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The biggest news, briefly: Trade talks for WR Brandon Aiyuk are heating up. As The Athletic’s Matt Barrows reported, top suitors include the Browns, Patriots and Steelers.

NBC’s Matt Maiocco reported that the 49ers agreed to the “frameworks” of trades with both the Patriots (which could include WR Kendrick Bourne) and Browns (WR Amari Cooper). All signs point to it being a matter of where, not if, Aiyuk is moved. More to come, either way.

As for the rest of the NFL:

• ⚔ Training camp battles
• → Checking in on Kansas City
• 🚑 Injury tracker
• 3️⃣ Third-year breakout WRs

Status check on training camp battles

Training camp season is a busy time. As usual, there’s a swath of injuries (more below), fights (today’s Scoop City podcast has more), hold-ins and coachspeak. We also have four close battles at key positions, each with fantasy football implications:

Raiders starting quarterback: Incumbent sophomore Aidan O’Connell and free agent addition Gardner Minshew are “about even,” according to beat reporter Tashan Reed. Each is expected to play a quarter during Saturday’s preseason contest against the Vikings. Which one starts could be telling, as HC Antonio Pierce plans to play his starters.

Packers wide receiver depth chart: With four promising, young receivers to choose from — Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks — my fantasy team needs to know who will be Jordan Love’s WR1. The 6-2 Doubs is emerging as the favorite, thanks to an impressive training camp. Matt Schneidman wrote that the 2022 fourth-round pick could become a household name.

Bengals running back: When my favorite team released Joe Mixon, it was bittersweet. He was a staple in our backfield for years (yes, I go “our”), but was a cut candidate for a reason. Now we turn to either Zach Moss (at half the price) or last year’s sixth-round pick Chase Brown, who has both speed and natural run skills. Starting LT Orlando Brown had this to say about the competition: “[Chase Brown] is going to have a year. I guarantee it. Special talent, special player.” I’m also leaning Brown.

Steelers quarterback: Russell Wilson had pole position, but then injured his calf while pushing a sled. That injury opened the door for Justin Fields to take virtually all of the first-team reps. Fields’ read-option ability will tempt HC Mike Tomlin, but based on Mike DeFabo’s report from training camp, it’s “unlikely, for now, that Fields can supplant the veteran.”

Now, over to Dianna for the scoop on the Chiefs revamped offense.

What Dianna’s Hearing: Bombs away for the Chiefs offense

The Chiefs are going for a three-peat, and this time around — much more than the past two seasons — they are built to air it out.

I’m told Patrick Mahomes has been “launching bombs” during camp to his new arsenal of wideouts, a group that will be in the conversation for fastest receiver room in football. Specifically, I’m told that rookie Xavier Worthy, who recorded the fastest 40 time in NFL combine history last March, has picked up the offense well and is finding a rhythm with Mahomes.

However, the star of training camp has been Rashee Rice, who looks faster and more explosive than he did as a rookie last season (though the potential for an NFL suspension still looms).

This past offseason, the Chiefs made an effort to get Mahomes and Travis Kelce some help; if training camp is any indication, K.C.’s offense answered a lot of the questions regarding their wideouts.

Back to you, Jacob.

Injury Tracker: Training camp setbacks, so far

Trying to follow the list of injuries from NFL training camps would be a full-time job. Which is exactly why you have us. It’s also why players sit out, especially when they are in contract negotiations (like Brandon Aiyuk, who is only attending meetings).

A quick peek into the medical tents around the league:

Absent for a month or more:

• Bengals rotational DE Cam Sample will miss all of the season after tearing his Achilles.
• Buccaneers edge Yaya Diaby’s high-ankle sprain will sideline him for four to six weeks. As a third-round rookie in 2023, he had 7.5 sacks, becoming a major part of the team’s pass rush. He should be ready for Week 1.
• Cardinals edge BJ Ojulari tore his ACL and will miss the season, a crucial blow for a team that was counting on the 2023 second-round pick to improve their pass rush. Yannick Ngakoue, Carl Lawson and Charles Harris are possible replacements.
• Panthers rookie RB Jonathon Brooks, recovering from a torn ACL, “will not play this preseason” and will hopefully be ready by Week 3 or 4, according to HC Dave Canales. The second-round pick should lead this backfield once healthy.

