TE · ARI
TE · ARI
general
Jaguars to trade TE Hunter Long to Cardinals
Jaguars trade tight end Hunter Long to Cardinals, potentially freeing roster space and giving Long a chance to compete for a starting role
Trey McBride
TE · ARI · 26 yrs · exp 4 · Colorado State
Status
- Game status
- Active
Keep Trade Cut (SF TEP)
From latest snapshot · trend vs ~7d prior when data allows.
Value
7,997
Rank
#10
Pos rank
#2
7d trend
—
Value history (90d)
One snapshot point per calendar day (shown in your timezone).
Latest: Sep 7, 2026 · 7,997
News
Stories linked to this player — newest first.
analyst
2026 Tight Ends Blueprint | Elite Tight End vs. Punting the Position
Fantasy football tight end position analysis for the 2026 season, discussing the value of elite tight ends and the option to punt the position
general
2026 Fantasy football predictions at Polymarket: Josh Allen, Jahmyr Gibbs favored as overall points leader
Josh Allen and Jahmyr Gibbs are favored to be the overall points leaders in fantasy football for the 2026 NFL season at Polymarket
analyst
T.J. Hockenson Should be Viable TE2 Option
T.J. Hockenson's potential as a TE2 option despite past injuries and quarterback issues
TE · ARI
WR · NYG
general
2026 Fantasy Football: From Trey McBride to Malik Nabers, here are the players our Yahoo analysts have debated the most in their rankings
Yahoo Sports NFLSource ↗
See where our Yahoo analysts differ in their rankings at each position for 2026 fantasy football
analyst
Ultimate August Dynasty Trade Targets | Buy Low, Sell High Before 2026 Kickoff
Praise be to He; kickoff is right around the corner. It’s an exciting time of year. You have training camp buzz, players jockeying for positions in the preseason, and movement up and down depth charts. All of those things can send player values moving — good or bad. That said, I’m highlighting four players for you to buy low or sell high before the 2026 season begins. Chicago’s 2024 first-round pick feels like a forgotten man heading into 2026. Everyone is cuckoo for Luther Burden III after his analytics-friendly rookie year. Good luck buying him now. Colston Loveland ? Some fantasy analysts are steaming him up and saying he should go above Trey McBride , who just broke the NFL tight end receptions record last year . Meanwhile, Rome Odunze is being left out in the cold. The man made one comment proclaiming “this is my new normal” when describing his healed foot, and suddenly dynasty managers were ready to toss him aside, like Andy did Woody. Rome Odunze ‘s Advanced Metrics Oh, how soon they forget how good Odunze was pre-injury last year. In Weeks 1-8, he averaged 15.5 fantasy points per game, good for WR11 in that span. His production dipped because of a stress fracture in his foot that worsened as the season went on. It eventually became severe enough that he had to sit out the final four regular-season games before he gutted it out in the playoffs. Even with the injury, Odunze finished as WR24 on a per-game basis, and he did that with an abysmal 63.3% catchable target rate. Odunze saw excellent usage last year, ranking 18th in target share (23.7%), 13th in red zone target share (25.0%), and eighth in deep targets (23) among all receivers. If Williams can dial in and improve his accuracy going forward, Odunze will have his chances to take another step forward. PlayerProfiler has Odunze at WR19 in our dynasty rankings. He’s a smidge lower at KeepTradeCut , sitting at WR20. I think he’s a solid buy at cost and the cheapest entry point into Chicago’s passing game if you want a piece of it. He’s the WR1 in a Ben Johnson offense, and that’s someone I want on my dynasty teams. Fresh off an overall TE2 finish last year, Kyle Pitts got the bag this offseason. He signed a three-year, $54-million deal, keeping him in Atlanta through 2028. Even though he’s no longer financially motivated, there’s a lot to love about Pitts’ situation heading into 2026. Raheem Morris is out, and Kevin Stefanski is in as the new head coach. Stefanski loves to pepper his tight ends. That position group averaged 167 targets per season over the last three years in Cleveland. There, we saw David Njoku rack up three consecutive top-eight fantasy finishes in fantasy points per game from 2022 through 2024. And last season, Harold Fannin Jr. broke out as a rookie and finished as the TE7, averaging 11.7 fantasy PPG. Last season, Pitts set new personal bests in targets (118), receptions (88), and touchdowns (five) while finishing with 928 yards. Under the hood, it wasn’t so bad, either. Among all tight ends, he finished third in EPA (+55.9), fifth in first downs per route run (0.101), and ninth in yards per route run (1.80). Kyle Pitts ‘ Career Stats If the target total ticks up into the 130-135 range, we could see another banner season from Pitts. And honestly, who in this tight end room is going to siphon looks away from him? Austin Hooper is back after starting his career in Atlanta, but he hasn’t topped 500 receiving yards since 2019. Then there’s Charlie Woerner ; he’s there to block and has never had more than 12 targets in six seasons as a pro. Point being, the competition is minimal. Still only 25 years old, Pitts is currently our TE7 at PlayerProfiler. I’m higher on him than most, ranking him TE5. Over at KeepTradeCut, though, Pitts is valued as the TE8. Use their rankings in your trade talks and see if you can get him at a slight discount. Bottom line, you don’t have to be scared of Pitts anymore. The knee injury was four years ago, and h [... truncated ...]
