NFL Player News

Parham signed with the Redskins on Friday.

Parham was most recently let go by the Lions after just two days, but he will now have an opportunity to work with the Redskins during their offseason activities. Parham is a 6-foot-8 undrafted rookie tight end out of Stetson.

Hurst missed Thursday's practice with a minor hamstring injury, Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official website reports.

Coach John Harbaugh expects Hurst to return for mandatory minicamp next week. The 2018 first-round pick claims to have added 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason, presumably hoping to challenge Nick Boyle for snaps on early downs. Regardless, fellow second-year pro Mark Andrews should be locked in as Baltimore's top receiver at the position after producing 552 yards on 50 targets last season. Andrews was the only Baltimore pass catcher to find any success playing with Lamar Jackson.

Garner (knee) was waived by the Redskins on Thursday.

Garner was still dealing with his recovery from an ACL injury when he was held out of OTAs, which is likely a reason for his release. The move could also point to the idea that the 27-year-old has not progressed well enough in his rehab. Regardless, the Redskins already had five other tight ends fighting for reps on their 90-man roster and Garner only has one career appearance in a regular-season NFL game under his belt.

Smith (knee) was seen running after practice Wednesday, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

Smith is on the mend from a sprained MCL and it doesn't sound like he's been very involved in the Titans' offseason program. While Thursday marks the last day of OTAs, Smith will have a chance to participate in drills during mandatory minicamp June 11-13. Even if he doesn't, the third-year pro at least seems to be trending in the right direction in advance of training camp.

Hooper (ankle) is not present at Thursday's practice, William McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.

Hooper is nursing an ankle injury, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. It's not clear if the tight end will be available for mandatory minicamp June 11 through June 13. If not, a combination of Luke Stocker, Logan Paulsen and Eric Saubert will have to fill in with the first-team offense.

Alie-Cox has impressed in spring workouts and is expected to play a significant role on offense in 2019, Zak Keefer of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Alie-Cox had the chance to shine as the No. 1 tight end this spring while Eric Ebron (groin) and Jack Doyle (hip) were absent. Specifically, Alie-Cox showed improvement as a route runner, according to coach Frank Reich, who labeled the 25-year-old as "very average" in that area last season. Already established as a solid blocker, Alie-Cox will return to No. 3 spot on the depth chart when Doyle and Ebron return for training camp, but he's nonetheless a young player on the rise and shouldn't be forgotten in deeper fantasy formats.

Allen (undisclosed) did not participate in mandatory minicamp Tuesday, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Allen did not participate in any of OTAs the last two weeks while nursing an undisclosed injury, which still looks to be nagging at the tight end. Given that there have been no details given regarding Allen's health, it's a complete unknown as to how long the veteran could be out.

Graham admits he didn't play well last season but expects to rebound in 2019, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. "I'm not used to losing. And for me, it was not a good year," Graham said. "And so I'm completely focused on putting my best foot forward and being the player that I am, scoring down in the red zone and being that big threat on third down."

The Packers apparently share Graham's confidence, as they elected to pay him a $5 million roster bonus in March amidst rumors he might be released. The 32-year-old tight end thus gets another shot to thrive alongside Aaron Rodgers, this time with Matt LaFleur calling the shots on offense instead of Mike McCarthy. A better season from the passing game as a whole would go a long way, but there's also something to the notion that Graham's once-elite athleticism has eroded. He produced just 5.4 yards per target his final year in Seattle and "rebounded" to 7.1 last season.

Garner was unable to practice at OTAs while still rehabbing from a torn ACL, Jake Kring-Schreifels of the team's official site reports.

Garner suffered a torn ACL in August of last season, and still seems to be working his way back from that injury. The 27-year-old has played just one regular-season game in his career thus far, and faces a loaded depth chart at tight end in an attempt to secure a roster spot for 2019.

Smith Jr. lined up all over the field during this week's OTA practice, from split out wide to in line next to the tackle, and drew praise from coaches for his performance, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Kyle Rudolph was away from practice during the week and David Morgan is missing OTAs with an undisclosed injury, so Smith got extra work. Still, this shows how the Vikings may utilize Smith all over the field and find innovative ways to get him the ball.