Fantasy Football News

Gronkowski underwent an MRI on his back and may require surgery to correct a disc issue.

Impacts: Gronkowski is already dealing with complications from arm surgery, and he is undergoing a fourth surgery on his arm next week. Gronkowski is scheduled to meet with a spine specialist following the procedure to determine whether or not surgery will be required on his back. In 2009, he underwent surgery to "shave down" a disc in his back, but the present issue is not believed to be related.

Webb has been moved to wide receiver from quarterback for the Vikings, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Impacts: Webb played wide receiver his sophomore year at Alabama-Birmingham and began his pro career at receiver before being moved back to quarterback. It's not clear if he'll get much playing time as he'll be down on the depth chart, but it's possible the Vikings could design several plays for him since he's got impressive speed (4.44 in the 40-yard dash) and would be a threat for trick plays since he can throw. He'll also offer a quandary for many fantasy leagues since his position eligibility between QB and WR may be uncertain.

Williams has restructured his contract with the Panthers, ESPN.com reports.

Impacts: Players tweak their deals fairly often, but in the case of Williams, it is notable since there had been whispers that his previous contract could lead to the Panthers potentially dangling him in trade talks. His restructuring frees up $3.2 million in salary cap space this year, while also lowering his future cap hits. In any case, the move ensures that Williams will stick around in Carolina to share the team's backfield with Jonathan Stewart and fullback Mike Tolbert.

Coach Doug Marrone says that the injury keeping Johnson sidelined is a strained back, BuffaloBills.com reports.

Impacts: Considering he suffered the injury last month during a team workout and it doesn't sound like some chronic thing, that seems a little more positive. We'll feel more comfortable, however, if Johnson is able to jump in with the new coaching scheme at some point ahead of July training camp.

Green proclaimed himself 100 percent recovered from his knee injury Tuesday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Impacts: Green appeared in 12 games for the Packers last season and even started four, but he also mentioned Tuesday that he was never fully healthy in 2012, which likely played a factor in him averaging just 3.4 yards per carry. A healthy Green will get a chance to compete for carries during training camp, but he will have to beat out several players, including Eddie Lacy and DuJuan Harris, to carve out a significant role.

Though Jones-Drew (foot) didn't practice as the Jags' organized team activities opened Monday, he noted that he ran 30 yards at three-quarters speed during the workout, Florida Times-Union reports. "That was exciting," Jones-Drew said. "Lately, it's been one day on, a day off, two days on, a day off — it's part of the process. I'm closer than I think. I just want to take my time and make sure we do it the right way."

Impacts: To that end, as Jones-Drew proceeds cautiously in his recovery from his foot injury, the running back is aiming to amp up his training in the month leading into the start of training camp, which begins the last week of July.

Though Michael Vick opened up with the Eagles' first-team offense at the first day of the team's organized team activities on Monday, Foles took a significant number of snaps as well, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Impacts: Meanwhile, neither Matt Barkley nor Dennis Dixon took first-team snaps, with the snap distribution between Vick and Foles estimated at 50/50 by coach Chip Kelly. It would still be an upset if Foles were to win the Eagles' starting QB job over Vick, but as Kelly noted Monday, "it's May 13 and we've got a long ways to go before we ever set a depth chart or do anything like that."

Jones has agreed to a one-year contract with Philadelphia, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Impacts: Jones enters training camp at least third on the depth chart behind LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown along with Chris Polk and Miguel Maysonet. However, we'll have to see how his role develops this summer.

Jones-Drew (foot) is making progress, Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports.

Impacts: Jones-Drew is not expected to be back to full health for a couple more weeks, but was able to run at three-quarter speed for a bit Monday, so he appears to be on track to return at least by the beginning of June.

Hoyer was released by Arizona on Monday, Sirius Radio's Adam Caplan reports.

Impacts: Carson Palmer's acquisition during the offseason left Hoyer's status in some doubt. The Cardinals were actively attempting to trade Hoyer leading up to the draft, but those inquiries apparently led nowhere. Consequently, Drew Stanton and Ryan Lindley will remain the two reserve QBs on the Cardinals, with Hoyer searching for yet another opportunity.

