NFL Player News

The Buccaneers waived Niklas (leg) with an injury designation Sunday, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

The veteran tight end reunited with former Cards coach Bruce Arians on the eve of training camp, but he sustained a leg injury in Friday's opening practice. After he was unable to return to the field over the weekend, Niklas was a natural candidate for release when the team needed a roster spot to ink Vincent Testaverde as an extra training camp arm. Injuries contained Niklas to just 19 receptions for 203 yards and three touchdowns in Arizona between 2014 and 2017.

Goedert has made a number of plays and seen increased reps so far in camp, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

The Eagles seem to be emphasizing two-TE formations more this preseason and are getting the ball in his hands close to the line of scrimmage. After a solid spring, Goedert has continued to make plays early in camp. If his role continues to grow, he could have value beyond being merely Zach Ertz's handcuff.

Knox did not practice Sunday due to a hamstring injury, The Buffalo News reports.

With presumed starter Tyler Kroft nowhere near a return from a broken foot and Lee Smith predominantly a blocker, Knox appears to be the current leader for Week 1 fantasy production. As a rookie, however, he needs to be practicing as much as possible, so we'll see if this is minor when the Bills return to practice Tuesday.

Hockenson has made a strong first impression during the opening days of training camp, Michael Rothstein of ESPN reports.

Hockenson reportedly drew a standing ovation from the crowd after a practice in which he made numerous eyebrow-raising catches in traffic. While we need to keep in mind that the pads have yet to come on, Hockenson has been drawing these kinds of reviews since he came to Detroit and he seems to be on track for a significant role in the Lions passing game. His primary competition for snaps, Jesse James, is reportedly being positioned as the team's primary blocking tight end.

Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has high hopes for Njoku in 2019, Steve Doerschuk of The Canton Repository reports. "The sky is the limit for [Njoku]," said Mayfield. "He hasn't had a lot of coaching and hasn't been playing that long. You can see how athletic he is, how talented."

There's no shortage of target competition in Cleveland, but the wealth of talent should also create more touchdowns to go around compared to Njoku's first two seasons in the league. The 2017 first-round pick took a step forward in terms of efficiency after the team fired Hue Jackson and Todd Haley last season, catching 25 of 37 targets for 342 yards (9.2) and two touchdowns over the final eight games. Njoku had fewer yards (297) on more targets (51) in his first eight games, though part of the problem was a slow start with Tyrod Taylor under center. It doesn't hurt that the 23-year-old tight end appears to be on Mayfield's good side already.

Smith (knee) ran routes Friday on a separate field with trainers, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

Smith opens training camp on the PUP list, wearing a brace to help stabilize his knee. The season-ending injury he suffered last year was reported as an MCL sprain, but the lengthy recovery hints at a more serious issue, or else some type of setback in the rehab process. Either way, a recent report suggested Smith should be ready for practice at some point in August, giving him a chance to be ready for Week 1. Fellow tight end Delanie Walker (ankle) is practicing without restriction.

Knox took every snap but one with the first-team offense during Thursday's opening day of training camp, Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News reports.

Starter Tyler Kroft remains out with a broken foot and is a true question mark for Week 1 of the regular season, so for now Knox -- a rookie third-rounder from Ole Miss -- looks like the best healthy fantasy option. We'll see if he can hold off Jason Croom and fellow rookie Tommy Sweeney, all while keeping an eye on Kroft's health. Dawson has good size at 6-foot-4, 254 and Josh Allen has been raving about his football smarts, though keep in mind he's a rookie in an offense with several more experienced options, and surprisingly never caught a TD reception in college.

Dissly (kneecap) went through some individual drills Thursday, including running routes, Stacy Jo Rost of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Dissly likely will be eased into practice over the next few weeks, working his way back from the patella tendon injury that ended his rookie season after four games. He has a nice opportunity to serve as Seattle's top pass catcher at tight end, after Nick Vannett and Ed Dickson failed to make an impression last year.

Engram (hamstring) is healthy for the start of training camp, John Schmeelk of Giants.com reports.

Engram dealt with a minor hamstring injury during the offseason program but never appeared to be in serious danger of missing training camp. He's locked in as one of Eli Manning's favorite targets, albeit in an offense that also has Saquon Barkley, Golden Tate and Sterling Shepard as useful weapons on short passes.

Niklas signed a contract with the Buccaneers on Wednesday, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Niklas did not stick to an NFL roster during the 2018 campaign but played a depth role in Arizona from 2014 to 2017. Across those four seasons, he appeared in 41 games, recording 19 catches for 203 yards and one touchdown. With Cameron Brate entrenched as the top backup to O.J. Howard in Tampa Bay, Niklas will compete for a depth role.