Gross Bombs: NFL Props for Week 16
Josh Gross
Training camps provide our first look into NFL players and teams as we prepare for the upcoming fantasy football season. Information will now begin to flood our social media timelines, leaving us to determine the subsequent fantasy impact. It’s a matter of knowing which information matters, and which should be ignored.
So each day in this space, we’ll take a trip through the top news and takeaways around the league’s training camps to offer up what fantasy managers need to know as we head through draft season and into the 2024 NFL regular season.
Today, let’s review the major news as we start from Wednesday into Thursday.
D’Onta Foreman Headlines NFL Cutdown Day
Tuesday was a dramatic day for hundreds of NFL hopefuls as rosters were thinned to 53 players. Some of the notable names released Tuesday were:
D’Onta Foreman, RB, Cleveland Browns
Kadarius Toney, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Desmond Ridder, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, Carolina Panthers
Bailey Zappe, QB, New England Patriots
Frank Gore Jr., Buffalo Bills
Multiple prominent players with a fantasy footprint were also placed on either the reserve/PUP (eligible to return this season, must miss a minimum of four games) or the season-ending injured reserve list.
Reserve/PUP (Can Return):
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers
Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Miami Dolphins
Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints
Season-Ending Injured Reserve:
Elijah Mitchell, RB, San Francisco 49ers
AJ Dillon, RB, Green Bay Packers
For a detailed look into the impact of all the cutdown day moves, check out Daniel Kelley’s NFL Cutdown Day Fantasy Reaction.
Ja’Marr Chase Likely to Play Week 1
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he expects Ja’Marr Chase to play in the Bengals season-opening game against the New England Patriots. Chase returned to practice this week, previously “holding in” amid contract negotiations.
Lions Sign Former Broncos WR Patrick to Practice Squad
After being culled in the Broncos’ efforts to get down to 53, WR Tim Patrick signed with the Detroit Lions practice squad Tuesday with expectations that “he will work his way onto the active roster,” according to Adam Schefter.
Patrick’s release from Denver was a surprise, as he had a productive preseason. The veteran wide receiver is looking to return to the field after suffering season-ending injuries in back-to-back seasons. He’s expected to fill the void at X receiver created by Josh Reynolds’ offseason departure to Denver.
Rams trade LB Ernest Jones IV for 5th-Rounder
An impactful move overshadowed by the cutdown chaos, the Los Angeles Rams traded explosive LB Ernest Jones IV and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for a 2026 fifth-round pick.
Drafted by the Rams in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the 24-year-old played an integral part in their Super Bowl run. Jones was a defensive captain and developed into a team leader. It was rumored that Los Angeles had granted him permission to seek a trade after contract extension negotiations broke down.
Browns DT Mike Hall Jr. Placed on Commissioner’s Exempt List
Cleveland Browns rookie DT Mike Hall Jr. was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list Tuesday. Hall was arrested Aug. 13 on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge.
A 2024 second-round pick out of Ohio State, Hall is ineligible to play, practice or attend games until he’s removed from the list. He will still get paid but will not count against the team’s 53-man roster.
