NFL Player News

Kmet (forearm) is building chemistry with new rookie quarterback Caleb Williams at OTAs, Alyssa Barbieri of USA Today reports.

Kmet suffered a broken right forearm during Chicago's season-ending loss to the Packers in Week 18, but he looks fully healthy at OTAs. The starting tight end could have some extra opportunities to establish a rapport with Williams, given that Rome Odunze (hamstring) has missed most of OTAs while Keenan Allen has stayed away from the voluntary activities. Still, the likeliest scenario in this passing game could be that Kmet takes a back seat to all of DJ Moore, Allen and Odunze, and even with his pedigree as the No. 1 overall pick, it seems a long shot that Williams can support four solid fantasy options as a rookie. Kmet will be a sleeper option at the tight end position in 2024 fantasy drafts.

Jones (knee) said Thursday he anticipates starting Week 1, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

Jones has been participating in 7-on-7 drills at OTAs and said "I don't have any doubt about it" when asked whether he'd suit up to take on the Vikings in Week 1. Additionally, he's already shed his knee brace in workouts, and all signs are that his recovery from a right ACL tear is proceeding smoothly. Jones signed a four-year, $160 million extension last offseason, but that may not give him significant job security if he logs an uninspiring 2024 campaign given both his injury history, and his terrible start to the 2023 season. It may not even be out of the realm of possibility that Drew Lock pushes for the Giants' starting gig, should he log a strong offseason.

Patrick (Achilles) is participating in Thursday's OTAs session, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports.

Patrick continues to work his way back from the left Achilles tear that cost him the entire 2023 season. As an ACL tear also wiped out his 2022 campaign, the 30-year-old wideout now hasn't suited up for an NFL game since 2021, and he likely would've been cut this offseason had he not agreed to a pay cut. Health permitting, there's opportunity for Patrick to carve out a role in Denver's wide receiver corps, which gets thin behind Courtland Sutton. The other top candidates to start in three-wide sets are Josh Reynolds, Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin.

Cook said Thursday he hopes to compete in training camp this offseason with a new team, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

Cook said he wants to participate fully in training camp this offseason to "get my legs back under me and feel like myself again." The veteran is coming off the worst season of his career by a good margin, but says if given a chance to compete, he believes he'll be able to impress new coaches and teammates. Cook averaged just 3.2 yards per carry across 15 games with the Jets last year, and he made a minimal impact after linking up with Baltimore in the postseason.

Odunze (hamstring) is expected to resume practicing next week, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Odunze participated in Chicago's first practice of OTAs, but he's dealt with hamstring tightness since Day Two, as Dan Weiderer of the Chicago Tribune reports. The Bears seem to have been taking a cautious approach to the recovery of the rookie No. 9 overall pick, but it doesn't look like there's any real concern about his injury. Odunze will have plenty more time this offseason to build chemistry with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, and to find his footing in what figures to be a starting role alongside DJ Moore and Keenan Allen.

Doug Pederson said during OTAs that the Jaguars want to lean on Etienne less during the 2024 campaign in order to keep him healthy, Michael DiRocco of ESPN reports.

Pederson said it's "hard to put necessarily a rep count" on Etienne's weekly touches, but that looking ahead to 2024 season the coaching staff is "making sure [Tank Bigsby] gets opportunities to get out there and take some of the pounding off of [Etienne]." As DiRocco notes, Etienne finished 2023 accounting for 76 percent of the running back touches for Jacksonville, a high workload that coincided with a disappointing rookie showing for Bigsby. If either D'Ernest Johnson or Bigsby can emerge as a more consistent backup, fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if Etienne's total touches do indeed decrease this season. While that would certainly represent a blow to Etienne's fantasy ceiling, the 2021 first-round pick does his damage more with efficiency and speed than grinding out carries between the tackles. Jacksonville picked up Etienne's fifth-year option earlier this offseason, which keeps him under contract through 2025.

Coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that Williams is "a man on a mission" and has made notable improvements this offseason, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.

Williams hasn't yet lived up to his 12th overall draft capital from back in 2022, but he's also faced unique hurdles to begin his NFL career. His big-play ability is undeniable, as is the opportunity for a third playmaker to emerge in Detroit's passing game behind standouts Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, though plenty of targets should be distributed to running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Potential for a year-three breakout is still there, but it depends on Williams truly logging an impressive offseason and earning consistent targets in a crowded offense.

Jackson said Wednesday that he dropped weight over the offseason in an effort to be more agile in 2024, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Jackson was listed at 215 pounds last season and 225 during the 2022 season. Earlier this month, Jackson indicated he was closer to 205 pounds, but it's unclear if that's his intended playing weight. An even more elusive Jackson would be dangerous to opposing defenses, and adding Derrick Henry and getting Mark Andrews back to full health after his season was derailed by a broken ankle could make the Baltimore offense even more lethal in 2024.

Nwosu (pectoral) participated in OTAs Wednesday, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Nwosu suffered a torn pec in Week 7 and missed the remainder of the season. He's already stated he expects to be a full participant for the start of training camp, and the veteran appears to be on track in his recovery. Nwosu tallied a career-best 9.5 sacks in 2022 and inked a three-year, $45 million extension last summer. He'll be counted on to help key Seattle's pass rush in his third season with the team in 2024.

Baker (wrist) won't participate in OTAs this week, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Baker injured his right wrist in the Dolphins' Week 18 regular-season finale against the Bills and is still recovering after undergoing surgery. The 27-year-old linebacker inked a one-year deal with Seattle earlier in the offseason and will help replace the losses of Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner in the middle of the defense.