NFL Player News

The Patriots placed Keene (undisclosed) on the PUP list Thursday, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

Keene can be activated from the PUP list at any time during training camp, but given that he's coming off an unimpressive three-catch rookie season, it will be somewhat concerning if he has to miss a significant number of practices. With Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith having joined New England's tight end corps in free agency, it will be pivotal for Keene to make the most of every opportunity he's given through training camp and the Patriots' preseason slate.

Shultz will compete with fellow tight end Blake Jarwin, who appears ready for the start of training camp after suffering a torn ACL in Week 1 last season, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Jarwin suffered the injury six months after signing a three-year extension, so the team still has some investment in him even after a lost season. His absence opened the door for Schultz to see 89 targets, but the 2018 fourth-round pick finished with a modest receiving line (63-615-4), as big plays were few and far between. The two now figure to compete for a starting job this summer, and it's possible the Cowboys ultimately settle on a committee approach at tight end.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce told NFL Films that Waller is "knocking at the door," adding that he can "feel [Waller] on my heels."

Kelce remains widely acknowledged as the cream of the crop at his position, but he knows Waller and 49ers tight end George Kittle aren't far behind. Waller even reached a new level over the final five weeks of last season, averaging 8.6 catches for 130.8 yards and 0.8 touchdowns on 11.0 targets per game. He'll again be the top receiving threat in Las Vegas, where John Brown, Henry Ruggs, Bryan Edwards and Hunter Renfrow top the depth chart at wide receiver.

Deguara (knee) may have progressed far enough in his recovery from a torn ACL to participate in the beginning of training camp, Jason Wilde of the Lacrosse Tribune reports.

Deguara handled a substantial amount of first-team reps as a rookie last offseason, but a torn ACL ended his inaugural NFL campaign after just two games. On the bright side, the timing of Deguara's injury should allow him to fully recover by Week 1. Deguara and teammate David Bakhtiari (knee), who is also working his way back from a torn ACL, did rehab work together during OTAs earlier this offseason.

Ertz is willing to play for the Eagles and plans to report for the start of training camp, Howard Eskin of Sports Radio 94 WIP Philadelphia reports.

This doesn't preclude a trade, but the report suggests Ertz won't hold out or otherwise be too disgruntled if he remains with the Eagles. Outplayed by Dallas Goedert during an ineffective and injury-plagued 2020 campaign, Ertz has one season remaining on his contract and appears to be a questionable fit on a rebuilding team with a new coaching staff. It's still far from a sure thing that he plays for the Eagles, though this latest report suggests it's a real possibility.

Firkser is in line for a much larger role this season, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Wyatt adds that Firkser showed up for the offseason program in great shape and made a strong impression around the team facility. Wideouts A.J. Brown and Julio Jones will of course account for a huge share of the targets in Tennessee, but Firkser nonetheless has a great opportunity ahead of him after the team declined to sign or draft a replacement for Jonnu Smith, who is now with the Patriots. Even when Smith was around, the Titans often preferred to use Firkser in obvious passing situations, primarily lining him up in the slot (where he ran 71 percent of routes last year, per Pro Football Focus). Those passing-down snaps are plenty valuable, but Firkser also will need more early down, in-line work to achieve a true fantasy breakout in 2021. It's possible that happens, considering Geoff Swaim (484 yards in 53 career games) is the only other tight end on Tennessee's roster with an NFL reception to his name.

Smith (hamstring) is expected to be available when the Patriots open training camp next week, Nick O'Malley of Masslive.com reports.

Smith missed most of minicamp due to a hamstring injury, but the Patriots' high profile free-agent addition is now poised to get back into the mix for training camp. His addition, along with the team's signing of Hunter Henry, effectively re-makes New England's tight end corps, with the versatile Smith likely to be a key target for whoever ends up being the franchise's starting QB in 2021.

Vannett anticipates having chances to make plays in the passing game with New Orleans. "I'm just excited for being in this system, especially as a tight end." Vannett said during minicamp. "I think they do a great job of really giving us a legit shot of making plays in this system."

Spending time with Seattle, Pittsburgh and Denver since being drafted out of Ohio State in 2016, Vannett never topped 20 receptions in a season in college and has only done it once through five years in the pros. While New Orleans' Sean Payton represents the first offensive-minded head coach that Vannett will play under in the NFL, the potency of the Saints offense going forward largely hinges on the ability of Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill to replace future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Drew Brees. While Vannett should see plenty of playing time this year after the Saints decided against further bolstering the tight end position through the draft, the 28-year-old seems significantly less likely to emerge as a fantasy asset compared to Adam Trautman, who racked up 916 yards and 14 touchdowns during his final season at Dayton in 2019.

Arnold said Tuesday that he's eager for the opportunity to take on a bigger role with the Panthers in 2021, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Arnold signed a two-year deal with Carolina this offseason after posting a career-best 31 catches on 45 targets for 438 yards and four touchdowns for the Cardinals in 2020. Although Arnold will have to adjust to his third team in five years, the 26-year-old's solid campaign in the desert has him positioned to slot in as the Carolina's top tight end, a position where the team received little production from starter Ian Thomas last season. Rookie third-round pick Tommy Tremble also joins Arnold and Thomas ahead of the upcoming campaign, but Arnold is viewed as the current leader of the group and was able to get more comfortable with quarterback Sam Darnold over OTAs and minicamp.

Teammate Jimmy Graham believes Kmet has a bright future in the NFL, Larry Mayer of the Bears official website reports. "[Kmet]'s just a special kid," Graham said. "For him, there's truly no ceiling. He can be as good as he wants to be."

The 34-year-old may be right about Kmet's future, but it'll be tough for the young tight end to make good on his potential if Graham is still on the roster. While some assumed Graham would be released or forced to take a pay cut this offseason, he's currently still under contract with the Bears for a non-guaranteed $7 million base salary. The team has dropped multiple hints about keeping Graham around, potentially relegating Kmet to a timeshare again. The 43rd overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft played 56.3 percent of Chicago's offensive snaps last season, yet finished with only 28/243/2 on 44 targets. Kmet's upside scenario for 2021 probably requires Graham to be pushed out of the picture somehow.