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What’s Happening
The Saints have acquired Teddy Bridgewater and a sixth-round pick from the Jets for a third-round pick. This was a surprising move for the Saints as they are not seen as a QB needy team with Drew Brees under center and have not been named in the vast majority of prevalent rumors did not include New Orleans as a player on Bridgewater. However, this gives the Saints a reliable backup and an heir apparent to Brees if the 39-year-old decides to retire after the season.
Brett Hundley was trade from the Green Bay Packers to the Seahawks today for a sixth-round pick. Seattle was looking to upgrade their backup QB situation with a more seasoned QB and while Hundley struggled last year when thrown into starting duties, he did get 10 starts for the Packers and apparently the Seahawks saw something that made them willing to scoop him up once he became expendable after Green Bay acquired DeShone Kizer this offseason.
According to head coach Adam Gase, he hopes that running back Kenyan Drake will receive about 10-15 carries and 6-8 targets per game. This is reassuring news that Gase appears willing to give Drake a larger share of the touches out of the backfield and that Frank Gore shouldn’t eat up too much of his workload. Drake has a ton of upside, but also there is scary floor if he can’t repeat some of the big plays that he made last season. Drake has been a popular “bust” candidate within the fantasy industry this season, so his price seems more than fair if he can get this type of workload.
The Seahawks signed Tyler Lockett to a contract extension worth $31.8 million over three years. This is not kick returner type money and is indicative that the Seahawks see him as an integral part of the offense. With the losses that Seattle has had this in their skill positions this offseasons, they will need Lockett to step up in a big way and this contract may be a sign that he will be a big part of the offense.
Quick Hits
Aaron Donald is reportedly close to a long-term extension with the Rams. It appears it will happen in time for the holdout to be ready for Week 1 this season.
Mychal Kendricks has been charged and admitted to insider trading. He could be looking at a long prison sentence and likely could affect his ability to play football going forward.
Burning Questions
Who is the next QB to be traded? According to reports, the Steelers are receiving a fair amount of interest in Landry Jones . With rookie Mason Rudolph in the fold, it appears Landry will be moving on and now that Teddy Bridgewater has been traded to the Saints, the teams looking for more QB depth may want to take a shot on a QB like Jones that has starting experience.
What do the Eagles do with so many injuries? With Carson Wentz , Alshon Jeffery , and Jay Ajayi all ailing, the Eagles are likely to run more two-tight end sets according to reports. The Eagles drafted Dallas Goedert to play behind starter Zach Ertz , but apparently, they will throw him into the fire with their current lack of health. He could become an interesting TE2 in deeper formats, especially if Alshon Jeffery ’s injury issues become a longer-term problem.
When will Le’Veon Bell return? Bell denied a report that he would return over the Labor Day Weekend, which now makes it sound like the holdout could last longer than expected. Fantasy owners may want to scoop up James Conner just in case he is unavailable for Week 1.
Player News
Seahawks exercised the fifth-year option on OT Charles Cross.
Cross now remains tied to the organization through the 2026 season. PFF gave the towering 24-year-old tackle glaring marks in 2024, ranking him 10th of 140 qualified tackles, including 15th in pass protection and 16th in run blocking. The Seahawks extend the negotiating window on one of the key pieces of their offensive front.
Browns signed WR Diontae Johnson to a one-year contract.
The former Steeler wasn’t able to carve out a significant role with the Panthers, Ravens, or Texans in 2024 after seemingly breaking out in Pittsburgh. The Browns apparently saw enough during his visit with the team Monday to sign him to a one-year contract, the details of which have yet to be released. Expect Johnson to start opposite Cedric Tillman on the perimeter while Jerry Jeudy works the slot.
ESPN’s Field Yates reports Browns placed the unrestricted free agent tender on WR Elijah Moore.
Moore visited the Bills on Monday and then saw the Browns place the unrestricted free agent tender on him. Per Field Yates, this means that Moore will count against the compensatory free agent formula should he sign with another team. He’ll play on the tender if he returns to the Browns, which carries a value of $3.428 million for wide receivers in 2025.
Fox Sports’ Jordan Szhultz reports Packers signed LB/S Isaiah Simmons, formerly of the Giants.
The former first-round hybrid linebacker and safety has yet to live up to his No. 8 overall selection in the 2020 draft, but brings the unique ability to fill multiple positions over the middle of the field to a Packers defense that prefers to play a more inside-out style. There is upside in his athletic profile and versatility - perhaps another change of scenery will serve to unlock some of that potential.
Steelers signed WR Robert Woods, formerly of the Texans, to a one-year, $2 million contract.
The 33-year-old wide receiver has long since seen his days of 100-target seasons fall by the wayside, but he still adds a veteran presence to a relatively young wide receiver room in Pittsburgh. Woods played over 60% of the offensive snaps for the Texans just twice in 2024 after doing so 13 times in 2023, indicating a high likelihood he was brought in for his locker room presence and veteran savvy rather than as a consistent contributor to the offense. The low risk signing makes sense for both parties considering Woods’ age and the state of the Pittsburgh pass-catching corps.
KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports the Browns met with free agent WR Diontae Johnson.
Johnson had a forgettable 2024, to put it mildly. The former Steelers receiver saw himself traded to the Panthers last offseason only to later be traded to the Ravens, where his lack of playing time eventually led to his release. He then found his way to the wide receiver-needy Texans, who rostered him for just over three weeks. He was then claimed off waivers by the Ravens but was not eligible to play during the postseason. Now a free agent, Johnson, 28, has not enjoyed the market many expected him to see this time last year. He’s a productive receiver who has amassed 424 catches for 4,738 yards and 28 touchdowns in his six-year career, but it goes without saying that he’s likely in brand rebuilding mode as far as this offseason is concerned. It’s hard to imagine any team giving him a lucrative contract after last year’s disastrous campaign. That said, Johnson could still still provide help to plenty of needy teams and could prove to be a valuable contributor at a cost-efficient price. This is the first visit we’ve heard of for Johnson, who may meet with other teams before signing.