The Carolina Panthers officially reached an agreement on a five-year deal with former Seattle Seahawks vice president Scott Fitterer on Thursday night to become their next general manager. Fitterer was a late addition to the interview process but made a quick impression on the Carolina decision-makers. He was one of 15 candidates to interview for the position when the team fired veteran Marty Hurney on

The Cleveland Browns Defense was instrumental in the team’s upset playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round when they scored a touchdown and forced five turnovers. They are likely to struggle to repeat that performance in a tough matchup against an explosive Kansas City Chiefs offense in the Divisional Round. Kansas City’s offense only had 16 giveaways during the regular season and

Cleveland Browns tight end Austin Hooper found the end zone in his team’s playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, and it could have been a bigger game for him, but he dropped a second touchdown in the end zone. Hooper sets up as an excellent DFS play against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Kansas City struggled to

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry made several clutch catches and scored a touchdown for his team in their wild-card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Landry will look to keep it going in the Divisional Round against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Kansas City represents a tough matchup for Landry, as they allowed the third-fewest fantasy points per game to the wide

Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt scored a pair of rushing touchdowns to help power his team to an upset win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the NFL playoffs. He will look for an encore against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Kansas City struggled to stop the run during the regular season, ranking 31st in

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb draws a favorable matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. Chubb came up big against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week and will look to continue that success this Sunday. The Chiefs struggled to contain the run during the regular season, ranking 31st in run-defense DVOA and allowing the 11th-most fantasy points per

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield engineered an upset victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opening round of the playoffs last weekend. He now travels to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs in the Divisional Round. Mayfield played very well against a tough Pittsburgh defense last week and should find it easier to move the ball against a less fearsome Kansas City defense on

The Carolina Panthers are expected to hire Seattle Seahawks vice president of football operations Scott Fitterer as their new general manager, according to sources. Fitterer was a late addition to the interview process but made a quick impression on the Carolina decision-makers. He was one of 15 candidates to interview for the position when the team fired veteran Marty Hurney on Dec. 21. The other

Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, cornerback Patrick Surtain II and defensive end Christian Barmore announced on Thursday their intentions to forego their remaining collegiate eligibility and enter the 2021 NFL draft. Jones led the Crimson Tide to an undefeated season (13-0) while setting new single-season marks at Alabama in passing yards (4,500) and completion rate (77.4 percent). He showed excellent deep accuracy

Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon III pleaded not guilty in his DUI case on Thursday. His next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 24, with a potential jury trial on April 8 if the case isn’t resolved before then. Gordon could still face league discipline in 2021 after being arrested on Oct. 3 in downtown Denver and charged with driving under the influence. Safety Kareem

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard thinks that impending free-agent quarterback Philip Rivers can still play in the NFL, but the team must decide if bringing the 39-year-old back for another season is the right course for the franchise. If Rivers does decide to come back for another year, he only wants to play for the Colts. Head coach Frank Reich also recently said that

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay has ruled quarterback John Wolford (neck) out for the Divisional Round game against the Packers on Saturday. Wolford hasn’t practiced this week after suffering a stinger in the wild-card game against the Seahawks and having to be taken to the hospital. Jared Goff (thumb) will make the start against Green Bay, with Blake Bortles backing him up. Goff

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith (wrist) will undergo left wrist surgery on Thursday, according to multiple sources. Smith led the team with 154 tackles and didn’t miss a single game in 2020, but he was on the injury report in Week 16 with a wrist injury. He should be ready for the beginning of the offseason program. Smith is scheduled to make a base salary

The Detroit Lions have agreed to terms on a five-year deal on Thursday with Los Angeles Rams director of college scouting Brad Holmes as their new general manager, according to sources. As a result, the Rams become the first NFL team to receive two compensatory third-round draft picks as part of the league’s hiring initiatives for minorities. The 41-year-old Holmes was also a finalist for

The Pittsburgh Steelers have decided to part ways with offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner, according to a source. Fichtner’s contract was due to expire at the start of the new league year, so the club will not renew his deal. He joined the Steelers in 2007, head coach Mike Tomlin’s first year with the team. Offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett and defensive backs coach Tom Bradley

The Atlanta Falcons have identified New Orleans Saints vice president/assistant general manager Terry Fontenot as the favorite to be their next general manager, according to sources. The Falcons won’t finalize a deal until the Saints are out of the playoffs, but all signs point to Fontenot being their choice. Fontenot has spent 16 years with New Orleans, with the past six coming as director of

The Jacksonville Jaguars are working toward finalizing a deal with former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer to be their next head coach on Thursday, and the two sides are in advanced talks, according to league sources. The 56-year-old is poised to come out of retirement and the college football broadcast booth to take his first NFL job, bringing a 187-32 collegiate record in his

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley (knee) received praise from quarterback Josh Allen and fellow wideout Stefon Diggs for playing through an injured knee in the wild-card win over the Colts in which he played 41 snaps and secured a team-high seven catches for 57 yards. “I do want to give a shoutout to Cole. Seven catches. On his knee. Getting through it. He’s tough

New Orleans Saints kicker Wil Lutz is a solid fantasy option in Sunday’s Divisional Round battle against the Buccaneers. Lutz missed a field goal from beyond 50 yards in last week’s wild-card game, but he has overall been consistent throughout the 2020 season. The kicker finished the regular season by going 23-for-28 in field goals and 57-for-58 in extra points. Though the Bucs are tough

The New Orleans Saints Defense is a slightly risky start this week against a Buccaneers squad that enters the contest firing on all cylinders. Ever since a 38-3 drubbing at the hands of these Saints in early November, Tampa has erupted offensively, scoring at least 24 points in the last eight games and at least 44 points in three of those games. Though the Saints