NFL Player News

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.

Knox, a third-round rookie from Ole Miss, has shown good speed and athleticism throughout OTAs, John Murphy of the Bills' official site reports.

With Tyler Kroft out with a significant foot injury, Knox may be the best fantasy TE threat the Bills have to offer to start the season, though that might not be saying much given that the team is more geared toward running the football and has four capable receivers plus LeSean McCoy to feed in the passing game. If Kroft isn't ready for Week 1, it looks like it'll be between Knox and Jason Croom for the pass-catching TE role, with veteran Lee Smith more geared toward blocking assignments. However, given Knox's hands, athleticism and knack for overachieving, the rookie might be worth keeping an eye on for the long term.

Hurst added 20 pounds of muscle during the offseason, he announced at Thursday's press conference.

After a rookie year largely derailed by a preseason foot injury, Hurst told reporters Thursday that he has "a lot to prove" in Year 2. Hurst, a 2018 first-rounder, will have his work cut out for him, though. The Ravens inked Nick Boyle to a three-year deal in the offseason and fellow 2018 draft pick Mark Andrews looks to be a focal point of the Ravens' passing game. There should be targets available for Hurst given that Boyle is used mostly as a blocker, but it'll be on Hurst to make the most of his opportunities lest he fall further behind Andrews in the pecking order.

Akins is slotted in as the Texans' second-string tight end behind Jordan Thomas, Aaron Reiss of The Athletic reports.

The release of Ryan Griffin positioned Akins to battle for a starting job in 2019, but it appears Thomas has pulled ahead of Akins early in the pecking order. On a positive note, Reiss suggests there is a significant gap between Akins and the others below him on the depth chart. A strong showing in the preseason could also boost Akins' standing and offensive reps this season.

Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said Hockenson could be a "mold breaker" as a rookie, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Specifically, Bevell is referring to the well-publicized tendency for rookie tight ends to struggle in their first season -- presumably due to a steep learning curve that generally involves a combination of learning to block much heavier edge rushers and out-maneuver defensive backs 30-plus pounds lighter. After getting an initial look at Hockenson during the first few weeks of offseason practices, Bevell apparently believes the No. 8 overall pick is already skilled enough as both a blocker and receiver to buck that trend. Hockenson's performance at Iowa last year coupled with his pre-draft workout numbers certainly support that notion. The bigger issue for Hockenson is likely the presence of Jesse James, who signed a lucrative four-year, $22.6 million contract with the Lions earlier in the offseason and could also have a large role in Bevell's offense in 2019.

Waller is getting regular first-team work as the primary receiving tight end in the Oakland offense, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock both talked up Waller earlier this spring, noting that the 26-year-old would have a big opportunity after Jared Cook left for New Orleans. A converted college wideout, Waller ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, but he caught just 12 passes in 18 games for the Ravens after they selected him in the sixth round. He then latched on with Oakland last season and had six receptions for 75 yards over the final three weeks. The competition at tight end appears soft, consisting of Luke Willson (concussion), Erik Swoope and rookie fourth-round pick Foster Moreau. There's a real chance for Waller to carve out a handful of targets per game.

Head coach Anthony Lynn said Tuesday that Henry (knee) has looked healthy this offseason, and expects him to be a full-go for training camp, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reports.

Henry is now a year removed from undergoing knee surgery to repair a torn ACL. The tight end himself echoed his coach's sentiments earlier this offseason, acknowledging that his knee feels good throughout training. Targets have been a concern at the tight end position in Los Angeles, considering how heavily the team has relied upon Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen in recent years, but a healthy Henry could be a breakout fantasy candidate for 2019.

Thomas (leg) was limited to side work Tuesday at OTAs, Max Henson of the Panthers' official site reports.

Despite bringing his helmet out to the field, Thomas still isn't ready to practice with teammates, nursing a leg injury that doesn't appear serious. The 2018 fourth-round pick will enter training camp second on the depth chart, but Greg Olsen's recent injury history suggests Thomas has a decent shot to make starts before the end of the season. He started six games as a rookie, averaging four catches for 37 yards on six targets (with one touchdown) in those contests.

Goedert said spring practices have been much easier in his second pro season, Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com reports. "I'm not thinking as much," Goedert said. "Just being able to kind of play free, having a year with the offense made it a lot easier going out there. Now I can just focus on things I want to get better at [rather] than learning the playbook."

Goedert made a strong case for a larger role with a 33-334-4 receiving line on 44 targets his rookie season, but it will be tough to find regular snaps for everyone in a pass-catching corps that also includes tight end Zach Ertz and wide receivers Alshon Jeffery (rib), DeSean Jackson, Nelson Agholor and JJ Arcega-Whiteside. The Eagles already upped their use of two-TE formations to accommodate Goedert last season, and they could be headed for another increase if he looks good throughout the spring and summer. Even if it doesn't lead to steady target volume early in the year, Goedert's efficient production from 2018 suggests he'd be a valuable fantasy commodity if Ertz were to miss time with an injury.

Searight (hamstring) agreed to an injury settlement Tuesday with the Buccaneers and is now a free agent.

Searight was waived/injured with the hamstring designation earlier in May and reverted to injured reserve after going unclaimed on waivers. The severity of his injury remains unclear, but Searight will be free to sign elsewhere if he can pass a physical.