Massaquoi could be a beneficiary of Justin Blackmon's four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

Impacts: While Massaquoi is coming off a modest 17-reception, 254-yard 2012 season (nine games), he now has a real shot to carve out a role early on in Jacksonville with Blackmon set to miss the first four games of the season. Cecil Shorts will go forward as the undisputed No. 1 with Massaquoi, Jordan Shipley and 2012 draft pick Ace Sanders all competing for No. 2 and 3 roles.

Blackmon has been suspended for the first four games of the 2013 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy, John Oehser of Jaguars.com reports.

Impacts: Blackmon will be allowed to take part in training camp and preseason action, but he will not play in Weeks 1-4 due to his suspension. The Jaguars are rather thin at the receiver position, and Blackmon's suspension means Jordan Shipley or Mohamed Massaquoi will likely open the season as the starter opposite Cecil Shorts. Blackmon will be eligible to return to the team Sep. 30, and unless the Jaguars decide to penalize him further, he will make his debut Week 5 against the Rams.

Blackmon will be suspended for the first four games of the 2013 season, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Impacts: The reason for Blackmon's suspension was not included with the report, but it looks like Blackmon will sit out the first four games of his sophomore campaign. Expect an update on Blackmon's status as more details become available.

The Jets have released Tebow, ESPN New York reports.

Impacts: The move seemed inevitable after the Jets made fellow QB Geno Smith a second-round pick in the recent NFL draft. In his one-year stint with the Jets, Tebow attempted only eight passes and rushed the ball 32 times for 102 yards. He'll presumably pass through waivers and once he does, Tebow will be able to seek out a situation/organization where his skill set can be an asset.

The Jets may consider releasing Sanchez following the team's selection of quarterback Geno Smith on Friday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Impacts: After the Jets took Smith in the second round (39th overall) of the draft Friday, some are speculating that Sanchez could be on his way out of New York. Coach Rex Ryan didn't exactly give Sanchez a strong endorsement as the No. 1 guy last month, saying that Sanchez would take the first snaps in minicamp because "somebody has to take it."

Rodgers and the Packers agreed to a five-year, $110 million contract extension Friday, according to the Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Impacts: The deal will make Rodgers the highest paid player in NFL history. Fantasy owners should expect a big 2013 from Rodgers, who has led the league in passer rating each of the last two years.

Revis (knee) has been traded by the Jets to the Bucs for a 2013 first-rounder (13th overall), plus a conditional 2014 fourth or third-round pick.

Impacts: Moreover, Revis and the Bucs have also agreed on a new six-year $96 million extension that includes no guaranteed money. It's an aggressive move by the Bucs to upgrade their secondary, as the team evidently feels very confident about the health of the star cornerback, who is coming off an ACL injury, by making him the highest paid defensive back in NFL history.

Hernandez's recovery from a minor scope on his shoulder will last approximately four months, ESPN Boston reports.

Impacts: Hernandez will definitely miss OTAs and mandatory minicamps over the next few months, which could place him on the PUP list to begin training camp. However, he is expected to be fully healthy by the time the regular season kicks off.

Revis, who has reached an agreement in principle with the Buccaneers, has been granted permission by the Jets to travel to Tampa Bay for a physical, Yahoo! Sports reports.

Impacts: The Jets and Bucs have apparently come to terms on a trade, which is contingent upon Revis passing a physical. Since a recent MRI revealed that his surgically-repaired left knee is ahead of schedule in its recovery, it only seems a matter of time before the deal is completed in earnest. Revis should officially be a Buccaneer by Monday morning.

The shoulder surgery that Hernandez had about two weeks ago is being referred to as a minor scope, the Boston Globe reports.

Impacts: The report confirms that Hernandez will be ready for the start of training camp in July, barring any setbacks, which is good news for the Patriots, with Rob Gronkowski still dealing with issues related to his surgically-repaired forearm.

Hernandez, who underwent shoulder surgery earlier this offseason, will likely miss the Patriots' OTAs along with mini-camp, the team's official site reports.

