The Kansas City Chiefs released veteran defensive end Mike Danna on Monday to free up more salary cap space before the official start of the new league year, according to ESPN. The move to release Danna saves the Chiefs $9 million on their 2026 cap. The Chiefs entered the offseason more than $57 million over the cap before releasing Danna and restructuring quarterback Patrick Mahomes' deal. The 28-year-old Danna started 32 games for KC over the last three seasons. In 15 contests in 2025, the 28-year-old former fifth-rounder in 2020 out of Michigan had only 25 tackles (eight solo), one sack, his first career interception, and a pass breakup. Danna has 194 tackles (96 solo), 21.5 sacks, and 25 tackles for loss in his six NFL seasons, all with the Chiefs. He won two Super Bowl titles with KC but will now look to latch on with another team as he heads into his seventh year in the league.

From RotoBaller

Green Bay Packers impending free-agent quarterback Malik Willis and Alabama QB Ty Simpson are among the "external quarterbacks" on the Cleveland Browns' radar with the NFL scouting combine kicking off this week, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Meanwhile, the Browns are still trying to decide if they think one of Shedeur Sanders or Deshaun Watson (Achilles) can be their starter in 2026. Watson has more experience in the NFL, but he didn't play at all last year due to a torn Achilles he suffered in 2024, and he's rarely been available for Cleveland since signing a massive five-year, $230 million contract with the team in March of 2022. Sanders, a fifth-rounder, predictably in his first eight games (seven starts) last year, completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. The Browns bringing in Willis or Simpson would signal their lack of faith in both Watson and Sanders going into the 2026 season.

From RotoBaller

The New England Patriots released running back Antonio Gibson (knee) on Monday, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Gibson had a lost season in 2025 with New England, suffering a season-ending torn ACL in Week 5. The 27-year-old finished with a career-low 25 carries for 106 yards and one touchdown in his five games last year in his second season with the Pats. He'll head to the open market this offseason, most likely searching for a depth role in the backfield. Gibson's lone 1,000-yard season in the NFL came in his second year in the league in 2021 with the Washington Commanders. Since his first two years in the league, Gibson has struggled to be productive, gaining a total of 1,455 yards on the ground and six rushing touchdowns on 359 carries over four seasons. Gibson also has experience as a return man on special teams, which will make him more attractive on the open market.

From RotoBaller

One of the biggest offseason storylines in the NFL this year is whether the Las Vegas Raiders will trade All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby. The Raiders should get a better idea of Crosby's trade market at this week's NFL scouting combine. The Raiders reportedly "want the Micah Parsons deal," which included two first-round picks and an impact player, according to Ted Nguyen of The Athletic. Parsons is younger, but Crosby has the sixth-highest average salary per year among edge rushers, which is a relatively friendly contract. Crosby, who has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last five seasons, had 73 tackles (45 solo), 10 sacks, 28 tackles for loss, 20 QB hits, his first career interception, six pass breakups, and two forced fumbles in 15 games in 2025 before being shut down at the tail end of the year due to a meniscus injury. Although Crosby is expected to be ready for Week 1 in 2026, the injury uncertainty could drive down his price.

From RotoBaller

Dynasty | Atlanta tight end Kyle Pitts is expected to receive the franchise tag. Dynasty Analysis: The expectation is Pitts will and the Falcons will work on a long-term deal rather than try to find a trade partner. If not, he will have to play out the season on the tag, which would guarantee him $15 million. He had a monster 88/928/5 bounce-back season last year and it seems the new coaches want more of the same, if possible. Pitts' dynasty value has increased and it looks like he's back to being at least a low-end TE1 moving forward.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Los Angeles Chargers impending free-agent running back Najee Harris (Achilles) is "looking outstanding" five months after having surgery for a torn Achilles tendon and is "running with ease" at 15 mph on an Alter-G treadmill, according to his agent, Doug Hendrickson. Harris' first season with the Chargers came to an end when he tore his Achilles in Week 3, allowing rookie Omarion Hampton to take over lead-back duties for most of the year. It ended Harris' streak of four straight seasons with 1,000 rushing yards to begin his career, as he finished with just 61 rushing yards and no touchdowns on 15 carries in three games in L.A. The soon-to-be 28-year-old will be back on the free-agent market this offseason, and although he appears to be healing nicely, he's unlikely to have a very robust market coming off a major injury.

