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Chiefs special teams coordinator said that because of the new kickoff rules, the team has considered not using Harrison Butker on kickoffs.

Advice: Toub points out that the new kickoff rules could require kickers to be more involved in tackles — something the Chiefs may prefer for Butker to avoid. Toub said the team watched every kickoff in the XFL, which first experimented with this rule, and found that kickers were involved in “at least 25 to 40 percent of the tackles” in the tape they watched. Toub said safety Justin Reid has been viewed as a potential option to replace Butker on kickoffs, but it doesn’t seem like anything is definite at this time. It wouldn’t be surprising to see other teams consider this approach to avoid injuries to their kickers. Rotoworld 30 minutes ago

Broncos head coach Sean Payton said of Marvin Mims, “You’re going to see a lot of growth from year one to year two.”

Advice: The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider in Thursday’s OTAs. We’re at the peak of coach-speak season, so take Payton’s quotes with a grain of salt, but a second-year leap from Mims could be on the way. Mims caught 22 passes for 377 yards and one touchdown as a rookie but was frustratingly buried near the bottom of Denver’s wide receiver depth chart behind the likes of Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Brandon Johnson. Payton and the Broncos traded up in the 2023 draft to select Mims in the second round, which should serve somewhat as a signal of how the team envisions him for the long term. With Jerry Jeudy now gone and rookie Troy Franklin carrying fourth-round draft capital, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Mims earn starting reps in his second season, giving Bo Nix an explosive weapon on the outside. Rotoworld Today, 11:52 am

Darius Slayton has reported to Giants OTAs after the team added incentives to his 2024 contract.

Advice: Slayton was hoping to earn a new contract this offseason but agreed to report to the team after having $2.5 million worth of incentives baked into his 2024 deal. Now in the final year of his contract, Slayton is set to earn at least $8.15 million this season and is likely headed for free agency in 2025, barring a breakout year. Slayton caught 50 passes for a career-high 770 yards last season and found the end zone four times. The speedy field-stretcher doesn’t profile as a WR1 and is expected to be behind rookie Malik Nabers in the target pecking order. Rotoworld Today, 9:32 am

Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy said he’s “definitely” seeing significant progress from Trey Lance this offseason.

Advice: Lance continues to work his way back to relevance after being traded to the Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick last summer. Lance didn’t play a regular season snap in 2023, but McCarthy said, “He’s close to being a master of the system” and that Lance has a “really high understanding.” He added that getting Lance as many reps as possible will be key to him taking the next step in his development. Lance’s long-term NFL future is very much up in the air at this time, but the Cowboys may have some underlying incentives — particularly when it comes to Dak Prescott’s contract situation — to develop him as best they can. If he displays the potential that made him the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft, it’s possible he will eventually get a chance to battle for a starting job with the Cowboys or elsewhere. Rotoworld Today, 9:14 am

As the coming season approaches, Austin is in line to compete with several newcomers for depth chart slotting behind top wideout George Pickens, Chris Ward of Steelersnow.com reports.

Advice: In the wake of the offseason departures of Diontae Johnson and Allen Robinson, the Steelers added Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins and Scotty Miller via free agency and used a third-round draft pick on Roman Wilson. Austin, who was taken in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, is coming off a 2023 regular season in which he caught 17 of his 30 targets for 180 yards and a TD while rushing 11 times for 57 yards and a rushing score in 17 games. In his third season as a pro, the speedy 5-foot-9, 162-pounder has an opportunity to potentially carve out an increased role in Pittsburgh's offense, but to what degree his volume might increase in 2024 hinges on where he lands in the team's currently unsettled depth chart pecking order. Rotowire.com Today, 8:47 am