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FFL: Preseason | NFL: Week 1

Lions propose playoff seeding change

Wed Mar 19 1:39pm ET
Field Level Media

The high-powered Detroit Lions nearly had to hit the road to open the playoffs in January before winning their regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings.

Had Detroit lost that game, Minnesota would have wrapped up the ultra-competitive NFC North and the Lions would've dropped to the conference's fifth seed as the team that featured the best record without a division title.

That notion apparently didn't sit well with the Lions, who proposed that playoff seeding should be based on record -- regardless of division honors. That would also mean that winning a division title would not guarantee a home game in the wild-card round.

The NFL revealed a list of potential rule changes on Wednesday, and owners are scheduled to meet on March 30-April 2 in West Palm Beach, Fla. Proposals require the approval of at least 24 of the 32 teams.

Also Wednesday, the Green Bay Packers' formally requested to ban the "tush push" short-yardage play commonly used by the Philadelphia Eagles.

"We're not very successful against it, I know that," Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said last month at the NFL Scouting Combine. "To be honest with you, I haven't put much thought into it. It's been around for a while, we've used it in different fashions with our tight end, so again, I think there will be a lot of discussions about it. I've got to look at some of the information as far as injury rates, things like that, to see. But we'll see."

More than half of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts' 55 career regular-season rushing touchdowns reached the end zone from the tight, rugby-like formation with running backs angled near Hurts to help shove him over the goal line at the snap. Last season, the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens ran variations of the same play.

Below is a list of other proposals:

--The Pittsburgh Steelers proposed that teams would be allowed to have one call with prospective unrestricted free agents from other teams and their agents during the negotiating window before the start of the league year.

--The Lions also proposed eliminating the automatic first down that comes with an illegal contact or defensive holding penalty.

--The Eagles proposed giving both teams a guaranteed possession in overtime during the regular season, aligning with the current playoff rules.

--The Washington Commanders proposed allowing teams to secure scouting credentials for games in the final two weeks of the season for potential playoff opponents.

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Player Notes
Cam Ward Mar 19 1:40pm ET
Cam Ward

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on the Dan Patrick Show that from what he's gathered, the Tennessee Titans seem pretty comfortable holding onto the top overall pick in this year's draft to select University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward, who is the consensus top QB in what is considered a weak overall draft class. The Titans have already met with Ward and have come away impressed, and a report surfaced on Tuesday night that they might also be willing to trade Will Levis this offseason. Basically, there is momentum for the Titans to keep the No. 1 overall pick, which could complicate matters for the New York Giants, one of the few remaining teams without a plan at the most important position in football. Even if the Titans hang onto Levis going into training camp, if they take Ward first overall, he will be the likely starter come Week 1 in 2025.

From RotoBaller

Rondale Moore Mar 19 1:30pm ET
Rondale Moore

Free-agent wide receiver Rondale Moore (knee) is visiting with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday as he continues to make the rounds, a source told NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Moore, a former second-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals, has already met with the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets as he resets following a season-ending knee injury that he suffered last summer with the Atlanta Falcons. The 24-year-old is taking his time and making sure his next team is the right fit. There is plenty of opportunity in Tennessee behind No. 1 wideout Calvin Ridley, even after the free-agent signing of Van Jefferson. The question is who will be throwing the passes for the Titans in 2025? Tennessee would surely be an intriguing destination for Moore in terms of opportunity, but he never had over 435 yards or one touchdown in any of his three years in Arizona, and there's also the question of how effective he'll be coming off a major knee injury.

From RotoBaller

Mason Rudolph Mar 19 1:20pm ET
Mason Rudolph

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to weigh all their options at the quarterback position for the 2025 season, including rolling with Mason Rudolph as their starter under center after bringing him back to the organization this offseason. Rudolph was drafted by the Steelers in the third round in 2018 out of Oklahoma State, is familiar with the organization and has good chemistry with receiver George Pickens. However, the 29-year-old is essentially game manager at the position and wouldn't give the offense as much upside as Aaron Rodgers, a four-time MVP and future Hall of Famer. The Steelers are willing to wait on a decision from Rodgers and have prioritized the 41-year-old over re-signing Russell Wilson. Even if Pittsburgh lands Rodgers, it's not out of the question that they take a rookie signal-caller like Alabama's Jalen Milroe in the upcoming draft.

