Najee lands in a crowded Giants backfield, the Browns QB battle drags on, and a few draft-day movers worth a look

Najee Harris (NYG, RB) signed a one-year deal Monday after a workout, dropping into a backfield that already lists Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. as co-starters, with ESPN framing it as Harris having a lot to prove.
My take: Harris is going undrafted on Underdog and I'll leave him there until a role emerges, but we can’t completely ignore a back who ran for 1,000-plus yards in each of his first four seasons. It’s concerning for Skattebo that the Giants have been linked to adding RBs all offseason, hinting towards them not being too happy about the state of their RB room.

Deshaun Watson vs. Shedeur Sanders (CLE, QB) stays unsettled, with Watson steadier in the preseason opener and Sanders drawing the Week 2 start against Buffalo as the next audition. Kalshi has Watson as 84% to be the Week 1 starting QB.
My take: Neither is worth a best-ball pick (Watson QB34, Sanders QB32, both outside the top 200), so I'm watching this one for real life, not my draft. My hope is Watson wins the starting job, the Browns quickly realize he’s dust, and then give Sanders the rest of the year to see if he can be an NFL starting QB.

Christian McCaffrey (SF, RB) is dealing with actual tightness, not a hold-in per Ian Rapoport, who added it doesn't seem like anything to worry about.
My take: I'm not sliding off McCaffrey at RB3 (pick 6) over August tightness, but I’ll admit I’ve got a tiny bit of worry. This is likely nothing but it’s hard not to have flashbacks to 2024 when the 49ers continued to dismiss any CMC concerns and then out of nowhere, out for the majority of the season.

Jonah Coleman (DEN, RB) got a quick hook in the preseason opener, with Sean Payton explaining he didn't need more evidence of what he'd seen for three weeks.
My take: This is a pretty strong endorsement from Sean Payton. I’m not expecting Coleman to be the starter anytime soon but he’s likely to be a gameday active and perhaps earn a few touches early in the season. Not much more you can ask for in this crowded backfield.

Elsewhere…A.J. Brown and Drake Maye (NE) connected on a 70-yard touchdown in Monday's practice, the catch of the day and the exact chemistry New England is banking on. George Pickens (DAL, WR) keeps making plays, with Dak Prescott and the first-team offense lighting it up Monday and Pickens among the highlights.

A watch and two reads to sharpen your board:

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