Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox has shown some signs of life in the second half of the season. However, the Bills still don't have a significant role for him in the offense. Last week, Knox hauled in two receptions for 18 yards in the win over the Baltimore Ravens. He has been playing better lately, but is still the fourth or fifth option in this offense. It's unlikely that he gets enough targets to make a significant impact versus the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend.
The Seattle Seahawks released wide receiver Josh Gordon on Thursday after the troubled pass-catcher was suspended indefinitely by the NFL again in January. Gordon is still just 29 years old but continues to bounce around the league because of off-field issues. He was a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro in 2013 with the Cleveland Browns, catching 87 passes for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns in only 14 games. Gordon has always had elite skills and physical traits, but he's made bad decisions off the football field. Since his amazing 2013 season, Gordon has played in just 29 NFL games, and he might've expended his last NFL life with Seattle. Fantasy managers continue to stash Gordon when he lands with a team, but it hasn't amounted to anything lately.
Denver Broncos general manager George Paton said the team plans to tender impending free-agent running back Phillip Lindsay a contract, but they aren't sure at what capacity yet. An original-round tender for Lindsay would allow the Broncos to match any offer he receives, but it wouldn't bring anything in return. A second-round tender, estimated at $3.4 million, could scare interested teams away or give Denver a high pick in return if Lindsay signs elsewhere. The 26-year-old was a surprise Pro Bowler in his rookie season after going undrafted and he managed 1,000 yards rushing in his first two years, but he took a major step back in 2020. Not only was Lindsay playing second fiddle to Melvin Gordon III, but he dealt with nagging injuries all season that limited him to 11 games. If he stays in Denver, he'll be a weak RB3/flex as a Gordon handcuff.
The Denver Broncos are interested in getting a long-term deal done with impending free-agent safety Justin Simmons, but he will be a candidate for the franchise tag for the second straight season if a multi-year contract isn't worked out before the March 9 deadline. If he's tagged again, the two sides would have until mid-July to strike a long-term deal. Denver doesn't want to let the All-Pro safety go after he finished with 96 total tackles, a career-high five interceptions and nine passes defensed. Simmons has recorded nine interceptions in the last two seasons and has 16 in his five-year career to this point. The 27-year-old finished as a top-10 fantasy defensive back in 2020 and should be in play as a starter at the position again next year in IDP formats.
Denver Broncos general manager George Paton said on Thursday that the team wants to bring linebacker Von Miller back. Miller has a contract option guaranteeing $7 million of his $18 million salary for 2021, and the Broncos have until March 16 to exercise it. Denver could work out an extension or a new contract that lowers Miller's rate this season in order to keep him in town. The former Super Bowl MVP missed all of the 2020 season with an ankle injury, but he had played in at least 15 games in each of the previous six seasons, earning a Pro Bowl selection each year. The 31-year-old is also dealing with a legal matter, but the Broncos are letting the legal process play out and won't comment on the situation. A healthy Miller in 2021 would be huge for Denver's pass rush as they look to get back to the postseason.
The Detroit Lions informed starting cornerback Desmond Trufant that he will be released at the start of the new league year on March 17, according to a source. Detroit signed the former first-round pick last year to try and replace Darius Slay, who was traded to the Eagles. But Trufant wound up playing in just six games and had one interception, four passes defensed and one sack on 20 tackles. He was one of the better cornerbacks in the league in his early days with Atlanta, but Trufant has missed a total of 17 games due to injuries in the last two seasons. The 30-year-old was due a base salary of $9.5 million in 2021, with $3.5 million guaranteed. Cutting him will save the Lions $6.187 million on the salary cap with $6 million in dead money.
The Pittsburgh Steelers officially signed quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a new contract for the 2021 season on Thursday. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Roethlisberger willingly reduced his pay to $14 million from $19 million in the final year of his deal, spreading his cash payment through 2022, according to a source. The move lowered Pittsburgh's salary cap hit by over $15 million, allowing them to make other moves to remain as competitive as possible. Big Ben was initially set for an exorbitant cap hit of $41.25 million. The 39-year-old will have one more shot at a championship and will likely retire after the 2021 season. Pittsburgh's offense could lose wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster this offseason and Roethlisberger is pretty injury prone, so he'll mostly be targeted as a fantasy backup as he heads into what will likely be his final NFL season.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham has been with the team since 2010 and turns 33 years old next month, and he wants to remain with the Eagles after their tumultuous 2020 season that led to quarterback Carson Wentz being traded to the Colts. Graham has been on the trade and cutting block but has twice re-signed with the team. With Philadelphia entering a rebuilding mode, Graham made it clear that he wants to stay in Philly. "I don't want to go anywhere," Graham said. "I know I don't have long, but I know for me, I'm here in Philly." The Pro Bowl pass-rusher in 2020 recorded 46 tackles (13 for loss), 16 QB hits, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and eight sacks in a full season. While Graham may not have many years left, he's remained productive and has 16.5 sacks in the last two years with the Eagles.
Philadelphia Eagles impending free-agent left tackle Jason Peters plans on playing in an 18th NFL season in 2021 after starting just eight games in 2020. The nine-time Pro Bowler said he still has something left in the tank after playing the last 12 seasons in Philadelphia after five years in Buffalo. The 39-year-old wants to keep playing, but he sees the writing on the wall that he won't be back with the Eagles in 2021. Peters knows that Philadelphia is in rebuild mode with younger players on the roster and no salary cap space. The future Hall of Fame left tackle doesn't have much time left in the NFL, but he can still get the job done and can also be a good sounding board for rising young talent. If he continues playing, it'll likely be somewhere other than Philadelphia.
Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who shares the same agent as Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, said on the Huddle and Flow podcast that, "I highly doubt (Deshaun Watson) will suit up in a Texans uniform again. He's extremely serious." The Texans and Watson are in a standoff, with Houston saying they will not trade the 25-year-old signal-caller. But Watson remains steadfast in his trade demands and wants out of Houston. Eventually, something has to give. If this continues to play out, the Texans may have no choice but to find the best available offer for the star quarterback. Watson was still a top-five fantasy QB without All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins in 2020, so he should be drafted as an elite quarterback again in 2021. A trade out of Houston could make him even more attractive.
The Minnesota Vikings signed defensive end Stephen Weatherly to an undisclosed one-year deal on Thursday, the pass-rusher announced on his Instagram. Weatherly was cut by the Carolina Panthers earlier this year after just one season with the team. He put up six sacks in four seasons with Minnesota from 2016-19. Weatherly was a seventh-round pick out of Vanderbilt in 2016 and signed a two-year, $12.5 million deal with Carolina in free agency last season. Only cornerback Mackensie Alexander has more NFL starts from the team's 2016 draft class than Weatherly. Weatherly had no sacks as a starter in Carolina in 2020, which is a big reason why they cut him entering this season.