From RotoBaller

ESPN's Kris Rhim wouldn't be surprised to see the Los Angeles Chargers make a push to sign Baltimore Ravens impending free-agent center Tyler Linderbaum, who is one of the top projected free agents this offseason. Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz had a hand in selecting Linderbaum with the Ravens in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. The 25-year-old was the NFL's second-best pass-blocking center in pass-block win rate (97.2%) last year. The 2026 franchise tag for linemen is $27.9 million, which would be almost $10 million more than Creed Humphrey's league-high deal at the position. The New York Giants, who are now coached by former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, are another team that could make a play to sign Linderbaum and move John Michael Schmitz Jr. into a utility role. The Cleveland Browns, now coached by former Baltimore offensive coordinator Todd Monken, need serious O-line help and are another potential landing spot for Linderbaum.

From RotoBaller

Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (neck) is considered doubtful to ever play football again after suffering a serious neck injury in a collision with Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry on Oct. 27, 2024, a league source told Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The former second-rounder in 2021 sat out all of last season while recovering from the injury, which involved a compression of his neck. It's a tough blow for the 26-year-old linebacker, who was a Pro Bowler in 2023, when he recorded 101 tackles (72 solo), 3.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, five QB hits, two interceptions, six pass breakups, and a forced fumble in 16 games played. He was limited to eight games in 2024 and looks primed to finish his four-year NFL career with 308 tackles (205) solo, eight sacks, three picks, 17 pass breakups, and six forced fumbles in 49 games.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Ravens impending free-agent tight end Isaiah Likely isn't ruling out a return to the Ravens in free agency, but he also said "business is business" when it comes to a team that recently signed TE Mark Andrews and receiver Rashod Bateman to new deals, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Likely suffered a foot injury in the preseason that caused him to miss the first three games of the 2025 season, and he was never able to recover, finishing with just 27 catches for a career-low 307 yards and one touchdown in 14 games played. The 25-year-old told his agent that "I just want to be able to blossom," and that's unlikely to happen with the Ravens as long as Andrews is still around. All signs are pointing to Likely moving to another team this offseason, which should make him more attractive as a potential TE1 in fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Denver Broncos impending free-agent running back J.K. Dobbins (foot) made it clear that he'd prefer to re-sign with the team this offseason, but The Athletic's Nick Kosmider expects the team "to explore multiple other options first." Before a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury, Dobbins was in the midst of a career year in 2025, rushing for 772 yards through the first 10 weeks, the fifth-highest output in the NFL. He has averaged 5.2 yards per carry since entering the NFL as a second-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, but staying on the field has been an issue. Last year was the fourth time since Dobbins entered the league in which he played in 10 games or fewer due to injury. Dobbins has been productive when healthy, but the Broncos need a "player with some longer-term upside to pair with RJ Harvey." Because of his lengthy injury history, Dobbins will be hard to trust in fantasy, and he's unlikely to find work as a true RB1 workhorse back in free agency.

From RotoBaller

The Indianapolis Colts and impending free-agent quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) have been in talks on a multi-year contract extension and are expected to meet face-to-face in Indy during this week's NFL scouting combine, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. The two sides have mutual interest in a reunion, and the Colts could resort to using the franchise tag on the veteran signal-caller if they cannot reach an extension by March 3. Jones was playing the best football of his career in 2025 in his first year with the Colts before suffering a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 14. The 28-year-old former sixth overall pick by the New York Giants in 2019 out of Duke threw for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 13 starts. All signs are pointing to Jones returning to Indy in 2026, although it's unclear if he'll be ready to start in the Week 1 regular-season opener.

From RotoBaller

After a Pro Bowl season as a rookie in 2024, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was a big disappointment in his sophomore season, catching 48 of 91 targets for 707 yards and two touchdowns in 14 regular-season games. Thomas had an impressive 87-1,282-10 line on 133 targets in 17 games as a rookie. ESPN's Michael DiRocco writes that Thomas' stats "may not reach what they were in 2024," but he should still be a key piece of head coach Liam Coen's offense in 2026. Beginning in Week 13 after he missed three games with an ankle injury, the Jags used Thomas more on the outside, and he was more productive the rest of the way. Travis Hunter will spend more time on defense next season, but the addition of Jakobi Meyers and the emergence of Parker Washington will ultimately cap Thomas' fantasy ceiling going into Year 3. The former first-rounder could improve on his 2025 numbers, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect a repeat of his rookie season.

From RotoBaller

The Arizona Cardinals, who are now coached by former New York Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, could be a "potential suitor" for Jets impending free-agent running back Breece Hall, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini. If Hall makes it to the open market in March, he'll be one of the best available offensive players in free agency, and the Jets would like to prevent that from happening. It means there's a good chance the Jets will slap the franchise tag on the 24-year-old. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, "there's a current belief in league circles that the Jets eventually will apply the transition tag." The transition tag is projected at $11.5 million and would give the Jets the right of first refusal if another team offers Hall a deal. The franchise tag would cost roughly $14.5 million for 2026. A tag-and-trade scenario could also be in play. Hall's explosive-run percentage dropped in 2025, as did his average speed, but he was still one of the Jets' top offensive playmakers as he ran for a career-high 1,065 yards.

