Fantasy Football Diehards | FootballDiehards.com

The Facts: The Bengals admitted the previous relationship between Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase was one factor that went into drafting the LSU wideout No. 5 overall in April. According to both players, that previously built chemistry in their run to the 2019 College Football Playoff picked up where it left off. "Right back to where it was," Burrow said earlier this month during mandatory minicamp, per Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I'm excited about where he's at. He's a really smart player that understands what we're trying to do in the offense. I'm not going to have to tell him what to do every single play. He knows exactly what's expected of him." Reported by NFL.com

Diehards Line: The rookie concurred with his quarterback. "I do feel the same way, of course," Chase said. Coordinator Brian Callahan said watching the duo work during the offseason program, it was obvious they'd played together in the past. "They got a good rapport," the OC said. "You can see it and feel it. They know how to communicate with each other. I think that's exciting for me. They don't really need to get to know each other. They do know each other." As NFL.com pointed out, part of the transition for rookie wideouts that determines how quickly they'll succeed is the chemistry built with their quarterback. As long as Burrow starts the season healthy following ACL surgery -- and all indications thus far is that he's on pace to be 100 percent for Week 1 -- the Bengals offense could come out of the gate humming in 2021, and the Burrow-Chase connection should play a huge role.

The Facts: If it wasn't abundantly clear before, the running backs in Cleveland have each other's back. While at his youth football camp, Kareem Hunt stumped for the Browns to pay teammate Chubb. "Please pay that man," Hunt said Thursday. "He's a freak of nature. He's a brother to me. I love what he does on and off the field. He's a great person and teammate." Reported by NFL.com

Diehards Line: Hunt added, "Hope we can play together for a long time. ..." As NFL.com notes, that's a more emphatic response than Chubb's own response to his contract situation. The bulldozing back recently said he wasn't worried about his next deal but added, "Cleveland is where I want to be." Chubb and Hunt make up the best backfield duo in the NFL. Each finished in the top 15 among running backs in yards last year, with Chubb taking 190 totes for 1,067 yards with 12 TDs (in 12 games) and Hunt 198 for 841 and 6. Each owns the ability to excel between the tackles and the passing game, which means the Browns lose little when Chubb comes out for Hunt. ... Chubb is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract. After becoming one of the most reliable backs in the NFL, his payday is due soon. Hunt is under contract through the 2022 season after he inked a two-year extension last year.

The Facts: Mayfield is one of a trio of 2018 first-round signal-callers in line for a contract extension along with Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen and Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson. While Mayfield noted earlier this offseason he was in no rush to get a deal done, the QB's agent, Jack Mills, told Tony Grossi of TheLandOnDemand.com that he's not planning to wait out the other two QB deals. "I think something will be done this summer," Mills said. "As far as trying to get a deal done, I don't know if it'll get done. It's something that would be pretty much in the team's control." Reported by NFL.com

Diehards Line: "We're not going to be dragging it out," Mills added. ... The Browns picked up Mayfield's fifth-year option for 2022, which is fully guaranteed, locking him in for at least the next two seasons. Cleveland then has the leverage of the franchise tag it could use the next two years if a deal isn't done prior. That's four seasons the Browns could control the QB without a long-term deal. Most offseasons, huge extensions come down in the weeks between the end of the workout period and training camp. We're in the middle of that window now, so it's possible we could see big deals get done in the coming month.

The Facts: The improvement was obvious, even if it was just a spring practice with shoulder pads tucked in a storage room. Gibson ran around the end on a tight zone play, pressing the line of scrimmage, and then made a tight cut outside for a gain of five yards. It wasn't a spectacular play, but it was a notable one for this reason: RBs coach Randy Jordan said that a year ago, Gibson would have immediately cut upfield for, perhaps, a gain of two. Gibson now knows better where he must be -- and when. And he knows how to set defenders up. "It's like night and day," Jordan said. Reported by ESPN.com

Diehards Line: It's why Washington is excited about Gibson as the offseason closes -- and it's why he'll be intriguing, and then some, for fantasy football players this season. As a rookie, transitioning from playing mostly receiver in college, Gibson rushed for 795 yards and 11 touchdowns. In his first eight games, he averaged 4.34 yards per carry with seven runs of 10 yards or more. In his last six games -- he missed two because of a turf toe injury -- Gibson averaged 5.05 yards per carry with 14 runs of 10 yards or more. "Last year was still a learning process for me," Gibson said. "I got the hang of it as the season went on and I started showing progress. But ... I feel like I should be able to show a lot of different things this year. ..." Gibson also said he's confident regarding the turf toe injury that sidelined him for two games. He participated in all the workouts open to the media this offseason and did not show obvious ill-effects from the injury.

The Facts: HC Pete Carroll said a lot of nice things about a lot of his players during the team's minicamp this week, but there's one instance of praise worth digging into. That would be what he said about Everett, an offseason addition through free agency, because of the way Everett's name came up. When Carroll joined 710 ESPN Seattle last Thursday morning, Carroll was asked who was going to be the Seahawks' breakout player this year. Carroll didn't hesitate with his answer. "Oh, I think you're going to be really excited to see Gerald Everett," Carroll said. Reported by mynorthwest.com

Diehards Line: Carroll continued: "This is I think the fanciest, sweetest-looking receiver/tight end mix that we've had. He's like a wide receiver, he's got terrific after-the-catch run ability, really aggressive and he's a good blocker, too." Calling Everett the "fanciest, sweetest-looking receiver/tight end mix that we've had" really jumps out when you consider Jimmy Graham, the prototypical receiver/tight end hybrid, spent three seasons with Carroll's Seahawks. "What Gerald brings us is a real threat in the throwing game. Should be a big factor on third down," Carroll continued. "Our tight end spot is a good position already with Will (Dissly) and you're going to see Colby Parkinson coming up -- he's been really impressive. But Gerald is a really unique player and he should catch a lot of balls and be right in the middle of the action this year." Everett, who had a career-high 41 receptions and 417 receiving yards last season, translates to big things, according to 710 ESPN Seattle host and former Seahawks quarterback Jake Heaps. That's because while everyone is trying to figure out who will take over the No. 3 wide receiver role left vacant by David Moore's departure in free agency, Carroll might be hinting that the answer could be Seattle's newest tight end.