Impacts: On the plus side, the report indicates that Hernandez should be ready to return in time for training camp, so in the long term this doesn't look like a major issue, but for the time being, neither of the Patriots' top two tight ends are in commission, with Rob Gronkowski still dealing with issues with his forearm.

The Steelers have matched the Patriots' offer sheet for Sanders, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Impacts: Sanders will thus remain with the Steelers on a one-year, $2.5 million deal. Now that he's back in the fold, look for him to replace Mike Wallace in the team's starting lineup this coming season, opposite Antonio Brown. Assuming he earns that assignment, then Sanders should have no problem improving on his 2012 numbers (44 catches for 626 yards with a touchdown) this coming season.

Winfield agreed in principle to a one-year deal with the Seahawks on Friday, NFL Network's Albert Breer reports.

Impacts: The addition of Winfield only further bolsters a Seattle secondary that already features Pro Bowl-caliber players at all four starting spots. The aging Winfield should settle into a nickel role and remain a proficient tackler in what's shaping up to be the league's premier defensive unit.

Jennings (shoulder) claimed to agree to contract terms with Oakland on Wednesday, NFL.com reports.

Impacts: Jennings will be a serious consideration to earn the top backup role behind Darren McFadden, though the Raiders might add help through the draft. Jennings dealt with knee and concussion troubles in 2012, though, running for a remarkably bad 2.8 yards per carry while he was at it.

Welker is working out with Peyton Manning, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker this week at Duke University, the Denver Post reports.

Impacts: Thomas and Decker worked out with Manning at Duke last offseason in preparation for the 2012 season and both had career years. Manning throws there in the offseason because his former college offensive coordinator, David Cutcliffe, is now head coach at Duke (he also happened to be Eli Manning's head coach at Mississippi). There is no questioning that Welker can make Manning a better fantasy player but it's tough to see Welker excel as much as he did in New England thanks to the presence of Thomas and Decker.

The Raiders are expected to sign Wallace, NFL.com reports.

Impacts: If the deal happens, as expected, then Wallace would be in line to jostle with Terrelle Pryor for slotting behind Matt Flynn on the Raiders' QB depth chart.

The offer sheet Sanders signed with New England is a one-year deal for $2.5 million, the Boston Globe reports.

Impacts: The Steelers have five days to match the offer, but if they don't, then they'll receive a third-round draft pick (91st overall) from the Patriots as compensation.

Edelman will return to the Patriots on a one-year deal, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Impacts: He'll re-join the Patriots' retooled wideout corps that now also includes newcomers Danny Amendola, Donald Jones, Michael Jenkins and possibly Emmanuel Sanders. Given Amendola's injury history, retaining Edelman is a nice depth/insurance move, and he figures to factor into the team's return game this coming season.

Kolb was finally introduced by the Bills on Monday after being signed last weekend, The Buffalo News reports.

Impacts: Now that that's out of the way, the bigger question for Kolb's 2013 value would seem to be what the Bills do in the upcoming draft. Three quarterbacks would seem to be far enough along that they could compete with Kolb right out of the gate for a starting role - Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, and Ryan Nassib, who played under coach Doug Marrone's offense at Syracuse. Anyone else would seem to have enough to learn or skills to develop that Kolb would probably get to run the offense for at least a year and see what he can do, with the safe assumption that he can beat out the recently re-signed Tarvaris Jackson. Keep an eye on this situation - as far down as Kolb will be on most 2013 cheat sheets, he never had much to work with in Arizona, outside of Larry Fitzgerald, and the Bills seem to have better weapons on offense.

Massaquoi officially signed with Jacksonville on Monday.

Impacts: Massaquoi is a fairly talented athlete, but he's not likely to be on the fantasy radar in most cases for the 2013 season. He'll compete with Jordan Shipley for the third receiver role behind Cecil Shorts and Justin Blackmon, making his best-case scenario a modest one. Furthermore, Massaquoi has had concussion issues in each of the least three years.

The Patriots have declined to comment on reports that Gronkowski is dealing with an infection in his left arm that could compromise his availability to start the season, the Boston Herald reports.

