Who Should I Start? Cedrick Wilson Jr. or Mecole Hardman

Wednesday, March 19, 10:40 PM

The New Orleans Saints reworked wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr.'s contract on Wednesday, cutting his 2025 base salary from $3.4 million to the minimum of $1.7 million, according to ESPN's Katherine Terrell. Wilson's new salary cap number is $1.67 million after he previously counted $3.4 million against this year's cap, but it still voids in 2026. If the 29-year-old wasn't willing to restructure his deal, Terrell got the sense the Saints were willing to move on after Wilson had only 20 catches on 27 targets for 211 yards and one touchdown in 15 games (four starts) in 2024 in his first year in New Orleans. The poor production even came with Chris Olave (head) and Rashid Shaheed (knee) missing time with injuries last year. The Saints will have a new offensive approach under head coach Kellen Moore, but Wilson is still unlikely to be fantasy relevant as receiver depth in the Big Easy in 2025.

Tuesday, March 18, 9:06 PM

Free-agent wide receiver/return specialist Mecole Hardman (knee) is signing an undisclosed one-year deal with the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday, a source tells ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Hardman will take his speed to the Packers while contributing both on offense and special teams as a kick returner. The 27-year-old former second-rounder (56th overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 out of the University of Georgia caught only 12 of 14 targets for 90 yards and no touchdowns while carrying the ball five times for 62 yards and a touchdown in 12 regular-season games before suffering a knee injury in December that landed him on Injured Reserve. The Packers could use the receiver depth with Christian Watson (knee) likely to miss around half of the 2025 season, but Hardman could struggle for consistent involvement in Green Bay's offense, much like he did in KC, behind Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs.