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Your Los Angeles Chargers' top running back in 2023, Austin Ekeler, appears destined to be moving on in free agency once that kicks off on March 13th.
This may be the right move for both sides. Ekeler has been intriguing but inconsistent, and given his position and age it makes sense for him to join more of a win-now franchise than a retooling club.
To that end, on the latest episode of The Bleav Fantasy Football Show with Michael Fabiano and Lindsay Rhodes podcast, Fabiano proposed an intriguing fit for Ekeler next season.
"I'll tell you what story [Ekeler's modest 2023 fantasy numbers] tell: that [Chargers offensive coordinator] Kellen Moore didn't use him right. That I've had conversations with Ekeler. I trust they didn't use him right," Fabiano opined. "So if he goes to a team that's going to use him right? Maybe he bounces back. Maybe he's not the RB1 in fantasy. Okay, I'm not saying that, but I think he could be better served on a team that utilizes him correctly. And I don't think Kellen Moore did that."
"I want to see him in Minnesota," he continued. "Dude, I don't know who the quarterback's going to be. Throw those little screens to Austin Ekeler. The Vikings are going to get in the red zone to allow with those wide receivers and the great tight end they have that be an awesome fit."
"Austin's not going to get a ton of money," Fabiano cautioned. "[The] Vikings want to spend money on a running back when you can draft somebody. Yeah, but I mean, if we're just talking about pure fit... I'd love to see Austin in the purple."
More must-reads:
- Aaron Rodgers responds to criticism from Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw
- Dynamic safety extension a massive win for Vikings
- The 'Single-season sack leaders by NFL team' quiz
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Green Bay Packers 3rd Year Receiver Turning Heads At Training Camp
The Green Bay Packers have one of the youngest rosters in the NFL. A big reason for this is their wide receiver room. For the past three seasons, they have relied on rookies and second-year players to carry the load on offense from a pass-catching perspective. However, that has led to some inconsistent play. Last year, drops were a huge issue, especially for former fifth-round pick Dontayvion Wicks. He was able to get open but would drop the ball in key moments. Wicks is determined to change the narrative and is already turning heads in training camp. Green Bay Packers WR Dontayvion Wicks Looking Good Wicks was the star of the 2-minute drill during Friday’s training camp practice. He found a hole in the zone and ran the post route. Quarterback Jordan Love saw him immediately and unloaded a long ball. The former Virginia receiver was all alone and caught a 49-yard touchdown pass to end the drill. This was one of the many great plays Wicks made throughout the practice. He was asked about the play after the practice. “I knew I had the post,” Wicks said. “I had a man on me. I released, ran full speed. I knew X was over the top. So I stemmed out a little bit and broke flat across. It was a runaway, and J-Love gave me the ball and I ran under it, and that was all from there.” This is great news for the Green Bay Packers. Drops can often be attributed to a lack of confidence. They can snowball. Once a player drops one pass, it can snowball into more drops. The same can be said about catches. Once a player gets confidence, it can be hard to stop. If Dontayvion Wicks has gotten his confidence, the league should watch out. No Problems Getting Open Wicks had no problems getting open last year. According to ESPN Analytics, he was open on 84% of his routes, thanks to a quick burst off the snap and his ability to find gaps in the zone. However, getting open doesn’t matter if a player can’t bring in the ball. The Green Bay Packers hope this is the start of a new player in 2025. Matthew Golden has also looked good in training camp, and Jayden Reed has vowed to drop fewer passes as well in 2025. If that trio can haul in passes, this offense could be one of the best in the league. Final Thoughts We always have to be cautious about training camp news. It can sometimes point to what will happen in the season, but not always. However, this seems like a step in the right direction for the Green Bay Packers. If Wicks gains confidence now, that should carry over into the season.
Yankees manager provides major update on Aaron Judge's injury
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge missed Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies with an elbow injury, and the slugger is now headed to the injured list. The Yankees fell 9-4 to the Phillies on Saturday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y., which marked their third consecutive loss. Judge played in Friday night's 12-5 loss to Philadelphia, but Aaron Boone announced before Saturday's game that Judge was dealing with an "elbow issue" and would sit out. Following his team's latest loss, Boone shared some new information about Judge's injury. Judge has been diagnosed with a flexor strain, but the Yankees believe he can return in less than two weeks. When Judge returns to the lineup, Boone said it will initially be as a designated hitter. Judge is having an outstanding season. He entered Saturday batting .342, which is the best mark in baseball. The reigning American League MVP has 37 home runs, 85 RBI and a 1.160 OPS. The Yankees are now six games behind the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays and fighting to remain atop the wild-card race. It goes without saying that they are hopeful Judge will be able to return as soon as possible.
