New Panthers WR D.J. Chark had ankle surgery recently, HC Frank Reich said Tuesday. Reich added that Chark "could be ready for part of OTAs" but didn't provide any other details. We assume the surgery was on the troublesome ankle that Chark fractured back in September of 2021 and flared up last year, costing him 6 games. We'll keep an eye on his status over the next few months.
The Panthers agreed to a one-year deal with WR D.J. Chark. The 26-year-old missed six games in the first half of last season with ankle trouble but made some noise in the second half, averaging 57.7 yards on 17.6 yards per catch over the final seven games. Chark ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash at the 2018 Combine and is averaging 14.4 yards per catch through five NFL seasons. He adds much-needed juice to a Panthers WR corps that added WR Adam Thielen last week. Those two are the current favorites to open the season as Carolina's top two WRs -- although don't count out WR Terrace Marshall. The Panthers, of course, are expected to select their starting QB with the first pick of next month's draft.
The Chargers re-signed TE Donald Parham to a 2-year, $2.65 million deal. The 6'8 behemoth was not tendered as a restricted free agent by Los Angeles and ends up returning on a cheap deal, suggesting that he didn't find much interest on the open market. Parham has been just a part-time player through 3 NFL seasons, totaling 40 catches for 479 yards and 7 TDs. TE Gerald Everett had been mentioned as a potential cap casualty for the Chargers but remains on the roster as of mid-March. Unless that changes, Parham is only worth a look in the deepest of fantasy drafts.
The Panthers have agreed to a three-year deal with TE Hayden Hurst. The terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed. Hurst, a former NFL first-round pick, will be joining his fourth team since entering the league in 2018. At best, he's been a streaming TE consideration throughout his career. It's tough to say he'll have as much fantasy appeal going from a high-powered Bengals offense in 2022 to the Panthers with a rookie QB likely to be under center, though. This transition only hurts the value of Hurst even with diminished target competition. Dynasty managers are probably further ahead looking elsewhere to the 2023 rookie class or beyond if TE is a position of need. He may prove to be reasonably effective for redraft purposes if the Panthers don't add a ton of talent around him, though.
UPDATE: Hurst's contract is reportedly a three-year deal worth $21.75 million (with $13 million guaranteed).
TCU WR Quentin Johnston skipped the 40-yard dash and other drills at the NFL Scouting Combine. But he showed out in the broad jump and vertical. Johnston tied for second among receivers in the broad (11'2) and ranked third in the vertical (40.5 inches). He also measured in at 6'3 and 208 pounds. Johnston just might be battling Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jordan Addison for top position among WRs in the NFL Draft. His WR41 ADP on Underdog, however, finds him going more than a round behind JSN and three spots behind Addison in WR ADP. That all makes him an intriguing pick for best ball rosters right now. The right NFL landing spot could vault him well into WR3 territory in fantasy football drafts.
The Chargers are set to hire Kellen Moore as their new OC, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. Although we just learned that Moore was done in Dallas on Sunday, the Chargers had been working on this hire "for a while," per Rapoport. It's a great get for QB Justin Herbert and Co. Moore helped the Cowboys to top-11 finishes in both points and total yards in 3 of his 4 seasons -- with the only exception being 2020, when QB Dak Prescott missed most of the year. That included a 1st-place finish in both points and yards in 2021. Moore's Dallas offenses were balanced to run-leaning in terms of Pass Rate Over Expected, although he certainly seems willing to adjust his play calling to the personnel. Moore also deploys a fast-paced attack, with the Cowboys ranking top 4 in both pace and situation-neutral pace in all 4 of his seasons.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert underwent surgery on January 25 to repair the labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, the team announced. He was on the injury report with a left shoulder in Week 18 but was removed for the opening round of the playoffs. Herbert is expected to be cleared to participate in the offseason program, but we'll keep a close eye on his rehab. At this point, we're not adjusting our 2023 fantasy outlook for Herbert.
Bengals TE Hayden Hurst (calf) isn't listed on the final injury report for Sunday's AFC Championship game vs. the Chiefs. He put in a full practice on Friday after being limited on Thursday. Hurst should be ready for his usual role this weekend.
Bengals TE Hayden Hurst was added to Thursday's injury report and limited in practice with a calf. He missed 3 games late in the regular season with a calf injury -- although it's unclear if this is related. Check back Friday afternoon for another update on Hurst's status for this weekend's AFC Championship game vs. the Chiefs. His absence would be significant.
