NFL Player News

Chiefs coach Andy Reid likes what he sees from rookie tight end Travis Kelce so far through OTA workouts. The Chiefs drafted Kelce in the third round from Cincinnati. "He’s doing a nice job, athletically," Reid said Thursday. "Again, that’s one of the positions that has a whole lot of different looks that they’ve got to learn, and he’s working through that. He’s a smart kid, he’s working through it. It’s just a matter of time and reps there. He’s working hard.”

USA Today reports that Eagles tight end James Casey will undergo arthroscopic surgery to clean out loose cartilage his right knee and will be out of action for the rest of the spring. A team spokesman said Casey should be ready to go by the start of training camp. Casey signed a three-year deal with $14.5 million as one of the first additions for the Eagles in a busy opening few days in free agency. The former Texans fullback/tight end is expected to play a key role in coach Chip Kelly's offense.

Brandon Pettigrew told the Lions' official team website he shed 10 pounds this offseason after being unhappy with what he did last year. He focused on eliminating drops and bad plays. Pettigrew caught just 59 passes on 101 targets for 567 yards (9.6 avg.) and three touchdowns. He was credited with eight drops.

The Bills have claimed tight end Mickey Shuler off waivers from the Raiders.

The Raiders have released cornerback Adrian Bushell, defensive back Akwasi Owusu-Ansah and tight end Mickey Shuler.

The Colts used three Day 3 NFL draft picks on offense and two on defense. The notable names are Tennessee-Martin defensive tackle Montori Hughes, Oregon safety John Boyett, Utah State running back Kerwynn Williams and South Carolina tight end Justice Cunningham, the last player taken in the draft.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said he’ll give rookie tight end Gavin Escobar all the help he needs. He said he's not going to pull the offended veteran trick and hold anything back from him. “There’s no ego there for me,” he said. “It’s all about winning. That’s part of being a leader and a captain — is to help other guys play at a high level. There’s no hard feelings from that standpoint.”

The Chiefs drafted Travis Kelce, a tight end out of Cincinnati, with the first pick in the third round of the NFL Draft on Friday night. Kelce should provide a target for quarterback Alex Smith after snagging 45 passes for 722 yards and eight touchdowns for the Bearcats last season. While he's drawn comparisons to the Patriots' Rob Gronkowski, Kelce comes with some character questions after he was suspended the entire 2010 season for a violation of team rules. He's the younger brother of Eagles center Jason Kelce.

The Dallas Morning News reports that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones mentioned the words “offensive oriented” when discussing this year’s draft Thursday night. The Cowboys followed that trend in the second round, selecting San Diego State tight end Gavin Escobar. He is regarded as a good receiving target but an inconsistent blocker. During a Friday conference call, Escobar noted that he needs to improve in the running game if he’s going to be a complete tight end. The 6-5, 254-pounder started 23 games during his 39-game career with San Diego State. He caught 122 passes for 1,646 yards and 17 touchdowns. Last season as a junior, Escobar caught 42 passes for 543 yards and six touchdowns.

The Eagles continue to reshape their offense under new coach Chip Kelly. After taking offensive tackle Lane Johnson in the first round, the Eagles selected Stanford tight end Zach Ertz with the 35th overall pick Friday. Ertz was widely considered the best tight end in this draft after Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert, who went to the Bengals with the 21st pick on Thursday. Ertz replaced Coby Fleener last year and started all 14 games for the Cardinal in 2012. He finished with a team-high 69 catches for 898 yards and six scores, earning first-team All-Pac 12 and All-American honors.