Who Should I Start? Calvin Ridley or Raheem Blackshear

Friday, August 1, 10:31 AM

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley (calf) will sit out Friday's practice. According to head coach Ben Callahan, this is a scheduled maintenance day for Ridley. The 30-year-old exited Wednesday's practice early after experiencing cramps in his right calf and will get Friday off to rest. The buzz around Tennessee is that Ridley has had a strong start to camp and has been building a natural chemistry with No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward since the first practices of Spring. Ridley is the unquestioned alpha in the Titans' receiver room, and he led the league in unrealized air yards last season while catching passes from Will Levis. If he can continue to earn the trust of his young QB and the Titans' passing game finds any semblance of rhythm this year, Ridley represents sneaky good value in the middle rounds in upcoming fantasy drafts.

Tuesday, July 1, 9:30 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Raheem Blackshear will "almost exclusively be a special teams player" in 2025 if the team elects to keep a fourth RB around beyond training camp, writes The Charlotte Observer's Alex Zietlow. The Panthers only kept three RBs a year ago. Even with rookie Jonathon Brooks (knee) out for most of last season, Blackshear didn't have a single rushing attempt until Week 16. The 27-year-old will primarily be competing with David Moore, Jimmy Horn Jr. and Hunter Renfrow for a spot on the team's 53-man roster as a return option. The former undrafted free agent in 2022 has had 68 touches for 341 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns on offense for the Panthers in the last three years while adding 66 kickoff returns for 1,734 yards and 23 punt returns for 200 yards. He's off the fantasy radar in the vast majority of leagues.