NFL Player News

Kroft (knee) participated in some rehab exercises during Wednesday's practice, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com reports.

Kroft originally pegged Week 1 as a target for his return, but given the nature of knee sprains, it wouldn't be surprising if he wasn't ready by then. As a rookie last season, Kroft helped fill the void during Tyler Eifert's absence. It remains to be seen what role, if any, Kroft will have in Cincinnati's offense once he's back to 100 percent on the gridiron.

Amaro (groin) was sidelined again for Wednesday's practice, Darryl Slater of NJ.com reports.

Amaro was in pads, but was unable to go through team portions and instead, spent the majority of his time doing some light running on the side. He reportedly appeared to be in some pain while jogging on the side, which may indicate he's more than a few days off from a return. We should hear more on his status later in the week, but for now, the 24-year-old looks doubtful for Saturday's preseason matchup with the Giants.

Graham (knee) began team work in practice Wednesday and will continue to ramp up his workload next week, Curtis Crabtree of ProFootballTalk.com reports.

While Graham may not be ready to go by Week 1, his involvement in team drills is a huge step in the right direction. Look for more updates to come in the following week as the tight end expands his workload. Expect Luke Willson to dominate the first-team reps the remainder of the preseason schedule.

Vannett (ankle) will not play in Thursday's preseason affair with Dallas, the Seahawks' official site reports.

Vannett has been nursing a high ankle sprain that he suffered during last Thursday's preseason date with Minnesota. Due to the nature of these sprains, it's unsurprising that Vannett won't be able play Thursday. Currently, the 23-year-old is looking up at the likes of both Jimmy Graham (knee) and Luke Willson on the depth chart.

Lions coach Jim Caldwell declined to say whether Pettigrew (knee) will begin the 2016 season on Detroit's reserve/PUP list, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Pettigrew suffered a torn ACL last December and began training camp on the team's PUP list. However, the decision to place him on this specific list may ultimately be contingent on the status of fellow TE Eric Ebron (ankle). Should Ebron be healthy enough to play from the onset of the regular season, Detroit could have added incentive to shelf Pettigrew on the PUP list through Week 6 in order to ensure the veteran's return to full health.

Amaro missed Monday's practice while rehabbing an undisclosed injury, Rich Cimini of ESPN New York reports.

If this is anything more than a one-day issue, the Jets will likely provide an update at some point during the week. Amaro reportedly got off to a strong start at training camp, but he's still competing with Kellen Davis for playing time in an offense that will be centered around Matt Forte (hamstring), Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. Jets tight ends combined for just eight catches last season, though the number might have been higher if Amaro hadn't missed the whole year with a shoulder injury. Now healthy, the 2014 second-round selection could be looking at a make-or-break season.

Pascoe was released by the Patriots on Monday, Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal reports.

A 30-year-old blocking specialist, Pascoe was always a long shot to make the final roster, as the Patriots have a slew of tight ends competing for the No. 3 job behind Rob Gronkowski (undisclosed) and Martellus Bennett. Pascoe has just 40 career receptions in 82 games.

Vannett was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain after he left Thursday's preseason game against Minnesota, according to seattlepi.com.

High-ankle sprains have a bad reputation among football fans and do often lead to extended absences, but there's still a wide range for the recovery timetable, depending on the severity of the given injury. While it's not unheard of for a player to miss an entire season because of a high-ankle sprain, there have also been instances in which players were back at full health within a couple weeks. Vannett had to use crutches after he left Thursday's game, but head coach Pete Carroll did say that the team's training staff was "really pleased" with how the ankle responded to initial testing. Vannett still faces an uphill battle to be ready by Week 1, and with Jimmy Graham (knee) also uncertain, Luke Willson may have to play nearly all of the offensive snaps. A late third-round draft pick (94th overall), Vannett earned a reputation for his blocking at Ohio State, but his lack of speed (4.85 40-yard dash) will likely cap his upside as a receiver. He does still have the potential to develop into a solid NFL starter, particularly if he's in a run-oriented offense that has plenty of pass-catching talent at other positions. Seattle could be an ideal long-term fit if the team moves on from Jimmy Graham after this season.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said the team saw progress in Graham's knee after running some tests over the weekend, according to seattlepi.com.

Though he didn't care to elaborate during Sunday's media session, Carroll did provide some useful information just four days prior, saying that Graham is close to being cleared for team drills. At this point, Graham might not be ready for Week 1 even if he were to return to practice within the next few days, as his initial participation in team drills probably wouldn't include full-contact work. The 29-year-old tight end is highly unlikely to play in a preseason game, but the Seahawks haven't given up hope that he could be ready for Week 1. Even if he does suit up for the first game, Graham might be eased back in with a part-time role, and there's no guarantee he'll fully regain his explosiveness.

Henry recorded just one catch for seven yards in the Chargers preseason win over the Cardinals.

While Henry didn't put up tremendous numbers Friday, the season-ending injury to Jeff Cumberland (Achilles) likely means that the 21-year-old rookie will see additional time in two tight end sets opposite Antonio Gates. He'll get another chance to impress the coaching staff and potentially earn more reps when the Chargers take on the Vikings this Sunday.