From RotoBaller

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle's (Achilles) optimism for a speedy return in 2026 following a torn Achilles that he suffered in the Wild-Card round win over the Philadelphia Eagles is realistic, according to Dr. Daniel Kaplan, an orthopedic surgeon. Kittle suffered a clean tear that happened high up by his soleus. "They didn't have to drill into my heel," Kittle said. "And where the repair was is where there's more blood flow. And so, it takes some time off the recovery time." Barring a setback during his rehab, it's possible that Kittle could return to the field sometime around September. "It's reasonable to think Week 5 or so would be on the long end of a return," according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Kittle and the Niners are hopeful that when he's back, he'll be able to "return to somewhere close to his usual level of production." The 32-year-old will obviously be pretty risky in fantasy in 2026, but he'll be worth stashing everywhere. If Jake Tongues returns as a restricted free agent, he'll be a low-end TE1 sleeper in the first part of the year until Kittle returns.

From RotoBaller

The Dallas Cowboys will finalize the franchise tag for wide receiver George Pickens in the next week, according to executive vice president Stephen Jones. The Dallas Morning News' Calvin Watkins writes that if Pickens gets franchise-tagged, "there's a strong possibility he will not report to the offseason programs as the team engages in contract talks with his agents." Edge rusher Micah Parsons didn't show up for the offseason program last year while in contract talks with the club before eventually being traded to the Green Bay Packers. Pickens, 24, will be back with Dallas in 2026 after earning his first Pro Bowl berth with career-highs in catches (93), receiving yards (1,429), and touchdowns (nine). The franchise tag for receivers is projected at $28 million. A tag-and-trade scenario is possible, but both sides have an interest in a reunion in 2026 and beyond. With Pickens expected to be in Dallas again this year, he'll be firmly in the WR1 range in fantasy football drafts this fall after his big 2025 campaign.

From RotoBaller

The Atlanta Falcons are planning to use the franchise tag on standout tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Pitts will receive a one-year, fully guaranteed deal worth more than $15 million in 2026 if the two sides don't come to a long-term contract extension before the deadline in July. The 25-year-old former fourth overall pick in 2021 out of the University of Florida finally came through for fantasy managers in 2025 in his fifth year in the league, finishing as the TE2 in half-PPR scoring with career-highs in catches (88), targets (118), and touchdowns (five) while recording 928 receiving yards in 17 games played. He will certainly be a TE1 in fantasy this fall, but there is still some volatility with Pitts, especially with quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s (knee) health in question. Pitts came on strong in the final six games in 2025, going for 39 receptions for 469 yards and four TDs during that stretch.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Bengals impending free-agent DE Trey Hendrickson could be a tag-and-trade option. A franchise tag would cost an estimated $30.2 million, but a tag-and-trade situation would at least net the team a return of a third-round pick, which is considered better than letting him walk in free agency. The team is expected to make a decision on Hendrickson after talking with other teams at the NFL Scouting Combine this week.

From TheHuddle

Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Sterling Shepard was paid $500,000 in bonus money despite the fact he didn't fully reach his numbers in 2025. He was to receiver $125,000 each if he reached 40 catches, 50 catches, 400 receiving yards and 500 receiving yards. He ended up with 39 receptions for 371 yards, but he was inactive for the final four games. He received bonuses for all of the incentives.

From TheHuddle

Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce has yet to decide upon retirement or his future plans, but he is excited about the return of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to the organization. 'It's great,' he said recently on his podcast. 'I can't wait to see him back in the building. He's one of my favorite coaches of all time. I've had so many unbelievable growing moments under him as a player.'

Fantasy Spin: Kelce led the team with 76 receptions, 851 receiving yards, 108 targets, five receiving touchdowns and 45 receiving first downs, so he has plenty left in the tank. Could the return of Bieniemy make it easier for Kelce to decide to run it back for one more season? The organization certainly hopes he can play at least one more season, and that could have been part of the reason to bring back Bieniemy. If Kelce plays again in 2026, he would certainly be a low-end TE1 in most fantasy leagues.

From TheHuddle

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (knee) has been working with an athletic trainer for the past two months, as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. He is already showing progress. 'He's around here all the time,' head coach Andy Reid said Friday, Feb. 20. 'He spends a ton of time here, seven hours a day. He's in there cranking away and making progress every day. It's great to see.'

Fantasy Spin: Mahomes suffered his injuries late in the regular season, so it's reasonable to believe he'll miss time going into 2026. However, all indications are there he is pushing for a Week 1 return. He could be a low-end QB1 on draft day in most fantasy leagues, but you'll want to have plenty of depth on hand just in case he is forced to the PUP to being 2026.

From TheHuddle