That narrative will play out on the field for next several years, but the snap judgments are in after the draft concluded Saturday. The first round of the NFL Draft featured a run on six wide receivers, not to mention double-digit trades. The second day ended draft-day slides for quarterbacks Desmond Ridder, Malik Willis and Matt Corral, and the third day was the nuts-and-bolts as usual. Which teams improved their stock the most?...

WIDE RECEIVERS (rankings) Studs: DeSean Jackson vs. PHI (Brad Pinkerton); Calvin Johnson at CHI (Craig Williams); Randall Cobb at TB (Matt Lutovsky) Sleepers: Jordan Matthews at WAS (Pinkerton); Donte Moncrief at DAL (Williams); Anquan Boldin vs. SD (Lutovsky) Stumblers: Bears WRs vs. DET (Pinkerton); Eric Decker vs. NE (Williams); Martavis Bryant vs. KC (Lutovsky) MORE FANTASY FOOTBALL: The ‘Most Hated’ list | 2014 Waiver Wonders | Try DraftKings RUNNING BACKS (rankings)...

The window closes on March 12 and comes with a very significant change. Normally teams can use either the franchise tag or the transition tag—more on which later—in one offseason but not both. Under the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA), this year is an exception which allows teams to use both tags. With that mind, here’s a breakdown of what you need to know about one of the crucial parts of the moving machine that is the NFL free agency....

But just because money has been spent, doesn’t mean it has been spent wisely. When factoring in trades, some general managers got fleeced, while others fared much better. Here’s a look at the teams and players that were either the biggest winners or losers (so far) in making changes for 2020. MORE FREE AGENCY:Tracker | Grading every signing | Top 50 free agents available NFL free agency winners and losers 2020 Winners: Cleveland Browns It seems like we say this almost every year, but then again, this is easier to believe when they have a winning general manager and coaching combination such as Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski....

The preseason is the first chance that many get to see their team’s young players on the field as they battle for spots on the 53-man roster and practice squad. Some teams will also offer a glimpse at some of their new, veteran acquisitions, which is sure to thrill NFL fans everywhere. Yes, plenty of teams — like Sean McVay’s Rams — are moving away from playing any of their starters in the preseason....

The NFL will be taking a closer look at player celebrations this offseason and could relax the penalties associated with excessive end-zone antics, according to NBC Sports. MORE: No Fun League takes over Week 13 The league office will produce a compilation of different player celebrations for the Competition Committee, which may deem the current celebration rules too strict. In the end zone, NFL officials are instructed to throw a flag against a player who taunts an opponent, goes to the ground (unless for prayer), joins a teammate in a prolonged celebration or uses foreign objects....

Is there a draft in here? This is 2021. Of course there is. In fact, there is a draft everywhere. Everyone has an NFL mock draft now. Just ask your next Uber driver or Target cashier if they’ve got a mock draft. They absolutely do, and don’t be surprised when they tell you that when they’re bagging up your toilet paper and oat milk. MORE NFL DRAFT: SN’s latest 2021 mock draft | Top 100 big board...

All that and more in this edition of NFL news and notes. Three things that matter Rams noncommittal on Jalen Ramsey’s Week 7 availability Los Angeles acquired the star cornerback Wednesday for its 2020 and 2021 first-round picks in addition to a 2021 fourth-round pick, but Rams coach Sean McVay might not want to put the team’s newest addition to work right away. “The goal is to be able to do that, but we’ll be smart about it,” McVay told reporters....

THANKSGIVING MEMORIES: Look back at these unforgettable images Dallas Cowboys QB Clint Longley finds receiver Drew Pearson for a 50-yard touchdown to defeat the Washington Redskins. Longley was in the game in place of Roger Staubach, who had suffered an injury. Leon Lett's decision to touch a 41-yard field goal attempt by the Miami Dolphins, that was already blocked by the Cowboys, is one of the most infamous moments in Turkey Day history....