From RotoBaller

J.J. McCarthy Mar 19 1:10pm ET
J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings have rejected multiple trade calls on quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) and are telling other teams that they are moving forward with him as their quarterback, sources tell NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. The Vikings plan to add a veteran as insurance for McCarthy, but Pelissero reports that they aren't currently pursuing free-agent QB Aaron Rodgers. Barring something unforeseen, McCarthy is Minnesota's QB1 this offseason. The 22-year-old first-round pick last year out of Michigan tore the meniscus in his knee after an impressive preseason performance and missed his entire rookie season. Despite that and Sam Darnold having a career year in 2024, the Vikes let Darnold walk in free agency, doubling down on McCarthy. They're showing even more faith in him by passing on Rodgers, but that could change if McCarthy struggles during offseason workouts.

From RotoBaller

Aaron Rodgers Mar 19 1:10pm ET
Aaron Rodgers

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Minnesota Vikings are not pursuing free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers at this time and remain fully committed to J.J. McCarthy (knee). The Athletic's Dianna Russini says that the Vikings have strongly considered and will continue to monitor Rodgers as an option, but they aren't ready to commit at this point in the offseason, according to sources. They understand it could lead to Rodgers signing elsewhere or retiring. It sounds like the Vikings want to see how much McCarthy has progressed during offseason workouts before deciding how desperate they are to add a veteran QB option like Rodgers, who brings with him plenty of drama. McCarthy was taken in the first round in 2024 but missed his entire rookie campaign due to a torn meniscus. The ball is now in Rodgers' court. Does he want to wait out the Vikings, sign with the Steelers or Giants, or retire?

From RotoBaller

Aaron Rodgers Mar 19 12:13pm ET
Aaron Rodgers

Dynasty | The Vikings are reportedly planning to start quarterback JJ McCarthy this season. Dynasty Analysis: In other words, they're moving on from the idea of signing Aaron Rodgers. It was always a bit of a long shot (and a curious move) for the Vikings to consider bringing on A-Rod since they invested a first round pick on McCarthy just last season. In the end, the cons looked to have outweighed the pros and Minnesota is clearly of the mindset McCarthy will be ready to start in week one. While nothing is truly official until Rodgers signs elsewhere, it really does look like McCarthy's value is trending up.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Pat O'Connor Mar 19 10:44am ET
Pat O'Connor

The Detroit Lions announced on Tuesday that they re-signed defensive lineman Pat O'Connor to an undisclosed deal. O'Connor will return to Detroit in 2025 for a second straight season. The 31-year-old veteran was originally drafted by Detroit in the seventh round (250th overall) in 2017 out of Eastern Michigan, but he debuted that same year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and stuck in Florida until rejoining the Lions organization last year. He had a career-high 18 tackles (five solo) and one sack in 12 regular-season games last year and will return as defensive-end depth for Detroit behind All-Pro Aidan Hutchinson (leg) and Josh Paschal. In O'Connor's seven years in the NFL, he has only compiled 42 tackles (19 solo), 2.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and six QB hits in 80 games (no starts).

Kirk Cousins Mar 19 12:03am ET
Kirk Cousins

Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins has been the subject of multiple calls from or internal discussions by other teams in recent days, according to The Exhibit's Josina Anderson, who noted that her source said a team may be willing to offer a third-round pick to acquire Cousins.

Fantasy Spin: The likelihood is that at least two of the teams are the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns. As luck would have it, New York and Cleveland each have an extra third-round pick in next month's draft. Giants head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are desperate to land a quarterback as they try to save their jobs, while the Browns could be a wonderful landing spot for Cousins if they can fix the offensive line issues that plagued them in 2024. The 36-year-old probably won't push for low-end fantasy QB1 production in either spot, but the Browns may have enough in place to give him a shot at being a strong QB2.

