NFL Player News

Colts tight end Dwayne Allen is inactive for Sunday's preseason game against the Bills due to a foot injury, but he tweeted he's "confident" he'll return to practice "very soon." Allen started feeling soreness in his foot after Tuesday's practice.

Colts tight end Dwayne Allen is getting a second opinion on an apparent foot injury, which forced him to miss practice Thursday, reports the Indianapolis Star.

Allen started dealing with soreness in one of his feet after Tuesday's practice. There is no indication of the severity of the injury or how long Allen will be out. He will likely miss the preseason opener Sunday against the Bills.

Redskins tight end Logan Paulsen got the first crack with the first-team offense Thursday, in the team's first preseason game against the Titans.

Paulsen had a catch on the team's first drive, though it was eventually overturned and ruled an incompletion. Paulsen was not targeted again until the second quarter, as he worked in and out of the first unit with Fred Davis. Paulsen finished the game with three catches for 21 yards, while being targeted five times, good for second on the eam. 

Colts tight end Dwayne Allen was out of practice Thursday, due to soreness in one of his feet that he first felt after Tuesday's practice.

"His foot was a little bit sore, so right now he's going through the process and being evaluated," head coach Chuck Pagano told the Indianapolis Star.

Allen is coming off a solid rookie season in which he posted 45 receptions and 521 yards, to lead all NFL rookie tight ends. The Colts will likely give an update on his status Friday, and it is not yet clear whether he will be available for the team's preseason opener Sunday. 

Dolphins tight ends Kyle Miller and Michael Egnew are potentially fighting for one roster spot, the Miami Herald reported. 

Patriots coach Bill Belichick on Monday spoke highly of rookie tight end Zach Sudfeld, who is an undrafted free agent from Nevada. Sudfeld is trying to earn a roster spot and potentially be a fill-in for Aaron Hernandez.

"Zach has come in and absorbed a lot of information," Belichick said. "The offense that he played in in Nevada is quite a bit different than what we do. I'm sure there are some similarities, but there are quite a few differences as well. He's been able to acclimate to those changes. He catches the ball well."

Patriots rookie tight end Zach Sudfeld continues to make a good impression, reports ESPN.

The report says the rookie free-agent from Nevada has good size (6-7, 260) and has shown solid hands going back to spring camps and into the early part of training camp.

As of now, Sudfeld is behind Daniel Fells and Michael Hoomanawanui on the depth chart with Rob Gronkowski (back) hurt, but the report indicates Sudfeld could challenge for a bigger role.

Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew, a self-proclaimed "burger man," revamped his diet in the offseason to include more grilled chicken and vegetables, reports MLive.com. He showed up to camp "trimmed down" and with "a more defined physique."

"Brandon looks as good as I've ever seen him physically," coach Jim Schwartz said. "He's very accountable."

Pettigrew, who's listed at 6-5, 265 pounds, dealt with sore knees and a rolled ankle last year. He believes his new physique will help him bounce back from a season in which he caught 59 balls for 567 yards -- his lowest numbers since his rookie year.

"You don't want to be out here too heavy, trying to move around," Pettigrew told the website. "If I want to be a complete tight end, not just a blocking tight end, (trimming down) is probably the way to go."

Eagles rookie tight end Zach Ertz is making a strong impression early on, reports Comcast Sports Net.

The report says Ertz has already shown an ability to create matchup problems.

"I think that's why they drafted me, to be honest," Ertz said. "In college I was used all over the field. And here I expect kind of the same thing. Obviously I have to earn my reps. I know it’s not going to be handed to me in any sense."

The Cardinals claimed tight end Mickey Shuler off waivers from the Bills. Shuler is on his seventh NFL team after being drafted in the seventh round in 2010.