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Bill Belichick joins 'Inside the NFL' analyst panel

Thu Jul 11 1:17pm ET
Field Level Media

Legendary former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is joining "Inside the NFL" this fall as an analyst.

Produced by NFL Films, the longtime show will air weekly on The CW network, launching Aug. 30 at 9 p.m. ET.

Belichick will join host Ryan Clark, two-time All-Pro wide receiver Chad Johnson and two-time Super Bowl champion defensive end Chris Long on the show's panel.

"I'm thrilled to join my new team at NFL Films and to work on such a historic television franchise," said Belichick, 72, who led the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles.

"I've always appreciated Inside the NFL's depth of analysis, and I hope to bring the same detailed insight to The CW by talking real football with real pros -- Ryan, Chris and Chad -- this coming season."

Belichick also won two Super Bowls as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants. The 2024 season will be his 50th working in the NFL.

"Bill Belichick joining 'Inside the NFL' is a true game-changer for this storied franchise and The CW," Dennis Miller, network president, said in a statement. "Not only is he one of the most accomplished coaches in NFL history, but his knowledge and passion for football is truly unmatched."

"Inside the NFL" will air for its 48th season. Its longtime home was HBO, followed by stops on Showtime and Paramount+ before landing at The CW before the 2023 season.

Belichick, in his first season post-coaching, also has booked weekly gigs this season on ESPN's Pat McAfee Show and on the "Manningcast" alternate telecast of Monday Night Football on ESPN2.

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Malik Willis Aug 15 2:00pm CT
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Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan said on Thursday that the starters will not play in Saturday's preseason game against the visiting Seattle Seahawks at Nissan Stadium. Malik Willis will start the game at quarterback for the Titans on Saturday night versus the Seahawks. Fantasy managers got to see Tennessee's first-team offense in the preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers last Saturday, when QB Will Levis led two touchdown drives before the starters came off the field. It remains to be seen if the team will opt to play their stars and veterans in the Aug. 25 exhibition finale against the New Orleans Saints. Other names that won't be available on Saturday based on this news include running backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears as well as wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Treylon Burks.

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Patrick Mahomes Aug 15 1:50pm CT
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The Kansas City Chiefs' plan is to play their starters through the first half in Saturday's preseason game against the visiting Detroit Lions at Arrowhead Stadium. It's par for the course for head coach Andy Reid, who prefers to get his stars and veteran players additional reps during the preseason on a yearly basis. Whether or not quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, wide receiver Rashee Rice, and running back Isiah Pacheco actually play the entire first half on Saturday against Detroit remains to be seen, but fantasy managers should be able to get a decent look at KC's first-team offense in this one. One of the top storylines will be which receiver, if any, steps in to pick up the bulk of wideout Marquise Brown's (shoulder) vacated snaps.

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Joshua Kelley Aug 15 1:40pm CT
Joshua Kelley

The New York Giants signed running back Joshua Kelley on Thursday. The move comes on the heels of rookie fifth-rounder Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle) suffering an ankle injury earlier this week. Kelley is a former fourth-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers from the 2020 NFL Draft, producing 405 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 17 games during the 2023 season. The 26-year-old power back should have a decent chance of making the Giants' roster later this summer as a No. 3 or No. 4 option out of the backfield, and if he does, Kelley would be a candidate to vulture goal-line touches from lead back Devin Singletary and see some early-down work in New York this fall. This role likely wouldn't be enough for fantasy relevance, though.

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Trevor Lawrence Aug 15 1:30pm CT
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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will not play in Saturday's preseason game against the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers at EverBank Stadium, head coach Doug Pederson said on Thursday at training camp. Mac Jones or C.J. Beathard will each play a half, but a starter has yet to be named. After looking sharp while completing three of his four passes for 42 yards and a touchdown in last week's preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, Lawrence will get the night off on Saturday against the Bucs. His next chance to suit up comes during Aug. 23's exhibition finale against the Atlanta Falcons. Fantasy managers are still waiting for the former No. 1 overall pick to take a big step forward, but Lawrence did register a career-high 7.1 yards per attempt across 564 pass attempts in 2023 and possesses enough dual-threat ability to rank on the QB1/2 borderline.

