NFL Player News

Engram has looked "as explosive as ever" during training camp, according to NJ.com's Art Stapleton.

Stapleton isn't the only beat writer to take notice of Engram, with Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com confirming that the tight end was the star of Monday's practice. Coach Joe Judge and teammate Sterling Shepard also provided glowing reviews, all but confirming that Engram has shown no ill effects from the Lisfranc injury that ended his 2019 season. He's averaged at least 4.1 catches and 48.1 yards per game in each of his three pro seasons, but the combination of injuries (14 missed games) and disappointing touchdown production (12 TDs, 27 red-zone targets in 34 games) has kept Engram from a true breakout. The Giants seem to think this will be the year he finally puts it all together.

Waller has looked good in training camp, with Raiders defenders consistently struggling to cover him one-on-one, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

Waller avoided any setbacks with the thumb injury that required surgery in late December. He'll have more competition for targets after the Raiders signed Jason Witten and drafted Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards, but it's still Waller who has the best odds to lead the team in pass-catching volume. Even if he doesn't quite match the 117 targets he saw during his breakout 2019 campaign, Waller should be a reliable fantasy starter at tight end.

Seals-Jones (leg) returned to practice Sunday, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.

Considering Seals-Jones was carted off the field just last Monday, it's a great sign that he's avoided a significant injury and is back in the mix at tight end. He enters 2020 on a one-year deal and is in line to compete with Deon Yelder (groin) for reps as the Chiefs' No. 2 tight end behind Travis Kelce.

Fortson has made a number of impressive plays during the Chiefs' training camp, Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star reports.

Fortson certainly stands out at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, and has used his frame to make a number of tough catches on a daily basis. He's pushing to make the 53-man roster, but it may be a tough hill to climb considering the caliber of incumbent wideouts the team boasts.

Goedert (thumb) participated in Sunday's practice, Zach Berman of The Athletic reports.

Goedert suffered a hairline fracture in his left thumb Friday, but he's already managed to resume participating in practice, albeit with a wrap on his hand. Top tight end Zach Ertz (upper body) also retook the practice field Sunday, putting Goedert back in position to handle his usual amount of daily reps. Even if Goedert's thumb isn't fully healed by Week 1, the expectation appears to be that he'll play through any issues.

Ertz (upper body) participated in Sunday's practice, Mike Kaye of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Ertz sat out Friday's scrimmage due to an upper body injury, but he already appears to have put that issue behind him. Fellow tight end Dallas Goedert also returned to practice Sunday, just two days after suffering a hairline fracture in his thumb.

Vannett cleared the NFL's concussion protocol and returned to practice Sunday, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.

Vannett suffered this concussion Wednesday but made a quick recovery. Heading into his fifth NFL season, Vannett is learning a new system but could secure the No. 2 role behind Noah Fant with a strong training camp.

Njoku's absence from practice Saturday was due to a wrist injury, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

It wasn't clear why Njoku missed Saturday's practice initially, but the absence is now explained. The Browns have yet to make an official report, which seems to indicate it's not a serious problem, but more information should be available in the coming days.

Dwelley did not participate in Saturday's practice due to a foot injury, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

The 49ers were also without Jordan Reed for at least the portion of practice open to the media, although a lack of a specific injury designation might just mean a day of rest for the veteran. Dwelley is expected to compete with Reed for time in two tight-end sets alongside George Kittle.

Njoku is not practicing Saturday for an undisclosed reason, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

It is unclear if Njoku is dealing with some type of issue or if he is just getting a routine day off. His absence at practice should free up some snaps for Harrison Bryant, Pharaoh Brown and Stephen Carlson behind top tight end Austin Hooper. Njoku's status will have to be monitored until the Browns provide some more clarity on the situation.