7.15.22: Kyler, Brady, Mahomes, Pitts, Derwin, Kyren

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Kyler

Kyler Murray and the Cardinals are progressing toward a pre-training camp extension

Details:?According to Jeff Darlington (ESPN), talks between Murray and the Cardinals are “going smooth” and a deal?before?training camp “remains a very reasonable likelihood.”

• Veterans report to camp on July 26.

$$$:?Murray is reportedly seeking?$43-45?million per season, which would put him in the range of Josh Allen ($43 million) and Patrick Mahomes ($45 million).

More Cardinals News:

• C Rodney Hudson is?contemplating?retirement.
• If Hudson does retire, the Cardinals will have over $20 million in available cap space.
• Second-year WR Rondale Moore is expected to replace Christian Kirk as the team’s primary slot receiver — Kirk was targeted?112 times?last season.

Image: Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire

Brady

Tom Brady does not rule out playing beyond the 2022 season, says his body “feels really good”

Details:?Brady, who turns 45 next month, told Variety that he is?taking?his career year to year.

• Brady:?“I would say it’s year to year. Could this be my last year? Absolutely. Could I change my mind? Absolutely. I’ve realized I don’t have five years left. I want to do it my way. I want to give it everything I got and see where I’m at. My body feels really good. I’ve had a lot of traumatic injuries over the years, but if things go really smoothly and we win, that’d be great.”

The End:?Brady did say that winning a Super Bowl would be “the greatest way to end” and seemed to acknowledge that the Bucs’ failure to progress to the big game last season played a role in his decision to un-retire.

2023:?Brady’s contract with the Buccaneers expires after the season, so he’ll be free to sign with a new team in 2023. The Dolphins (for?obvious reasons) could be a fit.

• Connor Orr (Sports Illustrated) recently?predicted?that Brady will continue his playing career in 2023 — for a new team.

Image: Brennan Asplen/Icon Sportswire

Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes is throwing with Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson in Texas

Details:?Mahomes and the two receivers were spotted training together in?Fort Worth?this week.

• Mahomes also conducted a throwing session with rookie receiver Skyy Moore in late June.

MVS:?Valdes-Scantling was described by Nate Taylor (The Athletic) as the Chiefs’ “best receiver” during offseason workouts. The 27-year-old has reportedly shown excellent chemistry with Mahomes and is expected to be?more?than just a deep threat in Kansas City…

• Andy Reid:?“Marquez can do a lot of different things. He's got good start-stop abilities. He's a big target. He can run your slant games. He can run your deep throws. He can run the intermediate routes. He's got a good feel in space, so he gives us some flexibility in there.”

Watson:?Mahomes specifically mentioned Watson as a player who impressed him at OTAs in late May. The 2018 fifth-rounder has 23 career catches for 258 yards and 2 touchdowns (all with the Buccaneers).

Schrager:?NFL insider Peter Schrager recently?tweeted?that of the Chiefs receivers, Watson is “the one to watch.”

Image: Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire

Pitts

Falcons TE Kyle Pitts could see close to a 30% target share

Details:?The insight comes from?Walter Picks, a fantasy football machine learning algorithm.

• Only two players (Cooper Kupp and Davante Adams) saw a +30% target share last season.

Rookie Review:?Pitts saw a 20.0% target share as a rookie and caught 68 of 110 targets (61.8% catch-rate) for 1,026 yards and 1 touchdown.

Target Share:?The Falcons are light on established pass catchers — so Pitts could certainly be in store for a massive number of targets.

• ATL WR Depth Chart:?Drake London, Bryan Edwards, Olamide Zaccheaus, Auden Tate, Damiere Byrd

More TDs:?Pitts should also see his touchdown total increase. Most fantasy experts are expecting him to score at least four in 2022.

Image: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire

Derwin

The Chargers-imposed deadline for a Derwin James extension is Labor Day

Details:?According to Daniel Popper (The Athletic), the Chargers do not negotiate contracts?after?Labor Day (September 5), which means that an extension for Derwin James will have to be finalized in less than two months.

• If a deal isn’t reached by then, negotiations would pick back up after the season.

Risk:?Not coming to an agreement by Labor Day would be a risky proposition for James, who missed eleven games in 2020 with a meniscus injury and played through a labrum issue last season. Another major injury could significantly impact his market value.

Highest-Paid:?James wants to become the league’s highest-paid safety. To earn that title, Popper thinks an extension could either be for $91.25 million over five years or $73 million over four years.

James in 2021:?James, 25, totaled 118 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 5 pass deflections, and 3 forced fumbles last season.

Image: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire

Kyren

Rams view rookie RB Kyren Williams as an eventual successor to Darrell Henderson

Details:?The insight comes from Jordan Rodrigue (The Athletic), who implies that the Rams are?concerned?about Henderson’s availability — given his injury history.

Henderson Profile:?Since entering the league in 2019, Henderson has to complete a full season. In twelve games last year, he totaled 864 scrimmage yards (688 rushing, 176 receiving) and scored 8 touchdowns.

Williams Profile:?Williams, a fifth-round pick, rushed for 1,002 yards and 14 touchdowns at Notre Dame last season. He also caught 42 passes for 359 yards and 3 touchdowns. The 5-foot-9, 195-pounder ran the 40-yard dash in 4.54 seconds.

• Williams is currently rehabbing a broken foot and may not be ready until the “middle phase of training camp.”

Opportunity:?Cam Akers is the clear-cut starter in L.A. — but if he were to go down again, Williams could quickly emerge in Sean McVay’s backfield.

Image: Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire

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More News

• Bengals?announced a white alternate helmet
• Kyle Rudolph?has received interest from the Buccaneers and Vikings
• Sean Payton?linked to the Cowboys, Dolphins, and Chargers
• No extensions?expected for Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz and Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki before today's deadline
• Chiefs?still negotiating — but remain far apart on a deal with Orlando Brown Jr.
• Mitchell Schwartz?retired after a 10-year NFL career