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Sam Darnold Aug 15 1:13pm CT
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Diontae Johnson Aug 15 1:10pm CT
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Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (groin) did not participate in Thursday's practice at training camp. Johnson continues to be bothered by a mild groin strain, and it doesn't look like he'll be active for the Panthers in Saturday's preseason game against the visiting New York Jets at Bank of America Stadium. His status needs to be monitored by fantasy managers going forward, but the injury is not yet enough to move Johnson's place as a fringe WR2/3 in rankings at the moment. The 28-year-old former Pro Bowler should dominate targets in his new role as the top option in Carolina's passing game this season, having recorded a career-high 14.1 yards per reception over 51 catches with the Pittsburgh Steelers a year ago.

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Dawson Knox Aug 15 1:00pm CT
Dawson Knox

Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox (ankle, groin) did not take part in Thursday's training camp practice due to a pair of injuries. Because of the fact that Knox isn't practicing late in the week, he's unlikely to suit up for Saturday's preseason contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers as a precaution. There's no indication that his injuries are serious enough to put his availability in question for the Week 1 regular-season opener. The 27-year-old's fantasy stock took a huge hit last year with the addition of rookie Dalton Kincaid. Knox will still have a key role in Buffalo's offense in 2024, but as long as Kincaid stays healthy, he's going to take a clear back seat as a pass-catcher at the tight end position. The former third-rounder in 2019 out of Mississippi had a career-low 22 catches for 186 yards and two scores in 2023 and should stay on the waiver wire in 12-team fantasy leagues unless Kincaid gets hurt.

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Gardner Minshew II Aug 15 12:50pm CT
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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell got the start in the preseason opener last week, so Gardner Minshew II will get the nod on Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys, with both QBs set to play a quarter as they continue their competition. O'Connell went 7-for-9 for 76 yards, while Minshew went 6-for-12 for 117 yards and a touchdown. Head coach Antonio Pierce said he's hoping to decide the QB battle after this Saturday's contest. The two signal-callers have much different styles, with O'Connell being more of a pocket passer, while the 28-year-old Minshew has found more success on off-script plays outside the pocket. Minshew is more of a boom/bust type QB in fantasy, but regardless of who wins the QB competition in Vegas, they won't be much more than a low-end QB2/high-end QB3 in superflex leagues.

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Deuce Vaughn Aug 15 12:40pm CT
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Dallas Cowboys second-year running back Deuce Vaughn (hamstring) returned to the team's joint practice on Wednesday with the Los Angeles Rams after being sidelined two weeks with a hamstring injury. Vaughn had several opportunities to carry the ball and be a receiver. The former sixth-round pick in 2023 should see notable playing time in the preseason game this Saturday against the Las Vegas Raiders. The 22-year-old is going to be a change-of-pace option, at best, in Dallas' backfield in 2024 and is currently listed behind Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Royce Freeman and Malik Davis on the team's RB depth chart. Vaughn was a preseason darling going into his rookie season but saw action in only seven games last year, rushing for 40 yards on 23 carries, adding seven receptions for 40 yards through the air.

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Dak Prescott Aug 15 12:40pm CT
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Chuba Hubbard Aug 15 12:30pm CT
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Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (knee) suffered a knee injury at training camp on Thursday. Head coach Dave Canales said the team had "big concerns (initially) but initial testing looks good." We'll have more information on Hubbard's injury once we know more, but it looks like he's avoided a serious injury that could keep him out for the start of the 2024 season. However, it's likely that the 25-year-old will miss some practice time and probably won't suit up for the second preseason contest this Saturday against the New York Jets. Currently at the top of Carolina's RB depth chart, any time missed by Hubbard will give rookie Jonathon Brooks and Miles Sanders more reps in camp. Brooks is the favorite to lead Carolina's offense production-wise by the end of the year, but Hubbard is also worth a late-round flier as a handcuff and bench stash in deeper leagues.

