The Falcons now have both of their first-round selections under contract. They made a surprise trade back into the first round of last month’s draft to select Pearce, who boasts elite athleticism for his size and should contribute immediately on pass rushing downs. Pearce totaled 19.5 sacks during his three seasons at Tennessee and led the SEC with 10 sacks as a sophomore. With a lot already invested in the pick, the Falcons hope Pearce will turn into a transformative player who can help turn around a defense that ranked 23rd in points allowed and 31st in sacks (31) last season. Pearce will receive a guaranteed $16.8 million on his rookie deal, with $8.8 million coming via a signing bonus.

The game is set for Thursday, September 4th, and will be carried on NBC and Peacock, our favorite network and streaming app. The defending Super Bowl champions will play host to the division rival Cowboys on a national stage that will also feature newly minted head coach Brian Schottenheimer. It’s a classic matchup that features two teams who could be headed in starkly different directions this season. While the Eagles will begin their title defense, Schottenheimer’s Cowboys are hoping to rebound from a 7-10 season with a roster that still has a lot of question marks heading into training camp.

Standig was careful to qualify his statements by saying it is “hard to assess” a player’s potential when they are playing against “a bunch of guys that are not going to make this team.” However, Standig did offer a “bold prediction” by saying that he could see Croskey-Merritt “getting into the rotation,” if he can prove his rookie minicamp performance was “real,” by maintaining the same level of play “when the veterans show up” for training camp. Overall, this should be viewed as a qualified yet positive report from a sharp beat reporter, though fantasy managers must acknowledge that Croskey-Merritt has not yet proved himself against NFL veterans. It remains to be seen whether he will be fantasy-relevant, but he is off to a decent start for a seventh-round pick. For future reference, Standig adds that Croskey-Merritt curiously goes by “Bill.”

All Round 1 rookie contract values are predetermined by the rookie wage scale. They are also fully guaranteed. Per Mike Florio, the contract’s training camp bonus “has become a device for putting a sizable chunk of the player’s pay in his pockets in future years, early in the season,” and the Bengals reportedly offered Stewart “a lower percentage than the 17th overall pick received in 2024.” It’s an embarrassing revelation. Rookie contract values increase each year, and the training camp bonus rate ostensibly should as well. After all, the deal is fully guaranteed anyway. Stewart has thus far refused to participate in the Bengals’ rookie minicamp and is apparently unlikely to change his mind until the Bengals at least give him the equivalent 2024 rate.

The “variety of arm angles” Ward employs reportedly “drew some attention during the scouting process,” but Callahan is unconcerned. He believes that if there are issues with a quarterback’s ball placement and delivery, “a lot of that usually still goes back to their body positioning and their lower-body work.” Ward spent much of Saturday’s rookie minicamp session participating in drills that emphasize proper pocket navigation, and maintaining one’s base while moving laterally. Any improvements Ward is able to make would be a boon to his fantasy value.

Winning a role on special teams is Restrepo’s ticket to the active roster. The beefy slot receiver could one day earn an offensive role, but for now, establishing himself as a utility player is key. Restrepo delivered middling results, serving as an occasional punt returner during his five-year college career. Overall, he returned 12 punts for 45 yards while forcing eight missed tackles along the way. His 3.8-yard average fails to inspire, but his 0.7 forced missed tackle average is notable.

Smith lands the deal after an ostensibly solid showing at the Raiders’ rookie minicamp last weekend. Head coach Pete Carroll is known for embracing competition across the roster and the Raiders’ inside linebacker depth chart gets murky behind starter Elandon Roberts. Free agent signing Devin White is coming off a shaky, two-team 2024 season, and sophomore Tommy Eichenberg was bothered by a knee injury last year, logging just 79 defensive snaps. It’s a good landing spot for Smith. He may be able to work his way into the lineup after spending a year away from the game.

“I necessarily don’t want to talk about it right now, because it’s like, it’s something I want to hold in to myself ... just let the business take care of the business,” Cook told venerable sports reporting source PokerNews.com. Over the past six weeks, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Cook would play for the Bills this season, regardless of whether GM Brandon Beane meets his $15 million annual asking price, and Beane notably told reporters that he received no trade inquiries regarding Cook during the 2025 NFL Draft. This is, unfortunately, a situation for fantasy managers to keep an eye on when the Bills’ organized team activities begin on May 27th.

Per Fisher, the NFL is “closing in” on a deal with YouTube, which would allow users to stream the contest for free worldwide. Setting some sort of streaming record is undoubtedly the intent, as the NFL aggressively pursues its global viewership goals. Lining up a free showdown between Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes is a smart way for the NFL to convert new viewers into eager NFL Game Pass International subscribers. The game is scheduled for Friday, September 5th, so fantasy managers must make note of the kickoff time when announced.