to become a three-down back sooner than later for the Broncos in 2025.

From RotoBaller

Chicago Bears rookie second-round wide receiver Luther Burden III still feels disrespected that he wasn't selected in the first round of this year's NFL draft. "I feel like teams that passed up on me are going to regret it," Burden said. "I just want to make everybody pay." Burden has been impressive in the early portions of rookie minicamp after being a first-team All-SEC selection the last two years. He caught 192 passes for 2,263 yards and 21 touchdowns in three college seasons at Missouri. The 21-year-old will join first-round rookie tight end Colston Loveland in an offense that already features pass-catchers DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet and Olamide Zaccheaus. The 6-foot, 206-pound Burden will initially be competing with Zaccheaus this summer for the WR3 role in Chicago. Volume will be an issue, but Burden certainly has intriguing after-the-catch abilities.

From RotoBaller

Free-agent DE Jadeveon Clowney (Panthers) said that he wants to continue his playing career, several days after being released by the Carolina Panthers. General manager Dan Morgan had tried to gauge trade interest in Clowney from other teams before and after the 2025 NFL Draft but was unable to finalize a deal. The Panthers had offered him a chance to remain with the organization if he agreed to take a pay cut but he declined. According to OverTheCap.com, Clowney's release frees up $7.8 million of salary cap space for Carolina, with $6 million of dead money.

From TheHuddle

Free-agent QB Nathan Peterman (Falcons), OG Tyre Phillips (Giants) and DT Ross Blacklock (Giants) are participating in the Washington Commanders rookie minicamp this weekend on a tryout basis.

From TheHuddle

Per the team's transaction log, the Cleveland Browns have signed fourth-round running back Dylan Sampson and second-round linebacker Carson Schwesinger to their rookie contracts. Schwesinger will make $11.8 million over his four-year deal, while Sampson is set to make $5.13 million over his. Sampson, 20, broke out in his final season at Tennessee with a stellar 1,491 yards and 22 TDs over 258 carries, adding another 20 catches and 143 yards through the air. He took home SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors. Schwesinger, on the other hand, was a Butkus Award finalist (nation's best linebacker) and ranked third in the FBS with 136 total tackles. Sampson's path to playing time is a little murkier than Schwesinger's, as the latter should push for immediate snaps in the Browns' linebacker room. Still, both players stand to make an impact on a rebuilding Cleveland roster in 2025.

From RotoBaller

Per the team's transcript on Thursday, San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak noted that wide receiver Jauan Jennings still views himself as the No.1 guy in San Francisco. Specifically, Kubiak was asked if Jennings would resume WR1 duties for the team with uncertainty surrounding teammate Brandon Aiyuk's (knee) status. "I think, if you ask Jauan, he says 'I'm No. 1," he replied. "And that's his mindset, and that's why we love Jauan." The 27-year-old was an afterthought in fantasy drafts last summer, but injuries opened up opportunity, and the former seventh-round pick ran with it. Jennings led all 49ers pass-catchers not named George Kittle in receptions (77), yards (975), and touchdowns (six). He may have to stave off a second-year ascension from fellow wideout Ricky Pearsall, but Jennings should again have a shot to be productive in 2025.

From RotoBaller

Buffalo Bills rookie fourth-round defensive tackle Deone Walker (back) is feeling great despite playing last year with a back injury, but the Bills are playing it safe and easing him into rookie minicamp. "I had a pars defect in my back," Walker said. "I didn't know about it until after the season, really until the combine. We didn't really know what it was, but I feel a 100% right now." While the former Kentucky product wasn't always on the field with his fellow rookie teammates, he said he got in a lot of drill work and was putting in the mental reps while learning the playbook. The 21-year-old is a beast of a human being at 6-foot-7, 331 pounds. He was much more productive for the Wildcats when he was fully healthy in 2023, and he's expected to begin his NFL career as more of a rotational interior defensive lineman in Buffalo.

From RotoBaller

Now that quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder) has announced his retirement, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport writes that it sets the stage for rookie second-round quarterback Tyler Shough to be the team's eventual starter in 2025. Shough's stock for his rookie campaign was already rising with Carr's availability in question for 2025 due to a shoulder injury, but now Carr is out of the picture completely. The 25-year-old Shough will be competing primarily with Spencer Rattler, who completed just 57% of his passes while throwing four touchdowns and five interceptions in his rookie season in 2024. Even if the Saints give Shough a little more time to develop and name Rattler the starter for Week 1, it seems likely that Shough will be starting games in the Big Easy sooner than later in 2025. Shough is old for a rookie and has plenty of experience, making him the current favorite over Rattler for QB1 duties.

From RotoBaller

The New Orleans Saints announced on Saturday that quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder) is retiring. Carr experienced pain in his right shoulder in March while ramping up his preparation for the 2025 season, and medical scans showed that he was dealing with a labral tear and also had significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff. Surgery was an option, which would have knocked him out for all of 2025, but there still wasn't a guarantee that he'd return to the same level of strength, function and performance. After discussing with his wife, Heather, Carr has decided to hang up his cleats after 11 seasons in the NFL. In 169 regular-season starts, Carr made four Pro Bowls and threw for 41,245 yards, 257 touchdowns and 112 interceptions, with all but two of his seasons coming with the Raiders. With Carr now out of the picture in the Big Easy, second-round rookie Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler will battle for the starting gig in training camp.

From RotoBaller