NFL Week 1 Takeaways, Results & Recaps - Fantasy Football 2024

This news comes after it was reported that the Dolphins are looking to acquire a tight end after they traded Jonnu Smith to the Steelers. Mayer, who was drafted 35th overall by the Raiders back in 2023 has a career receiving line of 48-460-2 in 25 career games and took a backseat to Brock Bowers last season. Any hopes of Mayer breaking out in 2024 were immediately laid to rest after Bowers came to town, but the former Notre Dame prospect could still have something to offer another team that can give him a more significant role. Mayer has two years left on his rookie contract and should provide an immediate upgrade over the likes of Julian Hill and Pharaoh Brown, who would likely battle for the Dolphins’ starting tight end job if camp opened today.

According to Schefter, the two sides “have not made any progress” on negotiations. McLaurin is entering the final year of a three-year extension he signed in 2022, and will turn 30 shortly after the start of the season. A consistent 1,000-yard producer, McLaurin caught 82 passes for 1,096 yards and a career high 13 touchdowns last season, and is rumored to be seeking out a deal that would pay him close to $30 million per year. That would put him in the range of players like Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, and A.J. Brown, and make him one of the 10 highest paid receivers in the league. It feels like a lofty ask for a player who has never been regarded as top-10 at his position, and whose efficiency metrics have been far from elite over the last two seasons. That said, McLaurin has been a consummate pro for the Commanders during his six years as a pro, and has endured some tough seasons along the way. It’s hard to imagine the two sides not agreeing to terms before the start of camp, but it may not come without a few difficult conversations. McLaurin projects as a solid WR2 in fantasy this season, but could face added competition for targets with Deebo Samuel now in the mix.

According to Pelissero, the team’s focus remains on extending Watt’s deal, which is set to expire at the end of this season. The veteran pass rusher has been working toward a new deal all offseason, and skipped mandatory minicamp while awaiting a new deal. Watt’s situation recently came back into the light when it was announced the Steelers would be giving Jalen Ramsey a $1.5 million raise in 2025 after acquiring him from the Dolphins, but it sounds like the hope is Watt and the Steelers will eventually figure things out. With training camp just weeks away, this issue only stands to worsen if a new deal isn’t worked out, which may result in Watt holding out until things are settled. Given the Steelers’ focus on improving it’s roster ahead of this season, it would only make sense that they satisfy their star player before camp opens up in mid-July.

As expected, it appears the Steelers have already confirmed their intention to use Smith in a versatile way. During his 2023 breakout with the Falcons in Arthur Smith’s offense, Smith lined up 29 times in the backfield, 274 times as an inline tight end, and 268 times in the slot, per PFF. We would expect to see similar usage with the Steelers in 2025, which could relegate Pat Freiermuth to more of a traditional inline tight end role after he posted a career high 268 slot snaps last season. Before last season, Freiermuth had never lined up more than 180 times in the slot. The lack of receiving upside on Pittsburgh’s roster could keep both tight ends somewhat fantasy relevant this season, but Smith undoubtedly has the higher upside heading into training camp.

With Jonnu Smith now in Pittsburgh, the Dolphins suddenly find themselves very thin at tight end. If the season started today, the starting job would likely come down to either Julian Hill or Pharaoh Brown, which is far from ideal. We would expect the Dolphins to find a new tight end in the near future, but where that comes from is anybody’s guess. An interesting veteran option could be Mark Andrews, who is entering the final year of his deal with the Ravens, and looked like a potential cap casualty earlier this offseason; while a younger option could be the Raiders’ Michael Mayer, who was selected No. 35 overall in 2023 only to lose his role to Brock Bowers the following season. This is all speculation for the time being, but we would expect some names to emerge as rumors of a potential trade ramp up.

Smith will also sign a one-year, $12 million extension with the Steelers, per Schefter, which puts him under contract through the 2026 season. Smith broke out for 88-884-8 in his first and only season with the Dolphins, which came a year after he went for 50-582-3 with the Falcons under current Steelers OC Arthur Smith. There was mutual interest between the two sides to reunite in Pittsburgh once it became apparent that the Dolphins were unlikely to offer Smith the new extension he wanted following his breakout. His arrival to the Steel City makes for an interesting one from a fantasy perspective. For now, Pat Freiermuth remains on the roster and is only a year from signing a four-year, $48.4 million extension. The lack of talent in the Steelers’ passing game could create an environment where both tight ends co-exist, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that the Steelers now have two tight ends who ranked top-12 in slot snaps last season. The departure from Miami likely means Smith’s fantasy stock will take a hit in Pittsburgh’s run-heavy offense, although his ability to lineup all over the formation should work to his advantage. It’s safe to assume Freiermuth’s stock takes a hit as well, but we would expect to see plenty of 12 personnel from the Steelers this season.