From TheHuddle

Jalen Milroe Mar 18 11:30pm ET
Jalen Milroe

Former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe had dinner on Tuesday night in Tuscaloosa with Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, general manager Omar Khan and quarterbacks coach Tom Arth before his school's pro day, a source tells NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. The Steelers failed to re-sign Justin Fields in free agency and have yet to re-sign free-agent QB Russell Wilson as they explore all options at the most important position in football. They did reunite with Mason Rudolph, but the Steelers are fully expected to add either Wilson or Aaron Rodgers while also potentially selecting a young signal-caller in the upcoming draft like Milroe. Pittsburgh owns the No. 21 overall pick in the first round, which could be right around the wheelhouse of where teams will be looking to take Milroe.

From RotoBaller

Kearis Jackson Mar 18 11:20pm ET
Kearis Jackson

The Houston Texans released cornerback Anthony Averett and waived safety Brandon Hill (leg) and wide receiver Kearis Jackson on Tuesday, according to KPRC's Aaron Wilson. Hill was waived with a failed-physical designation after he missed all of the 2024 season due to a right-leg injury. Averett, 30, hasn't appeared in an NFL game since 2022 with the Las Vegas Raiders. He latched on with the Texans' practice squad before the postseason but is now back on the open market. Averett had 13 tackles (12 solo) in seven games with the Raiders in 2022. Hill, 24, will need to prove his healthy before another team takes a chance on him. He has only played in two career games (in 2023 with Houston) and has zero tackles. Jackson, 25, spent most of last season on the New York Giants' practice squad. In the only two games of his career (in 2023 with the Titans), he returned six punts for 48 yards.

From RotoBaller

Drake Maye Mar 18 11:10pm ET
Drake Maye

Former Minnesota Vikings first-rounder Garrett Bradbury reached an agreement on Tuesday on a two-year deal worth up to $12 million, including $3.8 million guaranteed, with the New England Patriots, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The 29-year-old center was the 18th overall selection by Minnesota in the 2019 NFL draft out of North Carolina State and started all 88 games he played for the Vikings in his six years with the team. He is expected to replace recently released 10-year veteran and team captain David Andrews as the new center for second-year quarterback Drake Maye. It didn't take long for Bradbury to find a new home after he was just released by the Vikes on Monday. He's one of the league's smaller centers at listed weight of 300 pounds, so he could continue to struggle with big and power defensive tackles.

From RotoBaller

Will Levis Mar 18 10:40pm ET
Will Levis

A league source told Josina Anderson that both Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins and Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis came up in recent preliminary trade inquiries or internal discussions. "Atlanta has been getting calls," the league source said, while also saying, "the Titans would like to transition." The Falcons continue to say they're willing to pay Cousins top money to serve as their backup in 2025, and they even kept him past last Saturday's $10 million guarantee deadline. However, Cousins doesn't want to be a backup, and Atlanta could give in if they get the right return, although they'd probably have to eat some money, too. The Titans are clearly ready to move on from Levis, who was benched last year, but it remains to be seen what kind of trade market he'd even have. It's looking a lot more likely that the Titans may hang onto the No. 1 overall pick and take Miami QB Cam Ward.

From RotoBaller

Zachary Carter Mar 18 10:20pm ET
Zachary Carter

The Las Vegas Raiders announced on Tuesday that they re-signed free-agent defensive tackle Zachary Carter to an undisclosed deal. Carter began last season with the Cincinnati Bengals before joining the Raiders to finish out the year. The 25-year-old interior defensive lineman had only 22 total tackles (10 solo), a career-high 1.5 sacks and two QB hits in 12 games (two starts) combined with both teams. The Bengals took him in the third round (95th overall) in the 2022 NFL draft out of the University of Florida. Carter has never had more than 23 total tackles in his three seasons in the NFL as mostly a reserve defensive tackle, but he could have a shot to compete for a bigger role in Vegas in his first full season with the team in 2025.

