NFL Player News

Firkser was waived by the Chiefs on Tuesday.

Firkser joined Kansas City on a reserve/future contract in January after spending training camp with the Jets last year. The 22-year-old, who can play both fullback and tight end, will hope to latch on elsewhere.

Henry said he's ready to step up after learning that Antonio Gates won't be back with the Chargers, Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times reports.

The No. 35 pick from the 2016 draft, Henry was one of the most efficient tight ends in the league on a per-target basis while splitting snaps with Gates the past two seasons. The 23-year-old parlayed 117 targets into 81 catches for 1,057 yards and 12 touchdowns in 29 games, essentially posting a single-season Rob Gronkowski stat line over the course of two years. With Gates replaced by blocking specialist Virgil Green in the Chargers' tight end room, Henry figures to improve upon last year's marks of 42.7 snaps and 4.5 targets per game. The 37-year-old Gates averaged 31.3 snaps and 3.3 targets in 16 games last season, despite looking like his age had finally caught up to him. Henry would push for high-end TE1 status if he were to maintain his impressive efficiency while taking on a sizable chunk of Gates' old workload. Henry is fully recovered from the kidney laceration that ended his 2017 campaign after Week 15.

Henry (abdomen) is healthy and participating in the Chargers' offseason program, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Henry, who's bouncing back from a lacerated kidney, was seen running routes with the Chargers' first-team offense -- which is a unit that no longer features longtime tight end Antonio Gates, whose contract expired after the 2017 season. While there are still plenty of mouths to feed in the passing game -- namely receiver Keenan Allen, but also Tyrell Williams, Mike Williams, Travis Benjamin and running back Melvin Gordon -- Henry is one of the best young talents at his position who already has proven his worth as a dangerous weapon downfield. As a second-year player in 2017, Henry earned 10.9 percent of quarterback Philip Rivers' passes. During Gates' early years from 2004 to 2008, the legendary tight end commanded 24.8 percent of the available targets. While Henry is unlikely to see that kind of usage given the receiving talent around him, he still has plenty of room to grow and is a great bet to make a significant statistical jump in 2018.

Malleck was cut by the Texans on Monday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Malleck appeared in two games for the Texans last season. With the addition of third-round pick Jordan Akins via this April's draft, Malleck became an expendable asset in Houston.

Derby faces added competition for a role in Miami's offense following the addition of Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe in the draft, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

Gesicki (second round) and Smythe (fourth round) look like roster locks considering the draft capital needed to acquire them. With that in mind, Derby figures to battle with MarQueis Gray, Gavin Escobar and Thomas Duarte for slotting on the Dolphins' TE depth chart.

Swaim (knee) will likely have competition for the starting tight end spot in Dallas, Drew Davison of The Star-Telegram reports.

The Cowboys added to their already clustered tight end group Saturday by selecting Stanford's Dalton Schultz in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. With Jason Witten no longer in the mix, Swaim will likely compete with the rookie for the starting tight end spot. Swaim hauled in just two catches for 25 yards last season.

Graham believes he can replicate his production from his time with the Saints, noting that he's "still 6-[foot]-7 and can still run a 4.5 [40-yard dash]," Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Graham technically ran a 4.56 40 time while checking in at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine, but there's little reason to doubt the broader idea that he's still one of the most athletic tight ends in the league. The Packers apparently believe that to be the case, as they signed the 31-year-old to a three-year, $30 million contract in mid-March, right around the time veteran wideout Jordy Nelson was released. Green Bay does have a way to get out of the deal after one season, as Graham's $11 million signing bonus is the only fully guaranteed portion of his contract, per OverTheCap.com. Graham was a bit of a disappointment in his three-year run with Seattle, struggling to make an impact near the goal line (eight scores in 27 games) his first two seasons, and then struggling outside the red zone (10 touchdowns, 5.3 yards per target) in 2017. Aaron Rodgers already has strong chemistry with Davante Adams and Randall Cobb, but it isn't unreasonable to think that Graham could push the latter for No. 2 status in Green Bay's passing attack.

Mayle signed his exclusive-rights tender Monday, according to the NFL's official transaction log.

Mayle appeared in all 16 games for the Ravens in 2017 but only saw 21 snaps on offense as his primary responsibilities came on special teams. He currently profiles as Baltimore's No. 3 tight end behind Nick Boyle and Maxx Williams, but that could change depending what the team does in the upcoming draft.

Escobar signed a contract with the Dolphins on Monday, Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald reports.

The Dolphins haven't had a reliable tight end since they let Charles Clay walk in 2015 and will kick the tires on Escobar, a 2013 second-rounder who is yet to live up to his lofty pedigree. Escobar won't provide much in terms of in-line blocking, but he profiles as a dangerous receiving threat and could realistically make a name for himself on a depth chart headed by the uninspiring MarQuies Gray and A.J. Derby.

Kelce is present for the start of the Chiefs' offseason workouts, Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star reports.

Kelce approaches the team's OTAs healthy now that he's well past the concussion he suffered back in January during the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs. The Chiefs' 2017 reception leader (83 on 123 targets) will be working with second-year QB Patrick Mahomes, now that Alex Smith has relocated to Washington. Mahomes' arm strength should allow for more downfield shots in the Kansas City passing game, with the team's wideout corps headed by Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins. The arrival of Watkins should draw some defensive attention away from both Hill and Kelce, which could perhaps make up for some of the target volume the newcomer is liable to soak up.