Sun Jul 14 11:41am ET
Field Level Media
Former NFL wide receiver and special teams player Jacoby Jones has died at the age of 40, multiple media outlets reported Sunday morning.
No cause of death was revealed.
Jones is best known for catching the "Mile High Miracle" on Jan. 12, 2013, as well as recording two touchdowns in the Ravens' 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Feb. 3, 2013.
With his team facing a third-and-30, Jones reeled in a game-tying 70-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco with 31 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of Baltimore's AFC Divisional playoff game against the host Denver Broncos. Justin Tucker kicked a 47-yard field goal in the second overtime to fuel the Ravens to a 38-35 victory.
Three weeks later, Jones had a 56-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter and added a 108-yard kickoff return to begin the third versus the 49ers. The latter stands as the longest return in postseason history.
An All-Pro returner and Pro Bowl selection in 2012, Jones had 203 catches for 2,733 yards and 14 touchdowns in 128 career games (33 starts) with the Houston Texans (2007-11), Ravens (2012-14), Pittsburgh Steelers (2015) and then-San Diego Chargers (2015).
More recently, Jones served as the receivers coach at Alabama State the past two seasons.
The Invitational Live Stream
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon on quarterback Kyler Murray "leaps and bounds ahead" of last year. Murray was forced to miss the first half of the 2023 season while recovering from a torn ACL. The Cardinals went 1-8 without him and 3-5 in games he started. This summer has been smooth sailing for Murray, and Gannon said this week that the ability to focus on football is a good thing for the quarterback. Fortunately for the Murray believers out there, he showcased no significant ill after-effects of the ACL injury regarding his efficiency as a ball carrier. His 5.55 yards per carry over his eight games last season aligns with his career average 5.8. The emergence of tight end Trey McBride as a plus-level pass-catching option and the offseason acquisition of Marvin Harrison Jr. to Arizona's offense should provide Murray with two competent go-to choices in the passing game. Between the belief in the coaching staff and a pair of high-level playmakers, Murray is an intelligent middle-round target to aim for to fill your QB roster spot.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | The Washington Commanders have named Jayden Daniels their starting quarterback. Dynasty Analysis: No real surprise here as Daniels really wasn't challenged much by now journeyman Marcus Mariota in camp. He's been impressive in limited action and in training camp, so Washington clearly sees no reason to keep him on the bench. Daniels remains a top-2 pick in Superflex formats but also remains one of the bigger boom or bust players at the position we've seen in some time.
Dynasty | The Falcons are sitting quarterback Michael Penix Jr for the final preseason game. Dynasty Analysis: This seems unusual considering Kirk Cousins is the clear starter. However, the Falcons brass is simply saying they've seen enough of Penix to know what they have and don't want to risk injury. While camp reports have been glowing, we still haven't seen enough of him to really determine how good he may be and likely won't barring a catastrophe regarding Cousins. Penix remains a high upside player who dynasty managers will need to be very patient with.