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Matt Milano Aug 15 12:20pm CT
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Malik Nabers Aug 15 12:10pm CT
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Olamide Zaccheaus Aug 15 12:10pm CT
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Carl Lawson Aug 15 9:40am CT
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The Dallas Cowboys are adding former New York Jets defensive end Carl Lawson to their roster. Lawson, who was once a highly anticipated signing for the Jets in 2021 on a three-year, $45 million contract, has had a somewhat disappointing stint, playing in only 23 games over three seasons. The 29-year-old defensive end appeared in six games last year without making a start, though he did start all 17 games the previous year. Dallas will be hoping Lawson can contribute consistently to their defensive line. Despite significant injuries, including a torn ACL in college and a torn Achilles that sidelined him for the entire 2021 season, Lawson has shown he can be a valuable pass rusher, as demonstrated during his time with both the Jets and his initial four seasons with the Bengals. Lawson joins the Cowboys just weeks before the season opener, bolstering the team's defensive depth following their recent trade with the New York Giants for defensive tackle Jordan Phillips.

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Trace McSorley Aug 15 9:20am CT
Trace McSorley

The Washington Commanders have signed quarterback Trace McSorley due to injuries sidelining backups Marcus Mariota (groin) and Sam Hartman (shoulder). McSorley, a sixth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2019, has appeared in nine games with one start, completing 48 of 93 pass attempts for 502 yards and a touchdown. He began his career as the third-string quarterback for the Ravens, behind Lamar Jackson and Robert Griffin III, making his debut in Week 17 of the 2019 season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After spending time on the Ravens' practice squad, McSorley had brief stints with the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, and Pittsburgh Steelers before joining Washington. With Hartman dealing with a right shoulder injury and Mariota struggling with a groin injury, McSorley will get another opportunity to show NFL teams what he can do.

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Christian Kirk Aug 15 9:10am CT
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According to head coach Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk is dealing with a mild calf injury that has sidelined him for joint practices against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Saturday's preseason game. Kirk is scheduled for re-evaluation next week. The Jaguars plan to rest key players, including Kirk, in the upcoming game against Tampa Bay, having already given most of their top players only brief appearances in the preseason opener against the Chiefs. With three and a half weeks remaining before the regular season opener, the mild calf injury is not expected to jeopardize Kirk's availability for the start of the season. Kirk, who became the Jaguars' No. 1 receiver in 2022 after signing a four-year, $72 million contract with $37 million guaranteed, had a standout season, catching 84 passes for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns. Although Kirk missed the final five games of the 2023 season due to a core muscle injury that required surgery, he is anticipated to play a significant role in the Jaguars' offense in 2024. Mainly as the Jaguars help their two new wide receivers, Gabe Davis and Brian Thomas Jr., adapt to their system. Parker Washington took over Kirk's starting role when he went out, showing he would be the wide receiver to pick up off waivers if Kirk misses any time.

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Nick Mullens Aug 15 8:50am CT
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens will start Saturday's preseason game against the Cleveland Browns. Despite a challenging 2023 season where he went 0-3 with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions as a starter, Mullens is now firmly positioned as the No. 2 quarterback. Following him on the depth chart is second-year pro Jaren Hall. Head coach Kevin O'Connell expressed confidence in Mullens due to his solid grasp of the offense. Mullens is known for his high-risk, high-reward style and had notable success during his time with the San Francisco 49ers before joining the Vikings. Though he tends to turn the ball over, with 31 career interceptions in just 20 starts, he also boasts 34 touchdown passes. Last season, after Kirk Cousins' injury, Mullens had mixed results in five games (three starts), with a respectable 8.8 yards per attempt but eight interceptions. Mullens is a veteran with the potential to deliver strong performances, particularly if he maintains his solid rapport with star receiver Justin Jefferson.

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Payne Durham Aug 15 8:30am CT
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Payne Durham (knee) Leaves Joint Practice Early with Knee Issue. On Wednesday, Durham suffered a knee injury during the Buccaneers' joint practice with the Jaguars. According to Buccaneers insider JC Allen, Durham's MRI results were negative, and he is not expected to miss much time. Durham was a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and appeared in 13 games during his rookie season, recording five catches for 58 yards. He played in Tampa Bay's preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on August 10, where he had two receptions for 27 yards. The Buccaneers won the game 17-14. If Durham cannot participate in the next preseason game, Ko Kieft and Devin Culp will have the opportunity for more reps to compete for the third tight end spot on the 53-man roster behind Cade Otton and Durham.

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Matt Judon Aug 15 8:00am CT
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