NFL Player News

Paulsen has the skill set and history with head coach Kyle Shanahan to make a serious bid for a roster spot this season, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee reports.

At 30 years old, Paulsen is the elder statesman of the group of tight ends currently in camp. While that works against him on paper, his size (6-foot-5, 268 pounds), blocking ability and presence as a red-zone threat (six touchdowns on 82 receptions) make the veteran a good fit for Shanahan's offense. Both he and Garrett Celek possess similar skill sets, and they will likely compete for a spot on the depth chart this preseason.

Despite his fourth-round pedigree, Bell (head) will have to compete for a spot on the 49ers' 53-man roster this season, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee.

The former quarterback was drafted as a developmental project in 2015, but his lack of production over the last two seasons puts him in a questionable position as the team moves towards training camp July 27. Bell has the size (6-foot-6, 255 pounds) to profile as a prominent red-zone threat, but with plenty of competition in camp, he will have to display progress in his development to make the cut.

Uzomah has been working hard in the offseason to sharpen all aspects of his game, Dan Hoard of the Bengals' official site reports. "I'm trying to work on my hands -- whether it's as a blocker or getting off the jam," Uzomah said. "I'm working on my hips a little bit too. ...I've also been working with Ben (Creamer) from Ignition APG with boxing and hand fighting and he does a great job with that. I did it a little last year but not as much as I will this upcoming year. I think that helps tremendously and translates to the field a lot."

Uzomah had to step up last season after starting tight end Tyler Eifert missed games due to injury. The 24-year-old ended the season with 25 receptions for 234 yards and one score. Uzomah is looking to pick up where he left off last season, but he may have to take a backseat to Eifert (back) and Tyler Kroft (knee) on the depth chart. However, if injuries prevail, the Bengals will have some assurance, knowing that Uzomah is waiting in the wings.

Mayle has been moved to tight end, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The former Cleveland Brown was picked up by the Ravens on waivers toward the end of last season and will now try to crack the roster at a new position. Physically, Mayle's better suited at tight end at the NFL level after running a 4.67 40-yard dash at the Combine, but he's still undersized and has shown a penchant for drops in the past. He'll need to make waves during training camp in order to latch on with the practice squad considering the amount of money the Ravens have tied up in their tight end group.

Kittle, a fifth-round selection in the 2017 draft, got extensive work with the first-string offense during minicamp, Grant Cohn of The Press Democrat reports.

Kittle only had 48 receptions in four seasons playing in a run-heavy offense at the University of Iowa, but his impressive showing at the Combine -- where he ran a 4.52 40 at 6-foot-4, 247 pounds -- suggests he has the potential to pose a major receiving threat in the NFL. His lack of pass-catching experience normally would have him pegged as a developmental prospect, but San Francisco's lack of talent at tight end hints at an open competition for snaps during training camp. Returning starter Vance McDonald (shoulder) was shopped during the draft, while Garrett Celek and Logan Paulsen are mostly valued for their contributions as run blockers. Kittle could make a push for one of the top two spots on the Week 1 depth chart.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said Hooper has grown "exponentially" this offseason, Kelsey Conway of the Falcons' official website reports.

Selected in the third round (No. 81 overall) of last year's draft, Hooper made the most of a limited role as a rookie, producing 10.0 yards per target, 14.3 yards per catch and three touchdowns on just 27 targets, with gains of 44, 42, 34 and 28 yards among his 19 receptions. He also scored in the Super Bowl, and with 33-year-old Jacob Tamme still unsigned, Hooper is the team's unquestioned No. 1 pass-catching option at tight end. The Falcons do seem to value the 6-foot-8, 265-pound Levine Toilolo as a run blocker, which could serve to limit Hooper's snaps on early downs.

Kelce (shoulder) missed all of OTAs, but coach Andy Reid expects him to return for training camp, saying, "There's a pretty good chance he'll be ready," Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports.

Kelce is still working his way back from having shoulder surgery this offseason. Although it's unclear exactly when Kelce had the procedure, the Chiefs have long maintained their expectation that he'll be able to partake in training camp. While Reid furthered that sentiment this week, it remains to be seen whether the tight end will be 100 percent right away. Regardless, Kelce's Week 1 status appears to be in no jeopardy, which comes as good news after the Chiefs released wideout Jeremy Maclin, thus making Kelce the unquestioned top target for QB Alex Smith going into the campaign.

McFarland was waived by Dallas on Tuesday, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

McFarland's release comes just over a month after he signed with the club. He's unlikely to get much action wherever he lands in 2017, but he could earn a spot as a special teams player and depth tight end elsewhere.

According to head coach Vance Joseph, Derby (hamstring) is about 85 percent, Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post reports.

Derby continues his rehab from a minor hamstring ailment. It appears likely that he'll be able to return to the field for training camp, so keep an eye out for more updates at that time.

Waller (undisclosed) was sidelined during OTAs, ESPN's Jamison Hensley reports.

Waller joins a long list of Ravens tight ends that are dealing with injuries as Ben Watson (Achilles), Crockett Gillmore (shoulder) and Maxx Williams (knee) weren't available for OTAs either. However, it isn't clear what kind of injury he's dealing with or if he'll be back in time for training camp.