NFL Player News

Smith-Schuster and K.J. Osborn were the first wide receivers through drills Thursday, Henry McKenna of FOX Sports reports.

The new coaching staff in New England unsurprisingly seems to be deferring to the most experienced players at the start of training camp, but fantasy drafters figure to remain more interested in rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker as well as second-year pro DeMario Douglas. Competition for WR roles should be wide open, perhaps giving Smith-Schuster a chance to revive his career if he isn't totally washed up from a physical standpoint. Reports from spring practices weren't especially promising in that regard, even though Smith-Schuster is only 27 years old.

Osborn and JuJu Smith-Schuster were the first wide receivers through drills Thursday, Henry McKenna of FOX Sports reports.

This is unlikely to change anyone's mind about rookie second-round pick Ja'Lynn Polk and second-year pro DeMario Douglas being the New England wideouts generating the most fantasy attention. Osborn has a chance at a top-three role and quite a bit of playing time, but his output as the No. 3 receiver in Minnesota the past three seasons suggests he's highly unlikely to be targeted at a high rate even if he's on the field a lot. He signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Patriots in March, setting him up to compete with Polk, Douglas, Smith-Schuster, rookie fourth-round pick Javon Baker and (eventually) Kendrick Bourne (ACL tear).

Sutton and the Broncos agreed Thursday to restructure his contract, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Sutton previously was scheduled for $13.6 million and $14 million in the final two years of his contract. There was talk of a training camp holdout, but it never seemed especially likely and the Broncos have now placated their No. 1 receiver by adding $1.5 million in incentives for the upcoming season, per Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette. While TD regression is highly likely after Sutton scored on 10 of his 90 targets last year, he can make up for it with added volume in other areas of the field. The Broncos had a highly unusual offensive distribution last year, ranking 27th in pass attempts (513) but first in RB targets (153).

Samuel appears to have lost weight during the offseason, Nick Wagoner of The Athletic reports.

Samuel presumably can drop some pounds and still be by far the most powerful ballcarrier among NFL wide receivers. Assuming the weight loss was intentional, he's likely trying to improve his agility and route running, which could allow him to have more impact catching passes downfield. Samuel drew just 26 targets 10-plus yards downfield last season, compared to 46 during his 2021 breakout campaign (per PFF). He'll perhaps always be most dangerous as a runner and short-pass YAC threat, but efficiency on the deeper targets hasn't been a problem, so there's arguably still room for volume growth there. The issue, more so than Samuel's skill set, is that he's competing for touches in an offense that also WR Brandon Aiyuk, TE George Kittle and RB Christian McCaffrey. While Aiyuk may not be practicing amidst contract frustration/negotiations, it still seems more likely than not he'll be on the field for San Francisco come Week 1.

Slayton (undisclosed) is practicing at the start of training camp, SI's Patricia Traina reports.

It seems the injury Slayton suffered during June minicamp wasn't anything serious. He led the Giants in receiving yards four of his first five seasons, but without ever reaching 800 yards in a campaign. While Slayton still projects as a starter, the Giants hope sixth overall pick Malik Nabers will give them a legitimate No. 1 receiver for the first time since Odell Beckham's prime.

The Browns will have Moore focus his preparation as a wide receiver after last season's hybrid role didn't work out, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

In 2023, the team used Moore out of the backfield in addition to his duties as a wide receiver, but the coaches eventually abandoned the idea. He lined up 23 times in the backfield over the first five games (eight carries, 11 yards) then just six times over the final 12 games. It was clear the hybrid role hurt his production as both a runner and receiver. Moore enters 2024 re-energized and looking to become part of a productive wideout room that includes Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy. He'll compete with Cedric Tillman to become the primary third wideout.

The Raiders signed Doss to a contract Wednesday.

Doss has spent much of the last three years on the practice squads of multiple teams, though he did appear in five regular-season games with the Chargers in 2023, registering six catches on 13 targets for 33 yards. He will join the Raiders' 90-man training camp roster in hopes of securing a spot on the wide receiver depth chart following the retirement of Michael Gallup.

Williams has been an early standout at Lions training camp, Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Teammates Amon-Ra St. Brown and David Montgomery both praised Williams after the first day of camp. Heading into his third NFL season, Williams looks to be the Lions' No. 2 receiver after Josh Reynolds left for Denver in free agency. The 2022 first-round pick is a popular breakout candidate, playing in an efficient offense that has shaky WR depth behind him and St. Brown.

General manager Chris Ballard told reporters Wednesday that Dulin (knee) may work in a limited fashion to begin training camp, JJ Stankevitz of the team's official website reports.

Dulin is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered before the Colts' 2023 campaign, so this news comes as no surprise. Once the 27-year-old wideout returns to form, he's expected to compete with Alec Pierce and Anthony Gould for a depth spot in Indianapolis' wide receiver room.

The Lions removed Smith (undisclosed) off the active/non-football injury list Wednesday.

Just hours after being placed on Detroit's active/non-football injury list, Smith has been removed. He's now eligible to return to practice and participate in the Lions' training camp.