NFL Player News

Fant secured one of three targets for seven yards in the Broncos' 14-10 preseason win over the Falcons on Thursday.

The first-round pick didn't have much of a chance to make an impact, given that the Broncos' quarterback play was spotty. Fant's athleticism is off the charts, so he's expected to see a fair share of opportunities downfield in the coming season while primarily sharing tight-end duties with Jeff Heuerman. Fant will look to enjoy a bigger role in the passing game during next Thursday's preseason tilt against the Seahawks.

Wolf was waived by the Panthers on Thursday, Max Henson of the team's official website reports.

An undrafted free agent in 2018, Wolf originally signed with the Titans before landing on the Packers' practice squad. He subsequently suffered an undisclosed injury and was placed on the IR. He joined the Panthers in May, but they have seen enough and will opt to use their roster spot on another player.

Butler left Thursday's practice early due to a hip injury, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Butler is competing for a depth spot on Oakland's roster and will work to return to full health as soon as possible. Foster Moreau and Derek Carrier could see increased reps as long as Butler remains sidelined.

Tonyan is expected to see increased playing time during the 2019 season, Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal reports.

Coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday that Tonyan "gets better each and every day - not only in the pass game, but in the run game," and called him "a valuable piece." Tonyan played only 67 offensive snaps as a rookie in 2018, finishing the season with four catches for 77 yards and a touchdown. Most of those yards came due to a 54-yard touchdown versus the Seahawks in Week 11. Jimmy Graham remains the No. 1 option in Green Bay's tight end room, leaving Tonyan to compete with Marcedes Lewis and rookie Jace Sternberger for reserve snaps.

Helm was waived by the Chargers on Thursday.

Helm was waived Thursday in order to create a roster spot for newly-signed Dee Liner. He was facing an uphill battle to make the Chargers' final roster given their current depth at the tight end position.

Knox remains out with a hamstring injury, The Buffalo News reports.

A week ago, starter Tyler Kroft seemed nowhere close to returning from a broken foot while the rookie Knox was seeing almost exclusive first-team reps. Now, he's missed practice since Sunday and valuable time to be learning the pro game, while the Kroft news seems to be a bit brighter. We'll see if Knox can get back soon and pick up where he left off prior to the injury.

Orndoff inked an undisclosed contract with the Buccaneers on Wednesday, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

Orndoff has spent time with Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cincinnati and Jacksonville before latching on with the Buccaneers. He has never suited up in NFL action in his career, and the team released Donnie Ernsberger to make room for him on the roster.

Kroft, who is on the Bills' preseason PUP list as he recovers from a broken foot suffered during OTAs in May, has shed his walking boot, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports.

Coach Doug McDermott said that while Kroft is "making positive progress," there's still no timetable for the tight end's return to practice. Shedding his walking boot is definitely a step in the right direction, but Kroft -- who signed with the Bills this offseason with the expectation of starting -- is no lock to be ready to play in Week 1. With fellow tight ends Dawson Knox and Jason Croom currently tending to hamstring injuries, the team's healthy options at the position are down to Lee Smith, Tommy Sweeney, Nate Becker and Keith Towbridge.

Allen (undisclosed) was activated off the Dolphins' PUP list Wednesday, Alain Poupart of the team's official site reports.

The 29-year-old adds experience and strong blocking ability to the Dolphins' tight-end mix, but after combining for just 13 catches over the last two seasons with the Patriots, the free-agent addition needs to prove his fantasy utility within his new team context. It's worth noting that during Allen's stint with the Colts -- the team that drafted him in 2012 -- he recorded eight touchdowns in 2014 and six in 2016. Those numbers suggest that the 6-foot-4, 260-pounder could produce some in the red zone if given such opportunities by Miami.

Gathers was unable to participate during Tuesday's practice due to an ankle injury, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.

It's unclear how he picked up the injury, but it's serious enough to hold him out of practice. Gathers is already facing a one-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy, now an ankle issue will continue to pile on the negative news. The Baylor product has been slightly injury prone up to this point in his career, as he dealt with concussion symptoms throughout 2017 also.