The Green Bay Packers declined the fifth-year option for cornerback Eric Stokes on Thursday, according to a source. The 29th overall pick in 2021 out of Georgia, Stokes played well in his rookie season but has battled injuries the last two years. He will now be slated for free agency next spring and can make a case for a big payday if he can stay healthy in 2024. The 25-year-old played in 16 games (14 starts) as a rookie in 2021 and had a career-high 55 tackles (43 solo), an interception and 14 passes defended. However, he's played in just 12 games (11 starts) since then and has 26 solo tackles in that time. Stokes played in just three games last season. Despite his injuries the last two years, he's expected to be a starting cornerback for Green Bay in 2024 if he's healthy.

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The Tennessee Titans plan to decline the fifth-year option on cornerback Caleb Farley (back), according to a source. It was the expected move for the Titans after Farley played in just 12 games (two starts) since 2021. The former 22nd overall pick in 2021 out of Virginia Tech will now hit the free-agent market after the 2024 season. Farley missed all of the 2023 campaign due to a back injury and has a total of 14 tackles (13 solo) and one pass defended in his 12 games with the Titans in 2021 and 2022. The 25-year-old defensive back will be trying to stay on the field in 2024 with Tennessee and be productive in what is now his walk year before hitting the open market next spring.

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The Los Angeles Chargers have signed free agent wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. to a one-year, $5 million contract, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Chark reportedly visited with the Chargers prior to last week's NFL Draft. He could play a key role in Los Angeles after the team parted with both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams this offseason. Right now, their current depth chart is headlined by Chark, Quentin Johnston, and Joshua Palmer, as well as up-and-coming rookies Ladd McConkey and Brenden Rice. Chark spent last season with the Carolina Panthers, catching 35 passes for 525 yards and five touchdowns over the course of 15 games. While the Chargers lack a true alpha receiver at the moment, they have plenty of raw talent at the position, which could make it difficult for Chark to carve out a role. For now, fantasy managers should monitor his performance throughout training camp before they consider selecting him in drafts later this summer.

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Atlanta Falcons wide receivers Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore "will be relied on to provide more consistency" throughout the 2024 season, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic. Notably, the Falcons are expected to deploy numerous three-receiver sets, leaving room for both Mooney and Moore to contribute alongside Drake London. Mooney, a Tulane product, tallied 2,593 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns over his first four pro seasons. His best season came in 2021 when he racked up 1,055 receiving yards and five total touchdowns. If Mooney can return to his 2021 form, he'll be the Falcons' No. 2 wide receiver and a low-end FLEX option in fantasy football. Moore also flashed potential in Arizona prior to his trade from the Cardinals to the Falcons. Over his first three pro seasons, Moore has 1,201 receiving yards, 249 rushing yards, and four touchdowns. He, too, could become a fringe fantasy WR3 in the right situation.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have declined their fifth-year option on wide receiver Kadarius Toney, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. By doing so, the Chiefs will opt against bringing Toney back for $14.345 million in 2025. Instead, he'll finish out his rookie contract in Kansas City this season before hitting free agency next March. Toney had a fifth-year option due to his status as a former first-round pick. He has been a massive disappointment since the Giants selected him in the 2021 NFL Draft. Toney totaled 760 receiving yards, 119 rushing yards, and four total touchdowns through his first three seasons, and he also struggled to stay healthy, playing in just 12 games for the Giants and 20 for the Chiefs. He remains an inferior receiver to Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy, leaving Toney on waivers in most redraft leagues.

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The Baltimore Ravens have signed first-round defensive back Nate Wiggins to his rookie deal. The Ravens have also locked up second-round offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten, fourth-round defensive back T.J. Tampa and seventh-round defensive back Sanoussi Kane. The Ravens made Wiggins their first pick of this year's NFL draft with the 30th overall selection out of Clemson. The 20-year-old cornerback stands a 6-foot-1, 173 pounds, so durability is going to be his primary issue as he transitions to the NFL. He'll have room to grow and get stronger, though, and his elite speed and coverage ability stood out enough for Baltimore to make him a first-rounder. As long as Wiggins doesn't get set back by injuries, he should develop into a serviceable DB for the Ravens in time.

