The Detroit Lions signed veteran free-agent tight end Sean McKeon on Thursday, according to NFL.com. McKeon spent the last four years with the Dallas Cowboys after being undrafted out of Michigan. He appeared in 45 games over the last three seasons, collecting six receptions for 38 yards and one touchdown. Needless to say, the 26-year-old doesn't figure to be a factor in fantasy football, but he could compete for a roster spot with James Mitchell and Shane Zylstra behind Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright.

New England Patriots wide receiver Tyquan Thornton has not gotten out to a great start since being selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Through his first 22 regular season games, he's racked up just 35 receptions for 338 yards and two touchdowns and rushed six times for 67 yards and a score. This offseason, the Baylor product is focused on adding muscle in hopes of turning his career around and staying healthy. "I'm putting in work. I feel like I've put on a lot of muscle in a lot of areas that need it. I'm just continuing to get bigger," Thornton said. "It's just so I can take more impacts. I feel like all my injuries came from the ground -; me hitting the ground. So, it's so I can be able to bounce back up when I do hit the ground." The 23-year-old weighed in at just 181 pounds at the 2022 NFL Combine and has missed 12 games in just two seasons due to injury. Although this could be promising for his future outlook, he could be a cut or trade candidate this offseason after New England re-signed Kendrick Bourne, signed K.J. Osborn, and selected Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker in the 2024 NFL Draft.

To make room on the roster for the signing of safety Dee Delaney on an undisclosed one-year contract, the Buffalo Bills released wide receiver Quintez Cephus on Thursday. The Bills added Cephus in free agency in April, but he's now back on the open market after missing all of last year due to a suspension for violating the league's policy on gambling. The 26-year-old was originally a fifth-round selection by the Detroit Lions in the 2020 NFL draft out of Wisconsin. All three of his NFL seasons have come with the Lions, and Cephus has recorded just 37 catches on 60 targets for 568 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 22 total games (six starts). If Cephus ends up being picked up by another team, he'll merely be attempting to make the active roster out of training camp this summer.

The Los Angeles Chargers passed on drafting a wide receiver with the No. 5 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, which puts second-year wideout and former first-rounder Quentin Johnston in a spot to be the team's No. 1 entering the 2024 campaign. "We believe in it. He's a great kid, he's a great worker. Everyone here has a high opinion of him. I believe he's really going to launch. I really do. His skill set is great. We're gonna work with him, make him better and better," general manager Joe Hortiz said. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams left this offseason, leaving Johnson, who struggled with 38 catches on 67 targets for 431 yards and two touchdowns in his first NFL season, with a much larger role in 2024. Johnston is certainly going to have more opportunities to produce for the Chargers and fantasy managers, but the 22-year-old is going to need to gain more separation and clear up his issues with drops.

Former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan signed an undisclosed deal with the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday. Tonyan will stay in the NFC North after playing in all 17 regular-season games with the Chicago Bears in 2203, catching just 11 of 17 targets for 107 receiving yards and no touchdowns. The 30-year-old's addition in Minnesota will give the Vikings a little more depth at the position with T.J. Hockenson (knee) trying to return this fall from a serious knee injury. If Hockenson isn't ready to go for Week 1, Tonyan, Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt would be competing for playing time. Even if Hockenson is delayed to start the 2024 campaign, Tonyan probably won't be anything more than a touchdown-dependent TE2 option in fantasy for a short period of time. He has a total of 148 catches (193 targets) for 1,549 yards and 17 touchdowns (11 in 2020) in his six years in the NFL.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (shoulder) has demonstrated more knowledge and maturity this offseason, quarterbacks coach Cam Turner told the media. "He's the same athletic Anthony that we know, but in the meeting room, he's taking that step as far as the knowledge and the maturity of the question he's asking now are the next level questions," Turner said. "As opposed to the questions he was asking a year ago were more basic. He's definitely grown in our scheme and then identifying defenses as well." This is a very positive sign out of Indianapolis as it suggests that Richardson is becoming more comfortable with his own abilities and the Colts' offensive scheme ahead of his second pro season. The former first-round pick is working his way back from a shoulder injury but has shown that he can be a real playmaker when healthy. Assuming he's ready to go for Week 1, Richardson (armed with the likes of Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor) will rank as a low-end QB1 in fantasy football.

The Washington Commanders have signed free agent wide receiver Damiere Byrd following a workout, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. The veteran is entering his ninth season in the league, but he's never finished higher than the WR67 in fantasy football. He spent the last two years with the Atlanta Falcons but registered just two targets during one game in 2023. Byrd represents a low-risk signing for the Commanders, and he'll be tasked with competing for a roster spot while leaving his veteran impact on some of his younger teammates in Washington.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins continues to grow frustrated as his trade request from last month has gone unanswered. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Higgins is "pissed" about the lack of a shared vision between himself and the team. Higgins was once said to be seeking a deal similar to Michael Pittman Jr.'s three-year, $70 million pact, but Cincinnati reportedly never came close to that price tag. This prompted the talented receiver to request a trade, but the Bengals made it clear (via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN) that they have "no plans" to trade him. Therefore, the stalemate continues between Cincinnati and Higgins. One has to wonder if too many bridges have been burned and a holdout might be in the cards.

Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift will be taking over the team's lead running back in 2024 after he signed with the team minutes into the start of free agency in early March. "He's exciting to watch, man. That guy, he's got so much ability. He's fast, he can make guys miss and what we're excited about now is just opening up the passing game with the backs. He's got that opportunity to have that one-on-one matchup out of the backfield. We can get him out on empty (formation). We do a lot of empty stuff here, too, so we can move this guy all around. He can win from any spot," RBs coach Chad Morton said. When Morton coached in Seattle in 2023, Kenneth Walker III had 219 carries for 905 yards, with Zach Charbonnet carrying the ball 108 times for 462 yards. Swift is surely intriguing as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, but he's inevitably going to lose touches to Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson, and the Bears also have plenty of receivers that will command targets.

Chicago Bears wide receiver/return man Velus Jones Jr. should only benefit from the new kickoff rules in the NFL that will start for the 2024 season. "How it pertains to our team, you can only think about a guy like Velus Jones. Great example," special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. "A guy like that with his type of skill set, with the speed and the power that he has, and he's coming full speed ahead at you, it's like a damn freight train running at you." Jones' average of 27.4 yards per return trails only Keisean Nixon over the last two years. He hasn't worked out as a punt returner and also hasn't had much of a role in the offense since entering the league in 2022, but the 27-year-old's size/speed combo could come in handy for the Bears on kickoffs this year. The Bears could also use running back Khalil Herbert on kickoffs.