Who Should I Start? Diontae Johnson or Henry Ruggs III

Tuesday, June 24, 2:10 PM

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson believes veteran quarterback Kenny Pickett will be the team's starting quarterback following the competition against Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Pickett spent last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, winning his first Super Bowl ring as Jalen Hurts' backup. The 2022 first-round pick out of Pitt struggled to make a positive impact with the Pittsburgh Steelers, throwing for 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 25 career games. He looked competent in limited action with the Eagles, throwing for 291 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. However, that was behind the league's best offensive line and with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Saquon Barkley to throw the ball to. If Pickett wins the starting job in Cleveland, he likely won't offer much fantasy upside and can be ignored in single-QB formats to start the new campaign. If he struggles early, the team could opt to move to Joe Flacco or one of the first-year signal callers.

Wednesday, June 25, 3:16 PM

NFL reporter Albert Breer said he believes we could see Henry Ruggs III in an NFL uniform again. The former Las Vegas Raiders wideout pleaded guilty to felony DUI resulting in death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter after a deadly crash in November of 2021 and has been behind bars for the last few years. Ruggs recently spoke as part of a Hope for Prisoners event in Las Vegas and said he wished he could "turn back the hands of time." "It was a horrific, horrific accident, and that's always the first thing to consider on it." Breer wrote. "But eventually, people will start to look forward, and Ruggs's public appearance was at least a reminder that he's eligible for parole in early August 2026, a little over a year from now. At that point, he'll be 27 and, at least on paper, he'd be in the heart of his athletic prime. It's unclear whether the NFL would suspend him. I checked in with the league office and was told the matter would be "reviewed" ahead of reinstatement." Breer mentioned the two-year prison sentence served by former NFL quarterback Michael Vick as the closest comparison to the situation. It would be up to an NFL team to decide if he is deserving of a second chance, but deservedly so, it would be a controversial development.