NFL Player News

Daniels signed his exclusive rights tender from the Cardinals on Monday, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Daniels appeared in 11 games between the Seahawks and Cardinals last season, failing to catch either of his two targets during that stretch. The third-year pro will work to stand out during OTAs and training camp in order to carve out a depth role behind Charles Clay and Ricky Seals-Jones (neck).

Duarte signed a contract with the Panthers on Monday, Bryan Strickland of the team's official site reports.

Duarte played in the AAF for the Arizona Hotshots, logging eight catches (on 12 targets) for 111 yards and two touchdowns over eight games. The 24-year-old was a seventh-round pick by the Dolphins in 2016 and hasn't played in an NFL game since appearing in one contest with Miami during his rookie season.

Engram could benefit from added volume with Odell Beckham no longer a member of the Giants, Ralph Vacchiano of Sportsnet New York reports.

Engram averaged 3.5 catches for 38 yards in the 11 games he played with Beckham in the lineup the past two seasons, compared to 4.7 receptions for 59 yards in 15 games without the superstar wideout. Granted, the Giants seem to be moving toward a run-first offense led by Saquon Barkley and an improved line, plus they signed Golden Tate to handle a good chunk of Beckham's vacated targets. Engram made a strong case for himself at the end of an injury-plagued 2018 campaign, finishing the year with four consecutive games of at least 75 yards. He's a viable candidate to lead the team in 2019 targets, but the same can be said for Barkley, Tate or Sterling Shepard.

Bell is signing with the Chiefs, Brooke Pryor of The Kansas City Star reports.

With Demetrius Harris headed to Cleveland, the Chiefs don't have much experience at tight end behind starter Travis Kelce (ankle). Bell mostly played quarterback at Oklahoma and only has 30 catches in 50 NFL games, but he seems to have found a situation that will allow him to compete for the No. 2 job at tight end -- a role that provided Harris with 371 snaps and 25 targets in 2018. Deon Yelder and David Wells represent the competition, with more help potentially coming from the 2019 NFL Draft.

Schultz figures to share playing time with Jason Witten and Blake Jarwin in 2019, Clarence Hill of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

A 2018 fourth-round pick, Schultz caught 12 passes for 116 yards in 11 games during his rookie season while sharing snaps with Jarwin, Geoff Swaim and Rico Gathers. The Cowboys allowed Swaim to leave for Jacksonville, but the majority of his 512 snaps from 2018 likely will be filled by Witten, who reportedly is ticketed for about 25 plays per game. It will be difficult for any one player to emerge from the committee with fantasy relevance, and Witten would probably be the best bet to do so.

Coach Jon Gruden said Waller has the "chance of a lifetime" with Jared Cook leaving for New Orleans, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Waller won't enter training camp atop the Oakland depth chart, but the guys he's behind -- Lee Smith and Derek Carrier (concussion) -- are noted for blocking far more than pass catching. Waller, on the other hand, is a converted college wide receiver who ran a 4.46 40-yard dash at the 2015 combine before Baltimore selected him in the sixth round. He only has 18 receptions in 22 NFL appearances, but raw athleticism and special teams experience should at least get his foot in the door. Of course, it's a good bet the Raiders add to their tight end room during the upcoming draft, potentially as soon as the first round.

Coach Pete Carroll said Dissly is making progress in his recovery from a patella tendon injury but won't return to the field until training camp, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Dissly had a promising start to his rookie campaign, scoring a touchdown in both Weeks 1 and 2 and finishing with eight catches (on 14 targets) for 156 yards in four games. In that last contest, he suffered the season-ending injury. Considering Carroll's comments, it appears as if Dissly's rehab will keep him sidelined during the offseason program and potentially impact training camp. While Dissly focuses on righting the ship, health-wise, the Seahawks will rely on Nick Vannett and Ed Dickson at tight end, barring an offseason addition at the position.

General manager Chris Grier said the new coaching staff has spent a lot of time discussing how to best use Gesicki in 2019, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports.

Selected at No. 42 overall in last year's draft, Gesicki played all 16 games (seven starts) as a rookie but managed just 22 catches for 202 yards on 32 targets. The quiet year was pretty typical for a rookie tight end -- even one with an impressive combination of college production and combine stats. Gesicki did come into the league facing serious questions about his blocking, and the Dolphins' signing of Dwayne Allen suggests they still have that same concern. Even so, the franchise's commitment to a rebuilding process should work in favor of the 23-year-old over his 29-year-old counterpart. It also doesn't hurt that the Dolphins lack a target hog at wide receiver and signed a quarterback (Ryan Fitzpatrick) who favors a risky approach.

Seals-Jones (neck) officially signed his one-year tender with the Cardinals on Thursday, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

With just two accrued seasons, Seals-Jones was an exclusive rights free agent and didn't have any choice but to re-sign with the Cardinals. So far this offseason, management has exchanged one veteran tight end (Jermaine Gresham) for another (Charles Clay). Clay has a track record as a modest pass-catching option, but Seals-Jones has shown promise in his career, including 11.8 YPC and four touchdowns on his 46 career receptions.

General manager Tom Telesco recently said Henry (knee) is on track to be ready for the first day of OTAs, Al Butler of United Press International reports.

Henry tore his ACL in OTAs last offseason and remarkably made it back to log 14 snaps in the Chargers' second playoff game Jan. 13. The tight end admitted he wasn't 100 percent at that point, though, and his lowly playing time clearly reflected that. It's still notable he didn't suffer any significant setbacks, so it appears he'll have a full, rehab-free offseason to prepare for the 2019 campaign.