NFL Player News

Njoku is requesting a trade, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Njoku and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, are hoping the Browns will trade their tight end before training camp begins. The 2017 first-round pick made some big plays during his first two seasons, but his consistency never came close to matching his athleticism, and he then missed 12 games in 2019. The Browns signed Austin Hooper in March, and while early reports suggested the team would keep both tight ends, it now appears Njoku has other plans. The Browns exercised his fifth-year option for 2021, which is guaranteed for injury only.

Cager (ankle) will compete for a spot on the Jets' 53-man roster in training camp, Steve Lichtenstein of WFAN Radio reports.

Cager and former first-round pick Josh Doctson could be competing for the same roster spot, so if the undrafted rookie is able to showcase utility on special teams, he could see his chances of sticking with Gang Green increase. The Georgia product missed the final four games of his last season of college due to an ankle injury, from which he's now fully recovered.

Engram (foot) posted a video on his personal Instagram account Monday of himself working on his footwork in a variety of drills, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Engram was limited to eight games in 2019 due to a left knee injury and later a Lisfranc injury in his left foot, the latter of which required surgery in mid-December. Without the benefit of on-field workouts this offseason, his recovery was reported to be on pace but wasn't entirely known until Monday's post. In April, the Giants picked up the fifth-year option on Engram's contract, keeping him in New York for the next two seasons. For his career, he's averaged 7.1 YPT and scored 12 touchdowns on his 247 targets across 34 contests.

Brown (illness) may be forced to compete with Stephen Carlson for a single depth tight end role, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

In addition to signing Austin Hooper to the most expensive contract for a tight end earlier this offseason, Cleveland invested a fourth-round pick in rookie Harrison Bryant during April's draft. As a result, Brown looks firmly situated behind at least three other options in the team's tight end room, leaving him to tentatively compete for a sole depth role left up for grabs. That said, new coach Kevin Stefanski did utilize multiple tight ends at the highest rate in the league last season (57 percent), per Trotter, so Cleveland could be motivated to utilized a larger than standard amount of players at the position.

Waller (thumb) has been training in Las Vegas with a large group of Raiders teammates, Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Waller appears to have made a seamless recovery from thumb surgery in late December. He's looking to build on his 2019 breakout, but he'll be facing tougher competition for targets after the Raiders added Jason Witten, Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards this offseason. Waller is still a reasonable bet to lead the team in catches and targets, considering he hauled in 76.9 percent of his chances for 9.8 YPT last year. There is a chance he loses some early down snaps to Witten, but it's far from a sure thing.

Ertz could be a candidate for a contract extension this summer, Zach Berman of The Athletic reports.

The Eagles picked up Ertz's 2021 team option back in March, setting him up for cap hits around $12.5 million the next two seasons. An extension for a 29-year-old tight end wouldn't be without risk, but it likely would increase the team's flexibility in the short term. Ertz should be fine for training camp, as he said in January that it would take him about one month to recover from the cracked rib and lacerated kidney that he played through late last season.

Akins has been working out with quarterback Deshaun Watson, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Akins finished up last season with a hamstring injury and missed the Texans' postseason loss to the Chiefs, so his work with Watson means he's well past the injury. He's coming off a second NFL season that was more productive than his first, but the 28-year-old tight end faces a crowded position group in 2020. Darren Fells is still around as the lead tight end while Akins battles it out with Jordan Thomas and Kahale Warring.

Sample (ankle) is healthy and ready to go for 2020, James Rapien of Sports Illustrated reports.

Sample's rookie season with the Bengals was cut short after he suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 10, but prior to that he had accrued just 30 yards on five receptions. The 24-year-old was selected by Cincinnati in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Despite playing a limited role on offense last season, Tyler Eifert's departure for Jacksonville could open up an expanded role in 2020. Sample will presumably compete with C.J. Uzomah for playing time and targets.

Oliver (back) should be healthy for training camp after appearing in only three games as a rookie, John Reid of The Florida Times-Union reports.

The 2019 third-round pick missed the preseason with a hamstring injury and went down with a back issue after returning to the field, as he finished the season with three catches for 15 yards. Tyler Eifert was signed in March and is expected to start in 2020, while Oliver is likely to compete for reps behind him with James O'Shaughnessy (knee) and rookie Tyler Davis.

Goedert is uninjured after being sucker punched at a restaurant in South Dakota on Friday, Mike Kaye of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

The 25-year-old was apparently out to eat with his family when he was punched unprovoked. Goedert made a precautionary trip to the hospital, but he checked out fine and was granted his release. The 2018 second-round pick had 607 receiving yards and five touchdowns last year, and he's poised to work behind Zach Ertz as Philadelphia's secondary tight end again in 2020.