NFL Player News

The Panthers selected Sanders in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 101st overall.

Sanders was wildly considered to be one of the draft's top tight ends after Brock Bowers, so the Panthers have to be ecstatic to land the athletic pass catcher to kickstart Day 3. While Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas have carved out specific niches with the offense, neither posses the kind of game-breaking traits that Sanders displayed as a pass catcher at Texas (fourth most yards after the catch among FBS tight ends in 2023). It wouldn't be surprising at all to see the redshirt junior immediately become the team's de-facto starting tight end as a rookie, even if it means Sanders yields plenty of blocking reps to the likes of Tremble and Thomas in specific packages.

The Cardinals selected Reiman in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 82nd overall.

Reiman will likely do a lot of blocking at the pro level, and he certainly won't be stealing any targets from Trey McBride (or even Elijah Higgins), so his fantasy upside with Arizona seems pretty close to zero. With that said, Reiman could be an excellent player for real football purposes. At 6-foot-5, 271 pounds, the Illinois product is both ridiculously massive and improbably athletic for his build (4.64-second 40-yard dash). Defensive coordinators won't enjoy matching up with Reiman.

The Commanders selected Sinnott in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 53rd overall.

Even with the Zach Ertz addition, tight end was a glaring need in Washington. Sinnott is the second tight end off the board, and rightfully so. He was one of the top producers at his position in his final year at Kansas State with 49 catches for 676 yards and six touchdowns on 76 targets. In fact, that made him the Wildcats' leading receiver by nearly 100 yards. The production put him on the draft radar, but his combine performance made him a legit second-round prospect. Sinnott runs a 4.68 40 with top percentile scores in his jumps and in the cone drill. That blend of production and athleticism will get him on the field in the nation's capital sooner rather than later, especially with only Ertz standing in his way.

GM Tom Telesco said Thursday that he excepts Mayer to "take a leap this year" even though the Raiders drafted fellow tight end Brock Bowers at No. 13 overall, Nick Walters of KTNV Las Vegas reports.

The Raiders presumably plan to use a lot of multi-TE formations, but the new competition for snaps and targets is nonetheless terrible news for Mayer's fantasy value. He and Bowers were arguably the most productive tight ends in college football over the past half-decade, with Mayer recording 2,099 yards and 18 TDs in three seasons at Notre Dame and Bowers putting up 2,538 and 26, respectively, over three seasons for Georgia. While Mayer is both taller and heavier, Bowers is faster, more agile and an earlier draft pick (Mayer went 35th in 2023). On the bright side, Telesco said there's "no concern" about the foot injury that brought Mayer's rookie season to an early end after 14 games (12 starts) and a 27-304-2 receiving line, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com.

The Raiders selected Bowers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 13th overall.

Despite investing a high second-round pick in tight end Michael Mayer in 2023, the Raiders couldn't pass up on Bowers in the first round. Bowers is the highest-drafted tight end since Kyle Pitts in 2021 and has an impressive prospect profile. Athletic enough to run from the slot and split defenders down the seam but physical enough to play in-line and block, Bowers is the complete package. He led Georgia in receiving in all three of his seasons in Athens and left school with the second-most touchdown catches (26) in program history. A hamstring injury prevented Bowers from testing at the combine and his measurements (6-3, 243) are not that of a prototypical tight end. However, the film and standout production paint Bowers as a weapon in the passing game and that will be his primary function in the Raider offense. Given Bowers' skill set and high draft capital, he projects to be the primary tight end over Mayer right away.

Wilcox signed a contract with the Patriots on Monday, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports.

Wilcox now will call New England home after spending the first three campaigns of his career In Cincinnati. The 27-year-old appeared in all 17 regular-season games in 2023, mostly operating as the Bengals' No. 3 option at tight end and recording nine catches (on 12 targets) for 56 yards. If he can make the Patriots' roster this year, he'll likely be a depth option for them, too.

GM Chris Ballard noted Friday that Ogletree is off the NFL's Commissioner Exempt List, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.

Per the report, Ogletree -- whose charges stemming from his arrest in December were dismissed last month -- is back with the Colts during offseason workouts. Prior to being placed on the Commissioner Exempt List on Dec. 30, Ogletree caught nine of his 21 targets for 147 yards and two TDs in 12 regular-season games with Indianapolis.

Uzomah (knee) agreed to a one-year contract with the Eagles on Thursday, Olivia Reiner of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

After spending the first nine years of his career with the Bengals and Jets, Uzomah has found a new home in Philadelphia. The nine-year veteran appeared in the Jets' first 12 games in 2023 before sustaining a season-ending MCL injury. In those contests, Uzomah tallied eight receptions for 58 yards and one touchdown. Once 31-year-old has recovered from his MCL issue, he's expected to compete for the Eagles' top backup tight end role behind Dallas Goedert.

Russell re-signed with the Seahawks on Monday, John Boyle of the team's official site reports.

Russell was an exclusive rights free agent, so it's no surprise to see him back in Seattle for the 2024 campaign. He suited up for 15 regular-season games as an undrafted rookie last year, playing 308 snaps on special teams and 17 offensive snaps (zero targets).

Pruitt signed with Pittsburgh on Thursday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Pruitt has consistently worked as a backup tight end, primarily as a blocker. He'll take on a similar role with the Steelers and should pair well with Darnell Washington to aid the run game. Pruitt is reunited with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith after also playing under him in Tennessee and Atlanta.