New England

Patriots

Per Maiocco, “now it’s up to Aiyuk to decide if he will accept either team’s contract terms.” It’s odd timing for a deal of this nature, but things are looking irreparable between the 49ers and their co-No. 1 receiver. The 2020 first-rounder just wants to get paid heading into the final season of his rookie deal, and the star-laden Niners aren’t in a great position to do so. This should get resolved within the next 24 hours. Both the Pats and Browns would be a steep fantasy downgrade, but the Pats far, far — far — more so.

Maye has received mixed reviews during his first training camp, with one reporter going so far as to say rookie sixth-rounder Joe Milton is outperforming the No. 3 overall pick. Veteran Jacoby Brissett remains entrenched as the Patriots’ starter for the time being and is expected to start Week 1 against the Bengals, barring an unexpected turn of events. With that said, it sounds like Mayo plans to get Maye involved with the first team at some point in camp and possibly even the preseason. Maye isn’t the first high-draft pick to struggle in camp, and he was never expected to break camp as the starter. We’ll see where the dust settles on this in a few weeks, but it doesn’t sound like the Patriots are eager to shoehorn him into an uncomfortable position early in his career.

Purcell has spent the last five seasons with the Broncos, starting in 37 of the 65 games he appeared in over that span. The veteran lineman is set to enter his ninth season as a pro and is coming off a year in which he totaled 25 tackles and one TFL. He’ll likely serve as added depth along a Patriots line that includes Davon Godchaux and Christian Barmore.

Judon is seeking a new or reworked contract from the Patriots and did not practice with the team on Monday or Tuesday. Head coach Jerod Mayo said he and Judon had a “great meeting” recently and that both sides are “moving forward,” with Judon expected to re-join the team on Thursday. We don’t yet know if Judon and the Patriots have reached an agreement on a new/revised deal, but we’d expect that something is in the works if he takes to the field on Thursday.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the deal is worth “up to” $21 million and features $16.5 million in guarantees. Godchaux signed with the Patriots as a free agent in 2021 and has appeared in all 51 regular season games and the team’s lone playoff appearance. He has been a rotational lineman who sees the majority of his reps in run defense. Godchaux totaled 56 tackles, two TFLs, and one fumble recovery in 2023.

Judon has been on the sidelines for the start of training camp while seeking a new contract from the Patriots. He began his career with the Ravens but exploded after signing with the Pats as a free agent. Judon totaled 12.5 sacks during his first season in New England in 2021 and upped that number to 15.5 in 2022. He then missed most of the 2023 season with a torn bicep. Judon is entering the final year of his contract and would earn a massive deal in free agency if he is available. However, things are moving in the right direction for him to stay in New England beyond this year.

Judon has been a good soldier this offseason while seeking a new contract. The veteran pass rusher reported to mandatory minicamp and has been present and participating in training camp up until Monday. Monday marked the first day of padded practice for the Patriots, and as The Athletic’s Chad Graff pointed out, Judon “showed up in a sweatshirt, chatted with [head coach] Jerod Mayo for a while, then left the main field.” We can’t say for certain that a hold-in is officially underway, but things appear to be trending in that direction. Judon, who turns 32 next month, is hoping to get one more extension from the Patriots before the start of this season, but that was the case last year before the team reworked his deal for 2023. He’s set to earn just over $14 million this season, but Judon is hoping for some long-term security before the start of the season. Before suffering a season-ending biceps injury last season, Judon had totaled four sacks in four games for the Patriots and has totaled 32 sacks in 38 career games with the team.

The Patriots released a statement saying Barmore was treated at Mass General Brigham over the weekend and "[while] there is no current timetable for his return, we know Christian is getting tremendous care and we look forward to his full recovery.” Barmore anchors the Patriots’ talented defensive front. He was named to the 2021 PFWA All-Rookie Team before breaking out as a difference-making three-down player in 2023, totaling 8.5 NFL sacks and eight tackles for loss or no gain in run defense.

Rodrigue has steadily beat the drum for the Rams’ tight end room this offseason, though it remains to be seen how much of a personnel shift Sean McVay will employ, having led the league in 11 personnel usage in five-of-seven seasons as the Rams head coach. Tight ends coach Nick Caley, who coached the Patriots’ tight ends from 2017-to-2022, reportedly turned down an offer for the Patriots’ open offensive coordinator role this offseason, “in part because of the group of players he coaches in L.A.” Fantasy managers should continue monitoring second-year TE Davis Allen and free-agent signee TE Colby Parkinson’s training camp development while starter Tyler Higbee rehabilitates a pair of Grade 3 ACL and MCL tears that occurred on January 14th.

Gibson was placed on the NFI list to open camp but was spotted participating in team drills on Sunday. Per Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss, Gibson’s participation “indicates that he has been cleared,” despite no official word yet from the team. Gibson signed a three-year deal with the Patriots this offseason and figures to work for the Patriots on third downs and passing downs — which has been a staple in his game since entering the league in 2020. Gibson rushed for a career-low 265 yards and one touchdown with the Commanders last season but also caught a career-high 48 passes 389 yards while averaging a solid 5.8 yards per touch overall. Week-to-week fantasy value could be hard to come by for Gibson, but his versatility makes him an interesting stash in redraft leagues this upcoming season.