Following another week of minicamps, we have finally concluded this portion of the offseason schedule.
Two weeks ago saw a few teams in the first round of NFC minicamps come to a close. This week was the large majority. While these practices are without pads, this first glimpse can provide some valuable information in terms of which players are standing out, who needs additional work, and where we could see some depth chart shuffling.
Let’s continue unearthing key news and notes from the NFC teams and their fantasy implications heading into training camp and the regular season.
Arizona Cardinals
Shrouded in a veil of secrecy, the Cardinals organization is committed to keeping things “inside the building”. The media has been limited in what they’re allowed to see and what they’re allowed to report, making this team more and more intriguing. Arizona wants to enter Week 1 without their opponents knowing what to expect from Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, and as such, they’re keeping things close to the vest at this time as an organization.
A few things I was able to sparse out was that Hakeem Butler and Kyler Murray are roommates. Butler still needs to find his way into the starting lineup, but it was interesting that he and Murray can build that bond 24/7. Speaking of Murray, he’s looking sharp in both his command of the huddle and of the playbook. It was repeatedly mentioned how well he knows Kingsbury’s system already. These two — and the rest of the rookies — will continue to work with Kingsbury over the next two weeks while the team’s veterans don’t return until training camp.
The offensive line has had a lot of changes this offseason. Marcus Gilbert, J.R. Sweezy, and Max Garcia were all brought in to help a line that was hindered last year with key injuries. Justin Pugh and D.J. Humphries fall into that category, and it’ll be a trial-by-fire for this new group once the pads come on in August. The addition of three new starting linemen should be a welcome change after last year’s squad finished top-five in most quarterback hits and sacks allowed.
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta’s minicamp was much more open to the press and gave us a glimpse into how HC Dan Quinn wants to utilize the new rookies and offseason additions. In fact, that was the main theme of camp with the coaching staff often prioritizing giving them snaps.
The biggest battle was between the two first round draft picks on the offensive line — Chris Lindstrom (No. 14 overall pick) and Kaleb McGary (No. 31) — and the two free agent additions in James Carpenter and Jamon Brown. Incumbents Alex Mack (center) and Jake Matthews (left tackle) are the only sure things, leaving four players to compete for three starting spots. This influx of talent could make Atlanta’s offensive line a top-ten unit if they can gel quickly.
The running back position was another one of note. Devonta Freeman has stood out as a leader on this squad with reports talking about his energy and enthusiasm. Qadree Ollison has looked great in minicamp as both a runner and receiver. He’s also broken some long runs and showed up well in red zone work. He’s a great dynasty player to stash and pick up with your final pick in bestball leagues.
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback Cam Newton continues to move along through his rehab process well after offseason shoulder surgery. He has now graduated to throwing intermediate-to-deep balls, and the coaching staff was pleased with his progress and current recovery schedule.
Third year receiver Curtis Samuel continues to amaze spectators. This is his first offseason where he’s fully healthy and he’s taken advantage of the reps and offseason program, reportedly focusing on his strength and fluidity in order to become a more dynamic playmaker. He’s caught several long passes for touchdowns in camps and is someone you should have squarely on your fantasy radar.
Gerald McCoy’s debut has also been one of the biggest newsworthy items in camp. He’s drawn fantastic reviews to date. The Panthers have spent this offseason implementing a new defense and McCoy’s addition to an already impressive defensive line should make this a formidable unit from Day 1. Expected to run out multiple fronts, having a player of McCoy’s caliber who can play multiple positions along the defensive line should make this a strong point for Carolina.
First-round pick Brian Burns has also looked terrific off the bat. His speed has shown up when coming off the edge and often times gave the offensive line fits. Between Burns and offseason additions Bruce Irvin, the Panthers will have a lot more speed up front to rush the passer this season.
Chicago Bears
Rookie running back David Montgomery capped off an impressive camp, continuously showcasing his athletic versatility. He’s looked sharp out of the backfield with his routes and catching abilities, and reportedly has done a great job picking up the playbook. Until we get to pads and tackling, it’s just a limited glimpse of what the third-rounder can do, but it’s promising that he’s hitting every benchmark with positive reports. I’m still buying at current fifth round ADP.
