NFL Player News

Allen told CBS 8 San Diego that he expects the Chargers offense to continue growing in Year 2 under offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.

The Bolts offense finished top five in points, yards and DVOA in Lombardi's first season, with QB Justin Herbert ranking second among QBs in both pass attempts (672) and yards (5,014). While Mike Williams rode the wave early in the season (and later signed a big extension this offseason), it was Allen who ultimately led the team in catches and targets again. The 30-year-old was one of the most consistent performers in the NFL the past five seasons, averaging 16-18 PPR points per game each year while missing only three games total in that stretch. Allen, Williams and Austin Ekeler will continue to serve as Herbert's top targets in an uptempo, pass-first offense, though it is possible offseason improvements on defense lead to a somewhat more balanced team this year.

Aiyuk spent time working with Trey Lance during the offseason, but the two weren't always on the same page during spring practices, according to Jack Hammer of The Press Democrat.

It's a small sample of non-contact practices, but there's some extra attention on Aiyuk after a poor 2021 offseason led to a role reduction in September and early October. The 2020 first-round pick improved throughout the year and ultimately finished with a respectable total of 826 receiving yards, albeit with 12 fewer targets than in his rookie season despite playing five more games. The switch to Lance at QB also may prove problematic for Aiyuk's target volume, as the 2021 third overall pick looked more adept as a runner than as a passer in limited playing time during his rookie year. There's opportunity for Aiyuk to earn a large share of what likely will be a lower-volume passing game, as TE George Kittle always loses some pass snaps to blocking and WR Deebo Samuel again may get a bunch of his touches on the ground.

Boyd said he and his teammates are comfortable in coach Zac Taylor's offense, joking that "we might not even need the huddle at this point," CLNS Media's Mike Petraglia reports.

Coming off a Super Bowl loss, Boyd and RB Joe Mixon enter their fourth year in Taylor's system, while Burrow and WR Tee Higgins are in Year 3 and Ja'Marr Chase in Year 2. The Bengals do have three new starters on the O-line, but it shouldn't be too difficult of an adjustment with each of the three having at least 46 NFL starts to his name. While efficient last season with a 71.3 percent catch rate and 8.8 YPT in a breakout year for the rest of the Bengals offense, Boyd saw his fewest targets (94) since 2017, ending a three-year streak with triple digits. He does have some chance to get back over the century mark this year, but there's almost no chance of a return to his 2018-19 level of around 8-to-9 targets per game and 1,000-plus yards per season. Boyd's upside scenario for fantasy involves Chase and/or Higgins missing extended time.

Claypool was present throughout the Steelers' offseason program and often served as the leader of the WR group with Diontae Johnson not present for voluntary sessions, Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Claypool caught some heat for declaring himself a "top-five" or "top-three" receiver in the league on the I Am Athlete podcast in June, but apart from some overconfidence he seems to be having a good offseason. The 24-year-old wideout has rare physical gifts with 4.42 speed at 238 pounds, but he didn't progress from Year 1 to Year 2, essentially posting the same numbers but with seven fewer touchdowns. While there's a strong chance Claypool deals with subpar QB play again in Year 3, he'll at least get someone with better arm strength than end-of-career Ben Roethlisberger, be it veteran Mitch Trubisky or rookie Kenny Pickett. The new competition for targets consists of second-round pick George Pickens and fourth-rounder Calvin Austin, rookies who are more likely to replace veteran backups James Washington (now a Cowboy) and Ray-Ray McCloud (49ers) than to challenge Claypool for the No. 2 spot..

Jefferson told NFL Network's Patrick Clayborn that the Vikings offense isn't run-first anymore under new coach Kevin O'Connell, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports. "Our offensive style, it's not a run-first offense anymore," Jefferson said. "I'm so excited in this offense."

