NFL Player News

Bryant added mass to his body during the offseason, Anthony Poisal and Andrew Gribble of the Browns' official site report.

Bryant was a 230-pounder as a rookie in 2020 and noted the challenge when lining up against muscular defensive ends. As such, he wanted added bulk to become a better blocker. He's pushing 245 pounds in this camp, and he's less overmatched. Of course, technique matters when it comes to blocking, and that's an area he's focused on in camp. The added mass provides another benefit, this one as a receiver, which showed during Thursday's session when he caught a contested ball. Bryant enters Saturday's preseason opener third on the unofficial depth chart behind Austin Hooper and David Njoku.

Freiermuth (shoulder) caught his only target for six yards in Thursday's 24-16 preseason win over Philadelphia.

Freiermuth made his Steelers debut after sitting out the Hall of Fame Game against the Cowboys. The rookie second-round pick was called for a holding penalty on Pittsburgh's opening drive but managed to catch a pass in the second quarter. With established veteran Eric Ebron topping the tight end depth chart in Pittsburgh, Freiermuth will likely be brought along slowly, though he'll try to outplay Ebron when the Lions come to town for more preseason action next week.

Ertz caught two of three targets for 20 yards in Thursday's 24-16 preseason loss to the Steelers.

Ertz appears set to play for the Eagles this season after requesting a trade in the offseason, and he seems to have built up a nice rapport with starting quarterback Jalen Hurts. Two of Hurts' three completions in two drives of action went to Ertz, while fellow tight end Dallas Goedert -- who's expected to see as much if not more receiving work -- added a 34-yard catch of his own. With an unproven cast of young players on the outside, Philadelphia's passing game could be as reliant on tight ends as any in the league, allowing both Goedert and Ertz to maintain fantasy relevance. Up next for Ertz will be a visit from the Patriots for Week 2 of preseason.

Smith caught one of two targets for 16 yards in Thursday's 22-13 preseason win over Washington.

Smith's lone catch came on a pass from Cam Newton on New England's second possession. Fellow offseason addition Hunter Henry (shoulder) could miss the rest of the preseason, leaving Smith atop New England's tight end depth chart. Smith handled himself well in such a role with the Titans last season, racking up career highs in catches (41), receiving yards (448) and touchdowns (eight).

The Cardinals placed Daniels (undisclosed) on the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson reports.

Daniels and three other Cardinals are considered high-risk close contacts, hence the reason for this move. When he gets back on the field, he's the only Arizona tight end aside from starter Maxx Williams with experience in coach Kliff Kingsbury's offense. Last season, Daniels earned a 32.3 percent share of the offensive snaps en route to an 8-92-1 line on 11 targets in 12 games. Both his workload and number of targets could increase with Dan Arnold moving on to the Panthers this offseason.

Ertz is in uniform and participating in pregame warmups ahead of Thursday's preseason contest against the Steelers, indicating he'll play, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

There was an expectation the Eagles would trade Ertz in the offseason, but the rumor mill has been bucked, and he remains with the team. It's unclear exactly how much he may see the field Thursday, but a possession or two seems reasonable as he continues to develop a rapport with second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Coach David Culley said Akins (leg) shouldn't be out for long, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson reports.

Given that he's dealing with mere muscle tightness, Akins should be back on the practice field soon enough, even if he misses one or two preseason games. He's competing for playing time at tight end, but none of the other options (Pharaoh Brown, Ryan Izzo, Kahale Warring, Brevin Jordan, Antony Auclair) looks like a serious threat for regular targets this season. If the Texans are to have a fantasy-relevant tight end this season, it likely will be Akins.

Schultz was diagnosed with a right ankle sprain after exiting Wednesday's practice, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

There's no timeline for Schultz's return to the field, but his ankle sprain isn't believed to be serious. The 25-year-old is unlikely to be available for Friday's preseason contest in Arizona in any case. Schultz broke out in 2020 with 63 receptions for 615 yards and four touchdowns after Blake Jarwin went down in Week 1 with a torn ACL. The pair should continue to compete for the starting role at tight end, assuming Schultz's ankle issue doesn't impact his availability for the start of the season.

Brown is listed as the top tight end on the Texans' unofficial depth chart, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Brown has impressed in practice recently, and with last year's primary tight end in Jordan Akins (leg) having missed the last two days, Brown looks poised to start in Saturday's preseason opener in Green Bay.

Schultz injured his ankle at Wednesday's practice, Jane Slater of NFL Network reports.

Aided by Blake Jarwin's Week 1 ACL tear, Schultz broke out last season to the tune of 63 catches (on 89 targets) for 615 yards and four touchdowns. Schultz has picked up his own health concern, which isn't believed to be serious, per Slater. With the Cowboys' next preseason contest coming Friday in Arizona, it wouldn't be surprising if the team is cautious and keeps Schultz on the sideline until he's back to 100 percent.