NFL Player News

The Bears waived Horsted (undisclosed) with a failed physical designation Wednesday.

Horsted appeared in seven games for Chicago last season and caught two of three targets for 21 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears tendered him a contract for 2022 but have now opted to part ways with him.

Otton (ankle) won't participate in on-field work at rookie minicamp, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

The fourth-round pick out of Washington received medical clearance in April following season-ending surgery, but the Buccaneers will play it safe and keep him off the practice field for now. Otton currently falls somewhere behind Cameron Brate on the depth chart, and both players would move down a spot if Rob Gronkowski decides to return to Tampa Bay for another season.

Sokol was waived by the Lions on Tuesday.

Sokol had signed a reserve/future contract with the Lions in January, after spending 2021 on the Jaguars' and Chargers' practice squads. The former Michigan State product last saw game action in two games in 2020 for the Chargers but never tallied a target.

Pinkney (undisclosed) was waived by the Lions with an injury settlement Tuesday,

Pinkney finished the season with the Lions after spending time on the Rams' and Titans' practice squads last season. Appearing in two games for Detroit, Pinkney saw a total of 43 offensive snaps but never saw a target. The 24-year-old will work to earn a shot elsewhere for the upcoming season.

Dillon was waived by the Jets on Monday, Ethan Greenberg of the team's official site reports.

Dillon re-upped with the Jets in January on a reserve/future contract after joining the squad in December, which followed his departure from the Vikings. The 25-year-old had spent the better part of the last three seasons with Minnesota, appearing in a total of four games and earning one reception on one target for six yards in that time span.

Ruckert, who has been suffering from a foot injury, will be re-evaluated next week to determine the extent the rookie will be able to participate in the Jets' rookie OTAs, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

The quote suggests the Jets are "hopeful" the 2022 third-round pick will be able to participate during any of the Jets' spring optional practices throughout the spring, including rookie OTAs. New York signed both C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin this offseason to bolster a previously porous TE corps, so any missed time could put the Ohio State product even further behind in his quest for quality snaps during his rookie campaign.

Hudson (ankle) currently projects to be fourth on the Titans' tight-end depth chart, Ben Arthur of the Tennessean reports.

Hudson ended the 2021 season on injured reserve and also missed six weeks earlier in the season with a related issue. He was active for only two games and could be on the roster bubble heading into 2022, particularly after the team selected Chig Okonkwo in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Following the recent NFL Draft, Blanton and Brycen Hopkins continue to follow Tyler Higbee on the Rams' tight end depth chart, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Meanwhile, 2021 fourth-rounder Jacob Harris is bouncing back from a knee injury, but at this stage Blanton -- who is presumably past a shoulder issue that slowed him in Super Bowl LVI -- and Hopkins remain next up for tight end targets in the event that Higbee misses time this season.

Following the 2022 NFL Draft, Keene (knee) and Devin Asiasi remain in the Patriots' backup tight end mix, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.

While neither of the two 2020 third-rounders are threats to supplant the team's top two tight ends, Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, the Patriots would no doubt like to see added contributions from Keene and/or Asiasi. Since being taken 101st overall out of Virginia Tech, Keene has recorded just three catches for 16 yards in six regular-season NFL games. The 23-year-old spent last season on IR, but he's presumably past the knee injury that landed him there and will look to reclaim his roster spot ahead of the 2022 campaign.

Following the recent NFL Draft, Gray remains in the mix to back up Travis Kelce along with Blake Bell and Jody Fortson (Achilles), Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.

Of course, as long as Kelce, who logged 159 targets last season, remains available, there's not going to be much volume for Kansas City's reserve tight ends. In 2021, Gray caught seven of his 10 targets for 36 yards and a TD in 16 games. Meanwhile, Bell logged 13 targets in 16 contests and Fortson five in six outings. In the event that Kelce misses time for any reason in 2022, it's unclear who would fill in as the team's starting TE, with a time-share approach in which Gray -- a 2021 fifth-rounder -- would likely be a factor.