general
2026 Hall of Fame Game where to watch: Carson Beck to start at QB for Cardinals
Football is officially here. The 2026 NFL season begins this Thursday, when the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals face off in the annual Hall of Fame Game. This preseason game is more unique than the other exhibition matchups. Not only is it the first one of the year, but it's also the only NFL matchup played in "Football Heaven" -- right next to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Panthers are coming off an 8-9 season, which landed them in the playoffs. Carolina became the fifth team in NFL history to win their division with a losing record, and owned the third-worst point differential (-69) by a division winner since 1970. However, the Panthers did have the Offensive Rookie of the Year in wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan , and made several notable additions on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, such as pass rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd . The goal is to build off what was accomplished in 2025. Remaining healthy will be a primary goal for head coach Dave Canales on Thursday, as the Panthers have had a rough start to training camp. They lost pass rusher Nic Scourton to a torn ACL on the first day of workouts, then rookie wide receiver Chris Brazzell II tore his LCL. He will miss the entire 2026 season as well. As for the Cardinals, they are beginning a new era. Jonathan Gannon was fired after a 3-14 season and replaced by former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, while the franchise also parted ways with former No. 1 overall pick quarterback Kyler Murray after seven seasons. Arizona became the first franchise in NFL history to finish at least 9 games behind every team in its division. There are pieces in place for the Cardinals, such as tight end Trey McBride and rookie running back Jeremiyah Love , but there's clearly plenty of work to be done. Thursday night is a great opportunity for this new coaching staff to get a look at their young talent in a game situation. Let's break down the first exhibition matchup of the 2026 NFL season and some players to watch. First, here's how you can watch the game. Date: Thursday, Aug. 6 | Time: 8 p.m. ET Location: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (Canton, Ohio) Channel: NBC | Stream: fubo Follow: CBS Sports App Odds: Panthers -1.5, O/U 36.5 ( DraftKings Sportsbook) The Cardinals made Jeremiyah Love the first running back drafted in the top five since Saquon Barkley in 2018. It snapped the longest drought where a running back wasn't drafted in the top five all-time, and Love automatically becomes the highest-paid running back in the NFL with $50.5 million guaranteed in his rookie contract. Not every franchise would draft a running back in the top three, but Love is that kind of prospect. He led the FBS in rushing touchdowns (35) and total touchdowns (40) over the past two years, and averaged 114.3 rushing yards per game in his final season with Notre Dame. Thursday night will be Love's first NFL action, and Cardinals fans have high hopes for him. However, we saw an elite running back prospect not live up to lofty expectations just last year, as No. 6 overall pick Ashton Jeanty finished 18th in rushing with 975 yards. He struggled to find space behind a lackluster Las Vegas Raiders offensive line. If you were curious, Jeanty rushed three times for -1 yard in his first preseason action. Miami's Carson Beck was the third quarterback selected in this past draft, and he will get the start under center on Thursday night. In his one season with the Hurricanes, Beck completed 72.4% of his passes for 3,813 yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while leading Miami to the College Football Playoff National Championship. CBS Sports compared Beck to former No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff as a prospect, as he's an effective pocket passer. However, Beck clearly struggled when pressured or forced to work off-schedule. With a strong NFL debut on Thursday, he could get the NFL world talking more about the quarterback situation in Arizona. There [... truncated ...]
