NFL Player News

Trautman feels more athletic and healthier than he did at this time last season and wants to be a bigger part of the Saints' passing attack in 2022, Mike Triplett of ESPN reports.

Trautman spent most of 2021 atop the Saints' tight end depth chart but didn't do much with the opportunity, totaling just 263 yards and two touchdowns. With a healthy Michael Thomas and rookie first-round pick Chris Olave expected to draw more defensive attention on the outside, Trautman should have more space to get open inside and expects to help the team control the ball by moving the chains.

Moreau brought in his only target for 10 yards during the Raiders' 27-11 preseason win over the Jaguars in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game.

With Darren Waller (undisclosed) sitting out the game, Moreau drew the start at tight end. Looking ahead to the coming season, the 2019 fourth-round pick will be aiming to build on the career-best 30-373-3 line he logged over 17 games in 2021 while slotting in as Waller's direct backup and likely sharing the field with him on occasion in two-tight-end sets as well.

Waller (undisclosed) sat out Thursday's Hall of Fame Game win over the Jaguars, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

Waller missed multiple practices leading up to Thursday's game with an undisclosed injury, and he would have very likely sat out the exhibition opener anyhow even if he'd been at full health. The veteran tight end fell short of a third consecutive 1,000-yard season in 2021, but he's still believed to be a priority for a long-term extension in the near future.

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.