NFL Player News

Oliver is expected to be a factor in the Vikings' red-zone offense, according to The Athletic's Alec Lewis.

Signed to a surprising three-year, $21 million in free agency after spending the last two seasons buried in Baltimore's run-heavy offense, Oliver has been a pleasant surprise in offseason workouts, per Lewis. Vikings OC Wes Phillips said that Oliver could do more through the air than most realized, and that he's built like a "rhinoceros" in the open field. Oliver is unlikely to see consistent targets as long as T.J. Hockenson is healthy, but it sounds like Minnesota has plans for Oliver in multiple-tight end sets, particularly in the scoring area.

Tonyan was "pretty involved" with the first-team offense during OTAs with the Bears expecting to use more sets with two tight ends than in 2022, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.

Based on June practices, it appears that Tonyan and Cole Kmet will both be on the field at the same time on many occasions. With both players being capable receivers, both should see targets, though Kmet is more likely to lead the position in snaps and targets. Although Tonyan should have production as a receiver, don't be surprised if his role is less consistent than Kmet's on a week-to-week basis.

Fortson signed his exclusive-rights tender with the Chiefs on Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Forston will officially return to Kansas City for his third season. The 27-year-old made nine receptions on 13 targets last year for 108 yards and two touchdowns. He'll likely be working to earn a role on special teams and as the team's No. 3 or 4 tight end in 2023.

Smith has been quick to pick up the Bengals offense this spring and is already impressing coach Zac Taylor, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com reports. "That's the most impressive thing about Irv is how quickly he's picked everything up and even taken on the nuances," Taylor said.

Fellow tight end Drew Sample also had kind words this spring, suggesting that Smith runs smoother routes than former Bengals TEs Hayden Hurst and C.J. Uzomah. Smith split snaps with Kyle Rudolph his first two years in Minnesota and then missed 26 games the past two years, but a late breakout isn't out of the question with the 2019 second-round pick joining a top passing offense for his age-25 season. Sample is the only other tight end on the roster with more than 15 career receptions, and even he caught just 13 passes in 19 games the past two years. Smith may not get an every-down role but should be the team's top pass-catching TE.

Washington drew praise from fellow tight end Pat Freiermuth after minicamp concluded Thursday, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

While Washington indicated that he felt as though he had room to grow following minicamp, Freiermuth praised the rookie's abilities. "He's putting it all together. The past two days he's looked really good," Freiermuth said. Washington was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but he slid due to concerns over medicals. It seems as though he's moved past those concerns for now, and he'll shift his focus toward competing for a role in the Steelers' offense during training camp next month.

The Bills placed Davidson on injured reserve Wednesday with an undisclosed injury, ending his 2023 campaign, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Davidson, a 2021 fifth-round pick by Minnesota, spent the 2022 campaign on the Bills' practice squad and then signed a futures deal with Buffalo in January. However, he'll either miss the entire 2023 campaign or will have to come to an injury settlement with the Bills after apparently suffering an injury at some point during the team's offseason program. Davidson has yet to appear in an NFL regular-season game.

Knox (lower leg) didn't participate in Wednesday's practice, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

The Bills opened a three-day mandatory minicamp Tuesday, but Knox left the initial practice after colliding with safety Kaiir Elam. The tight end was spotted wearing a sleeve on his left leg Wednesday and appeared to be walking without a limp, so for now, Buffalo seems to be exercising caution with Knox. He'll have one more chance to suit up at minicamp Thursday before his focus shifts to getting back to 100 percent health ahead of training camp at the end of July.

Hurst, who had been on the mend from offseason sports hernia surgery, participated in Wednesday's minicamp practice, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Now that he's back on the field, Hurst -- who signed a three-year deal with the Panthers in March -- is slated to lead Carolina's tight end corps following a 2022 campaign in which he caught 52 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games with the Bengals. As long as he can stay healthy, Hurst should serve as a key short and intermediate target for rookie quarterback Bryce Young, a context that could result in enough volume for Hurst's fantasy stock to see an uptick in 2023.

Pitts (knee) isn't participating in the Falcons' current minicamp, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.

That said, coach Arthur Smith noted that Pitts is "trending in (a) positive direction" with regard to training camp. Assuming no setbacks in his recovery from an MCL injury, the 2021 first-rounder is poised to approach the coming season as one of the Falcons' top weapons in an offense that will also feature wideout Drake London and a running attack headed by the combo of Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson. During the 2022 campaign, Pitts logged just 28 catches for 356 yards and two TDs on 59 targets through 10 games, but if he's able to develop good on-field chemistry with presumed starting QB Desmond Ridder, a bounce-back effort could be in store for Pitts in his third season as a pro.

Knox injured his lower left leg during Tuesday's practice, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

As the Bills kicked off mandatory minicamp Tuesday, safety Taylor Rapp broke up a Josh Allen pass directed at Knox, who then took a hit from a late-breaking Kaiir Elam. Knox was tended to by the team's training staff, took some time to get to his feet and didn't rejoin his teammates for on-field work. With two more minicamp sessions to go this week, it wouldn't surprise if Buffalo takes a cautious approach with Knox to ensure he's as healthy as possible for the start of training camp in late July.