TE · ARI
analyst
Best Ball Cheat Code | Follow the $$$ for Mid-Round Magic
PlayerProfilerSource ↗
Best ball season is here, and the same yearly conundrums are rearing their ugly heads. The name of the game is upside, but once managers get through the sixth round or so, many haven’t dug deep enough into their rankings to make informed decisions. Well, money talks, and can lead to a best ball cheat code in place of your throwaway picks. Drafters need to take shots at guaranteed points with upside, rather than swinging for the fences on boom/bust propositions throughout. Even the most informed managers know their way around advanced metrics and what indicates the likelihood of consistent performance. But what if there are common-sense tools that any level of manager can deploy to get a leg up? The first is knowledge of the schedule. I published an updated strength-of-schedule here that can be used as a tipoff for what players you are considering will face this year. For instance, the Panthers are likely to have trouble scoring points. So, too, are the Arizona Cardinals, who are going to be even worse off than last season. These are just a few examples that will force players like Tetairoa McMillan and Trey McBride ‘s ADPs into a gated community — too rich for their own good. Take a look at the updated strengths-of-schedule when singling out your targeted players, and take note of fantasy playoff angles. I don’t want to focus too much on that, but another common-sense indicator is to follow the money in all leagues. Will the players be RB1 on their team? Probably not. But does their contract with a new team speak to how the franchise thinks of him? It certainly does. They are going to get opportunities for consistent touches, and with consistency comes more opportunities for “boom” outputs some weeks. Double the upside by the fact that you are also drafting a handcuff-plus situation. A player is not wasting space on your roster — he’s already playing, and his value skyrockets in case of an injury. The entire Giants team is on the field as Cam Skattebo is about to be taken off on the cart. A gruesome ankle injury. Jaxson Dart is very very upset. #NYGvsPHI pic.twitter.com/OhAVozjfqX — Quay L.Jones🦅 #FlyEaglesFly SBLIX CHAMPIONS!! (@QuayLJones3) October 26, 2025 In 2025, 14 backs missed at least seven games or suffered a season-ending injury. That is by far the most in the last 10 years, and the position saw an uptick in ACL injuries while the rest of the league saw fewer. With that in mind, here are five dual-upside running backs to grab in your quest for a best ball crown. Let’s go. PlayerProfiler is proud to announce a best ball partnership with the home of high-stakes, NFFC. Along with that, PlayerProfiler readers get a ton of promo codes to enter contests at a discount! Check out all the details RIGHT HERE . We may as well start with the biggest prize of all. Many managers are already looking for him when he pops up in the ADP rankings of whichever platform they are drafting on. To get Kenneth Gainwell onto your best ball roster, some planning may be in order. His ADP is sure to continue gaining momentum, but he can currently be had for a song at RB38 in NFFC Best Ball (mid-late Round 8) with an average ADP of about 96 in 12-team leagues at 1.0 PPR. RB38 would suggest that he’s a top handcuff, but if you follow the money trail, Tampa signed Gainwell for 2 years at $14 million, with nearly $10 million of that guaranteed. For a veteran on his third team, that is starter money. Throwback Touchdown 🏈 Aaron Rodgers ‘ 45-Yard Passing Touchdown to Kenneth Gainwell against the Lions in 2025! One of the miraculous touchdown of the season! Video: NFL pic.twitter.com/l2jtZUeEi9 — NFL Touchdowns (@TheNFLTouchdown) July 20, 2026 Bucky Irving has had several issues of late, including a bum foot, but it was a shoulder subluxation that kept delaying his progress. He had offseason shoulder surgery, but shoulder injuries are tricky, and one wrong move could put him back on the sidelines as a spectator. Hence, the significant [... truncated ...]
