NFL Player News

Tolbert is in line for a larger role this season after working as the Cowboys' No. 4 WR in 2023, David Moore of The Dallas Morning News reports

After playing just 89 snaps on offense as a rookie, the 2022 third-round pick got a lot more playing time (477 snaps) in his second season, essentially splitting the No. 3 receiver role with Michael Gallup for much of the year. Gallup is now in Las Vegas and hasn't been replaced by a similar veteran or early draft pick, leaving Tolbert as the likely third WR behind entrenched starters CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks. While the role won't necessarily entail a large quantity of targets, Tolbert at least would be positioned for a degree of fantasy value if Lamb were to miss any time with an injury.

Claypool is signing a one-year contract with the Bills, Jonathan Jones of CBSSports.com reports.

Unable to make an impact in Chicago or Miami last season, Claypool now heads to his fourth NFL team for his fifth year in the league. It's about as good of a locale as he could've hoped for, as the Bills have a strong-armed franchise QB and questionable depth at WR. Claypool could perhaps serve as a deep threat off the bench even if his days as a starter are numbered.

Moore worked out in April with Bears QB Caleb Williams and fellow Bears WRs Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.

The workouts took place shortly before the draft, at which point Williams was all but locked in as the No. 1 overall pick for Chicago (and Odunze considered a strong candidate to join him at No. 9). The Bears ended up with both, completing their offseason makeover on offense after trading for Allen and signing RB D'Andre Swift and TE Gerald Everett. The crowded pass-catching corps means Moore is unlikely to match his career-high 28.8 percent target share from 2023, though there likely will be more overall targets, as the Bears figure to call pass plays at a higher rate and will no longer have sack/scramble-happy Justin Fields under center.

Chark and the Chargers agreed to terms on a one-year contract Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Per Rapoport, the deal is worth up to $5 million. Chark visited with the Chargers exactly one week before the 2024 NFL Draft, and his signing with the team comes exactly one week after its first round. With L.A., he'll be providing a veteran presence to a receiving corps that parted with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams this offseason, meaning Chark will be vying with the likes of Joshua Palmer (knee), Quentin Johnston and second-round rookie Ladd McConkey for reps in the upcoming campaign. In 15 regular-season games with the Panthers in 2023, Chark hauled in 35 of 66 targets for 525 yards and five touchdowns.

Allen, DJ Moore and Rome Odunze all worked out with new Bears QB Caleb Williams in April, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.

Williams and Odunze weren't on the team at the time, though in Williams' case everyone knew he'd be going to Chicago with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 Draft. The Bears then took Odunze eight picks later, completing a fearsome WR trio with Allen and Moore. It's a situation that will make it nearly impossible for Allen to match his target volume from his years in San Diego and Los Angeles, even if Odunze needs some time to adjust to the pro game. Allen celebrated his 32nd birthday during the draft and is entering the final year of his contract, with GM Ryan Poles having said in March that he expected the veteran WR to sign an extension at some point. It's unclear if the Odunze selection changes the expectation for Allen to sign a multi-year deal, as the Bears have enough cap flexibility to keep all three WRs for the next few seasons if that's what they choose to prioritize.

The Falcons figure to be heavily reliant on Mooney and Drake London at wide receiver this coming season, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.

The Falcons have sent multiple signals that they expect Mooney to bounce back from a quiet 2023 in Chicago, first giving him $26 million guaranteed on a three-year, $39 million contract and now waiting until the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft before taking a wide receiver (Casey Washington). There's no serious competition for the No. 2 WR job, though it is possible Mooney ends up a distant fourth behind London, RB Bijan Robinson and TE Kyle Pitts in terms of prioritization in Atlanta' offense. Still, it's not a bad spot to be in, especially for a thin, fast receiver who projects better as a deep threat than as a high-volume guy.

Smith-Schuster's role with Patriots is unclear after the team selected a pair of wideouts in the 2024 NFL Draft, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.

Over the course of 11 regular-season games in his first year with the Patriots, Smith-Schuster recorded a 29-260-1 line on 47 targets in 2023. The veteran wideout is under contract with the team through 2025, and he's presumably past the ankle issue that landed him on IR in December. Even so, New England's additions of free agent K.J. Osborn and a pair of 2024 draftees (second-rounder Ja'Lynn Polk and fourth-rounder Javon Baker) to a wide receiver mix that also includes returnees Kendrick Bourne (knee) and Demario Douglas clouds Smith-Schuster's depth chart standing ahead of training camp. With that in mind, both Callahan and Chad Graff of The Athletic suggest that the 27-year-old pass catcher could end up moving on as the offseason progresses.

Slayton (thumb) is expected to open the season as a starting wideout opposite rookie first-round pick Malik Nabers, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Slayton refused to report to voluntary offseason workouts, as he's entering the final season of a two-year contract and is seeking an extension. The Giants, however, haven't budged, and the team used the sixth overall pick in last week's draft to take Nabers after using a third-round pick on Jalin Hyatt in 2023. While Slayton is the favorite to open the summer as a starter on the outside, the team likely hopes Hyatt can push the veteran for snaps and targets in his second season. Nabers is the most talented receiver of the lot and could quickly prove to be the No. 1 option in the passing game.

Hyatt is expected to be the Giants' top backup wide receiver in 2024 following the team's selection of Malik Nabers with the No. 6 overall pick in last week's draft, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Hyatt injured his hamstring in the season finale against the Eagles, but he's presumably made a full recovery by now. He's coming off a rookie season in which he secured 23 of 40 targets for 373 scoreless yards over 17 games. He averaged a strong 16.2 yards per catch, but the number of catchable passes thrown his way were few and far between as a downfield threat. Darius Slayton is expected to open the season as a starter opposite Nabers, with Wan'Dale Robinson in the slot. The Giants would likely prefer to see Hyatt push Slayton for snaps.

Dulin, who tore his ACL during training camp last season, said Wednesday that he still doesn't have a timetable for his return to full football activities, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Dulin is feeling good and doing work on the field, which at least notes that he's making progress on some level in his recovery from knee surgery. The 26-year-old probably would have operated as the team's No. 4 wideout had he been healthy in 2023, and he'll likely be competing for the same role in 2024 once he's back to 100 percent.