Weekly precautions:

• Bills TE Dawson Knox missed Sunday’s practice due to a groin strain/veteran rest day. The Bills and Josh Allen love Knox, who splits time with popular sophomore breakout candidate Dalton Kincaid.
• Browns WR Jerry Jeudy is dealing with a knee injury. Also, RB D’Onta Foreman (neck) has rejoined the Browns after a scare that saw him carted from the field with a neck injury.
• Chargers QB Justin Herbert, week-to-week with a plantar fascia injury, will hopefully return for Week 1. To make matters worse, star edge Joey Bosa left Sunday’s practice early with a hand/wrist injury.
• Panthers rookie WR Xavier Legette is struggling with a foot injury — not broken, at least, according to HC Dave Canales. He’s expected back this week.
• Rams WR Puka Nacua is considered week-to-week with a knee injury after leaving practice early on Sunday with his knee wrapped in ice.
• Rams leading OT Rob Havenstein (ankle) is week-to-week in camp, while Rams starting LG Jonah Jackson suffered a bruised scapula and is expected to miss the preseason.
• Seahawks QB Geno Smith sustained a hip injury last week that required testing. He resumed practicing yesterday.
• Steelers rookie WR Roman Wilson is week-to-week after being carted off the practice field with an ankle injury. He shed his walking boot yesterday, a positive sign.
• Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins left the practice field late on Tuesday last week and didn’t return to the field. Hopkins is dealing with a knee sprain.

Unclear, but looks serious:

• Browns DE Za’Darius Smith was carted off the field during yesterday’s practice with a knee contusion. The 31-year-old had the second-most sacks in Cleveland in 2023.
• Eagles WR Parris Campbell missed much of camp with a groin injury. In his stead, rookie WR Johnny Wilson — a 6-6, 231-pounder who averaged 2.90 yards per route run across two seasons at Florida State — is making a case that he’s the team’s third-best option at wide receiver.
• Giants OT Evan Neal is “not ready” to return to the field, per HC Brian Daboll. The No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft is still recovering from a January ankle surgery. When Neal returns, his starting role may be gone.
• Panthers backup QB Andy Dalton has a quad injury that is causing the team to seek an additional Bryce Young backup “for the time being.” Dalton is expected to miss a “couple of weeks” of training camp, per Joe Person.

Fantasy Mailbag: Finding 2024’s breakout, third-year receiver

Prior to 2023, third-year Texans WR Nico Collins’ career per-year averages were mediocre at best: 35 catches for 463.5 yards and 1.5 touchdowns. Total. In most fantasy leagues, he was rightfully drafted  after 57 other receivers.

Add QB CJ Stroud and a new OC in Bobby Slowik, and today Collins is coming off a breakout 2023 where he finished as the 12th-best receiver in fantasy football with 80 receptions, 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns.

Who is this year’s Nico Collins? Thankfully, this question (and many more) is answered in The Athletic’s 2024 Fantasy Football Magazine. Three third-year breakout candidates:

• Lions WR Jameson Williams
• Packers WR Christian Watson
• Saints WR Rashid Shaheed

Around the NFL

The Chiefs signed K Harrison Butker to a four-year contract extension worth $25.6 million. The new deal makes him the league’s highest paid kicker, fitting after he hit 11 of 11 field goals last postseason and set the Super Bowl record with a 57-yard kick.

NFL assistant coach Megan Rosburg is “the real deal” for the Ravens. The 31-year-old grew up around football as the daughter of a special teams coordinator and is now one of 12 full-time female coaches in the NFL.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was the runner-up to MVP Lamar Jackson. Can Prescott be even better in 2024? Jon Machota examines.

Hear from three young, talented assistant coaches in the latest installment of Jourdan Rodrigue’s excellent podcast series “The Playcallers.”

Jacob’s Picks

📕 Fight Club. “Fights broke out so often Monday morning during a joint practice between the Lions and Giants, it was hard to keep count of how many there even were.” Are all kneecaps accounted for? (The Athletic)

🎙 Scoop City, the podcast. Dianna and Chase Daniel discuss what she learned about the Texans after she spent time with Stefon Diggs, while Giants beat reporter Dan Duggan talks about the most intense practice he’s ever seen as a reporter. All those fights … You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music.

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(Photo:  Joe Sargent / Getty Images)