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Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce had a notable rookie campaign after being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In just 13 games before being sidelined with injuries, he racked up 939 yards and four touchdowns on 220 carries and caught 30 passes for 165 yards and one score. However, his role, production, and efficiency declined in 2023 after the arrival of Devin Singletary, as he posted just 517 total yards and rushed for 2.9 yards per carry. Singletary is now gone, but the team traded for former Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon. Despite this, Texans general manager Nick Caserio spoke highly of Pierce in a recent media availability. "He is going to be a big part of what we're doing. Watching him move on the field, he looks pretty good. Everybody's looking forward to the opportunity in front of them; you can't worry about what's happened in the past," Caserio said. "He's got as good an attitude as anyone on the team. We're glad DP is here." While you never know whether a head coach or general manager is being honest in these situations, Caserio's comments can only help his fantasy stock. Fantasy managers should go into the season with low expectations for Pierce, but he should at least be viewed as a high-end handcuff running back in what projects to be one of the league's best offenses.

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The Indianapolis Colts have exercised the fifth-year option on defensive lineman Kwity Paye, the team announced on X on Thursday. The former No. 21 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Michigan hasn't been an elite rusher since entering the league, but he posted a career-high 8.5 sacks in 2023. Over his first 43 NFL games, he's racked up 129 tackles (79 solo), 18.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, 18 run stuffs, and one pass deflection. He's played well enough to warrant another year under contract, so he won't hit free agency until at least the 2026 offseason.

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Veteran free-agent kicker Joey Slye signed with the New England Patriots on Thursday, according to NFL.com. The 28-year-old signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars at the start of free agency on March 18 but was released just over a month later after the team drafted former Arkansas kicker Cam Little in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Since entering the league in 2018 as an undrafted free agent, Slye has spent time with the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, and Jaguars. In 75 career games, he has connected on 121 of his 147 field goal attempts and 138 of his 156 extra-point tries. He will likely compete with Chad Ryland for the starting place-kicking duties for New England this offseason.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially declined the fifth-year option on quarterback Justin Fields. This is not a surprise, as the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has been disappointing to start his career and was recently dealt from the Chicago Bears to the Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick. The expectation is that Russell Wilson will be the Week 1 start for Pittsburgh in 2024, but Fields could be waiting in the wings if he struggles like he did in Denver. It will be interesting to see how much of a chance Fields gets to show what he can do with a change of scenery. If he plays in at least a handful of games and exceeds expectations, he could improve his market value and hit free agency next offseason.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are declining running back Najee Harris' fifth-year option, according to NFL insider Ari Meirov. This is somewhat of a surprise, but the 2021 first-round selection has not lived up to the hype as a prospect or matched his rookie-year production. In 51 games over three seasons, Harris has rushed 834 times for 3,269 yards (3.9 YPC) and 22 touchdowns to go along with 144 receptions for 866 yards and six scores through the air. Picking up the option would've cost the Steelers just $6.79 million, but he is now set to potentially become a free agent next offseason. This could put Jaylen Warren in the clear RB1 role in 2025, but surely, the team will add to the position if they move on from Harris.

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The Los Angeles Chargers officially picked up left tackle Rashawn Slater's fifth-year option for the 2025 season on Thursday. Slater, who was taken with the 13th overall pick in 2021 out of Northwestern, was a Pro Bowler in his rookie season before playing in just three games in 2022 due to a torn biceps. The 25-year-old returned last year to start all 17 games for the Chargers while protecting quarterback Justin Herbert's blind side. The Bolts added offensive tackle Joe Alt with the fifth overall pick in this year's draft, but he will shift over to right tackle as long as Slater remains healthy. If he returns to his rookie-year form and Alt lives up to his draft stock, LA's new run-first offense should be in excellent shape to begin the Jim Harbaugh era in 2024.

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Starting next month, the New England Patriots could cut wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster at a cost of $9.6 million in dead money and no salary cap relief, per Over the Cap, while releasing him before then would incur $2.6 million more in dead money and take a small chunk out of their league-leading $54 million cap room. If the Pats traded Smith-Schuster after June 1, they'd save almost $7 million in cap space and clear room for their young receivers to see more playing time. New England could prioritize playing time for rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, plus 2023 sixth-rounder Demario Douglas. It all means that Smith-Schuster may no longer be the team's No. 2 receiver, especially with Kendrick Bourne and K.J. Osborn also on the roster.

