The Vikings face a precarious balance behind J.J. McCarthy as they navigate the no-trade zone around Kirk Cousins and the uncertain health of McCarthy’s depth chart. With Harrison Phillips moved for cap space, Minnesota may pocket that relief to upgrade a receiver or a backup QB. Jim Souhan’s 10-spot shortlist blends realistic fitters with intriguing, splashy options, from Sam Howell and Brett Rypien to Mitchell Trubisky and Jameis Winston. The piece emphasizes how a capable, proven backup could stabilize a high-variance offense while preserving McCarthy’s development arc. Preseason clock is ticking toward cutdown day, magnifying the stakes for both roster construction and fantasy upside.

Howell’s experience, Rypien’s system familiarity, and the tantalizing upside of Richardson or Winston pepper the dialogue, with Trubisky pitched as a potentially ideal midgame disruptor. The Browns’ recent backup landscape, plus the possibility of a veteran like Bridgewater or even Cousins resurfacing, adds additional layers to Minnesota’s decision matrix. The article also flags the need for ancillary cap-ops—signing a receiver like Amari Cooper or Allen Lazard—tieing back to the broader roster strategy as Addison serves a suspension and Nailor heals. The sense: the Vikings are shop‑quiet now, but the right move could swing the season’s outcome and fantasy value at multiple levels.

Andrew Luck returns to Palo Alto as Stanford's general manager, tasked with modernizing a program that peaked in the early 2010s but has since drifted. Luck’s first moves center on aligning NIL, the transfer portal and revenue sharing with Stanford's core mission: player development and culture. Frank Reich joins as interim coach for one season, providing NFL-grade stability while a national search unfolds. The setup signals a careful reset rather than a quick rebuild, balancing tradition with modern college football realities.

Luck emphasizes a one-day-at-a-time mindset and a unicorn recruiting philosophy—high-character players who excel academically and athletically. He wants to diversify the roster through transfers and emphasize culture and development as the program's backbone. The season opener at Hawaii will be the first real test of this new era as Stanford pursues bowls and a return to relevance, navigating NILs, portals, and scale while keeping the human element at the center.

The NFL preseason wraps with final cuts looming and teams eyeing upgrades at backup quarterback. The piece maps potential trades of veterans like Jameis Winston, Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford, Trey Lance and Andy Dalton, highlighting how a smart move could shore up depth behind a starter while shedding salary or stockpiling late picks. The Browns, Vikings, Rams, Cowboys, Panthers and Falcons surface as plausible destinations or targets as rosters trim from 90 to 53.

Winston’s extensive starting experience and the Vikings’ depth concerns mix with offensive familiarity to fuel chatter about a Winston-to-Mi(n)nesota swap. Cousins-to-Rams surfaces as a stopgap, leveraging Sean McVay’s system while Stafford ages. Lance’s trajectory elsewhere, Heinicke’s value on the trade market, and Dalton’s Carolina status add nuance to the week’s cut-day calculus, with teams weighing future flexibility against current needs.

Fantasy managers should watch for teams that prioritize immediate innings-eater depth at QB behind a likely Week 1 starter, as well as veteran backups who could step into a larger role if called upon. The weekend’s roster moves could tilt late-season depth charts, influencing streaming and bench strategies across fantasy formats.

PFF's 2021 NFL re-draft reshuffles the board: Christian Darrisaw lands with Carolina at pick 8, leaving Minnesota to pivot and snap up Kyle Pitts at 14. Pitts still posts 1.22 PFF WAR across four seasons, ranking 10th among tight ends, a reminder that even high expectations aren’t foolproof in a stacked class. The Vikings’ tackle need opens the door for Pitts’ Day 1 fit, and Minnesota’s TE picture shifts as Irv Smith Jr. endures injury trouble and Chris Herndon’s role fades. A Penix-led Panthers era looms in this hypothetical, with Cousins steering the Minnesota offense from Day 1 and Pitts providing a dynamic mismatch throughout.

Atlanta added Ben DiNucci to deepen the quarterback room ahead of Friday’s preseason finale in Dallas, a move prompted by Emory Jones’ concussion and the need for insurance behind Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins, who won’t play. Easton Stick is expected to start, with DiNucci serving as a ready-made backup for the 3-0-3 spot. The Falcons also released DJ Chark, reshaping the pass-catching corps as they evaluate the rest of the preseason slate.

DiNucci, a 2020 seventh-rounder, has appeared in three NFL games (one start) and delivered 23-for-43 for 219 yards in his rookie season. He spent rookie camp with Atlanta in May after time with Buffalo in 2024 and split college stints between Pitt and James Madison. Penix Jr. and Cousins are sidelined for the Dallas game, elevating Stick’s chances to lead Atlanta’s offense and keep DiNucci poised for opportunities.

The Chark release tightens Atlanta’s WR mix and nudges targets toward London, Pitts, and emerging rookies. For fantasy managers, this depth move signals caution around FalconsQBs and signals to monitor Friday’s performance for any hints of a Week 1 role or red-zone usage. The Cowboys’ visit looms large as Atlanta scrambles to refine its plan with a thinner depth chart in a still-unsettled QB room.