NFL Player News

Blanton was claimed off waivers by the Commanders on Sunday, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports.

Blanton's departure from the Rams was a bit of a surprise, as he was initially expected to be the No. 2 tight end for the Rams this season. However, the 26-year-old will find new opportunity in Washington, where he'll likely be competing for the same No. 2 role behind Logan Thomas (knee).

Smith logged 16 snaps on offense in Friday's 20-10 preseason win over the Panthers, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.

Smith, who was listed in the starting lineup along with fellow tight end Devin Asiasi, didn't record a target in the contest during his abbreviated time on the field, but as Week 1 approaches, he's expected to see his share of looks from QB Mac Jones, while being part of a 1-2 TE combo that will also feature Hunter Henry, who sat out Friday's contest with an undisclosed injury. In his first campaign with the Patriots after signing a four-year, $50 million deal last March, Smith finished with 28 catches (on 45 targets) for 294 yards and a touchdown, but Evan Lazard of the Patriots' official site, among others, has noted that the 6-foot-3, 248-pounder has turned in a solid training camp, which could foreshadow something of a bounce-back effort for Smith this coming season.

Mitchell secured both of his targets for nine yards during Saturday's preseason win over the Colts.

Bouncing back from a torn ACL he suffered last year at Virginia Tech, Mitchell made his professional debut after the Lions cautiously held him out of the preseason opener. Altogether, he saw 23 offensive snaps and was able to get open for a couple of receptions. While the fifth-round rookie is no higher than No. 3 on the depth chart behind T.J. Hockenson and Brock Wright, the investment Detroit made in Mitchell could give him the leg up on Devin Funchess (shoulder) and Shane Zylstra for a roster spot.

Kmet is unlikely to take the field Saturday in the team's preseason finale against the Browns, Alyssa Barbieri of USA Today reports.

The Bears are expected to rest their starters to avoid injury in a meaningless game. Unless the coaching staff changes course, we'll see Kmet in Week 1 against the 49ers.

Freiermuth caught both of his targets for 35 yards in Saturday's preseason win over the Jaguars.

Freiermuth saw his first action of the preseason and played the entire first half with both Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett under center. The second-year tight end only caught passes from Pickett, highlighted by a 24-yard gain just before halftime that set up a touchdown. Freiermuth will look to build off a solid rookie season, though he'll be catching passes from a new quarterback while also facing increased competition for targets due to the addition of rookie wide receiver George Pickens.

Ferguson brought in both targets for 29 yards in the Cowboys' 32-18 preseason win over the Chargers on Saturday night. He also caught a two-point conversion pass.

The rookie turned in another solid performance after having produced a 3-29-0 line in the exhibition opener against the Broncos. Ferguson's impressive body of work over the first two preseason games seemingly sends him into Friday night's preseason finale against the Seahawks with a fairly secure grasp on a depth tight end role behind starter Dalton Schultz.

Gesicki brought in three of six targets for 27 yards in the Dolphins' 15-13 preseason loss to the Raiders on Saturday night while playing the entire first half.

Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports that Gesicki, who was on the receiving end of Tua Tagovailoa's third pass attempt, embraced the unusually robust preseason workload for a proven player like himself, noting he needed plenty of reps playing a true tight end role after essentially serving as a de facto wide receiver over the last two seasons. Head coach Mike McDaniel added that the opportunity gave Gesicki a chance to stay diligent and commit further to the dual responsibilities of pass catching and blocking, the latter of which he appears destined to do more of this coming season than in past years.

Smith (thumb) is closing in on a return to practice, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Coach Kevin O'Connell commented on Smith's recovery from thumb surgery after Saturday's preseason loss to the 49ers, saying the tight end "will be back on the grass" in the near future. Whether that means merely working with the Vikings' training staff on the side or actually mixing into individual drills remains to be seen, but when he does get on the field, it'll be a sign of progress as he aims to be available Week 1 against the Packers.

Kittle and most other starters will be held out of Saturday's preseason game against Minnesota, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

In addition to Kittle and QB Trey Lance, the 49ers figure to keep Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk off the field Saturday. Those four will form the core of the team's passing game this season, with both volume and efficiency being major question marks as the Niners transition from pocket passer Jimmy Garoppolo to a far more versatile and mobile QB in Lance.

Okwuegbunam played the entirety of Denver's preseason game against Buffalo on Saturday, logging four catches for 32 yards on five targets.

Coach Nathaniel Hackett said afterward that Okwuegbunam "needs reps," indicating some sort of dissatisfaction. By all accounts Okwuegbunam has made big plays consistently in Broncos training camp, so it's not clear why Hackett is playing mind games or what end he thinks he's working toward, but just as any other time he's ever played Okwuegbunam drew usage and played well against the Bills. It would be odd for Hackett to antagonize what might be his best big-play threat on offense, but for now that appears to be the situation.