NFL Player News

The Chiefs signed Blanton to their practice squad Thursday, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.

Blanton was waived by the Commanders ahead of Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline but has found a new home in Kansas City via the practice squad. The 26-year-old tight end appeared in 11 games for the Rams last year and caught four of seven targets for 37 yards across 144 offensive snaps.

The Bengals signed Bowers to their practice squad Thursday.

Bowers was waived by Las Vegas ahead of Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline, but he's latched on in Cincinnati via the practice squad. The undrafted tight end out of Penn State joined the Raiders in 2020 and spent the entire campaign on the practice squad. He made his NFL debut with Las Vegas in 2021, totaling 39 offensive snaps across five appearances.

The Giants released Seals-Jones (toe) from injured reserve with an injury settlement Thursday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Seals-Jones was slated to miss the entire 2022 campaign after being placed on IR, but he'll now be free to join a new team once he clears his current toe issue. The 27-year-old tight end appeared in 13 games for Washington last year and caught 30 of 49 targets for 271 yards and two scores.

The Titans signed Odukoya to their practice squad Wednesday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Odukoya was waived ahead of Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline, but he's rejoined the organization via the practice squad. The 6-foot-6 tight end caught 13 passes for 130 yards across 13 appearances during his final collegiate campaign at Eastern Michigan and initially joined Tennessee in May as part of the NFL International Player Pathway Program.

The Titans signed Rader to their practice squad Thursday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Rader was waived by the Steelers ahead of Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline and has latched on with the Titans via the practice squad. The 6-foot-4 tight end appeared in six games for Pittsburgh last season, catching two of three targets for eight yards across 36 offensive snaps.

The Titans cut Wells from their practice squad Thursday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Wells was waived ahead of Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline but returned to the Titans on a practice-squad deal Wednesday. However, he once again finds himself a free agent after Tennessee released him from its practice squad to make room for Josh Gordon and Kevin Rader. Wells made his NFL debut last year, playing 13 snaps (12 offensive) across three games with the Cardinals.

The Patriots and Smith agreed Friday to convert $7.97 million of his base salary into a signing bonus, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

New England frees up $5.31 million in salary cap for 2022 with the move. Smith is heading into his second season with the Patriots, and he's primed to once again form a duo at tight end with Hunter Henry. Last season, Henry set the pace at the position with 75 targets as opposed to Smith's 45, but the team could employ more two-TE sets in 2022 now that there isn't a true fullback on the roster.

Brown (hamstring) is uncertain for Week 1 against the Colts, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Brown missed the final two preseason games due to the injury but has another week-plus to get ready for the season opener Sept. 11. His injury, plus Teagan Quitoriano's knee injury that landed him on the injured list, leaves the status of the tight end position unclear heading into Week 1. The Texans will be signing O.J. Howard, and he could step into Brown's role as a traditional tight end. Howard's frame (6-foot-6, 251 pounds) mirrors that of Brown (6-foot-6, 258). Brevin Jordan (6-foot-3, 245) is more often used as a receiver.

Mabry signed with the Seahawks' practice squad Wednesday, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Mabry did not survive Seattle's final roster cuts Tuesday after playing eight games with the team in 2021, albeit mostly in a special-teams role (81 of his 103 total snaps). The 25-year-old, who has yet to catch a pass in the NFL, will now look to work his way back onto an active roster this regular season -- either with the Seahawks or elsewhere.

Togiai signed with the Eagles' practice squad Wednesday, Sage Hurley of the team's official site reports.

Togiai was unable to carve out a spot on Philadelphia's 53-man roster this preseason after re-signing with the team on a futures deal in January. The 25-year-old tight end played 48 total snaps during his lone elevation from the team's practice squad in Week 18 last year.