NFL Player News

DuBose (undisclosed) has passed his physical and been activated off the Packers' active/non-football injury list, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

DuBose, a seventh-round selection by the Packers in the 2023 NFL Draft, is competing for a depth wide receiver role in Green Bay. If he were to ultimiately make enough of impression to land on the 53-man roster, he would likely be a candidate to contribute on special teams as well.

Bateman (foot) remains on the active/PUP list, but he was spotted running on an adjacent field during practice Monday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

This is the first time Bateman has been spotted working during practice since undergoing a cortisone shot earlier this offseason, so it certainly can be considered a positive development. However, it remains unclear when the wideout will be able to participate in practice again. On Friday, head coach John Harbaugh said Bateman "has a chance to be out there pretty soon," but that quote doesn't offer a specific return timeline, either. For now, it appears fantasy managers will just have to play the wait-and-see game.

Thompson returned to practice Sunday after missing time due to a concussion, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

Thompson joined Buffalo in May after going undrafted out of Arizona State. He will now return to trying to earn a spot on the team's 53-man roster.

Jones (shoulder) returned to practice Monday, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Jones suffered a shoulder injury Thursday but has regained health after a short absence. The rookie fourth-round pick out of Purdue is slated to make his NFL debut when the Bengals take on the Packers in preseason play Friday.

Waddle's route running has been a highlight at training camp, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

Waddle played through a number of lingering injuries in 2022, but he's shown no signs of being anything less than in full form this offseason. It remains to be seen whether the standout receiver will suit up for preseason action, or whether Miami's first-team offense will get most of its reps leading up to the regular season in practice. Whatever the case, Waddle remains clearly atop the Dolphins' receiving depth chart alongside Tyreek Hill. The wideout tandem looks primed for a dominant target share from Tua Tagovailoa, while all of Robbie Chosen, Cedrick Wilson and Braxton Berrios could mix in for No. 3 reps.

The Bengals are hoping to agree to an extension with Higgins prior to the start of the 2023 regular season, James Rapien of SI.com reports.

Extending Higgins is viewed as a greater priority than doing so with DJ Reader or Chidobe Awuzie. The Bengals still are hoping to go into this season with long-term contracts in place for both Joe Burrow (calf) and Higgins. The Burrow-to-Higgins connection has been among the NFL's most effective since the quarterback and receiver came into the league in 2020, as Higgins has compiled 3,028 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns heading into the fourth and final year of his rookie contract.

Thornton (undisclosed) saw his most extensive practice reps of the summer on Sunday, Paul Perillo of the Patriots' official site reports.

While Thornton reportedly has had a quiet training camp thus far, the 2022 second-grounder's speed does give him the ability to provide the Patriots offense with an outside deep threat. That said, it remains to be seen if the Baylor product will see steady volume out of the gate this coming season. Also in the mix for WR targets are JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne, while the team's top TE combo of Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki also figure to see their share of looks from QB Mac Jones.

Johnson was waived by the Vikings on Monday.

Johnson joined Minnesota on April 30 after going undrafted out of Southeastern Louisiana. The 23-year-old was a quarterback in college but he was working to make the transition to wide receiver during training camp. He'll now try to find an opportunity with another team.

Copeland signed a contract with the Vikings on Monday.

Copeland started the offseason with the Titans after going undrafted out of Maryland. However, the 24-year-old was waived by the team in August. He'll now work to make the most of his new opportunity in Minnesota.

McLaurin told reporters last week that he has a "nuanced connection" with QB Sam Howell, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

The report notes that Howell has been spreading the ball around in training camp rather than heavily focusing on his top receiver, but it sounds like he and McLaurin nonetheless have developed a strong working relationship. While that doesn't necessarily mean Howell will be able to elevate McLaurin beyond the WR2 range where he's lingered in fantasy throughout his career, there's at least some theoretical upside now that the team is giving a young QB a chance instead of relying on a veteran who is proven to be no better than mediocre. The WR group looks like the strength of Washington's offense, with McLaurin joined by 2022 first-round pick Jahan Dotson and veteran slot man Curtis Samuel. The tackle spots also appear in good hands between LT Charles Leno and RT Andrew Wylie, while potential problem areas (besides QB) include the interior line and tight ends.