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Russell Gage (undisclosed) was signed midway through training camp and jumped in immediately to find the end zone in his first practice. However, he suffered an undisclosed injury shortly thereafter and has only appeared on a side field while working with a trainer since. Time is running out for Gage to get healthy to make a case he belongs on the 53-man roster. Meanwhile, receiver Devontez Walker (rib) played just six offensive snaps in the second preseason game against the Falcons, and head coach John Harbaugh said afterward he's still dealing with a rib injury. The fourth-round rookie hasn't had many moments in practice during camp, has had few opportunities in games and has battled physical issues. It's highly unlikely Baltimore would outright cut a fourth-round selection, but Walker is running out of time to prove he warrants a game-day role when the regular season kicks off in two weeks.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens rookie fifth-round running back Rasheen Ali (neck) had a quiet start to training camp, struggled in short-yardage situations in the preseason opener against the Eagles and suffered what head coach John Harbaugh called a stinger. Ali hasn't been on the field since and didn't play in the second preseason game on Saturday against the Falcons. His top competitor for the No. 3 RB role, Owen Wright, caught a touchdown pass on Saturday. Ali has a lot of ground to make up on Wright this week and must first get back on the field at training camp. The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec suggests Ali isn't guaranteed a 53-man roster spot out of camp at this point, and the Ravens have cut or traded rookie fifth-round picks in two of the past three years. The 23-year-old obviously is not on the fantasy radar in redraft leagues right now.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Anthony Miller was signed a week ago and initially just looked like another fresh and healthy body to help get the Ravens through the preseason. However, Miller has made an instant impression with his speed and is at least in the mix late in training camp for a 53-man roster spot, according to The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec. It remains to be seen if he has done enough to pass Tylan Wallace on the receiver depth chart, though. Miller has made a few plays in just about every Ravens practice and had three receptions on three consecutive plays in the second preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. The 29-year-old former second-round pick in 2018 by the Chicago Bears out of Memphis hasn't appeared in an NFL game since 2021, when he caught six passes for 25 yards and a touchdown in three games with Houston and Pittsburgh. Even if Miller somehow makes the final roster, he'll be coming off the bench for Baltimore.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver DJ Chark came up limping after the opening play of 11-on-11 work at training camp practice on Monday and was grabbing at his left-hip flexor. It's something to watch for the rest of the practice week and heading into the team's preseason finale this Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys. In his first year in LA, the 27-year-old is expected to help replace receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams alongside Joshua Palmer and rookie second-rounder Ladd McConkey in starting three-wide sets. Chark is no stranger to injuries -- he missed 22 games from 2020 to 2022 -- and if he's forced to miss time entering the start of the 2024 regular season, it will open up playing time for former first-rounder Quentin Johnston. Chark should be better than he was in 2023 in a bad Panthers offense if he can stay healthy this year, but he should be left to the waiver wire to begin the year in 12-team leagues.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jonathan Mingo has been working with the first-team offense ahead of first-round pick Xavier Legette throughout training camp. Mingo and Terrace Marshall Jr. combined for three catches in Saturday's preseason loss to the New York Jets after each had a drop in the preseason opener, and it sounds like they'll be the more reliable bets for snaps in three-receiver sets with veterans Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen for quarterback Bryce Young. The Panthers chose Legette with the final pick of Round 1 in this past spring's NFL Draft to augment their receiving corps, but the team may not thrust him into a featured role to begin Year 1. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues should consider Legette a dart-throw WR5/6 flier at the end of 12-team drafts this summer, but the 23-year-old wideout does have a chance to become Carolina's preferred deep threat at some stage of the 2024 season.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson looks leaner and quicker this year, and with a new contract signed, he's emerged as a confident leader for head coach Jerod Mayo's new program. Stevenson looked sluggish at times in New England's paltry offense a year ago, rushing for a pedestrian 4.0 yards per carry over 156 attempts, so fantasy managers are hoping the drop in his weight gets him back up closer to the 5.0 YPC he put up across 210 carries back in 2022. The 26-year-old power back remains a volume-dependent RB2 option for 2024 in what is a rebuilding Patriots offense, and after catching 38 passes in 12 appearances last season, Stevenson's managers are hoping that receiving back Antonio Gibson doesn't take away too many targets out of the backfield this fall.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons LB Matt Judon is not pushing for a new contract after being traded to the team, he said on Monday, Aug. 19.
From TheHuddle
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Monday that the team's starters will play in Friday's preseason finale against the hosting Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. "You'd love to get maybe two quarters out of them," Pederson said. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence did not appear in Saturday's preseason win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and while Pederson seems to have an eye on extended reps for his star and veteran players on Friday against Atlanta, fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if the starters end up coming out of the game after a quarter of action. With Christian Kirk (calf) out of action for this week, fantasy managers will be looking out for Lawrence, star running back Travis Etienne, rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., and veteran tight end Evan Engram in the final exhibition outing.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said on Monday that he expected running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) to practice. Reid added that the club is trying to get him headed in the right direction and says he hasn't discussed with general manager Brett Veach whether he's a candidate for injured reserve to start the season. Edwards-Helaire didn't suit up in Saturday's preseason game against the Detroit Lions, and he must be dealing with a pretty significant illness if a possible stint on the IR is even a consideration at this point. The former first-round pick lines up as one of the change-of-pace backs behind workhorse starter Isiah Pacheco in KC's backfield this season, but Deneric Prince would become the preferred handcuff to roster if CEH's absence were to extend into the regular season.