general
Madden 27 ratings: Trey McBride is new No. 1 tight end after joining 99 club
Trey McBride has been rated the No. 1 tight end in Madden 27, achieving a 99 rating. The article also mentions the ratings of George Kittle and Travis Kelce
TE · ARI
general
Who’s in the Madden 27 ’99 club’ this year? A Cardinal joins the elite
The elite 99 Club for Madden 27 has been released. Here's a look at the full list, which includes Trey McBride for the first time
analyst
How to Handle ADP Dilemmas in Dynasty | Quarterbacks and Running Backs
It happens to the best of us. You’re cruising through your dynasty startup, and suddenly the players you had queued up are gone. Now, you’re stuck staring at several guys who all carry a similar value. Who will you go with, having no room for error? These are always tough decisions. You don’t want to make a bad choice; one pick can shape the direction of your roster for years. I’m going to break down a few ADP dilemmas early in dynasty drafts amongst quarterbacks and running backs, to give you my thought process on which player I’m taking while they’re all staring me in the face. Maybe the process will work for you, too. Alright, so you made it through the first two rounds of your dynasty startup. Maybe you nabbed a superstar receiver and paired him with an elite running back. Or perhaps you decided to spend up at a one-sie position and took Brock Bowers or Trey McBride . In Round 3 of superflex drafts, you’ll likely have three young signal-callers sitting on the board. That makes for a tough decision. Whether you have a quarterback or not up to this point, each member of this trio can provide long-term QB1 production for your dynasty squad. First up in ADP, last season’s QB6 in fantasy points per game: Trevor Lawrence of the Jaguars. Sunshine was awesome in his first season under head coach Liam Coen’s tutelage. He topped 4,000 yards through the air and finished with career highs in passing scores (29) and rushing touchdowns (nine). He managed all that with an abysmal 65.7% catchable pass rate and 38 dropped passes, which led the league. Imagine if he can dial in that accuracy just a bit and his receivers could catch. Going into Year 2 with Coen, Lawrence has a ridiculous group of pass-catchers to work with. Drops aside, it’s a solid and deep group. And with Travis Etienne gone, the team might lean on Lawrence more as they try to make it back to the playoffs. The talent, weapons, and rushing upside are there for Lawrence to have an encore in 2026 and beyond. Bo Nix led the league in pass attempts a season ago. The former Oregon Duck rode that volume to some nifty numbers, throwing for 3,956 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. He also chipped in 356 yards with five additional scores on the ground. Bo Nix ‘s Advanced Metrics That output allowed Nix to average 18.6 fantasy points per game (FPPG), good for 11th at the position. That was only a small step down from his rookie season, when he averaged 19.4 FPPG and finished as the QB8. This could be a banner season for Nix as Denver sets its sights on a Super Bowl. He just got a new, shiny toy in Jaylen Waddle (MIA), and coach Sean Payton is giving up playcalling duties to Davis Webb so they can speed up their pace of play, which ranked 30th last year. All signs point to another QB1 finish for Nix in 2026. Last, but certainly not least, is “Mr. No-Longer-Irrelevant,” Brock Purdy . He only played in nine games because of a turf toe injury, but he balled out when on the field. Purdy finished as the QB5 on a per-game basis, averaging 20.8 fantasy points. One big note: Purdy was first in expected fantasy points per game (20.6) — always a big indicator of an elite player and not simply good luck or unsustainable efficiency. This offseason, the 49ers got him a gift in the form of future Hall of Famer Mike Evans , who will help open up the offense and give Purdy a massive target downfield and in the end zone. A top-flight fantasy season for Purdy is on the table if he and his weapons can stay healthy. I’m going with Purdy out of this group. Since becoming a starter, he’s displayed high-level consistency and upside. Since 2023, only Josh Allen , Lamar Jackson , and Jalen Hurts have averaged more FPPG. That’s some elite company. Brock Purdy ‘s Season Stats Since 2023 Purdy is young; only 26 years old, has a long-term contract, and is tied to one of the best offensive minds in football in Kyle Shanahan. If all three are on the board, I’m taking the man from San Fran. You’re [... truncated ...]
