


Chicago Bears new head coach Ben Johnson said the team plans to go "back to the basics" with quarterback Caleb Williams heading into his second year as a pro after a disappointing rookie campaign after he was the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft. "It's the fundamentals of the quarterback position: What's our footwork going to look like under center? From the shotgun? What are we calling the formations? What's the defensive identification going to look like? So that we're all speaking the same language," Johnson said. The 23-year-old will take more snaps under center during offseason workouts to gauge his comfort level. Chicago ran 70.8% of their plays from shotgun in 2024 (tied for 16th-most), but the Lions lined up in shotgun less than any other team under Johnson. Williams took a league-high 68 sacks last year, so using more play-action should help better protect him. On paper, the addition of Johnson should be excellent news for Williams' development.



Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said that new tight end Evan Engram fits the Joker role well. "I'm excited," Payton said. "The vision is pretty clear. Obviously we feel like he's someone who can run, gives us a passing threat on third down and in the red zone. He's got good body control and I think he's really good when he gets the ball in his hands. His run-after-catch numbers, statistically-wise, have been good." The 30-year-old former 23rd overall pick by the New York Giants in 2017 out of Mississippi had a career year in Jacksonville with 114 catches, 963 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games. He played in only nine games in 2024, though before needing surgery to fix a torn labrum in his left shoulder. However, as a likely high-volume target for quarterback Bo Nix, Engram will have clear bounce-back potential in fantasy and will be a nice low-end TE1 target with upside.



It sounds as though Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason, who was acquired from the San Francisco 49ers this offseason, will have a notable role in the team's backfield in 2025 as the "1b" behind starter Aaron Jones. "I do think Jordan's gonna bring something to the table in those short-yardage situations, those goal-line situations, goal-to-go, where we've really left a lot to be desired as a football team," head coach Kevin O'Connell said. If healthy, Jones should be Minnesota's go-to guy on the early downs and on third down in obvious passing situations, but the presence of Mason as the potential goal-line guy for the Vikes could be bad news for Jones' fantasy ceiling and floor this upcoming season. Mason, 25, has averaged at least 5.2 yards per carry in his three years in the NFL and looked good filling in for the injured Christian McCaffrey in 2025. He'll be a handcuff to Jones but could also be in play as a touchdown-dependent RB3/flex in deeper leagues.



The New England Patriots continue to receive trade inquiries for quarterback Joe Milton III, according to Mike Daniels of MassLive. Milton was a sixth-round pick in last year's NFL Draft out of Tennessee and flashed in his limited opportunity to play in his rookie campaign. After Drake Maye played just three snaps in Week 18, Milton took over and completed over 75% of his passes for 241 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions. He added 10 yards and a touchdown on the ground in a win over the Buffalo Bills. The 25-year-old is one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in the NFL, but a lack of accuracy and touch plagued him during his collegiate career at Michigan and Tennessee. That said, his strong performance has put him on the radar for other organizations, and he could be dealt during or after the 2025 NFL Draft. With Drake Maye and Joshua Dobbs on the roster, New England could be open to moving him for a mid-round pick.



Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said new wide receiver Dyami Brown has untapped potential, and new head coach Liam Coen thinks having a speedy player like Brown opposite of Brian Thomas Jr. will pay dividends in 2025. "You look at somebody that's able to attack the field at all three levels. He can go down the field on the post, in the go, in the pylons and be the top shelf, but also you can throw him a screen and he can go and do something with it. I can't coach that," Coen said. Most of the damage Brown did last year came in the playoffs, as he caught 14 passes on 18 targets for 229 yards and a touchdown in three games while going for a 30-308-1 line in 16 regular-season games (three starts). The 25-year-old former second-rounder probably won't see a ton of targets behind Thomas, but he could be a sleeper to target in deeper fantasy leagues as the Jags look to replace a lot of production from the departures of Christian Kirk and Evan Engram.
