NFL Player News

Bills tight end Scott Chandler hasn't participated in team OTA practices following offseason knee surgery, the official team website reports. Furthermore, the site suggests that Tony Moeaki will push Chandler in training camp. 

Chandler signed a two-year deal in March to stay with the Bills after putting up career highs in receptions (53) and yards (655) a year ago.

Chiefs general manager John Dorsey believes second-year tight end Travis Kelce will emerge this season. Kelce missed most of last season with a microfracture procedure on his knee. 

"[T]he emergence of a Travis Kelce being able to stretch the field as a tight end, hopefully that weapon adds another element to the passing game," Dorsey told TheMMQB.com. "We took some nicks at the tight end position last year."

But he's not the only one. Chiefs coach Andy Reid spotlighted second-year tight end and former hoops player Demetrius Harris as a potential contributor this year. 

"I'll tell you, he's a football player right now," Reid said when asked if he was still a basketball player. "I think this camp was great for him. I thought he played exceptionally well. He's so big and he's worked so stinking hard in the weight room, he's been living in there with Barry (Rubin) this offseason and you can tell. You can see he's gotten stronger."

Harris is 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds -- perhaps more following his offseason workouts. 

Bills tight end Tony Moeaki could see a bigger role this season, reports the radio station WGR 550 AM in Buffalo.

Moeaki signed with the Bills mid-way through the 2013 season, and he did not record a catch. He's had trouble staying healthy in his career, including a fractured shoulder last season.

But if he can stay on the field, he could compete for targets with Scott Chandler, and Moeaki might be the better receiving threat with 80 catches for 1,009 yards and four total touchdowns in 31 career games. The key for him is staying healthy.

Cardinals rookie quarterback Logan Thomas showed off his big arm during rookie minicamp workouts this week, the official team website reported. 

Head coach Bruce Arians said Thomas still needs to get his footwork proper when he drops back. 

"When he knows what he is doing, and the guys around him know what he is doing, he's pretty good," Arians said.

With an outstanding summer of work, Thomas could end up backing up Carson Palmer this season. 

The Dolphins continue to lock up their draft picks, reports the Miami Herald.

The team signed wide receiver Matt Hazel , a sixth-round pick, Friday to a four-year deal worth an estimated $2.3 million. The team also announced the signing of linebacker Jordan Tripp , a deal that was consummated Thursday.

Hazel, Tripp and tight end Arthur Lynch have now signed with the team.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees is confident tight end Jimmy Graham, who is holding out while unsigned under the franchise tag, will get a new deal soon, reports ESPN.

"We've been in contact," Brees said. "Just checking on him, making sure he's doing all right and he's not getting frustrated, you know, disappointed or taking things personal. It's easy to do that, especially as a young player. You look at your contributions to the team, and [think], 'Here I am, drafted in the third round, been pretty much playing for minimum here over the last four years. And now this is my opportunity to get compensated based on my production.' It's what every young player hopes that they have the opportunity to go through or get is that second contract. And I know he wants to be a Saint for the rest of his career. I know I want him to be a Saint for the rest of my career. Hopefully we can go at it for another five, six, seven years together and then go out champions together. But I'm confident it will all get worked out when it's supposed to."

Lions tight end Joseph Fauria understands why the team drafted Eric Ebron with a first-round pick. He just wants a chance to compete with him for the starting job, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Seemingly lost in the shuffle among the tight end depth chart in Tampa Bay is Timothy Wright, who saw his team bring in Brandon Myers via free agency and Austin Seferian-Jenkins via the draft. But Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith sees the value in Wright. 

"Tim is a guy I should have talked about more because he's another guy that does something well it seems like every day," Smith said according to the official team website. "Nowadays, with the emergence of the passing game and you've got to be able to pass to win ... the matchups ... tight end versus safety, tight end versus linebacker, we have a good matchup with Tim Wright. He of course can do things in-line, but he can split out, he can run all of the passing tree, he's natural moving out and running routes too. I'm very pleased with him and all he's done since Day One."

The website believes things are "going pretty well" for Wright, who scored five touchdowns when pressed into action last season. 

Colts tight end Dwayne Allen participated in the team's offseason minicamp drills this week, the Indianapolis Star reported. Allen believes he needs the workouts to get back in shape after a hip injury cost him much of last season.

"It takes that everyday grind to really come back," said Allen. "I've really had to teach myself how to run again. Once I got back going after the first couple of days, it was getting back into my timing with the quarterback. But it's going well. It's getting better and it's about not getting discouraged when you have a setback."

The Cardinals signed three draft picks to four-year contracts: fourth-round quarterback Logan Thomas (Virginia Tech), fifth-round defensive lineman Ed Stinson (Alabama) and sixth-round receiver Walt Powell (Murray State).