NFL Player News

The Giants released Boykin on Tuesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

New York wants to bring Boykin back on the practice squad, reports Fowler. A third-round pick by the Ravens in 2019, Boykin never developed into an NFL wideout, but he's been a special-teams standout. He has just six catches over the last three seasons but has played over 600 snaps on special teams in that time.

The Bills are waiving Hamler, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Hamler, who had been competing for a depth wideout role with the Bills, also got some reps in at RB during the team's preseason finale. While the 2020 second-rounder isn't going to be on Buffalo's initial roster, Hamler shouldn't be without a roster or practice squad spot for long.

The Browns waived Darden on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

A fourth-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2021, Darden was claimed off waivers by Cleveland in December of 2022 and bounced back and forth from the practice squad last season. This preseason, Darden caught four passes for 70 scoreless yards. He'll look for an opportunity elsewhere but could be a candidate for the practice squad again.

The Panthers are slated to waive Marshall on Tuesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Marshall, a 2021 second-round pick, failed to emerge as a consistent option across three seasons with Carolina, in which time he compiled just 767 receiving yards across 36 combined appearances. The offseason additions of Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette effectively spelled the end of Marshall's tenure with the Panthers, although he could join the team's practice squad if he clears waivers.

The Texans are releasing Brown (shoulder) on Tuesday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Brown may be the first player to get released for non-salary reasons a year after producing back-to-back 150-yard receiving games. He hasn't done a whole lot else in his career though, and the Texans have one of the deepest WR group in the league. It didn't help that Brown had offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum and then missed time in training camp with another shoulder injury. The 28-year-old will become a free agent just five and a half months after signing a one-year, $4 million contract that included $3 million guaranteed.

The Commanders are slated to release Bryant on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Bryant spent time with the Cowboys earlier this offseason then got an opportunity to continue pursuing an NFL comeback when Washington inked him in mid-August. Though the veteran wideout scored a TD in the Commanders' preseason finale, he couldn't do enough to secure a spot on the team's initial 53-man roster. The 32-year-old could still be a candidate to resurface on Washington's practice squad.

The Giants are releasing Robinson on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Robinson finds himself among New York's initial cuts as the team trims down to a 53-man roster. The veteran wideout signed with the Giants back in May, but it appears he couldn't show enough in training camp and the preseason to cement a depth role for himself. Robinson will be free to search for a reserve gig elsewhere in the league, and he could also be a candidate to resurface on the team's practice squad.

The Giants released Hodgins on Tuesday, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

The 2020 sixth-round pick has never reached even 400 receiving yards in a season, but he did enjoy a brief run of semi-relevance for fantasy football in the second half of the 2022 campaign when he scored four TDs in a five-game stretch (Weeks 13-17) while averaging 5.0 catches for 50.0 yards on 6.6 targets. Hodgins then opened 2023 as a starter, but he was quickly demoted to a part-time role after managing just 64 yards over the first three games. He had just two games with more than 24 yards last season, and none with more than 40.

Williams (knee) will begin taking team reps Tuesday, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

It's a significant sign of progress on a day when so many other players that suffered ACL tears last season are being placed on the PUP or NFI lists and ruled out for the first four games of 2024. Williams isn't among that group, having suffered his injury early last season (Week 3) with no report of additional structural damage to his left knee. The Jets removed him from the active/PUP list Aug. 7 and he's been doing individual drills ever since. Williams still might not be ready for Week 1 at San Francisco, but all signs suggest the Jets expect him to play at some point in September.

Bourne (knee) is starting the regular season on the PUP list, making him ineligible to play until at least Week 5, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.

Bourne meets the same fate as most of the other players that suffered ACL tears last season, unable to make good on his winter optimism that he'd be ready for Week 1. He tore his ACL in Week 8 last year, finishing with a 37-406-4 line on 55 targets and a career-high 50.8 receiving yards per game. There's no guarantee Bourne gets that kind of opportunity once he's ready to play this season, as the Patriots have young wide receivers Ja'Lynn Polk, DeMario Douglas and Javon Baker vying for targets with veterans K.J. Osborn and Tyquan Thornton. It's far from a formidable WR room, but there's at least more depth than the team had last season. Bourne has been on the PUP list all summer, unable to practice with his teammates.