League owners will hold a separate meeting Aug. 11 in Chicago with the sole purpose of discussing teams possibly relocating to L.A, according to NFL.com. MORE: Most beloved players for each NFL team | Dolphins kicker injures leg during kickball game During last month’s spring league meeting, NFL executive Eric Grubman said an additional meeting would be necessary to sort through the various stadium scenarios involving the Rams, Chargers and Raiders....

Week 18, per tradition, brings 16 all-division matchups across the league. It becomes a little more difficult, given some teams are in position to rest key healthy players and shut down any injured players. Here’s breaking down the final regular-season games with the last NFL picks and predictions before the playoffs: (betting odds courtesy of Sports Interaction) NFL POWER RANKINGS: Chiefs, 49ers overtake Eagles, Bills as new 1-2; Packers, Steelers, Patriots cling to life for Week 18...

It’s that kind of week – but it doesn’t mean there will not be some shake-ups. Cincinnati and Tennessee meet in a rematch of last year’s AFC divisional playoff thriller. The Bengals won that game 19-16, and they have the final spot in the AFC playoff picture heading into Week 12. This is a chance to gain ground, but the Titans have been hot since the bye week. Expect another close game....

There were several questionable taunting penalties across the league in Week 2 of the season. The calls drew the ire of players, coaches and fans alike though most didn’t have an impact on the outcome of the game. Part of the issue with the penalties was that players and coaches wanted know why each penalty was called. The officials didn’t elaborate much about what is and isn’t acceptable on the field, so that led to some frustration....

Oakland also got the help it needed with Pittsburgh (8-7) and Tennessee (8-7) losing, plus Indianapolis (7-8) winning earlier Sunday. That opens a simple path for the Raiders to make the playoffs as a .500 team in 2019. First, the Raiders need a win in Week 17 to get to 8-8. They play at the Broncos; that’s a winnable road game. NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE: Updated AFC, NFC standings for Week 16...

Coming out of Week 15 and following back-to-back wins over the Browns and Jaguars, the Ravens (9-5) are still the No. 8 team in the AFC because the Dolphins (9-5) hold the conference-record tiebreaker by one game. But the Ravens have one of the easiest finishing schedules in the NFL: vs. the Giants (5-9) and at the Bengals (2-10-1). With that in mind, will the Ravens sneak into the AFC tournament at the bottom, a year after being on top?...

Seeding is huge when it comes to the NFL playoffs. With their exact spots still undetermined despite having won their respective division titles, Seattle and Atlanta have plenty to play for in their Week 17 season finales. MORE: Clinching scenarios for NFC teams The Cowboys have the No. 1 overall seed and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs locked up, and the Packers can’t get any higher than the No....

However, there will be no Sam Bradford (except in emergency), no Dalvin Cook and no Adrian Peterson memorably scowling at Sean Payton. How quaint that was, worrying about how the 32-year-old future Hall of Famer would fit in. MORE: Stream Saints-Vikings live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) Somehow the Saints turned Peterson into a footnote, and the Vikings did the same with Bradford, the quarterback they traded a first-round pick to get a year earlier....

Although it’s easy near at the top to know which teams continue to separate themselves from the rest, the muddled middle is starting develop because of an early 1-1 mess. Keeping all that in mind going into Week 3, here are Sporting News’ updated NFL power rankings, or how every team stacks up against each other from 1-32: MORE: Breaking down NFL’s contenders, pretenders after Week 2 NFL power rankings Week 3 Buffalo Bills 2-0 (previous ranking: 1) The Bills have had a long time to rest after flexing on the Super Bowl champion Rams in the kickoff opener in Week 1....

Their hungry fans already feel like they’re in playoff heaven, but here’s a reminder that it’s still only Week 11. For now, how their offenses and defenses have started to thrive, these two NFC upstarts belong in the top five. Who has the most power and which team is most dour? MORE: Updated NFL playoff picture NFL Power Rankings: Week 11 Philadelphia Eagles 8-1 (last week: 1) Carson Wentz tops the most valuable chart, as no quarterback has had such a start....