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  • Makes progress learning offense
    Mayfield made significant progress in picking up the intricacies of new coordinator Liam Coen's offense throughout the offseason, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports. "There's a lot fewer mistakes and 'M.E.'s," said head coach Todd Bowles. "He has a lot more audibles on his plate than he did in the past and he's getting them down very [well]."

    Advice: Bowles' comments came in the midst of the mandatory minicamp the Buccaneers held earlier in June, following a particularly productive penultimate practice of the offseason in which Mayfield spread the ball around effectively. Mayfield has had plenty of opportunity to progressively get a handle on the offensive system, as he was also part of 10 voluntary OTA practices before minicamp. While there figures to be some additional growing pains with the offense, there will be multiple weeks of training camp and preseason games for Mayfield and a top quartet of incumbent pass catchers in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Trey Palmer and Cade Otton to continue building chemistry within it. Rotowire.com Monday, 8:59 pm
    Week 1 Projected Points & Rank
    144.77 (20th)
  • Ian Thomas standing out in Panthers’ passing game
    ESPN’s David Newton said Ian Thomas has “stolen the spotlight” at tight end during Panthers’ OTAs and minicamp.

    Advice: Rookie fourth-rounder Ja’Tavion Sanders was expected to be the Panthers tight end who would impress in the passing game. While that still may happen, Newton writes that in head coach Dave Canales’ “tight-end-friendly scheme [Thomas] has become a big target” at the position. The Panthers rank dead last in the league in tight end targets over the last four seasons, and Thomas hasn’t gone for more than 197 yards since posting a line of 36-333-2 as a rookie back in 2018. We’ll take this one with a grain of salt, but it’s possible the seven-year vet is the preferred tight end for the Panthers in 2024 if his strong offseason carries into training camp. Rotoworld Monday, 3:03 pm
    Week 1 Projected Points & Rank
    1.28 (479th)
  • Aiyuk and 49ers scheduled to meet with one another
    Speaking on NFL Live, Ryan Clark reported that Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers were scheduled to meet with one another on Monday.

    Advice: According to Clark, this is a meeting . He also added that Aiyuk has taken contract negotiations with the team as “personal” over the last several months. Aiyuk posted a video to his social media account last week of him telling Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels that the 49ers “said they don’t want me anymore.” The team when it was reported they still wanted Aiyuk, but not at the price he is asking for. At this time, Aiyuk is set to play out 2024 under the franchise tag, where he’ll earn roughly $14 million. The veteran receiver caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns last season and could likely get signed to his desired contract by another team if the 49ers were open to dealing him. Clark said Aiyuk would prefer to remain with the team but is open to playing elsewhere if the team opts to trade him. We expect to know more about this situation in the near future. Rotoworld Monday, 1:06 pm
    Week 1 Projected Points & Rank
    31.43 (114th)
  • Wilson ‘clearly’ playing better than Fields
    The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo says Russell Wilson “has clearly been the better quarterback” during the Steelers’ offseason.

    Advice: DeFabo added that there doesn’t be much of a competition at quarterback at this time, noting that Wilson “has taken the overwhelming majority of meaningful reps, including on the final day of minicamp, when almost every veteran took off.” He also said Fields “doesn’t often shine in seven-on-seven situations,” which isn’t a great endorsement for him with training camp a month away. Both Wilson and Fields are in career-rebuilding mode after flaming out at their previous stops. Neither is going particularly high in fantasy drafts, with Wilson currently going outside of the top 24 in most best ball drafts. Fields’ rushing ability makes him a potentially high-upside fantasy stash whenever he gets a chance to start, but it sounds like Wilson has a good grip on the job heading into training camp. Rotoworld Thursday, 10:41 am
    Week 1 Projected Points & Rank
    124.96 (27th)
  • Frustrated with negotiations
    Aiyuk expressed frustration Monday with the progress of contract negotiations, and while the 49ers remain interested in re-signing him, it's only on a cheaper deal than what he's looking for, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

    Advice: Aiyuk posted a TikTok video in which he says, "They don't want me," in an apparent reference to the 49ers. Rapoport says he doesn't think negotiations are "completely dead," even though there seems to be a big money gap between the two sides. While Aiyuk's post may add fuel to the fire of trade rumors, it's still possible the 49ers keep him in a contract year even if they aren't able to work out a long-term deal. He was a holdout during June minicamp and may not show up for the start of training camp if he's still set to play out 2025 under the fifth-year option on his rookie contract for $14.12 million. Rotowire.com Tuesday, 7:10 am
    Week 1 Projected Points & Rank
    31.43 (114th)