general
Josh Allen, Myles Garrett, Ja'Marr Chase headline 'Madden NFL 27' video game's 99 Club
Matthew Stafford, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Trey McBride earned a 99 rating in the "Madden NFL" video game for the first time
TE · ARI
general
Trey McBride 'probably shouldn't have said' comments criticizing Cards fans
Trey McBride apologized for comments criticizing Cardinals fans, expressing appreciation for the fanbase and looking forward to a successful season
TE · ARI
general
Trey McBride regrets offseason comments about Cardinals fans
Cardinals tight end Trey McBride expressed regret over his offseason comments about the team's fanbase, stating that his words came out wrong and that he loves being in Arizona and is excited to give the fans something to cheer for this season
general
Sights and sounds from Cardinals’ Friday training camp
Several NFL clubs have gotten their rookies into a training camp surrounding on Friday. Yawn. The entire roster for the Arizona Cardinals are way ahead of them. Training camp is what separates the men from the boys, the players versus the future real estate agents, and what the franchise can expect going into this year’s schedule. Keep in mind, Arizona has a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on August 6 in the Hall of Fame Game situated in Canton, Ohio. RELATED: NEWS FROM CARDINALS TRAINING CAMP On Friday, fans were permitted to watch practices, and unlike a lot of NFL teams, the tickets were no charge. Don’t you hate it when teams want more out of fans? A lot of bodies in the media area were on hand as well. Right now, it’s just lids and shorts. Although the offensive line is lined up, and a mock defensive line is also lined up and “acting” like they are rushing, the main focus is to know what to do and where to be along the offensive line on a called play. However, on passing plays, the receivers are giving it all they’ve got, and not a single DB wants guys catching balls in front of them. Which means good effort from both position groups so far. It is also giving the offensive coaches an idea of which receivers are getting their routes correct, and which ones are lost. QB Gardner Minshew tossed the ball all around the yard today. His fav so far was Marvin Harrison, who is looking good and seems to have bulked up a bit, but he also likes TE Trey McBride , who made a highlight play. QB Carson Beck has shown that if Jacoby Brissett isn’t getting this new offense down, he is already making an argument to become the Week 1 starter. The dude can slice it into a narrow window and has a strong arm with great velocity. Understandably, there isn’t much of a pass rush; we get that. And nobody on either side of the line is pushing the staying power of their deodorant. He is simply making a statement that the QB3 label and waiting a year may be for somebody else. He especially looks solid rolling out and looking for an open man downfield. All four quarterbacks were seen throwing. Minshew and Beck were getting the first-team reps so far. Kedon Slovis was active as well and had the day’s only turnover, a fumble. Whether that’s just early camp or the way it is going to be will be determined. But if the Cardinals had a game tomorrow, it would be Minshew under center with Beck holding the tablet. Brissett also looks a bit sluggish and may even have a bit more weight on him. Haven’t seen or heard about him being weighed, and maybe it’s the black jersey all QBs are wearing, but he isn’t fluid with his movements at all so far. Lots of passes thrown during receiver drills without any front line. Rookie WR Reggie Virgil is running some good routes and has moves. The defensive backs are in a quandary so far. While there isn’t any real hitting, which would cause some dropped balls via a good pop here and there, plus the receivers know where they are going, the defensive back group is proving to be very aggressive. CB Max Melton has popped out a few balls along with CBs Jaden Davis and Will Johnson . If S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson batted away one ball, he batted away six or seven. LB Jordan Burch seems to be getting to know where in coverage he must end up. S Budda Baker was intermingled with his safety group and looked more like the safety group coach than a player. He was seen very active with the younger guys as well as veteran Andrew Wingard . There are seven safeties in camp, and most likely the team will only keep four. Five may make it if DC Nick Rallis decides to use more 4-2-5 this year. And really, the defense did much better than the offense. Which is normal early on. But it’s not the defensive backfield that’s under the microscope during camp; it’s this new offense. Oddly enough, on the Isaiah Adams front, he was at camp taking part in drills. It was not known what his recent weapons arrest would do for him being [... truncated ...]