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Already Has A New Favorite Target
The Pittsburgh Steelers know that it will take quite a while to get strong chemistry on the offensive side of the ball with new quarterback Aaron Rodgers, as he is in a brand-new system with a bunch of players that he has never played with before. Luckily, it's just the beginning of training camp, so there is still some time to get the kinks worked out and get everyone on the same page. Pittsburgh's new passer, historically, likes to find a couple players and target them specifically, so many weapons have to compete for that attention. Rodgers may have already found one of his favorite targets. So far in training camp, fans and analysts have noticed that he has paid a lot of attention to tight end Darnell Washington all throughout practice. In Arthur Smith's tight end-heavy offense, Washington is expected to see plenty of playing time. The big 6'7" mountain of a man has primarily been a blocker in his two seasons in the NFL, but he has had a few moments as a receiver, including lining up wide and catching the Steelers' first touchdown of the 2024 season. There is definitely potential there, especially since he towers over almost every defensive back in the NFL. Rodgers has connected with Washington multiple times early on in training camp, including during a critical part in Saturday's "Seven Shots" drill. The big tight end may not be much of a route runner, but he can still be useful over the middle as a safety valve, as well as an option out wide to simply out-reach the defensive back. Either way, "Mount" Washington could easily set career highs in pretty much every statistical category. On top of that, Rodgers has thrived in multi-tight end sets in recent years, which perfectly fits with Smith's scheme. Even with Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith already on the roster, the former third-round pick should see an increase in snap count and targets. His frame is perfect for red zone routes, where Pittsburgh struggled in during the 2024 season. Him receiving a handful of touchdowns in 2025 is not out of the question. One man's fortune is another man's misfortune. Jonnu Smith was acquired to be a versatile receiver for Rodgers, but he missed the first two days of training camp for undisclosed reasons. That gave Washington and Freiermuth more time to work with the 41-year-old passer. Freiermuth has seen some attention from his new quarterback as well, but the supposed blocking tight end of the group has been especially highlighted during team drills. Everything is set up for Rodgers and his tight ends to thrive. Even with Washington being the main player at that position receiving targets, there is still over a month of practices and preseason games to go for the whole group to develop that chemistry. Arthur Smith may love the multi-tight end personnel groups, but he may be forced to go to that more than even he is used to just to give Rodgers the best chance to thrive with his targets. Steelers' Game Plan Could Slow Down Top Offenses Obviously, when the tight end group is a featured part of the offense, the plan is not to get splash play after splash play and score in five plays. DK Metcalf may make that happen occasionally, but the plan is to wear out opposing defenses with 10+ play drives. That will also keep opposing offenses off the field. The Cincinnati Bengals will have a tough time putting up 38 points if they only have six offensive possessions.
Jalen Williams fires back at critics who call him 'corny'
Jalen Williams does not appreciate the suggestion that he is a cornball. The Oklahoma City star Williams fired back at his critics in an Instagram comment this week. Williams was asked by a user about what he would say to those labeling him as “corny.” “tbh the same people calling me corny couldn’t hold my water in real life,” said Williams. “prolly would ask for a selfie if we was face to face.” For context, the 24-year-old Williams made headlines this week by recreating an iconic photograph of Kobe Bryant. Williams recently underwent surgery on his right wrist and posed in the style of the famous 1999 photo of Bryant at the free throw line wearing pajama bottoms and a large cast on his wrist. The “corny” label is usually given to NBA players who are seen as acting in an inauthentic way, especially to gain respect on social media. That becomes particularly so whenever they involve the late Bryant (with Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum also drawing “corny” criticisms in the past for invoking Bryant in his antics). Williams can probably do without the clout-chasing at this point since he has already very much arrived as an NBA player in his own regard. The ex-lottery pick was an All-Star, an All-NBA selection and an All-Defensive selection this past season. He then went on to win the NBA championship with the Thunder and was among several core OKC players who got rewarded with rich extensions as a result. That said, Williams is sometimes seen as a third fiddle with the Thunder behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren. As a result, he tends to gravitate toward attention-grabbing stunts, and he does not care if he is labeled “corny” because of them.
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