O'Connell previously was offensive coordinator in Los Angeles under Sean McVay, who likes to play uptempo and leans pass over run in close games. McVay and O'Connell also built a solid run game focused on outside zone, which shouldn't be too much of an adjustment for Vikings RB Dalvin Cook after years spent in Kubiak-led offenses centered on zone runs and play-action passes. A system similar to the Rams' also would seem to be a good fit for Jefferson, one of the few players in the league with potential to produce the kind of dominant season Cooper Kupp enjoyed in Los Angeles last year. Jefferson was the only player to finish within 350 receiving yards of Kupp in 2021, tallying 1,616 to go with 10 touchdowns on 108 catches (167 targets, fourth most). They're the first two WRs taken in most fantasy drafts this summer, with Kupp typically going first, Jefferson second and Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase third.

Moore was arrested Monday in Gainesville, Texas on drug and weapons charges, CBS 12 Sherman reports.

Moore was released from Cooke County Jail on Monday on $5,000 bond, but he still could face discipline from the NFL in light of the arrest. The 27-year-old wideout joined the Bears on a one-year deal in April after appearing in three games between stops in Denver and Green Bay in 2021 and playing 31 snaps in total.

Marshall said he's more comfortable running routes and processing while on the field heading into his second season, Joseph Person of The Athletic reports.

Star tailback Christian McCaffrey said Marshall has taken a "massive leap" in his second offseason with the club, raising expectations for the wideout after an underwhelming rookie campaign that included just 17 catches for 138 yards in 13 games. A second-round pick in 2021, Marshall will need to acclimate to new coordinator Ben McAdoo's scheme while competing with veteran addition Rashard Higgins for Carolina's third-wideout role behind DJ Moore and Robbie Anderson. While Marshall's progress this offseason is encouraging to note, he'll also potentially face a change at quarterback, as the Panthers acquired Baker Mayfield on Wednesday to compete with Sam Darnold for the starting job in training camp and the preseason.

Bourne is expected to face a tougher path to snaps in 2022 with New England heading into training camp with a wideout group that includes DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor, Paul Perillo of the Patriots' official site reports.

Meanwhile, second-round draft pick Tyquan Thornton looks like a roster lock, while 2019 first-rounder N'Keal Harry is a candidate to be traded or waived before the end of the preseason. With the Patriots also rostering a pair of capable pass-catching tight ends in Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, there's a lot of mouths to feed in the team's offense. In that context, any potential uptick in Bourne's production this coming season hinges on the continuing development of second-year signal-caller Mac Jones, as well as his volume not being suppressed due to the potential of the team spreading the ball around to its many targets. Bourne -- who turns 27 years old in August -- finished the 2021 season with 55 catches (on 70 targets) for 800 yards and five touchdowns to go along with 12 carries for 125 yards in 17 games.

Johnson isn't likely to get a significant contract offer from the Steelers prior to becoming a free agent following the 2022 season, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.

The Steelers have a tendency for not overpaying for wide receivers, but Johnson should command a lucrative contract in free agency following the 2022 season. The 26-year-old has had a massive target share over the last two seasons, drawing 313 targets during that time. He cut down on drops in 2021 and had a career-best season, securing 107 of 169 looks for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns. Johnson will be catching passes from a new quarterback in 2022 after Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement, and Mitch Trubisky and rookie first-round pick Kenny Pickett seem to be the frontrunners to start under center to begin the regular season. JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington and Ray-Ray McCloud all left the Steelers during the offseason, but Johnson will still compete for targets with veteran Chase Claypool and rookies George Pickens and Calvin Austin.

Brown isn't likely to have an every-down role this year, but he did run with the first-team offense in Terry McLaurin's absence throughout most of the offseason program, Ethan Cadeaux of NBC Sports reports.

The 2021 third-round pick actually opened his rookie season as a starter, but he lost the job after a slow start and then dealt with a knee injury. Brown ultimately caught only 12 of 25 targets for 165 yards in 15 games (six starts), and the Commanders then took WR Jahan Dotson in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The team likely envisions a top three comprised of Terry McLaurin, Dotson and a finally healthy Curtis Samuel, with Brown perhaps coming off the bench as a part-time deep threat. Injuries could always throw a hitch in that plan, of course, in which case Brown could have an opportunity to make starts again.