general
Ranking all 191 first-round NFL Draft picks since 2020: Best, worst selections of the decade
CBS Sports NFLSource ↗
Deep in the heart of the offseason, I was inspired by an exercise I saw on the NFL Stock Exchange podcast with Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rogers to take a look back at draft history, specifically evaluating and ranking the first-round picks this decade. With a list this large, being clear about the methodology is important. I decided to evaluate each decision from the team's point of view , given the draft capital and options available on the board, rather than evaluating talent alone. This is an important distinction because I'm not simply ranking players. For example, Kyle Pitts is a good player, but the decision to draft him No. 4 overall in 2021 was objectively not a good one considering the next six players off the board were Ja'Marr Chase , Jaylen Waddle , Penei Sewell , Jaycee Horn , Patrick Surtain II and DeVonta Smith . Obviously, with the 2026 draft class yet to play a snap in the NFL, it was not included. Even the 2025 class is difficult to rank this early in their careers, with very few players appearing at either edge of the spectrum. Let's get to the rankings first and then break them down team by team to evaluate how each franchise did over that span. This is unfortunately how a franchise becomes a perennial bottom-feeder. The Cardinals have drafted one Pro Bowl player this decade in second-round tight end Trey McBride , and half of their first-rounders aren't even starters anymore. That's a difficult mess to overcome in one of the best divisions in the NFL. Big hits with glaring holes is very much the story of the Falcons this decade. No hole has proven more difficult to overcome than the one Matt Ryan left at quarterback after the 2021 season. They tried to solve it in the loaded 2024 draft by taking Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall, but his checking in at No. 154 in these rankings tells you how that's gone. They've had a different leading passer every year since and look poised to do it for a fifth straight season with Tua Tagovailoa coming over from Miami this offseason. The Ravens have been one of the NFL's best-run franchises since their inception, and that hasn't changed even after Ozzie Newsome retired in 2018. Eric DeCosta has been solid, albeit unspectacular, in his role as GM ever since. His eight first-round selections without a single one in the bottom third of this list are the most of any team. The Bills may have the most wins of any team this decade, but their recent first-rounders haven't gotten them there. That said, the jury is still very much out on Maxwell Hairston and, to a degree, Dalton Kincaid. Maybe that's why Brandon Beane survived what many thought would be a complete front-office overhaul after another divisional-round exit. A sad fact of the Panthers' draft track record this decade is that they've made an NFL-leading five top-eight picks over that span. Their only non-premium pick was also one of the worst first-rounders in terms of true impact, as Xavier Legette has already been relegated to backup status. Caleb Williams' inclusion in the bottom third of this list may be controversial, but through two seasons, he's been outplayed by both quarterbacks selected immediately after him despite having arguably the best supporting cast. I would be more receptive to arguments that Colston Loveland and Rome Odunze are too low. I'd even agree that they're both likely to end up higher if we redo this exercise in a couple of years. Because both were premium picks with relatively modest production, though, I couldn't justify ranking them higher at this point. While the Bengals' draft track record has rightfully drawn criticism of late, they started the decade with two franchise-changing picks in back-to-back drafts. The duo of Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase has dragged one of the most underachieving franchises in sports to the forefront of the national conversation more often than not over the past half-decade. The Achilles' heel for Duke Tobin in the draft this decade has been the defens [... truncated ...]
general
Cardinals roster: Training Camp TE Outlook
The Arizona Cardinals have a lot of work to do in this year’s training camp. Very few NFL clubs are installing a new offense this year, but the Cardinals are. So, a lot of time and effort will be geared toward getting the scheme installed where everyone is on the same page. This is one thing that training camp is for. Plus, new veterans and rookies that haven’t been to the desert yet and need to become acclimated to the area, its climate, and the task at hand. RELATED: EXPECTATIONS FOR TIP REIMAN Now that training camp is on us, let’s look at the tight end room. This year’s group can’t just be Trey McBride and nothing else. There should be a lot of improvement with this group even though some members became injured, which is not their fault. But other players must step up and be productive and not just a jersey nameplate. There are seven tight ends in camp. New this year are Teagan Quitoriano from the Atlanta Falcons , former San Francisco 49er Kenny Yeboah , and undrafted rookie Jameson Geers. Cardinals’ TE depth chart Starting tight end: Trey McBride TE2: Tip Reiman TE3: Elijah Higgins TE4: Kenny Yeboah, Teagan Quitoriano, Rivaldo Fairweather , Jameson Geers McBride (6’-4”, 246 pounds) is a beast. The entire league knows what his skill set is. This new offense is predicated on the