NFL Player News

Gathers caught three of four targets for 59 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against Arizona.

The Cowboys selected Gathers in the sixth round last year as a long-term project, hoping he could eventually turn his athleticism into football skills. He took a step in the right direction Thursday, making a 26-yard touchdown catch in tight coverage and later turning a short pass in the flat into another 26-yard gain. Gathers served as the Cowboys' No. 2 tight end through most of the offseason program and into training camp, but he could fall back to third or fourth on the depth chart if James Hanna (knee) and Geoff Swaim (foot) return to full strength. Dallas probably hopes to keep Gathers on the practice squad for another year, if nothing else.

Thomas, a former quarterback, is starting to look like the clear No. 3 tight end in training camp, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News reports.

Thomas is still relatively new to the position after being drafted by the Cardinals as a QB, but he offers a great target at 6-foot-6, plus he's a former Virginia Tech teammate of Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Being a No. 3 tight end in a run-heavy offense doesn't offer much to look at, but Nick O'Leary at No. 2 doesn't have much of a pro resume, and No. 1 Charles Clay has ongoing knee issues.

Williams signed a contract with the Panthers on Thursday, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Williams bounced around as an undrafted free agent last season and will now look to catch on with Carolina. He'll be competing against Eric Wallace, Scott Simonson, and Chris Manhertz for a depth tight end role.

Donnell injured his hand in Thursday's practice session, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Donnell joins the multitude of injured Ravens tight ends, though his injury isn't as serious as his peers'. He reportedly made a diving catch Thursday and landed on the ball with his fingers underneath it. Though it isn't expected to be a long-term ailment, he could miss some time. Look for Nick Boyle and Vince Mayle to see some added reps in practice as the only healthy backups behind apparent-starter Ben Watson.

Derby looks like Denver's main option at tight end, Cecil Lammey of Sportsradio 104.3 The Fan reports.

Derby joined the Broncos midway through last season and promptly caught at least four passes in three of four games before going down for the season with a concussion. A former quarterback, Derby is still more of a 250-pound athlete than finished product, but he's still probably Denver's best bet coming into the season with Virgil Green more of a blocker, Jeff Heuerman unproven to date and Jake Butt still on the mend from a torn ACL. Offensive coordinator Mike McCoy's fondness of using tight ends makes Derby a potential hidden gem for 2017.

Orndoff (undisclosed) was waived/injured by the Steelers on Wednesday.

Head coach Mike Tomlin described Orndoff's injury as a "soft-tissue" injury, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, so he shouldn't be out long. However, if Orndoff clears waivers, he'll revert to the Steelers' IR list.

Kittle (hamstring) returned to practice in a limited fashion Wednesday, Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Kittle took part in individual drills Wednesday, which is a good sign moving forward. There's still no guarantee that Kittle makes the 53-man roster, but as long as he stays on the field, he should have a good chance.

If Sterling Shepard's ankle injury keeps him out for a significant length of time, Engram's role could grow.

This year's first round pick is technically a tight end, but he lined up all over the field in college and has the speed and pass-catching skills of a wide receiver. The Giants have little quality depth beyond Shepard, so there's a good chance Engram rather than Tavarres King, Dwayne Harris or Roger Lewis would be the prime beneficiary in New York's three-WR sets.

Smith has looked good as Tennessee's No. 2 tight end early in camp, Colton Pouncy of the Tennessean reports.

Smith's most memorable play on the Titans' third day of camp was a red-zone drop, but that sequence isn't representative of how well the third-rounder out of Florida International has handled the high volume of passes thrown his way. He has also earned praise from coach Mike Mularkey for his desire to learn and improve. Tennessee has the luxury of bringing him along slowly behind veteran Delanie Walker, but that doesn't mean Smith won't make an impact in his rookie campaign.

Kittle (hamstring) was held out of Monday's practice with a hamstring injury, Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The fact that Kittle is being labeled as day-to-day gives us the impression that his hamstring injury isn't considered too serious. Still, any missed time in camp for the rookie tight end is detrimental to his development and his quest to move up the 49ers' depth chart. Kittle was seeing first-team snaps during minicamp, so he will look to regain that momentum when he gets back on the practice field.