NFL Player News

Milne (groin) was spotted working out during the Commanders' mandatory minicamp session Thursday, Zach Selby of the team's official site reports.

Milne missed all of Washington's 2023 campaign due to a groin injury sustained in late August of last year, but it now seems as if he's moved past the issue. The BYU product was the Commanders' primary return man the last time he was on the field (2022), tallying 311 punt return yards and 300 kick return yards in 15 games. Now that he's returned to form, expect Milne to compete for another special teams role as the offseason continues.

Coach Brian Daboll said Wednesday he expects Slayton (undisclosed) to be ready for the start of training camp late July, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Slayton suffered an undisclosed injury at Tuesday's minicamp practice, but it doesn't appear the Giants are overly concerned about his health. Slayton is positioned for a starting gig in New York's wide receiver corps, alongside rookie first-round addition Malik Nabers, plus incumbent Wan'Dale Robinson, who should be more effective now that he's another year removed from his ACL tear.

Shakir (lower body) said at Thursday's final minicamp practice that he expects to be 100 percent healthy for the start of training camp in late July, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports.

Shakir limped off the field with an apparent lower-body injury Tuesday, and while he hasn't practiced since, there doesn't seem to be substantial concern about his health. The 2022 fifth-round pick logged a strong end to the 2023 campaign and looks positioned as a key starter in Buffalo's wide receiver corps, which lost Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis but added Curtis Samuel and Keon Coleman, plus depth contributors Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Chase Claypool and Mack Hollins. Shakir is also the Bills' top return man, a role which could prove more fantasy relevant now, due to the NFL's revised kickoff rules.

Cooper didn't report to June minicamp, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

With his absence confirmed for a third straight day, Cooper can be fined slightly more than $100,000. He's in the final year of his contract and looking for a new deal, following a 2023 season in which he had career highs for receiving yards (1,250) and yards per catch (17.4) despite missing two games and playing with four different quarterbacks. He struggled to produce with PJ Walker and especially Dorian Thompson-Robinson, but Cooper reached 90 yards in four of Deshaun Watson's six starts and averaged 121.3 yards in the four games he played with Joe Flacco. Cooper will turn 30 next week and remains crucial to the Cleveland offense even after an offseason trade for Jerry Jeudy.

Polk was one of New England's standouts at June minicamp, according to Phil Perry of NBC Sports.

It sounds like he mostly caught passes from Jacoby Brissett, but there was also a rookie-to-rookie connection on the final play of minicamp when Drake Maye hit Polk for a practice-ending touchdown. Polk reportedly has been quick to learn OC Alex Van Pelt's playbook, and Perry suggests that Patriots brass believes the rookie has high-end physical skills (even though his combine workout numbers were mediocre, including a 4.52 40). While many viewed Polk as a draft reach at 37th overall, he's got a nice opportunity to earn immediate playing time in a New England offense where all the WR roles seem up for grabs.

Sutton is still unhappy with his contract and suggested Tuesday that he might consider holding out from training camp, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

It would be unusual for a player to report to June minicamp (the first mandatory team activities of the year) and then hold out for the start of training camp. Sutton revealed earlier this week that he had minor ankle surgery in the offseason and was away from the team during OTAs as a result, but it sounds like displeasure with his contract may also have been a factor. While most of his Tuesday comments reflected optimism about eventually reaching an agreement, Sutton also said negotiations "are at a stalemate in a sense." He has two years remaining on his contract, scheduled for $13.6 million in compensation this season ($2 million) and $14 million next year (none guaranteed). Sutton's comments suggest he wants a contract extension, but it won't be shocking if he ultimately settles for an adjustment that adds guaranteed money without adding years. Meanwhile, there's no indication of his ankle still being a problem.

Smith-Njigba left Wednesday's practice early with a shoulder injury that coach Mike Macdonald doesn't consider serious, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Macdonald canceled the last day of minicamp (Thursday) to reward his players for a good offseason, so Smith-Njigba's next opportunity to practice will be at the start of training camp in late July. It sounds like the Seahawks expect him to be healthy before then, but we may not have confirmation for a while with players and teams going their separate ways during the league's summer break.

The Jaguars signed Trammell on Wednesday.

The fourth-year wide receiver out of Rice spent the last three seasons with the Rams and Falcons, but he has now found a new home in Jacksonville. Trammell saw the most action of his career in 2023, when he tallied 183 punt-return yards and 101 kick-return yards. He's expected to compete for a depth role at receiver as well as a return gig with the Jaguars this offseason.

Robinson said Wednesday he's measured new career-high GPS speeds in practice and feels a "night-and-day" difference physically compared to last offseason, when he was rehabbing a serious knee injury, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Robinson had his 2022 rookie season cut short due to an ACL tear, and while he returned to play 15 regular-season games in 2023 en route to a 60-525-1 receiving line, it's reasonable to believe that his knee was still less than 100 percent. A truly healthy offseason should pave the road to Robinson taking a step forward Year 3, especially with the addition of rookie first-rounder Malik Nabers to attract more attention from opposing defenses. Still, questions remain about the passing game's overall effectiveness, especially with starting quarterback Daniel Jones (knee) now recovering from an ACL tear of his own. Darius Slayton (undisclosed) is also expected to start in three-wideout sets, with Jalin Hyatt, Allen Robinson Isaiah Hodgins and Isaiah McKenzie competing for depth reps.

Boutte turned in a strong effort during Wednesday's mandatory minicamp session, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

On the last day of minicamp practice prior to the Patriots' summer break, Boutte logged a team-high five catches during team drills, which Lazar notes included a sequence in which the 2023 sixth-round pick reeled in three consecutive scores. As the coming season approaches, Boutte will have to compete with the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster, K.J. Osborn, Tyquan Thornton and Jalen Reagor for slotting in a wideout corps that also includes Kendrick Bourne (knee) -- who is recovering from an ACL tear -- as well as likely roster locks in the youthful trio of DeMario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. Additionally, it's possible that Boutte faces NFL discipline stemming from his January arrest and subsequent charges of computer fraud and gaming prohibited for persons under 21, which occurred during his time in college at LSU.