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The Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan suggests that quarterback Bailey Zappe could be a trade candidate after the team added Drake Maye and Joe Milton III in this year's draft. Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett are locks for the Week 1 roster, making it a three-way fight for the No. 3 job between Zappe, Milton and Nathan Rourke. Zappe would fetch the biggest return in a trade, especially if the Patriots wait until the summer when other QBs begin getting injured in training camp. If Milton isn't a complete disaster in spring practices and Rourke performs at a replacement level, Zappe could be out of town by Sept. 1. The 25-year-old Zappe appeared in 10 games (six starts) for New England in 2023 in his second season and threw for 1,272 yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions.

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Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) is ahead of scheduled in his rehab this offseason, but the Vikings are committed to ensuring he is fully healthy before he plays. Last year's contract cemented the team's belief that he is one of its cornerstone players when he's healthy, and they aren't just going to rush a player like that back from a severe injury. Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt will fill in if Hockenson needs to miss the first couple weeks of the 2204 season. Hockenson suffered a torn right ACL and MCL in late December last year, and his recovery this offseason will be a big storyline for Minnesota's offense as they move to a new era without quarterback Kirk Cousins. When healthy, Hockenson is a high-end TE1 in fantasy, but he'll come at a discounted price in drafts this fall if it's looking like he won't be ready to start the year on time.

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The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain wonders if running back Khalil Herbert would be a trade candidate if the Chicago Bears bring in an undrafted rookie at the position and he impresses. Of course, this all depends on the development of Roschon Johnson. Herbert is entering the final year of his rookie deal. D'Andre Swift signed a three-year contract with the Bears this offseason, while Johnson has the same number of years remaining on his first contract after being drafted in the fourth round in 2023. Herbert is a solid back, but RBI is a position that changes often for teams. Chicago's coaching staff is high on Johnson, and the 26-year-old Herbert dealt with ankle and back injuries last year after leading the NFL with 5.7 yards per carry in 2022. The addition of Swift in this backfield obviously hurts Herbert's fantasy stock a great deal heading into the 2024 season.

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Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry said that running back Nick Chubb (knee) is "progressing nicely" in his recovery from the gruesome knee injury that he suffered in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023. However, Berry also said Chubb "still has a long way to go" in his rehab. Chubb resumed running on land a few weeks ago, but it remains to be seen if he'll be ready for the start of training camp this summer. The Browns didn't take a RB in this year's draft but added D'Onta Foreman and pass-catching back Nyheim Hines in free agency. Cleveland also has Jerome Ford as an option to help ease Chubb back into the fold if he's still not 100 percent early on in 2024. Before his injury, Chubb as a no-doubt RB1, but that will be in question this fall as he comes off his season-ending injury.

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton could have a leg up on the No. 3 job in Cincy in 2024 behind Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins if he can acclimate quickly due to his size, explosiveness and versatility. However, Charlie Jones could also carve out a bigger role as a more traditional slot receiver in his second NFL season now that he's fully healthy. Andrei Iosivas impressed as a rookie in 2023 and isn't going anywhere, so there's definitely going to be competition behind Chase and Higgins. If trust from quarterback Joe Burrow is the key, The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. writes that nobody would be surprised if the reliable Trenton Irwin ends up being the starting slot receiver in Week 1. Unless Chase or Higgins miss time with injury, the Bengals' No. 3 wideout is going to have a tough time being fantasy relevant on a weekly basis. Just ask Tyler Boyd.

Dynasty | The Atlanta Falcons have exercised the fifth-year option on the contract of tight end Kyle Pitts. Dynasty Analysis: Pitts was great in his rookie season but his play has really fallen off the past two seasons. Atlanta obviously believes their sub-par quarterback play has had a lot to do with that as the likes of Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder have held the entire offense back. Pitts will look to bounce back with Kirk Cousins (and maybe even Michael Penix eventually). If you're still a big-time believer in his ability, this off-season will represent what could be the last "buy low" opportunity for him in dynasty leagues.

Despite having Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, and Jaleel McLaughlin on the roster, the Denver Broncos selected former Notre Dame running back Audric Estime in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The 221-pound bruiser likely saw his stock fall after posting a 4.71 forty-yard dash time at the NFL combine, but Sean Payton and company stopped the fall. In a media availability after the draft, Payton called Estime a " first and second-down runner" with experience in a pro-style offense. With Williams posting just 3.6 yards per carry last season and Perine having a limited role, Estime could be in play for early-down work right away as a rookie. His fantasy upside will be limited, but any role as a fifth-round rookie would mean exceeding expectations.