NFL Player News

The Commanders selected Daniels in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, second overall.

Daniels (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) was a productive three-year starter at Arizona State before transferring to LSU in 2022. Although his first year with the Tigers featured only modest production (2,913 yards and 17 touchdowns passing in 14 games), Daniels' passing numbers went off the chart in his second season with LSU in 2023. The improved numbers brought a Heisman Trophy with them, as Daniels threw for 3,812 yards (11.7 YPA), 40 touchdowns and just four interceptions in 12 games while running for 1,134 yards (8.4 YPC) and 10 touchdowns. Daniels lacks throwing velocity and might be a little slight to get away with running quite as much at the pro level, but his rushing ability is uniquely dangerous on any given play and Daniels showed an effective deep ball throughout his college career. It remains to be seen what kind of offense new coordinator Kliff Kingsbury runs with Washington, but if the team were to emulate the Air Raid offense from Kingsbury's Arizona days then there could be substantial pass attempt and rush attempt volume both for Daniels. Elite rushing production can bring substantial fantasy upside for a quarterback, so Daniels' fantasy value could prove significant even if he has any trouble adjusting to the NFL as a passer.

The Bears selected Williams in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, first overall.

Williams has long been tabbed as the obvious choice to be the first overall pick in this year's draft, and with the Bears jettisoning Justin Fields this offseason, the USC product has been dubbed the future of the franchise in Chicago for some time. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner began his career at Oklahoma where he supplanted fellow 2024 draft hopeful, Spencer Rattler, as the starter for the Sooners and looked to be the next great quarterback in Norman. He followed coach Lincoln Riley to USC the following year and won the Heisman on the strength of a tremendous season with 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns and five interceptions while adding 10 rushing touchdowns. Williams entered 2023 with expectations of building on that season but the Trojans fell short, dropping five games. The losses, coupled with some shaky individual performances from Williams in those games, put him under the scouting microscope during the pre-draft process. Questions arose regarding Williams' ability to play within structure and whether he was over-reliant on the type of improvising outside the pocket that won't translate to the NFL. However, Williams' overall body of work -- the ability to be deadly accurate to any spot on the field, to move around in and outside the pocket, and anticipate throwing windows -- made him the consensus top player in the class. He will be in a uniquely favorable setup for a top overall pick as oftentimes, the first pick is tasked with saving a flailing franchise with a bad roster. The Bears are solid along the offensive line and have a stable of top-notch receiving talent in DJ Moore and Keenan Allen to help Williams get on track from the jump. Williams immediately becomes a viable quarterback in redraft leagues and is a premier asset in dynasty formats.

The Steelers informed Fields on Wednesday that they won't exercise his fifth-year option for 2025, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The Steelers' decision comes as little surprise, given that Fields is coming into his new organization as the second quarterback on the depth chart and would be guaranteed around $25.66 million in 2025 if Pittsburgh were to pick up his option before the May 2 deadline. While the team may have interest in keeping him around beyond the upcoming season, it won't be at a hefty price before he's ever put on a Steelers uniform. Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports that fellow offseason acquisition Russell Wilson will enter offseason workouts in "pole position" at quarterback, with Fields then getting a chance to compete at some point in the future, according to head coach Mike Tomlin. Fields is on track to be a free agent next spring, and his playing time between now and then seems largely dependent on Wilson struggling or missing time with an injury.

Woodside signed a one-year contract with the Bengals on Tuesday.

Woodside was selected by Cincinnati in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft and will return to the team after stops with the Titans and Falcons. The Toledo product has made spot appearances in 13 games over the past four seasons, completing four of seven pass attempts for 34 yards and an interception.

Browning signed a two-year contract with the Bengals on Tuesday.

Undrafted back in 2019, the QB spent two years on Minnesota's practice squad and then two seasons on Cincinnati's. Browning finally got his shot in 2023, winning the No. 2 QB job for the Bengals and eventually replacing an injured Joe Burrow (wrist) for the final seven and a half games of the season. Browning played surprisingly well down the stretch, with 15 total TDs (three rushing) and seven turnovers (all INTs) while leading all qualified passers in completion percentage (70.4) and ranking fifth in yards per attempt (8.0). The 28-year-old's status as an exclusive-rights free agent this offseason essentially locked him into staying with the Bengals, and the two-year deal now sets him up to be a restricted free agent after 2025. His solid performance in 2023, combined with 2-3 more years of team control, could make Browning a trade target for QB-needy teams, though there haven't been rumblings of interest this spring.

The Jets are trading Wilson to the Broncos for a late-round pick swap, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports.

The Jets will give up the 256th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and receive pick No. 203. They'll also hold some of Wilson's salary, with the 24-year-old scheduled for $5.45 million in guaranteed compensation for the final year of his rookie contract. This could give Wilson a shot to compete for a starting job, depending on what the Broncos do in the upcoming draft. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are the other QBs on Denver's roster, with Stidham the favorite to start Week 1 if no early draft pick is added to the room.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Thursday that Watson (shoulder) has been making throws of up to 40 yards, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

While not quite willing to guarantee that Watson will be ready for the regular-season opener, Berry did confirm that's the expectation and said the Browns are "pretty optimistic" about the QB's rehab process so far. Watson spoke with reporters Tuesday, mentioning that the team medical staff favors a cautious approach that would see him wait until training camp before returning to full practice participation. The 28-year-old thus figures to be limited during OTAs, giving free-agent additions Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley more chances to throw to the team's top receivers. The Browns traded for WR Jerry Jeudy in March and still have WRs Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore as well as TE David Njoku. There's also a strong chance of improved blocking this season, after 2023 saw the Browns lose their top three OTs to season-ending knee injuries. Watson is the biggest variable though, perhaps more so because of his disappointing 2022-23 performance than the ongoing rehab from Nov. 21 surgery to repair a displaced glenoid fracture in his right shoulder.

Watson (shoulder) said Tuesday he's already resumed "throwing full speed" but that he's uncertain how large a workload he'll handle during OTAs and minicamp, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Watson clarified that certain members of the Browns' medical staff are in favor of a more conservative approach to the quarterback's recovery from right shoulder surgery, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, which would have him wait until training camp to fully practice. Still, Watson is confident he'll be available for the Browns' season opener, and there appears to be no real worries about his Week 1 status. In case Watson misses part of the offseason, or struggles during the fall, Cleveland can lean on experienced backups Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley.

Jones noted Monday that he hasn't had any setbacks in his recovery from Nov. 22 surgery to address a right ACL tear, Darryl Slater of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

The report adds that Jones says he's past the neck issue that he dealt with last season prior to hurting his knee, indicating that it was just a stinger. At this stage, the QB is throwing and intends to participate in spring practices in some fashion, with Jones adding that he's aiming be fully cleared for the start of training camp. When healthy, Jones is in line to reclaim his starting role for the Giants, who added fellow signal-caller Drew Lock in free agency and also have Tommy DeVito in the roster. Moreover, it's possible that the team adds depth at the position in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Watson, who is bouncing back from shoulder surgery he underwent Nov. 21, noted Thursday he has no doubt that he'll be ready for the Browns' season opener, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Per Cabot, Watson resumed throwing as of March 19, with the quarterback acknowledging that his recovery process is "day to day" and that he plans to "to take it one step at a time." In the coming months, part of that process will involve load management, with Watson expressing confidence that he'll be ready and in top form in advance of Week 1. That said, Watson figures to be eased back into the mix once the Browns resume on-field activities, a scenario that should result in newcomers Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley seeing added signal-caller reps until Watson is deemed ready to practice without limitations.