Trey Burton continues to recover from hernia surgery, letting Adam Shaheen take over a lot of his reps. He’s looked slimmed down and much faster according to the defense and making some incredible catches in camp. Shaheen is your much more traditional inline tight end with Burton being a move tight end, but it was still something noteworthy if we were to see any kind of setbacks in Burton’s recovery.
Kickers have been the big theme of reporters after Chicago lost in the Wildcard round of last year’s playoffs due to a missed 43-yard field goal by Cody Parkey. This battle currently has been whittled down to Eddy Pineiro and Elliott Fry after the team waived Chris Blewitt last Wednesday. Neither Pineiro nor Fry have separated themselves yet as the clear leader. Look for this battle to continue deep into training camp.
Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott has looked sharp against the starting defense. There were repeated reports of his improved accuracy in camp and his timing with his deliveries. He routinely hit Randall Cobb and Jason Witten as they were coming out of their breaks. Entering his fourth season, Prescott looks incredibly comfortable and already in command of new OC’s Kellen Moore’s offense. He’s a terrific fantasy value with a current ADP of QB18 despite coming off back-to-back years as the fantasy QB10.
A name to keep an eye on for when the pads come on is Jon’Vea Johnson. His speed is something that could separate himself from the rest of the wide receivers on this depth chart and where he can make a name for himself. Undrafted out of Toledo, he has 4.45 speed and finished his final season averaging 20.6 yards per reception. That penchant for big plays could make him a preseason DFS name to keep an eye on.
Green Bay Packers
Marques Valdes-Scantling and Jake Kumerow were the hot names at receiver coming out of camp. Last season’s inexperience at the wide receiver position was detrimental to the team down the stretch after losing Geronimo Allison. Kumerow was a preseason DFS stud last season, but a shoulder injury hindered him from continuing that into the regular season. He’s earned Aaron Rodgers’ trust in a big way this offseason with Rodgers saying, “The key is being reliable, and earning my trust. … [Kumerow] is an extremely intelligent guy who is in the right place at the right time.” MVS has also seen a lot of hype around the Packers’ facility with a chance to step into an every-down role. His size and speed combination has placed him as the early favorite to start in 2WR sets opposite Davante Adams.
Year 2 of Mike Pettine’s defense should see a remarkable turnaround. The front office spent a boat load bringing in key starters and then double-downed in the draft adding more defensive pieces. IDP players should take note that linebacker Oren Burks has stood out as one of the most improved players this offseason. Despite not playing with pads or tackling, Burks must have had quite the camp to garner this claim. He looks bigger and faster out there in coverage and the team’s hoping his weight gain helps him improve his ability to get off blockers more quickly.
Los Angeles Rams
Sean McVay held just one minicamp practice (Tuesday) after feeling good about where the squad was following the offseason program. Entering his third year in McVay’s offensive system, quarterback Jared Goff looks like a seasoned vet, mastering the system as a whole. His grasp of the playbook, protections, reads, etc. has him looking like a player that’s quite comfortable heading into training camp and preseason.
The Todd Gurley dilemma remains something to monitor. There wasn’t any clarity to the situation when Gurley fielded questions at this week’s minicamp. He did not participate in minicamp and continues to work on the offseason plan he, his personal trainer, and the medical staff have put together. His absence has allowed rookie Darrell Henderson to see some quality snaps in practice. He looked explosive in space, translating the speed and explosiveness from Memphis right away to the NFL level. Henderson’s skyrocketing ADP has him going in the early seventh round and continues to climb by the day.
Minnesota Vikings
The biggest depth chart fight from a fantasy perspective in Minnesota is who will win the No. 3 wide receiver role. The starting pair of Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen looked fantastic in camp, with Kirk Cousins dropping dimes as he enters his second year in this system. Chad Beebe has had a terrific camp so far and was mentioned by several beats as a player to keep an eye on. The second-year receiver looked sharp in receiver drills, handled some punt returns, and excelled in scrimmages. Brandon Zylstra was also a repeated name that stood out before injuries sidelined him. Beebe’s size (5’-10”) may be a limiting factor for him with the Vikings preferring to use him in the slot rather than outside. Jordan Taylor, Laquon Treadwell, and a few other deeper names will make this a training camp battle to monitor.