From RotoBaller
Free-agent LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe (Panthers) is signing an undisclosed contract with the Detroit Lions, per source on Monday, Aug. 19.
From TheHuddle
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein believes running back Dameon Pierce may struggle to make the team with several RBs on the roster having better one-cut feels. Pierce has struggled for the Texans during the preseason, allowing the door to open for Cam Akers, Jawhar Jordan, and Dare Ogunbowale to potentially end up with roster spots in Houston's backfield instead of him behind workhorse starter Joe Mixon. The 24-year-old former fourth-round pick was one of fantasy's breakout stars in 2022, rushing 220 times for 939 yards while totaling five touchdowns in 13 games, but he ceded lead-back duties to veteran Devin Singletary during the second half of last year. Teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, and Cincinnati Bengals could give Pierce a look if we were cut, but his fantasy appeal is limited at the moment.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Sunday night that he's "hoping" that rookie running back Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) will return to training camp practice this week and get some snaps in Friday's preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders on the road. Guerendo could easily be looking at a redshirt rookie season in the NFL after initially injuring his hamstring at the start of training camp on July 24. The 24-year-old fourth-rounder has missed three-plus weeks of valuable reps in camp, including both of the team's preseason games to this point. Saying San Fran's backfield has been beat up this summer would be an understatement, as Christian McCaffrey (calf), Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) and Jordan Mason (hip) also have injury designations. When healthy, the speedy Guerendo figures to be the Niners' RB3, but he's behind the eight ball developmentally already and can be avoided in standard 12-team fantasy drafts.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks (knee) worked with the rehab group off to the side during training camp practice on Monday. Cooks has been held out of practice and the team's second preseason game on Saturday since injuring his knee at practice last Thursday, but the 30-year-old veteran's injury isn't believed to be too serious. However, with CeeDee Lamb, the team's No. 1 wideout, still holding out due to a contract dispute, quarterback Dak Prescott's top receiving targets in practice are now Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Cropper and Jalen Brooks. Before Cooks' knee injury, he was developing great chemistry with Prescott, and he could bounce back in 2024 with Michael Gallup no longer around after putting up a 54-657-8 line in 16 regular-season games last year. Cooks probably isn't a 1,000-yard receiver anymore, but he could have some use as a WR4/flex in the right matchups for fantasy managers.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Sunday night that he's "hoping" that rookie first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (shoulder) will return to training camp practice this week and also get some reps in Friday's preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders. Pearsall was surprisingly taken by the Niners at the end of the first round of April's NFL draft, but he began training camp on the Non-Football Injury list with a hamstring issue and has been missing valuable reps of late with a nagging shoulder ailment. The good news is the 23-year-old could get back on the field this week. Pearsall will probably only be worth a draft selection in redraft leagues if the Niners trade Brandon Aiyuk before the start of the regular season, but that is looking increasingly unlikely. If Aiyuk sticks around in 2024, Pearsall will be battling Jauan Jennings for targets as the team's WR3 in his rookie campaign.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (foot) practiced at training camp on Monday for the first time since July, when he was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. Herbert was placed in a walking boot at the end of July but ditched the boot last Thursday. He was seen making stationary throws before Saturday's preseason contest against the Los Angeles Rams and has now taken the next step in returning to practice. The 26-year-old will now have two weeks worth of practices before the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sept. 8 against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders. Pain tolerance will probably be an issue for Herbert along the way and even potentially into the regular season, but the Chargers have never seemed to worried about him missing time to begin the year. In more of a run-first offense under the new coaching staff and no longer without his top weapons in Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler, and Mike Williams, Herbert's fantasy stock has fallen to QB2 status.
From RotoBaller
Tennessee Titans CB Chidobe Awuzie (calf) could return to practice at some point this week, according to head coach Brian Callahan.
From TheHuddle
Minnesota Vikings CB Shaquill Griffin (hamstring) hopefully will be able to participate in practices this week, according to head coach Kevin O'Connell.
From TheHuddle