NFL Player News

Bell (shoulder) was cleared to participate in team drills during spring workouts, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Bell has split first-team reps with David Morgan while Kyle Rudolph (ankle) has worked his way back into action. However, Bell may end up fighting for a roster spot, as fifth-round rookie Tyler Conklin and undrafted rookies Josiah Price and Tyler Hoppes will also be competing for depth roles at tight end.

Kroft missed mandatory minicamp due to an undisclosed issue but is expected to return healthy for the start of training camp, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.

The Bengals are less confident about the health of Tyler Eifert, who also was held out of minicamp while continuing his rehab from the back surgery he required in 2017. Kroft proved to be a competent replacement for his oft-injured teammate, scoring seven touchdowns and averaging 56 snaps per game after Eifert suffered the season-ending injury Week 2. Kroft's career marks for yards per catch (9.9) and yards per target (7.1) don't compare to Eifert's, but the 2015 third-round pick at least proved useful near the goal line. While still a long shot to ever become one of Andy Dalton's favorite targets between the 20-yard lines, Kroft could reprise last season's red-zone workload and snap count if Eifert can't get healthy or stay on the field.

McGrath signed with the Lions on Thursday.

The terms of McGrath's contract were not disclosed, though the team did waive fellow tight end Wes Saxton in a corresponding move. McGrath spent the last two seasons with the Chargers, where he appeared in 31 games but didn't catch a touchdown while playing largely in the shadow of Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry. The door is open in Detroit for more playing time at the tight end position following the departure of Eric Ebron, though McGrath will still have to compete for snaps with the likes of Luke Willson and Levine Toilolo, leaving little fantasy upside to be had.

Tonyan didn't participate in minicamp practice Wednesday due to a hip injury, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Tonyan signed a reserve/future contract with the Packers in January with the hope of landing a depth gig at tight end with the club in 2018. The signings of veterans Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis probably lessens Tonyan's chances of doing so, and missing time due to injury doesn't help his case either.

Manhertz injured his foot during Wednesday's minicamp practice and will get an X-ray, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Manhertz is competing with rookie fourth-round pick Ian Thomas to replace Ed Dickson (Seahawks) as Carolina's No. 2 tight end. The Panthers should have a better idea on the extent of Manhertz's injury once he gets evaluated.

Gathers has bulked back up to 282 pounds this offseason in an effort to be a more effective blocker, Jori Epstein of The Dallas Morning News reports.

He got down to 265 pounds last season to try and improve his foot speed as a receiver, but Gathers is now back up to his college basketball playing weight. "Last year was a big adjustment," Gathers said Wednesday from the Cowboys' last OTA session. "I was going for more trying to be quicker, trying to be faster. But that hurt me in the blocking game a lot where I felt like I was just a body, just a body catching a blow." His ability to make some contributions as a blocker could be the biggest factor in the size of Gathers' role this season with the Cowboys, but the team likely won't have a clear sense of how far he's progressed on that front until the preseason.

Duarte sustained a shoulder injury during Tuesday's OTA session, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Duarte has appeared in just one regular-season game with Miami since being selected by the team in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He's once again battling for a roster spot this offseason, so the injury could be a blow to the tight end's chances if it keeps him off the field for an extended period.

Malleck signed a contract with the Steelers on Monday, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

An undrafted free agent back in 2015, Malleck has struggled to remain rostered in the NFL, with his only regular-season action coming in two games with the Texans last season. He tallied just one reception for three yards during those contests before being released in the offseason. Malleck will look to shine during minicamp and potentially training camp with the hopes of earning a spot on the Steelers' final roster.

Byrd (hamstring) participated in OTAs on Monday, Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.

Byrd was unable to practice last Thursday, but his quick return to the field Monday suggests his hamstring is fine. The second-year tight end will now jump right back into the competition for the No. 3 tight end job in Green Bay with veteran Lance Kendricks. While Kendricks clearly has the leg up in this battle, the Packers could save $1.625 million by releasing him, according to OverTheCap.com. Meanwhile, cutting Byrd would only save $480,000.

Byrd did not participate in Thursday's OTA session due to a hamstring injury, Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports.

Byrd was promoted from the practice squad late in the 2017 campaign, hauling in his first two NFL passes during Week 17 against the Lions. He likely faces an uphill battle to earn a 53-man roster spot with the Packers with Jimmy Graham, Marcedes Lewis and Lance Kendricks on the roster. However, a strong showing in camp could prompt the coaching staff to keep four tight ends, especially if Byrd can prove valuable as a special teams contributor.