NFL Player News

Smith caught two of three targets for 30 yards during Sunday's 37-35 win over the Lions.

Smith wraps up his second season with 30 catches (43 targets) for 365 yards and five touchdowns across 13 games. It's worth noting that the 22-year-old dealt with lingering groin and back issues during much of the 2020 season, missing three games entirely while having his snap count limited in three other contests. With that context in mind, along with the difficulty tight ends often face from a developmental standpoint early in their careers, Smith's relatively strong showing could result in him becoming a popular third-year breakout candidate for 2021.

Uzomah (Achilles) posted a video Wednesday on his personal Twitter account featuring him running on a treadmill.

Uzomah wasn't sporting a brace while he ran on the treadmill, an encouraging sign in his recovery from the season-ending Achilles surgery he required in late September. The tight end likely will remain limited or sidelined entirely for OTAs in the spring, but he could have a shot at gaining full clearance for the start of training camp. He'll be entering the final season of a three-year, $18 million deal in 2021, but even if healthy Uzomah may not be assured a starting role. Second-year player Drew Sample showed some promise as a blocker and pass catcher (40 receptions for 349 yards and a touchdown) after Uzomah went down with the injury, and the Bengals still could bring in additional competition at the position through the draft or free agency this offseason.

Knox caught two of eight targets for 29 yards in Sunday's win over the Dolphins.

Drops have been a problem for Knox in his two years in the league, but none of the six misfires Sunday fell into that category. While Knox never eclipsed 51 receiving yards in a game this season, he's become the clear No. 1 tight end for the Bills and has at least four targets in each of the past five games. With Cole Beasley (knee) looking iffy for Saturday's playoff game, Knox could be counted on even more in the short-to-mid range passing game.

Bowers signed a reserve/future contract with the Raiders on Tuesday.

Bowers was one of 11 players to receive a reserve/future contract with the Raiders. He spent the entire season on the team's practice squad.

Myarick signed a reserve/future contract with the Dolphins on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old spent most of the season on Miami's practice squad, though he was elevated to the active roster and appeared in three games without a reception. Myarick will work through the Dolphins' offseason program in hopes of winning a spot on the season-opening roster in 2021.

Gilliam (knee) was absent from Tuesday's injury report.

Gilliam's injury is no longer a concern after he missed the final two games of the season, and he'll be ready for Saturday's wild-card game against the Colts. The rookie fullback/tight end played in 14 games during the regular season, mostly as a special-teams contributor.

James secured his only target for a two-yard gain during Sunday's 37-35 loss to Minnesota.

Like in most of his outings with Detroit over the past two seasons, James' playing time included the majority of available special-teams snaps plus around half of the offensive snaps. However, with T.J. Hockenson around, he hasn't had as many responsibilities in the passing game as he did in Pittsburgh from 2015 to 2018, which is almost certainly the driver of James having logged career-lows in receptions (14) and receiving yards (129) over 16 games for the second straight season. Unfortunately for the future of his production, Detroit has both him and Hockenson locked up through at least 2022, making James seemingly unlikely to see a bump in his fantasy stock anytime soon.

Smythe caught all three of his targets for 23 yards during Week 17's 56-26 loss to the Bills.

Smythe handled his usual role in the passing game behind Mike Gesicki during last Sunday's blowout loss, while also contributing as a blocker in the running game. Through 15 games in 2020, Smythe caught 26 of 29 targets for 208 yards and two targets. He stands to reprise a similar gig during the 2021 campaign, while playing out the final year of his rookie deal with the Dolphins.

Rader reverted to the Steelers' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Rader logged 12 snaps on offense and 12 snaps on special teams in the first NFL action of his career. The Pittsburgh native will reside on the practice squad for the time being, and he could be elevated again if Eric Ebron's stint on the COVID-19 list keeps him out for Sunday's wild-card game against Cleveland.

Andrews had four catches for 27 yards on seven targets against the Bengals.

Andrews was held in check in the regular-season finale after racking up six catches for 56 yards and a touchdown in his first meeting against Cincinnati. The star tight end played just 57 percent of the snaps Sunday in the blowout but still garnered a high target volume. Andrews finishes the regular season with 58 catches for 701 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games. He will face the Titans in the wild card round Sunday.