NFL Player News

Colts tight end Dwayne Allen played just 32 snaps last season before suffering a season-ending hip injury. His loss took a lot of unique formations out of Indianapolis' playbook as they intended to use a lot of two-tight end sets and feature Allen, the official team website reports.

However, with Allen healed and ready to start training camp, the site says the "possibilities are endless" in how the Colts use Allen and teammate Coby Fleener this season. 

"It makes us a better football team," tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts said of a healthy Allen. "Getting him back is like getting a brand new player."

The Colts expect to be more creative on offense with Allen back in the fold.

Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew is ceding his spot as the top pass-catching tight end to rookie Eric Ebron, notes the Detroit Free Press. Pettigrew is O.K. with blocking more.

"Whatever it is, I’m a team guy," he said. "You know that. Everybody here has the same goal. We’re trying to win."

Pettigrew signed a four-year, $16 million contract this offseason despite the fact that his receptions and yards have dropped three straight years.

"It would be a shock" if the Saints and tight end Jimmy Graham don't work out a longterm deal by the July 15 deadline, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. If they don't reach an agreement, Graham would have to play the 2014 season under the one-year franchise tag of $7 million or sit out.

Neither of those options is "palatable" for either side, the report said.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees said he's confident the team will hammer out a longterm deal with tight end Jimmy Graham before the July 15 deadline. But Brees did concede he's getting anxious.

"I know the opportunity to reach a longterm agreement goes until July 15th, so we've got a couple of weeks here, but you know I'm anxious and hopeful that it'll happen," Brees told the CanalStreetChronicles.com.

An arbitrator ruled in the team's favor last week, saying Graham can be franchised as a tight end and not a receiver. Brees said Graham has "revolutionized the position."

"He's a guy who is so talented at so many things you know and obviously he's a big part of our offense and I hope that they're able to reach a longterm agreement here sooner than later," Brees said. "At the end of the day, this is part of the process and I think we all understand that."

Arbitrator Stephen Burbank has ruled that Jimmy Graham of the Saints is a tight end, not a wide receiver, and therefore will be franchise tagged as such. NFL Network learned of the news on Wednesday, meaning that Graham's franchise tag tender is at $7 million for 2014, not $12 million had Graham been ruled as a receiver.

An appeal by Graham is expected.

The deadline for working out a long-term deal is July 15. If a deal isn't done by then the Saints and Graham can only agree to the guaranteed terms of the franchise tag. It remains to be seen if Graham will hold out of training camp. 

League arbitrator Stephen Burbank is expected to announce his ruling on whether or not Jimmy Graham should be franchised as a tight end or a receiver on Thursday, July 3, ESPN reported. 

Graham believes he's a wide receiver because he lines up away from the traditional tight end spot 67 percent of the time. But the Saints have always considered Graham a tight end and believe he's exactly that despite the way they use him. If he's ruled as a tight end then his franchise tag value would be at around $7 million for 2014. If he's ruled as a receiver he'd get about $12 million for 2014.

A ruling on Jimmy Graham's arbitration hearing in the franchise-tag grievance between Graham and the Saints is expected next week, reports Pro Football Talk. Graham wants to be labeled as a receiver, and the Saints consider him a tight end.

The report says even though a ruling will happen that won't be the end of it. The losing party party inevitably will appeal the outcome to a three-person panel under the labor deal.

And a decision may or may not be issued before the July 15 deadline for working out a long-term deal. That means there's a chance the decision won't be official before the team and the player have to decide whether to work out a long-term contract or let it ride on a one-year deal with franchise tender to be determined by the appeals panel.

Rookie tight end Jace Amaro needs to make a "host" of adjustments to get comfortable in the Jets' offense, coordinator Marty Mornhinweg told ESPN.com. Amaro came from a no-huddle, spread attack at Texas Tech he described as "simple" compared to the Jets' West Coast scheme based on timing and precision.

Amaro got some work with the first team at minicamp but "looked lost at times." His routes were "sloppy," the report said. Amaro must polish route-running and work on his footwork and release when not split out wide.

The report said "this has to be a humbling process for Amaro."

Adrien Robinson hasn't separated himself from the Giants' other tight ends, and the team "probably" will go with a committee approach, reports The Star-Ledger.

"I think the jury is still out on who the No. 1 tight end is, I think it'll probably be tight end by committee," general manager Jerry Reese said on WFAN. "But there are some really good tight ends, some athletic, big guys who can run and catch the ball.

"Adrien Robinson and Larry Donnell are a couple of young guys who have been on the squad for a couple of years, but have had some injury stuff going on with them. We expect them to be healthy and to be able to pick up the slack here."

Daniel Fells, Xavier Grimble and Kellen Davis are the other tight ends on the roster.

Richard Rodgers, a 6-4, 257-pound rookie out of California, "might have the inside track" to be the Packers' starting tight end, ahead of Brandon Bostick and Andrew Quarless, reports ESPN.com. At least once every offseason practice, Rodgers "made an eye-catching play in the passing game."

Coach Mike McCarthy said Rodgers, who got more reps due to Quarless' absence, was "very productive." The report said Rodgers must show "he can be an effective blocker once the pads come on in training camp, but at this point he might be in the lead."