usatsi-breece-hall-jets.jpg

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The NFL Owners Meeting took place this week, and I had the privilege of attending to hear what the head coaches and general managers said. With that in mind, here are some relevant quotes about players who matter to you.

We're breaking this down by division, and here is the AFC East. Aaron Glenn did not provide optimism about Breece Hall, while Brandon Beane is hoping James Cook will be motivated for a new contract. Mike McDaniel talked about Tua Tagovailoa's health -- and Tyreek Hill's status on the team -- and Mike Vrabel is excited about the addition of Stefon Diggs.

Unfortunately, we couldn't get updates on every player. But here are some notes that could help you prepare for your Fantasy leagues this season.

Jets: Aaron Glenn expects Breece Hall to share touches

Glenn, the new Jets head coach, was previously the defensive coordinator in Detroit. The Lions had a successful tandem in their backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, and Glenn appears to want a three-headed backfield with Hall, Braelon Allen, and Isaiah Davis.

"When we have good players at that position like we do, it can be a 1-2-3 with the guys we have," Glenn said. "Those guys are good players, and we're going to utilize those guys. If we can get them all on the field if we can at one time, we'll do that. We want to be a violent, tough, physical team, and those men are really violent runners. We'll take advantage of that."

Most Fantasy managers were hoping Hall would be the clear-cut No. 1 running back, with Allen the backup and Davis on the roster for depth. Now, it seems like all three could play in some capacity, which is a problem for Hall's upside.

"I think mentally (Hall) is in a good place," Glenn said. "We have three running backs on this team that we're going to utilize as much as possible. They're all big men. They can run. They're violent. They're physical. Once we get the players in and see how they operate, I think every player is going to be happy with how they go about this offense, and he'll be one of them."

We'll see if offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand has a different opinion than Glenn, but this isn't ideal for Hall. I still view him as a No. 2 running back in all Fantasy leagues, but it's hard to buy him as a breakout candidate after his disappointing 2024.

In 2023, Hall averaged 17.1 PPR points per game, and his CBS Sports Average Draft Position in 2024 was the No. 2 overall player behind Christian McCaffrey. Hall then averaged 15.1 PPR points per game, and he struggled down the stretch with four games of 10.5 PPR points or less in his final nine outings, including battling a knee injury.

But in his first seven games last year, prior to Davante Adams joining the Jets, Hall scored at least 18.3 PPR points in five of those contests and averaged 17.1 PPR points over that span. The difference was he had 32 receptions in the first seven games on 43 targets compared to 25 catches on 31 targets in his final nine outings.

With Justin Fields the new quarterback for the Jets, Hall likely won't see a boost in the passing game. And if he's sharing touches with Allen and Davis, to whatever degree, it's best to just view Hall as a quality No. 2 running back worth drafting in Round 3 at the earliest.

Bills: GM Brandon Beane wants James Cook to earn a new deal

Cook will be paid $5,265,000 in 2025. He wants a new deal that will pay him $15 million, but contract talks have stalled, according to Beane. Now, Beane wants Cook to have a big season and prove his worth.

"I think Jimbo is a pro," Beane said. "I respect him and love him to death. I'm sure he's going to want to come out and prove that, the value that he and his reps put on him. 'Hey, let me show you, if we're not there, I'm going to go out here and do it again.'"

We hope there isn't a holdout in training camp, and Cook can build off his breakout 2024 campaign when he was the No. 9 PPR running back at 15.8 points per game. He had 207 carries for 1,009 yards and 16 touchdowns and 32 catches for 258 yards and two touchdowns on 38 targets.

As of now, Cook is worth drafting in Round 2 in all leagues. And hopefully, his contract situation is motivation -- and not a problem -- for this year. Beane would like that as well.

"We want him to have success," Beane said. "We're rooting for him and we want nothing more, just like these other guys, for James to continue being a Buffalo Bill well past this season. But we are where we are and there's no hard feelings from us."

Dolphins: Mike McDaniel hopeful Tua Tagovailoa will stay healthy

The Dolphins signed Zach Wilson to be the No. 2 quarterback in 2025, but McDaniel hopes Wilson never plays. That's because McDaniel wants Tagovailoa to stay healthy all season.

McDaniel said Tagovailoa's hip injury has healed after it cost him the final two games last season. McDaniel also hopes Tagovailoa can avoid taking unnecessary hits given his history of concussions. He missed four games in 2024 after suffering a concussion in Week 2 when he scrambled against Buffalo.

"It's the art of knowing when it's time to take the risk of the extra hit and only reserving that for a very specific time," McDaniel said. "It's a difficult task. Such is the nature of any franchise quarterback in the National Football League."

Tagovailoa was the No. 13 quarterback in 2024 at 19.3 Fantasy points per game. He's worth drafting as a low-end starter or high-end backup in all leagues with a late-round pick as long as he's healthy in training camp.

It will also help Tagovailoa if Tyreek Hill remains on the roster. McDaniel expects that to happen, but he offered no guarantees.

"We are fully planning to move forward as a better version of our relationship with Tyreek and the Miami Dolphins," McDaniel said. "I have no reason to think otherwise."

Last season, Hill averaged 12.3 PPR points per game, which was his second-worst total since his rookie year in 2016. But he played through a wrist injury, along with Tagovailoa missing six games. Hill still has immense upside, even at 31, but he should be considered a Round 2 pick this season in the majority of leagues if he remains in Miami.

Patriots: Mike Vrabel excited for Stefon Diggs in New England

Vrabel, the new Patriots head coach, is looking forward to having Diggs in New England. He signed a three-year, $69 million contract with the Patriots, including $26 million guaranteed, and Diggs should be the No. 1 receiver for Drake Maye this season if healthy. Diggs is coming off a torn ACL suffered in Houston in 2024.

"Stefon brings an energy to him," Vrabel said. "It's fun to coach players like that. Guys who have confidence to them that understand the game of football. That have been around. This isn't like a first-round draft pick. Stefon went later in the draft and continued to improve. He has continued to be productive each and every year, but I love his energy. Looking forward to getting him back there and helping him recover from the surgery."

Diggs suffered a torn ACL in Week 8 last season, and Vrabel is hopeful Diggs can return to action sooner rather than later.

"I try to stay away from timelines and predictions," Vrabel said. "He's working hard to get back, which is exciting. By all accounts, everything is on schedule, and we feel good about where his rehab is."

Diggs is 31 (32 in November), so Fantasy managers will be skeptical of his production this season, which makes sense. But prior to getting hurt last year, Diggs was having a solid campaign. He averaged 14.6 PPR points per game in Houston, including four outings with at least 17 PPR points. One of those games was Week 6 at New England when he had six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown on seven targets.

Hopefully, Diggs will be ready for training camp, and he could be the No. 1 receiver in New England depending on what the Patriots do in the NFL Draft. At the time of his signing, even coming off the ACL injury, Diggs is easily the best receiver for Maye and headed for plenty of targets.

I'm ranking Diggs as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver for now, but he could improve his value if healthy for training camp. The earliest I would draft Diggs is Round 7, but again that could change, especially if the Patriots come out of the NFL Draft with more talent at wide receiver.