Who Should I Start? Allen Lazard or Diontae Johnson

Tuesday, August 12, 12:32 PM

New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard (shoulder) will be out for a couple of weeks as he tends to his shoulder injury, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Lazard will now most likely miss the rest of the preseason after picking up a right-shoulder injury in the preseason opener last weekend against the Green Bay Packers. Depending on how the 29-year-old recovers, he could be in danger of missing the Week 1 regular-season opener in early September as well. For a player that struggled with drops last year and is competing for a starting role in 2025, this isn't exactly great news. With Lazard out for a couple weeks, it will give Tyler Johnson a leg up as he looks to lock down the WR3 role in New York behind Garrett Wilson and Josh Reynolds. Lazard had 37 catche for 530 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games (10 starts) last year with the Jets.

Thursday, July 31, 11:47 AM

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson has "mostly played with the second and third offensive units" in training camp practices, according to Zak Jackson of The Athletic. Jackson writes that Johnson may be competing with second-year wideout Jamari Thrash for the primary slot receiver role, or "even for a roster spot." In 12 games last season split between the Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans, Johnson recorded 33 catches for 375 yards and three touchdowns. The 29-year-old has significantly more NFL production under his belt than Thrash, who had just three catches in nine games for Cleveland as a rookie in 2024. Johnson had been a useful fantasy player for most of his career up until 2024, but it appears he has some work to do just to make the Browns roster heading into 2025.