NFL Player News

Tonyan agreed Thursday with the Bears on a one-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Tonyan, who logged a career-high 53 catches (on 67 targets) for 470 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games with the Packers last season, adds quality depth to a Chicago tight end corps that also includes returning starter Cole Kmet. The duo will provide QB Justin Fields with a pair of solid pass catchers at the position, but the prospect of a timeshare with Kmet caps Tonyan's fantasy upside ahead of the coming season.

Thomas agreed to a restructured contract with the Panthers on Thursday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Thomas signed a three-year extension in the 2022 offseason, and his reworked deal will help Carolina's cap flexibility. He's expected to occupy a backup role after the Panthers signed fellow tight end Hayden Hurst to a three-year contract Wednesday.

The Packers re-signed Davis on Wednesday, the team announced.

The 25-year-old has appeared in 31 games for the Packers over the last two seasons, catching eight passes for 61 yards while seeing heavy snaps on special teams. Perhaps he'll be given more of an offensive look with Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis free agents this offseason.

The Dolphins agreed to terms with Saubert on a one-year contract Wednesday, NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reports.

The 28-year-old is a career blocking specialist with 33 catches across 74 games. He had 15 grabs for 148 yards and one touchdown with the Broncos last season. Saubert is highly unlikely to become relevant in fantasy.

Hurst agreed Wednesday with the Panthers on a three-year contract, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Hurst proved to be a competent starter while with Cincinnati on a one-year deal in 2022, logging a 52-414-2 receiving line on 68 targets over 13 regular-season appearances. He now gets a chance to lead Carolina's tight end room, which also features complementary options Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble. All signs point to the Panthers grabbing a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, and the presence of a reliable tight end like Hurst should be helpful in developing whichever young signal-caller Carolina taps to direct the offense.

The Giants remain high on Bellinger, who will be able to develop "at a more normal pace" after the team traded for Darren Waller on Tuesday, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports.

After being taken in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Bellinger quickly worked his way up to being New York's starting tight end. Though he performed admirably in the role, finishing the campaign with 30 catches for 268 yards and two receiving touchdowns (and adding a touchdown on his only rush attempt) over 11 games, the Giants traded for Waller to help perk up their passing game soon after handing out a four-year contract to quarterback Daniel Jones. Waller's arrival will almost certainly mean fewer opportunities for Bellinger, but Dunleavy notes that the organization hasn't lost any faith in Bellinger's ability. That said, from a fantasy perspective, Bellinger isn't likely to make much of an impact as long as Waller is healthy.

Fortson, an exclusive-rights free agent, was tendered by Kansas City on Tuesday, James Palmer of NFL Network reports.

He split his 356 snaps almost equally between offense and special teams last year. As the No. 3 tight end behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray, there weren't many looks left over for Fortson, resulting in 14 catches on 18 targets over the last two seasons, although he did score four TDs. He should continue to fill a similar role in 2023.

The Giants agreed Tuesday to acquire Waller from the Raiders in exchange for the 100th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Even if he can't return to the peak years he enjoyed in 2019 and 2020, Waller should be a huge upgrade for a Giants offense that got less than 600 combined receiving yards out of all its tight ends last season. The 30-year-old had only 388 yards in nine games during an injury-riddled 2022 campaign, but he topped 60 yards per game in three straight seasons before that and remains one of the NFL's better athletes at tight end. The relatively light trade compensation can at least partially be explained by Waller's contract, which comes with base salaries of at least $10.5 million for each of the next four seasons, though the Raiders have already paid out most of his guarantees. The addition of Waller is excellent news for quarterback Daniel Jones and a huge blow to the 2023 fantasy prospects of second-year tight end Daniel Bellinger. The Raiders, meanwhile, are set to rely on their wide receivers to carry the passing game after coming to terms with Jakobi Meyers earlier Tuesday.

Parham is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year Wednesday with the Chargers declining to offer him an RFA tender, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Parham and Los Angeles weren't able to come to terms on a potential extension, giving the 25-year-old an opportunity to sign elsewhere. The 6-foot-8 tight end has developed into a solid No. 2 option, so he should have a fairly competitive market as a free agent. For the Chargers, meanwhile, the tight end position begins to look like a clear need if Parham indeed inks with another club.

Wright was tendered by the Lions on Monday, paving the way for him to return to Detroit in 2023, Kyel Meinke of MLive.com reports.

Wright was one of five exclusive-rights free agents tendered by the Lions. The tight end had 18 catches for 216 yards and four touchdowns in 2022.