NFL Player News

Hodges signed a reserve/future contract with the Steelers on Tuesday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Hodges couldn't make the Steelers 53-man roster to begin the season and landed on their practice squad. The 2017 sixth-round pick had 48 catches for 691 yards and seven touchdowns in his final season at Virginia Tech but has yet to play in an NFL game. Hodges may see a spot open if Xavier Grimble moves on from Pittsburgh after the season, but Hodges won't have many opportunities with Vance McDonald and Jesse James under contract in 2019.

Lucas signed a reserve/future contract with the 49ers on Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Lucas entered the league in 2014 but hasn't suited up for a game yet. The 49ers are his sixth team in that span. Even if he sticks with the team until Week 1 of the 2019 season, Lucas has a ceiling as a special-teams asset since second-year tight end George Kittle is a rising star who will command work on most pass-catching situations.

Swaim (wrist) will have his cast removed Thursday, Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News reports.

While he seems to be making good progress, Swaim isn't eligible to return this season even if the Cowboys make a deep playoff run. Blake Jarwin's Week 17 breakout locks him in as the team's top pass-catching threat at tight end.

Kittle spent part of his record-breaking season playing with a cracked rib, an injury he initially suffered Week 9 against the Raiders, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

The 49ers listed Kittle with a chest injury the following week, limiting him to non-contact work in practice before he posted a 9-83-0 receiving line against the Giants. He returned to full participation after a Week 11 bye and ultimately finished his second pro season with an NFL record for receiving yards (1,377) by a tight end. Kittle only scored five times on 88 catches, but his marks of 15.6 yards per catch and 10.1 per target were remarkable by positional standards. It's possible his best work is still to come, as Kittle is only 25 years old and should get to play with Jimmy Garoppolo (knee) in 2019. It won't come as any surprise if Kittle and/or Travis Kelce make(s) another run at the TE yardage record. There hasn't been any indication that the cracked rib is still an issue.

James was not targeted in Sunday's 16-13 win over Cincinnati.

For the second straight game, Ben Roethlisberger failed to throw a pass to James, whose playing time dwindled as the season progressed. He finishes 2018 with 30 catches (on 39 targets) for 423 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games and is a clear second choice at tight end behind Vance McDonald. James is an unrestricted free agent worth keeping an eye on this offseason.

Paulsen recorded a 19-yard reception during Sunday's 34-32 win against the Buccaneers.

Paulsen fought through knee and ankle injuries that kept him limited in Wednesday's practice, snapping a three-game catchless streak with his 19-yard reception against the Buccaneers' putrid pass defense. The 31-year-old tight end doesn't offer much in the way of receiving production with just 12 receptions for 106 yards over his past 31 appearances, but he's a proficient run blocker for a unit that needs all the help it can get in that category after finishing as the sixth-worst rush offense in 2018 (98.3 yards per game). With his contract set to expire in the coming months, it remains to be seen if Paulsen will be back in Atlanta for the 2019 season.

Bell failed to catch his lone target in Sunday's loss to the Texans.

Bell played only 14 offensive snaps, totaling eight catches for 67 yards in 10 games with the Jaguars. The 27-year-old saw a minimal offensive role after signing with the team in October, but he was involved on special teams. Bell is not under contract for 2019 and will return to the open market.

Firkser hauled in his lone target for eight yards in Sunday's 33-17 loss to the Colts.

Firkser turned in another disappointing effort to close the season, with his lone catch coming late in the fourth quarter. After emerging in the middle portion of the season -- he hauled in at least three catches from Weeks 11-14 -- he ended the season with only three catches across his last three games. He's likely to end up on the periphery again in 2019 with both Jonnu Smith (knee) and Delanie Walker (ankle) expected to retake their roles as the top receiving options at the position.

Hollister finished the 2018 season with four catches on five targets for 52 yards in eight games.

Injuries marred Hollister's campaign, but he's under contract with the Patriots through 2019 and is thus poised to have an opportunity to secure a role as a depth tight end with the team next season. The 25-year-old has some pass-catching upside, but he'll need to find a way to stay on the field more going forward in order for that to translate into any degree of fantasy utility.

Allen finished the 2018 season with three catches on four targets for 27 yards in 13 games.

In his two seasons with the Patriots, Allen has seen limited action in the team's passing game. The tight end's blocking ability is how he earns his keep, but looking ahead, Allen's cap hit is slated to rise to $7.4 million in 2019. That figure will need to be reduced in order for the Patriots to consider retaining the 28-year-old.