Impacts: The reports suggest that Gronkowski continues to deal with an infection in the area where a metal plate was placed in order to help repair his left forearm. Moreover, the reports indicate that doctors will have to wait for said infection to go away before they replace the plate, with possible delays on that front perhaps impacting the tight end's early-season availability, given that Gronkowski would need 10 weeks after such a procedure in order to recover. We expect further info on Gronkowski's status to trickle in over the next few days, but suffice to say, things have not gone especially smooth for the tight end recovery-wise, since he originally broke his forearm last November.

Edelman is fully recovered from the broken foot that landed him on injured reserve in December, ESPN Boston reports.

Impacts: Edelman, a free agent, is still considering his options, but remains a possibility for the receiver-starved Patriots. While he likely wouldn't ascend to a starting role with Danny Amendola signed to take Wes Welker's spot in the slot, he may be willing to reprise his gig with the Patriots as a secondary receiving option.

Coach Mike Shanahan offered words of encouragement with regards to Griffin's continued recovery from his surgery in January to repair a torn ACL, LCL, and meniscus, the Washington Post reports. "He's over at the facility, rehabbing all of the time. He'll set a record for coming back because that's how hard he works," Shanahan said.

Impacts: The feeling continues to be that Griffin is progressing at a nice pace and is perhaps ahead of schedule, but Shanahan did acknowledge that how realistic a Week 1 return goal for the QB might be won't be known before this summer. "He is ahead, but there is a process," Shanahan said. "It takes time. Robert will do it the right way and we'll find out in July exactly where he's at...he will not come back until he's 100 percent."

Gronkowski reportedly continues to deal with an infection in the area around where a (second) metal plate was placed in order to repair his broken left forearm, the Boston Herald reports.

Impacts: While Gronkowski is said to be nearing the end of a six-week cycle of antibiotic treatments, it is unclear at this point if the infection has fully cleared. The report notes that the plan is to have doctors go back into Gronkowski's arm with a procedure to remove the plate currently in his arm and replace it with a new one, but if infected tissue is present at that time, the process would be delayed. There is still hope that the infection has -- or will be -- cleared up by the time the procedure happens, but if it hasn't, then there exists the possibility that the tight end's availability to start the season might be compromised. In any case, Gronkowski, the team, and medical personnel are expected to meet within a week to determine the best course of action with how to proceed with the tight end's treatment. Either way, this is clearly a situation to monitor as the offseason progresses.

Washington will be suspended the first four games of the upcoming season for violating the NFL's Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse, the team's official site reports.

Impacts: Washington, who racked up 134 tackles and nine sacks in 2012, won't be available until Week 5, but he is productive enough to draft and stash in leagues with bigger benches, and in other formats, he'll represent a good in-season pickup this fall.

Heyward-Bey could alternate with T.Y. Hilton when the Colts use two-receiver formations, the Indianapolis Star reports.

Impacts: This is just early speculation and we should have a better notion of the two receivers' roles once training camp begins. Heyward-Bey and Hilton both possess significant upside, but Hilton's fantasy value is probably higher at the moment.

Oakland traded Palmer to Arizona on Tuesday in exchange for a conditional seventh-round 2014 pick, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Impacts: Palmer will likely start over Drew Stanton and Brian Hoyer for the Cardinals, who figure to feature a passing game that takes aim downfield on a regular basis. Palmer's arrival to Arizona is good news for Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Roberts, even if he's a below average starter.

Heyward-Bey has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Colts.

Impacts: Heyward-Bey will step into a pretty nice situation in Indianapolis after playing with rather unremarkable signal callers during his four years in Oakland. The 26-year-old's speed, combined with Andrew Luck's arm, could lead to a career resurgence for Heyward-Bey, but T.Y. Hilton is still the Colts' No. 1 deep threat.

The Raiders have reportedly traded two draft picks to Seattle in exchange for Flynn, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reports.

Impacts: Glazer reports that the two picks are slated to be in the later rounds of the 2014 and 2015 drafts. Meanwhile, the Raiders are looking to complete a deal to send fellow QB Carson Palmer to Arizona. In any case, Flynn will now have a chance to start at quarterback for the Raiders after spending the 2012 season backing up Russell Wilson.