NFL Player News

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said Wednesday that he's hopeful Pitts is headed for a Year 2 leap after spending the offseason working on improving his blocking, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.

Pitts caught 68 passes for 1,026 yards last season, but the majority of his production came when he was lined up off the line as a receiver. Smith believes that unlocking Pitts' full potential will require the tight end to refine his craft as a blocker so that the 6-foot-6 athlete can be moved around the formation to create mismatches. The second-year pro has earned high praise for his offseason work, with Smith even calling Pitts' 10 snaps during the preseason opener "a winning effort" strictly based on his blocking alone. Pitts struggled to produce in the red zone as a rookie, catching just one touchdown, so his increased prowess in the trenches may be a good sign for his overall fantasy outlook in 2022.

Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Wednesday that McBride (back) will play in Sunday's preseason game against the Ravens, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

McBride sat out the preseason opener due to lingering back soreness, but he appears ready for his first NFL game action. The rookie second-round pick was a standout receiver at Colorado State but will presumably be the No. 3 tight end on the Cardinals depth chart if Zach Ertz (calf) and Maxx Williams (knee) are healthy Week 1.

Ogletree left Wednesday's practice with a knee injury and will undergo an MRI, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Per Erickson, Ogletree went down on a non-contact play, and Colts head coach Frank Reich said "it didn't look good." Ogletree has reportedly had a strong camp, but this is obviously a concerning development for the rookie sixth-round pick.

Waller (hamstring) returned to practice Wednesday, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

Waller had been held out of practice the past two-plus weeks with a hamstring issue that Adam Schefter of ESPN previously noted wasn't considered serious. Now that he's back on the field, the Raiders' clear-cut top tight end will have an opportunity to re-establish his key role in a passing offense that added star wideout Davante Adams to the mix this offseason.

Brown didn't practice Wednesday due to a hamstring injury, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Wilson relays that the team doesn't consider the injury a long-term issue, but it's possible the Texans play it safe and sideline their primary backup tight end for Friday's preseason game against the Rams. Brown caught 23 passes for 171 yards across 572 offensive snaps last year, but he lost 18 pounds this offseason and is looking to breakout in his third season with Houston.

Dafney, who missed multiple practices due to a recent knee issue, was waived/injured by the Packers on Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports

It was initially reported that Dafney had returned from injury prior to being let go, but it appears that this knee issue must have resurfaced in recent days. As a result, the third-year tight end will likely revert to Green Bay's injured reserve list, should no other team claim him off waivers.

The Broncos waived Williams on Tuesday, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.

Williams signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee Martin, but he finds himself among the first wave of cuts ahead of Tuesday's 85-man roster deadline. In his final collegiate season, the 6-foot-4 tight end caught 29 passes for 417 yards and three touchdowns.

Kmet, who missed last week's game with an undisclosed injury, could be on the field for six-to-10 plays in Thursday's game against the Seahawks if he's cleared, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.

Kmet did return to practice Monday, though it's unclear if he'll be active. Coach Matt Eberflus said some guys will be on the field for 20 plays. So if Kmet takes the field, his snaps will likely be limited to the range Eberflus cited.

The Falcons waived Fisk on Tuesday, per independent NFL reporter Dov Kleiman.

Fisk was signed by the Falcons as an undrafted free agent out of Stanford. In college, the 6-foot-4, 285-pound athlete played tight end and defensive end, but he tried out for Atlanta as an offensive player.

Asiasi participated in practice Tuesday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Asiasi, who had been limited last week by an undisclosed injury, didn't see any action in the Patriots' preseason opener against the Giants, but the 25-year-old should log some work in the team's next contest, Friday against the Panthers. As Week 1 approaches, Asiasi and fellow 2020 third-rounder Dalton Keene are vying for depth slotting behind top tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith.