Nothing screams March Madness like the NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament, does it?
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And look at this....
Howard Bender is even offering you a sneak peek at his own brackets. Yes, the Duke/UNC Finals is uber-chalky, but Bender is so confident, he's even referring to himself in the third person right here in this post!
Enjoy the games!
Player News
The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. thinks that if Jermaine Burton “can straighten out and shift from headache to reliable, there are roles available.”
The Bengals exited the draft without adding receiver help, and Andrei Iosivas was more reliable than spectacular in his second season. Dehner Jr. notes that Burton went through “two evictions, trouble with the law, missed meetings, missed practices, being left off a road trip and healthy scratches” and said Burton is “lucky to even have this opportunity.” The 2024 third-rounder was seen in the building all week during draft weekend and this is likely a make-or-break year for him. He’s not a must-hold in dynasty at this point, but he retains upside.
Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore believes Jack Bech is “a strong candidate to be an immediate starter” for the Raiders.
Often compared to Puka Nacua in the draft process, Bech probably will start out behind Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers in the pecking order for the Raiders. But being an instant starter in a room with no long-term fixtures could make him an interesting best ball dart throw, especially with the quarterback upgrade the Raiders added in Geno Smith. We would not be surprised if Bech were in the fantasy WR3/FLEX conversation towards the back half of the season.
Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander does not project John Metchie III to make the Texans 53-man roster in 2025.
After Houston added Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in the draft, the wideout depth chart is getting a little crowded. Alexander had the Texans keep six receivers, and Metchie is projected to be squaring off with Xavier Hutchinson, Braxton Berrios, and Justin Watson for the final two jobs behind Higgins, Noel, Nico Collins, and Christian Kirk. Metchie may be a trade candidate at the roster cutdown entering the final year of his rookie contract. He’s still only 25, but has cracked 50 yards just once in a game in his career.
Chiefs exercised their fifth-year option on EDGE George Karlaftis.
Karlaftis will receive a $15.1 million salary for 2026, indicating that he is a core piece for the Chiefs and someone who they may have extension talks with as the season draws near. Karlaftis has 18.5 sacks in 32 games over the past two seasons. We’d classify him as more good than great, as he posted a career-high 69.8 PFF grade in 2024, but he clearly wins enough to be part of the reason the Chiefs defense is stout.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reports the Packers and CB Jaire Alexander “continue to talk about a possible resolution” to Alexander’s contract dispute.
“All options are still on the table: release, trade or return,” Demovsky added. The oft-injured Alexander, 28, has reached a stalemate with the Packers front office, which has reportedly tried to trade the veteran corner this offseason. The Packers would save $6.8 million in cap space by parting ways with Alexander, graded last year by PFF as the NFL’s eighth best cover corner. It appears he could stay in Green Bay after all.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the Chiefs will pick up CB Trent McDuffie’s fifth-year option.
The move will cost the Chiefs $13.6 million in 2025. It’s a no-brainer considering McDuffie has been among the league’s most reliable corners for the past few years. Pro Football Focus in 2024 graded McDuffie as the NFL’s fifth best cover corner as he had two interceptions and 13 passes defended for the solid Kansas City secondary.