NFL Player News

Nabers (concussion) won't practice Thursday, and head coach Brian Daboll did not express optimism about the receiver's chances of playing Sunday against the Seahawks, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports.

Though Daboll noted that Nabers is progressing in his recovery from the concussion he sustained in last Thursday's loss to the Cowboys, the wideout has yet to take any tangible steps forward in terms of on-field activity one week after suffering the brain injury. Nabers will have one more chance Friday to potentially practice before the Giants give him a designation for Sunday's game, but barring dramatic improvement, the standout receiver looks set to miss the first contest of his young NFL career while he's stuck in the concussion protocol. Nabers' likely absence in Week 5 would leave Wan'Dale Robinson (heel) and Darius Slayton as the Giants' top two receivers, while second-year wideout Jalin Hyatt could notice a big bump in snaps after having mostly been an afterthought in the passing attack through the first four games of the season.

Dolphins wide receivers coach Wes Welker said Thursday that Beckham (knee) "has looked great" after he practiced in full Wednesday, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports.

Welker said, "in some of the routes on air, he looks like the [Beckham] we've seen." The veteran wideout missed Miami's first four-regular season games while on the PUP list, and while it looks like he's set for another full practice Thursday, the Dolphins haven't yet indicated whether Beckham is expected to be available Sunday versus the Patriots. "We will go through practice and talk about it as a staff and figure out the best case scenario for our team," Welker said. Tyler Huntley will draw another start versus New England. With Braxton Berrios (ankle) and Malik Washington (quadriceps) both limited to begin the week, and four other wide receivers on IR, the Dolphins could use a boost behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

Bourne noted Thursday that he "feels good" and that his knee has responded well to his return to practice, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Per Lazar, Bourne, who was limited in his return to practice Wednesday, is on a snap count for the time being. The wideout remains on the reserve/PUP list, and it's unclear at this stage if he'll be activated ahead of Sunday's contest against the Dolphins. Once Bourne returns to the mix, however, he'll have a chance to reclaim a key role in a New England WR corps currently led by DeMario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk and K.J. Osborn (shoulder).

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy suggested Wednesday that Tolbert could be in line for an increased role on offense with Brandin Cooks (knee) ruled out for Sunday's game against the Steelers, and possibly longer, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports. "I love the guys we have here," McCarthy said. "The two Jalens [Tolbert and Jalen Brooks], this is more opportunities for them, [KaVontae] Turpin. Yeah, love our practice squad guys. We'll be in good shape [at receiver]."

Tolbert has already been a regular fixture in three-receiver sets this season, with his snap shares ranging from 67 to 85 percent through four games. While Cooks' absence may not necessarily lead to a dramatic spike in playing time for Tolbert, the 4.8 targets per contest that Cooks had been averaging could be redistributed to Tolbert and others. CeeDee Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson will likely continue to rank as quarterback Dak Prescott's preferred options in the passing game, but with none of the team's running backs representing major receiving threats, Tolbert could emerge as the clear No. 3 target sans Cooks.

Lockett (thigh) was a limited participant at Wednesday's walkthrough, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Lockett's health concern from training camp lingered all the way through Week 3 prep, but he was listed as a full participant on all three practice reports last week. The thigh injury now is back and hindering his amount of on-field work as the Seahawks gear up to face the Giants on Sunday. Ultimately, Friday's practice report will reveal whether or not Lockett enters the weekend with a designation for that contest.

Robinson practiced in a limited fashion Wednesday due to a hip injury.

Just as head coach Sean McVay told Stu Jackson of the Rams' official site on Monday, Robinson is operating with a cap on his practice reps this week, only the listed injury is to his hip and not his groin. In any case, Robinson's status will be one to watch as the week goes on to see if he may head into the weekend with a designation for Sunday's game against the Packers.

Cowing (shoulder) was listed as a DNP for Wednesday's practice.

Cowing injured his shoulder during the 49ers' Week 4 win against the Patriots. The rookie fourth-round pick is considered day-to-day with the injury, and he'll have two more chances to practice in some capacity ahead of Sunday's NFC West showdown against the Cardinals.

Conley (oblique) did not participate in Wednesday's practice session.

Conley picked up an oblique injury during Sunday's 30-13 win over New England. He'll have two more opportunities to practice this week ahead of the 49ers' Week 5 game against the Cardinals on Oct. 6. Cowing has just one catch (on three targets) for four yards through the first four games of the regular season.

Adams isn't expected to play Sunday against the Broncos due to his hamstring injury, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Adams -- who didn't practice Wednesday -- is viewed as week-to-week with his injury and is also a candidate to be traded by the Raiders, per Schefter. Regardless of what happens on the latter front, however, Adams is trending toward remaining sidelined this weekend. If that's the case, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker and DJ Turner would be in line to lead the Raiders' receiver corps versus Denver.

Powell (chest) was limited during Wednesday's practice.

Powell briefly exited Sunday's win over the Packers after taking a hard hit to the midsection while attempting to make a catch. He was able to return to the game, but he appears to be dealing with the lingering effects of that hit. His practice participation over the next two days should provide clarity on his status for Week 5 against the Jets.