short passing game and running the ball. That falls right into McBride’s wheelhouse. He has gone from 104 targets to 111 and 169 last season. Marvin Harrison, Sr. has the record for the most targets in a single season with 205. If Vegas is putting a line on McBride breaking that plateau, take the over. 126 catches last year; take that a notch up to over 150 on his way to a First Team All-Pro nod. Truly, this Rams/49ers offense elevates the tight end position. Who is the highest-paid tight end? Hint: Plays for the Niners. Now comes the tricky part. This new offense needs a minimum of three good tight ends. That is mandatory. Tip Reiman (6’-5”, 271 pounds) hasn’t been used to catching the ball in college, but he is actually a very good receiver. In past offenses, he wasn’t thrown the ball, but in this new offense he can expect to gain 500-600 yards. And since he is just shy of being an offensive tackle as far as body size, he is an exceptional blocker. So, who comes next? Who takes the fourth and final roster spot for tight ends? There are five candidates, and training camp will reveal which two. This group can shine if the correct quarterback is found early enough. McBride is pretty durable, so that shouldn’t become an issue. If his backup and TE3 become injured, this offense will spit and sputter. Reiman had a horrible injury last year. Elijah Higgins (6’-3”, 245 pounds) is really a good play on his own. He could very well be paired with McBride with Reiman the third guy. But Higgins will need more than the 37 targets he received last year. Throw him the ball. He has good hands, but the knock on him is pretty huge. He doesn’t get separation from his linebacker or safety. The worst-case scenario this year is what happened last season: it was McBride, and basically nothing else with this group. This offense will live and die with the tight end room. This group will become the shining star of this new offense. Cardinals’ fans will soon know every tight end on the roster. A steady flow of short passes will become the tight end’s resume. This new offense doesn’t throw deep much, but the short passing game along with a steady run game will move the sticks into the Red Zone. Yards for stats won’t be generated in large chunks but in steady increments, which fits in the tight end wheelhouse tremendously. Higgins can be another huge receiving target in this offense. He is not huge like Reiman, but he has a large catch radius and can be a mismatch with a safety. His route running is sparse, and yes, he lacks top-end speed, but he knows how to get to the high point of the throw and has decent YAC numbers. Nobody is asking Higgins to be Mc [... truncated ...]
general
Fernando Mendoza, Tyler Shough top NFLPA's Rising Stars list
The NFL Players Association released its annual Rising Stars list on Tuesday and the first overall pick of this year’s draft is one of the players at the top. Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza is No. 1 on the list of the 10 rookies that the NFLPA projects to be future members of the Top 50 list of licensed player product sales. There is also a list of 10 players with NFL experience who have not been on the Top 50 and it is topped by Saints quarterback Tyler Shough. Mendoza is followed on the list by Cowboys safety Caleb Downs, Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love, Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate, Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon, Commanders linebacker Sonny Styles, Saints wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, Giants linebacker Arvell Reese, Ravens wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, and Buccaneers edge rusher Rueben Bain. The list of veteran players also includes Bears tight end Colston Loveland, Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker, Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, Dolphins running back De’Von Achane, Bills running back James Cook, and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez
analyst
Colston Loveland has Top-50 Potential
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland is looking to build off a strong rookie campaign. The 22-year-old registered 58 receptions, 713 receiving yards, and six touchdowns in 16 games with the Bears last season. Like many rookies, Loveland was eased into the mix, but it didn't take him long to surpass Cole Kmet on the depth chart. He's now expected to take on a larger workload with D.J. Moore out of the picture and a full season with Caleb Williams already under his belt. Loveland finished as the TE12 and outside the top-100 last season, but the sky is the limit for him. Brock Bowers and Trey McBride are likely going to be selected ahead of him, but Loveland as the TE3 isn't crazy. The departure of Moore should free up more chances for him in 2026. A finish inside the top-50 seems possible if everything goes right for Loveland next season
general
What will Brock Bowers be worth when he’s extension eligible?
Brock Bowers, the Raiders' first-round pick, is set to become eligible for a contract extension next offseason. Given his franchise player status, the Raiders are expected to prioritize extending him. His potential future contract is likely to exceed current deals for tight ends like Kyle Pitts and Brendan Strange, and could approach or surpass the averages of top earners like George Kittle and Trey McBride, potentially reaching $20-22 million per season
Data comes from cached Sleeper and KTC snapshots. Values update when the sync jobs run.