Alexander Mattison has also stood out — not solely because of his impressive play — but also because he’s had a lot of snaps with the first team offense, sharing them with Dalvin Cook. It’s only June, but it could be the early signs of a Mattison taking on a Latavius Murray role in the lesser half of a committee with Cook. If Cook can stay healthy, these two could form a dangerous backfield pairing.
New Orleans Saints
Teddy Bridgewater opened camp at quarterback while Drew Brees was out handling a lawsuit issue. Bridgewater looked sharp entering his second season in this Saints offensive system after being traded here late August last season from the Jets. Bridgewater remains one of the league’s better backups and gave the No. 1 defense a tough test on Tuesday.
Rookie center Erik McCoy had some troubles with snaps and the exchange to Drew Brees on Day 2 of camp. In one series the pair fumbled twice in four snaps. McCoy’s snaps while at Texas A&M mostly came from the shotgun, so he’ll have to work on fine-tuning that this summer. The second-round pick became a necessity after longtime veteran Max Unger retired about a month before the draft.
Free agent addition Jared Cook looks like he’ll fit right in here in New Orleans. He was active in the passing game through much of camp and it wouldn’t be shocking if sees a sizable number of targets compared to the past few years’ usage at the tight end position. He’s a terrific fantasy value at current ADP in the seventh round as TE8.
Philadelphia Eagles
The biggest newsworthy item coming out of Philadelphia was the status of Carson Wentz and his back. Wentz finally returned in minicamp with no limitations, excelling in both individual and team drills. That’s exactly what Eagles fans want to hear following him receiving a four-year contract extension worth $128M.
Offseason addition DeSean Jackson is a welcome returning face to this offense. Jackson and Wentz were able to connect right away on several deep balls, setting up what could be a promising campaign for Philadelphia’s offense this year. Jackson’s breakaway speed not only can change the game in an instant, it also opens things up underneath for the other passing options. One underneath option who’s been turning heads all summer has been Dallas Goedert. The second-year tight end has made plays all over the field and has legitimate star potential. Philadelphia ranked second in percentage of plays run under 12-personnel last year (two tight end formations). Don’t be surprised if that continues this season.
Cornerback was a problem for the Eagles for much of the season. During the playoffs, Avonte Maddox emerged (out of necessity) as a versatile option that excelled playing nickel cornerback, outside cornerback, and even some safety. Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills continue to rehab injuries, but the progress Maddox made over his rookie season last year should have him in the starting mix come Week 1.
San Francisco 49ers
Jimmy Garoppolo’s return to 11-on-11 drills Wednesday marked his first appearance as he continues to work his way back from a torn ACL. Garoppolo is expected to be back for training camp six weeks from now, but it was nice to see him out there as the team starts to ease him back into things. Another player the medical staff is being cautious with is the return of Jerick McKinnon. McKinnon never saw a regular season snap for the 49ers last year, but is currently on track with his rehab and expected to return for training camp. Minor nicks to Deebo Samuel (hip) and George Kittle (hip) had them both sitting out most of minicamp with each player expected return for training camp.
With so many injuries to key players, the backups took most of the reps during minicamp. Free agent addition Tevin Coleman is just about the only healthy running back with McKinnon, Matt Breida, and Raheem Mostert all sidelined. He’s looked sharp running in Kyle Shanahan’s zone scheme and catching passes out of the backfield. Marquise Goodwin has also had a chance to shine with injuries to some offensive stars, showing up well on deep patterns. Trent Taylor has also looked sharp as the team’s slot receiver. He and Garoppolo have developed a chemistry and was one of the most heavily targeted receivers by Garoppolo in open sessions available to the media.
Seattle Seahawks
Receivers D.K. Metcalf and David Moore both received a ton of praise from HC Pete Carroll. Metcalf has impressed with his knowledge of the game and how quickly he’s processed new information given to him. Moore is no longer being limited to just one position (split end), but is instead being utilized all over the field. These two and Tyler Lockett should enter training camp as the starting three receivers.
Another injury to C.J. Prosise (hamstring), could mean we see a ton of Rashaad Penny during training camp. Chris Carson (knee) could be back by training camp, but will likely be eased into things. Penny, last year’s No. 27 pick in the draft, had a rough start to his rookie season but started to come on towards the end. Seattle’s run-heavy tendencies makes this a valuable fantasy role. If Carson were to see any kind of setbacks, Penny could pay off huge dividends at his current RB32 pricetag.