From RotoBaller

Bryce Hall Mar 18 10:10pm ET
Bryce Hall

Free-agent cornerback Bryce Hall (ankle) re-signed a minimum one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday, according to FOX Sports' Greg Auman. Hall has fully recovered from the a season-ending ankle injury that he suffered back in Week 1 in his first year in Tampa, and he is ready to go for offseason workouts. The 27-year-old former fifth-round selection (158th overall) by the New York Jets in 2020 out of the University of Virginia spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Jets and racked up 122 tackles (104 solo), half a sack, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, 21 pass breakups and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown in 34 games (26 starts) during that span. Hall will not be on the IDP fantasy radar in 2025 as a reserve cornerback in Tampa while mostly contributing on special teams.

From RotoBaller

Tim Jones Mar 18 9:30pm ET
Tim Jones

The Minnesota Vikings signed free-agent wide receiver Tim Jones to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday, according to Vikings.com's Craig Peters. Jones heads to the NFC North after spending the last four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he caught just 17 of his 27 targets for 154 yards and no touchdowns in 51 games (three starts) -- he spent all of the 2021 campaign on the practice squad and didn't see any action in the NFL that year. The 26-year-old product of Southern Miss will now join a Vikings receiver room that already includes All-Pro Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor as well as Lucky Jackson, Thayer Thomas and Jeshaun Jones. He will most likely factor in for the Vikings on special teams and won't be guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster out of training camp this summer.

From RotoBaller

Nate Landman Mar 18 9:30pm ET
Nate Landman

The Los Angeles Rams announced on Tuesday that they agreed to terms with free-agent inside linebacker Nate Landman on an undisclosed one-year deal. Landman will move to the NFC West after spending his first three NFL seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, where he recorded 192 tackles (105 solo), two sacks, seven tackles for loss, five QB hits, one interception and six forced fumbles in 36 games (23 starts). The 26-year-old alumni of the University of Colorado had 110 total tackles in 2023 and produced 81 tackles (39 solo) in 13 games (nine starts) in his final season in Atlanta in 2024. He missed four games on Injured Reserve last year with a calf injury. Landman has shown that he can be a strong inside linebacker in the NFL, but he'll probably be competing for playing time in L.A.

From RotoBaller

Mecole Hardman Mar 18 9:10pm ET
Mecole Hardman

Free-agent wide receiver/return specialist Mecole Hardman (knee) is signing an undisclosed one-year deal with the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday, a source tells ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Hardman will take his speed to the Packers while contributing both on offense and special teams as a kick returner. The 27-year-old former second-rounder (56th overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 out of the University of Georgia caught only 12 of 14 targets for 90 yards and no touchdowns while carrying the ball five times for 62 yards and a touchdown in 12 regular-season games before suffering a knee injury in December that landed him on Injured Reserve. The Packers could use the receiver depth with Christian Watson (knee) likely to miss around half of the 2025 season, but Hardman could struggle for consistent involvement in Green Bay's offense, much like he did in KC, behind Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs.

From RotoBaller

Rondale Moore Mar 18 9:00pm ET
Rondale Moore

Free-agent wide receiver Rondale Moore (knee) visited with the New York Jets on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Field Yates. Moore is making the rounds this offseason as a free agent after signing with the Atlanta Falcons last year before missing the entire 2024 campaign due to a non-contact knee injury that he suffered in a joint training camp practice last summer. In addition to the Jets, the 24-year-old wideout has taken visits with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears as he searches for his next team. The Arizona Cardinals took Moore in the second round (49th overall) in 2021 out of Purdue, and he contributed 135 catches on 182 targets for 1,201 yards and only three touchdowns in his three seasons (39 games played). There's opportunity in New York behind No. 1 Garrett Wilson, but with questions surround QB Justin Fields as a passer still, Moore would likely go undrafted in most 12-team fantasy leagues if he lands with the Jets.

From RotoBaller

Calais Campbell Mar 18 7:13pm ET
Calais Campbell

Free-agent DT Benito Jones (Dolphins) and DT Calais Campbell (Dolphins) are two players the Miami Dolphins may look to re-sign this offseason, in the opinion of DolphinsWire's Adam Stites.

From TheHuddle

Pat O'Connor Mar 18 5:23pm ET
Pat O'Connor

Free-agent DE Patrick O'Connor (Lions) signed with the Detroit Lions Tuesday, March 18. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

From TheHuddle