The Chargers have fired OC Joe Lombardi, according to NFL Network. Lombardi piloted Los Angeles to top 9 finishes in total yards in each of the past 2 seasons, despite dealing with a bunch of injuries to offensive linemen and skill-position players. But his scheme simply didn't accentuate QB Justin Herbert's arm talent, as evidenced by his 7.6 and 6.4 intended air yards per pass attempt marks over the last 2 years. That 6.4-yard mark this past season ranked 31st among 33 qualifiers. We'll see who the Chargers tab to replace Lombardi -- but the change is more likely than not to be good news for Herbert's fantasy value.
Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins rushed 13 times for 62 yards in Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati. He saw only 1 more attempt than Gus Edwards (12-39) and added 4-43-1 as a receiver. Afterwords, Dobbins expressed frustration with the lack of carries. "I'm a guy who feels like I should be on the field all the time," Dobbins said. "It's the playoffs. Why am I not out there?” The 24-year-old was specifically referring to QB Tyler Huntley’s 4th-quarter fumble on a goal line sneak. 2023 turns up a contract year for Dobbins.
Playing without WR Mike Williams, Chargers QB Justin Herbert completed 25-of-43 passes for 273 yards and 1 score. The Chargers settled for 2 short range FGs in the first half — 1 after Herbert missed Keenan Allen in the end zone — which kept Jacksonville’s comeback hopes alive. In the second half, the Chargers went: punt, FG, missed FG, punt. Following the loss, we’ll see if the Chargers retain HC Brandon Staley (and OC Joe Lombardi) for another season. Regardless, Los Angeles needs to find a speed threat to compliment Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
Ravens RB Gus Edwards (concussion) cleared the league's protocol and doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's Wild Card game vs. the Bengals. This would be a pretty good spot for Ravens RBs in a world where QB Lamar Jackson was healthy and under center. The Bengals' defense ranks 22nd in Football Outsiders' run defense DVOA over their last 4 games. Unfortunately, the offense isn't as strong with QB Tyler Huntley or rookie QB Anthony Brown as the starter. Edwards is a ho-hum RB2 that would need to find the end zone to really pay off for fantasy purposes. There are likely better options available for playoff contests.
Ravens RB Gus Edwards (concussion) upgraded to limited participation in practice on Thursday. We'll see if he'll be cleared to play in Sunday's Wild Card game vs. the Bengals. Check back tomorrow for more updates.
Ravens RB Gus Edwards (concussion) didn't practice on Wednesday. We'll see if he'll be able to log participation this week in advance of Sunday's Wild Card game vs. the Bengals. Be sure to check back for updates.
Ravens RB Gus Edwards has been ruled out of Sunday's game vs. the Bengals with a head injury. Now in the concussion protocol, his availability for next weekend's Wild Card game is in question. We'll track his progress this coming week.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins will not play against the Bengals today "and instead will begin focusing on next weekend’s wild-card game." Dobbins was not listed on this week's injury report but had the August 2021 ACL tear and surgery on that same knee this October. Assuming he didn't suffer a setback over the past couple of days, Dobbins should be busy in next weekend's Wild Card game. His absence today figures to leave Gus Edwards as Baltimore's lead ball carrier, with Justice Hill and Kenyan Drake behind him.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert (left shoulder) practiced fully again on Thursday. This injury to Herbert's non-throwing shoulder seems unlikely to prevent him from playing in Week 18 vs. the Broncos. We'll check in on Herbert again tomorrow just in case.
The Commanders have elevated RB Jaret Patterson from the practice squad, ahead of Sunday's finale against the Cowboys. It's not a surprising move, given that RB Antonio Gibson will be out once again. He landed on IR Thursday after missing last week with knee and foot injuries. RB Brian Robinson Jr. (knee) joined Gibson in missing Wednesday's practice. Don't be surprised if Robinson sits out the finale as well. Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch says Patterson "seems likely to get a large share of work on Sunday." Washington also has RB Jonathan Williams on the active roster. Beware of using any Commanders offensive players in your Week 18 lineup.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert (left shoulder) practiced fully on Wednesday. It seems the third-year signal-caller isn't at any risk of sitting out Week 18 vs. the Broncos. We'll be sure to track this on the off chance something changes.
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