Who Should I Start? Justin Hardee or Daurice Fountain

Tuesday, April 2, 4:30 PM

Free-agent cornerback and special teams ace Justin Hardee is signing with the Cleveland Browns, as reported by NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The 30-year-old was originally undrafted out of Illinois in the 2017 class and has appeared in 100 games through his first seven professional seasons. Hardee spent the first four seasons of his career with the New Orleans Saints before a three-year stint with the New York Jets. He earned Pro Bowl honors for his work on special teams in 2022, which is likely where the Browns are primarily interested in utilizing him. Hardee has racked up 78 tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception thus far in his career.

Thursday, August 1, 9:37 AM

Detroit Lions wide receiver Daurice Fountain has played in just eight games since entering the NFL in 2018 as a fifth-round pick out of North Iowa. He has just two receptions for 23 yards on his resume. However, the 28-year-old got first-team reps last week while third-year wideout Jameson Williams was out of action, and he made the most of his opportunities. "Fountain was one of the standouts of June's minicamp and the lanky wideout has kept the momentum into July," Jeff Risdon of the Lions Wire wrote. "When Jameson Williams wasn't practicing on Friday, Fountain stepped into some of Jamo's first-team reps and played well. His blocking and attention to detail on his routes both received audible praise from WR coach Antwan Randle El." Risdon noted that Fountain didn't have a great day on the first day of pads, but this is still noteworthy considering Fountain is largely unknown. While it would be a surprise if he's on the fantasy football radar in 2024, the team is thin at wide receiver behind superstar Amon-Ra St. Brown and the unproven Williams. He's not worth drafting in leagues of all shapes and sizes right now, but he is worth monitoring as training camp progresses.