NFL Player News

Engram won't play in the Hall of Fame Game against the Raiders on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Participants in this exhibition rarely trot out starters, so this comes as no surprise. Along with Engram, fellow tight end Chris Manhertz won't suit up, leaving Dan Arnold, Luke Farrell, Grayson Gunter and Gerrit Prince available to the Jags at the position.

Sample was carted off the Bengals' practice field Thursday after having his left leg evaluated by the team's training staff, Marisa Contipelli of the Bengals' official site reports.

It's unclear what was ailing Sample's left leg, but it was apparently significant enough for him to leave practice early. The 26-year-old tight end was relegated to a relatively minor receiving role while playing behind starter C.J. Uzomah for Cincinnati last year, totaling just 11 catches for 81 yards on 15 targets. Sample figures to once again serve as the team's No. 2 tight end behind Hayden Hurst, who joined the Bengals on a one-year deal in March.

Hill (ribs) did individual work at Thursday's practice, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.

This confirms his rib injury isn't too serious, though it's now cost him a full week of practice. Hill is mostly focusing on tight end this year, though coach Dennis Allen recently said Hill will still take some snaps at QB as well.

McBride has missed a couple practices with a sore back, but coach Kliff Kingsbury is still hopeful to have the rookie available next Friday (Aug. 12) for the Cardinals' preseason opener against Cincinnati, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

McBride could see quite a bit of run this preseason, as he's unlikely to have a huge role once the games count, barring an injury to veteran tight end Zach Ertz. The Cardinals also have Maxx Williams, who is coming back from an ACL injury and was activated from the PUP list Thursday morning. Williams isn't likely to catch many passes, but his size and blocking advantage could get him on the field over McBride as the second tight end. It thus looks like an uphill battle to fantasy relevance for McBride, even as a second-round pick coming off a 1,000-yard season at Colorado State.

Dulcich (hamstring) returned to full-speed team drills Thursday, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Dulcich took the final step after going through individual drills on consecutive days earlier in the week. His absence from the first week-plus of training camp isn't ideal, but the third-round pick still has plenty of time to make his case for a role on passing downs. Dulcich reportedly got some work with the first-team offense during offseason practices, potentially setting him up to challenge Albert Okwuegbunam for snaps and targets at tight end. A starting job would be more of a longshot, given that Dulcich is an undersized pass-catching specialist, not to mention a rookie at a position with a steep learning curve.

Ertz was forced out of Thursday's practice with a calf injury, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Until the Cardinals provide an update on the severity of Ertz's calf issue, we'll consider him day-to-day. When healthy, the 31-year-old is the team's clear-cut top pass-catching option in a tight end corps that also includes Trey McBride, Maxx Williams (knee) and Stephen Anderson.

Okweugbunam and fellow tight end Greg Dulcich (hamstring) could take on a bit more work in the passing game after Broncos wideout Tim Patrick suffered a season-ending knee injury, NFL.com's Kevin Patra reports.

The Broncos still have solid depth at wide receiver, not to mention their RB duo of Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon, so it's not like Patrick's recent knee tear leaves them hurting for capable playmakers. More relevant for Okwuegbunam is Dulcich's absence from the first week-plus of practice on account of a hamstring injury, thereby reducing the rookie's odds to earn a significant role early in the season. There was chatter earlier this summer about Dulcich making a push for the starting job, and while that may have been misguided or overly optimistic, the rookie does pose some threat to take away snaps in clear passing situations, which would be a major problem for Okwuegbunam's fantasy value. The first week of camp, however, has been a clear win for anyone rooting for an Okweugbunam breakout.

Parham is having a "great" training camp, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic.

The 6-foot-8 tight end is again making his case for a prominent role, though offseason signing Gerald Everett still figures to get most of the snaps on third downs and other passing situations. While he has six TDs among his 30 catches in two NFL seasons, Parham isn't likely to see enough volume to go with the splash plays unless Everett misses time.

Dillon was waived by the Saints on Wednesday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Dillon spent his first three seasons with the Vikings and has been on both the Saints and Jets roster this offseason. He'll likely have the chance to latch onto a practice squad roster for the 2022 campaign.

Woods has "looked lost at times" during training camp and is "probably coming a long a little slower" than the Colts expected, Zak Keefer of The Athletic reports.

Keefer also notes that 2021 fourth-round pick Kylen Granson has struggled, leaving Mo Alie-Cox as Indy's only reliable tight end at the moment. Alie-Cox is one of the biggest TEs in the league and has already proven himself as a blocker and red-zone target, but he may not have the agility or route-running skills the team desires for obvious passing situations. Even so, Alie-Cox remains the best redraft bet of the bunch, and he may default into a three-down role if the team's young tight ends don't shape up. Woods is a rookie third-round pick who has Cox beat in terms of height (6-foot-7 vs. 6-foot-5) and speed (4.59-second 40-yard dash time vs. 4.75), while the veteran has the benefit of experience and a much sturdier build (listed at 267 pounds, compared to Woods' 253).