The Facts: Adams says he and his teammates aren't sweating the situation with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is unhappy with the team and has stayed away all offseason. Adams said players are focused on their own jobs and that they'll trust Rodgers to take care of his own business. "Honestly, it's not even something that we truly talk about like that," Adams said. Reported by Profootballtalk.com

Diehards Line: The wideout continued: "It's just, everybody's been dialed into what they got to do. There's enough to worry about with themselves than to be going and worrying about what other guys are doing and what their situation is like, especially when we can't control any of that. ... I think everybody's mindset, everybody is going to love Aaron the same way when he returns, and obviously it's been a little bit of a confusing situation but there hasn't been any negative talk or anything like that. Everybody's behind him." Adams has said he has Rodgers' back, but he also recognizes that there's not a whole lot he or any other Packers player can do to rectify the rift between Rodgers and the Packers.

The Facts: When the Lions traded Matthew Stafford, one of the aspects that made the Rams a solid trade partner was the ability to acquire Goff in the deal. GM Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have praised Goff all offseason, with Holmes recently saying that he's sure Goff has a chip on his shoulder after the way the quarterbacks' tenure with Los Angeles ended. Though the Lions were open to the possibility of drafting a quarterback in the spring, they elected to select offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the seventh overall pick. Goff is only 26, and the organization's stance is that he can be a viable long-term option as QB1. "I never viewed him as a bridge option," Holmes said. "He's been a winning quarterback. I think his resume speaks for itself." Reported by Profootballtalk.com

Diehards Line: As PFT notes, most of the time, praise of Goff stems from his strong record as a starting QB -- as the Rams went 42-20 with him a starter over the last four years. But Goff has been turnover-prone, particularly in the last two years. He's committed 38 giveaways -- 29 interceptions and nine lost fumbles, with eight more fumbles that were recovered. Those giveaway issues are a significant part of the reason the Rams elected to trade for Stafford. If Goff cannot clean them up, then it's unlikely he'll end up as the Lions' next franchise quarterback.

The Facts: When Barkley spoke to reporters from Giants workouts earlier this month, he declined to put a timetable on when he will be ready to go full speed after last year's torn ACL. Barkley said that his return is "going to be whenever my body tells me I'm ready" and it looks like Barkley and his body are making good progress toward that goal. Barkley posted a series of videos to his Instagram account on Tuesday that show him going through a number of drills. Reported by Profootballtalk.com

Diehards Line: Barkley is shown sprinting, cutting, and catching passes on a field before closing with footwork drills on the beach. Those exercises are a far cry from facing off with opposing defenders, but they make it easier to see the 2018 first-round pick back in a Giants uniform after missing the final 14 games of last season. That, in turn, makes it easier to forecast an improved offense for a team trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

The Facts: Last June, Brown received two years of probation after pleading no contest to three charges stemming from a January 2020 incident with a moving truck driver. But now, Brown's probation is has been terminated a year early. Per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, the criminal matter related to the case is now over. "In further demonstration of Antonio Brown's hard work and great progress since his NFL suspension, we are very pleased to advise that his withheld adjuration is now final and he has completed his probation a full year ahead of schedule," attorney Sean Burstyn said, via Rapoport. "We see nothing but blue sky for AB." Reported by Profootballtalk.com

Diehards Line: While the criminal matter is over, Brown is facing a civil suit related to the same incident for battery and assault. Brown was suspended for the first eight games of the 2020 season for multiple violations of the league's personal conduct policy. He signed with the Buccaneers in late October and played eight games in the regular season. Brown also caught a touchdown pass in Super Bowl LV. He re-signed with Tampa Bay in late May.

The Facts: As long as the Chiefs have Andy Reid and Mahomes, they're going to be one of the league's most explosive offenses. But one element Kansas City apparently would like to improve for 2021 is increasing the running backs' involvement in the team's pass game. Second-year back Clyde Edwards-Helaire has talked about how improving his hands has been a focus during the offseason. With a stable of backs that also includes Jerrick McKinnon, Darrell Williams, and Darwin Thompson, Mahomes also said last week that he'd like to take advantage of their talents. "We have these backs that catch the ball so well out of the backfield, so why not utilize them?" Mahomes said. Reported by Profootballtalk.com

Diehards Line: The QB continued: "Clyde, Jerick McKinnon, Darrel, Darwin, all of these guys are really good at running and catching the ball and running routes in space and so using them … I think you'll see a wide variety of stuff that we'll come into the season with and that's where you want to be with a great offense." As ESPN's Adam Teicher pointed out, Chiefs running backs finished 19th last year with 76 receptions and 17th with 584 yards receiving. Kansas City was still first in total offense and sixth in scoring en route to a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance. All of this prompted PFT to suggest there's no reason to believe the Chiefs' offense should significantly regress after their offseason moves. But having another element to plan for could lead to even more sleepless nights for opposing defensive coordinators in 2021.