šŸŗ Wolf Sports Weekly

NFL training camps are underway!

The NFL is getting back into the swing of things, with all 32 teams beginning training camp by the end of the week. Thereā€™s some late breaking news this morning, with the NFLPAā€™s executive director Lloyd Howell telling The Washington Post that the NFL and NFLPA have begun discussions on an 18-game regular season before the end of the current CBA that expires March 2031.

šŸˆ Training camp storylines

We briefly highlighted five storylines to watch in last weekā€™s newsletter, but there are storylines to keep in mind for every squad ahead of what should be another exciting season.

New York Giants: In the trenches
Viewers of ā€˜Hard Knocksā€™ will know the Giantsā€™ main priority was adding to the offensive line, which they did with Jon Runyan Jr. and Jermaine Eluemunor. And star pass rusher Brian Burns was acquired from the Panthers to join Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence. New York must be among the top teams in the trenches this season to get back in the postseason mix.

Go deeper: While we wonā€™t overload you with all 32 here, you can dive into each storyline on wolfsports.com if interested.

šŸ¤” Contracts situations to monitor

49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has requested a trade after he and the team could not reach a contract extension.

  • The two sides have had a rocky relationship all offseason, which has included social media posts from Aiyuk and a recent in-person meeting with the organization.

  • The prevailing thought is that the Niners have no desire to trade Aiyuk as they look to keep the roster together to go for a Super Bowl.

  • San Franciscoā€™s first training camp practice is this Thursday, and things will become even more interesting if and when Aiyuk doesnā€™t report.

Jets pass rusher Haason Reddick, who was acquired by New York via an offseason trade without a new deal in place, is holding out of training camp. Reddick is in the final year of his current contract and is set to make $14.5 million.

As they move close toward a lucrative contract extension, Packers quarterback Jordan Love is not practicing to begin training camp. So, this is basically a ā€œhold in,ā€ but Green Bay sounds fine with their quarterback not practicingā€”and general manager Brian Gutekunst told the media that the two sides feel like they are ā€œclose to a deal.ā€

Bengals owner Mike Brown says the team is unlikely to agree to a contract extension with star receiver Jaā€™Marr Chase this year, adding that they are going to ā€œbend over backwards to get it doneā€ but canā€™t say whenā€”and that his deal is a challenge.

šŸ’° Extensions and signings

Two big fellas received big contract extensions on the eve of training camp:

And recent notable veteran additions are headlined by the Ravens adding safety Eddie Jackson, who was a First-Team All-Pro with the Bears in 2018 and former teammate of Baltimore linebacker Roquan Smith; the Dolphins brought back pass rusher Emmanuel Ogbah; and the Texans signed running back Cam Akers.

šŸ“ NFL news and notes

Former Broncos and Buccaneers pass rusher Shaq Barrett, who won a Super Bowl with both franchises and was a Second-Team All-Pro in 2019, retired after ten NFL seasons. Barrett holds Tampa Bayā€™s single-season sack record with 19.5 during that 2019 campaign.

Veteran running back Kenyan Drake retired after eight years in the league. Drake had three seasons with 1,000+ yards from scrimmage, and among his highlights was the ā€œMiami Miracleā€ where the Dolphins beat the Patriots on a lateral that he took to the house.

Longtime receiver Randall Cobb has joined the SEC Network as a college football studio analyst. However, he is not yet officially retiring from the NFL.

Transactions to start training camp include the Saints placing former All-Pro offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk (knee) on the reserve/PUP list, ending his season as a vested veteran placed on the PUP before final roster cuts. Other moves include:

  • The Jets placed Mike Williams, coming off an ACL tear, on the PUP list.

  • The Jaguars placed defensive tackle Arik Armstead on the PUP list.

  • DB Brian Branch, DL DJ Reader, and OLB Marcus Davenport were placed on the PUP list.

  • Packers receiver Jayden Reed was placed on the NFI list for a toe injury suffered at a youth camp, but he isnā€™t concerned about it.

  • The 49ers placed rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall on the NFI list.

  • The Panthers placed rookie running back Jonathon Brooks on the NFI list.

Saints receiver Rashid Shaheed signed a one-year, $5.2 million extension keeping him with the team through the 2025 season. Shaheed was an exclusive rights free agent.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh gave an emphatic defense of quarterback Lamar Jackson after the two-time MVP left practice with an illness. Harbaugh says their vision is that Jackson will become and ā€œbe recognized as the greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the National Football League.ā€

Speaking of Lamar Jackson, heā€™s challenging Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman in a legal dispute over Aikmanā€™s desire to use the number eight on apparel and bags. Aikman responded on X.

Fantasy-focused news to note:

The Jaguars unveiled throwback uniforms.

For the second straight week, we have Commanders front office news: Team president Jason Wright, the first black team president in NFL history, is moving on. Washington has gotten rid of their owner, president, general manager, head coach, and quarterback over the past year.

šŸ™ Honoring and remembering

Former Chiefs running back Abner Haynes, the first-ever AFL Player of the Year, died at 86.

The Vikings are honoring Khyree Jackson, who tragically died in a car accident earlier this month, with ā€œKJā€ helmet decals and pins during the 2024 season.

After listing our top ten redraft rankings in our first newsletter, this weekā€™s Consigliere Corner provides our current top ten options in dynasty leagues.

1. Josh Allen, BUF QB
2. Patrick Mahomes, KC QB
3. Jalen Hurts, PHI QB
4. Justin Jefferson, MIN WR
5. Bijan Robinson, ATL RB
6. Jahmyr Gibbs, DET RB
7. Jaā€™Marr Chase, CIN WR
8. CeeDee Lamb, DAL WR
9. Caleb Williams, CHI QB
10. Jonathan Taylor, IND RB

Check out our full dynasty rankings (positional and Top 400) with Fantasy Consigliere:

Other Sports Updates

šŸŽ† The American League came back to beat the National League to win the 2024 MLB All-Star Game.

ā›³ļø Xander Schauffele (-9) won The Open for his second major of the year (PGA Championship). Itā€™s the first time since 1982 that Americans won all four majors in a year.

āš¾ļø MLB news:

  • Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies is out approximately eight weeks with a fractured wrist.

  • Astros star Yordan Alvarez hit for the cycle.

  • Insane: Nick Castellanos homered after President Biden dropped out of the 2024 race, continuing a trend of coming up clutch after massive, sometimes disastrous, world momentsā€”and it came on the day when Thom Brennaman (where it all started) got a second chance to call college football with The CW. Just in recent weeks Castellanos has come through when:

    • The passing of Willie Mays was announced (walk-off, June 18).

    • There was an attempted assassination of President Trump (home run, July 13).

    • President Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and Thom Brennamanā€™s national comeback was announced (home run, July 21).

šŸ™ Ingrid Andress checked into rehab after a very bad National Anthem rendition ahead of the Home Run Derby. She says she was drunk, and that certainly explains the quality of her performance. We hope she comes back from this stronger.

šŸŗ Found on wolfsports.com