NFL Player News

Metcalf had an excellent showing in Thursday's training camp practice, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Metcalf scored multiple touchdowns and made numerous additional big plays. Already established as one of the league's best receivers after recording at least 900 yards in each of his first four NFL campaigns, Metcalf is looking to take another step forward in his fifth season. He scored a career-low six touchdowns in the 2022 regular season but found the end zone twice in Seattle's playoff loss to San Francisco.

Sutton lost a little weight in the offseason and has been praised by coaches for improving his releases off the line of scrimmage, James Palmer of NFL Network reports.

Sutton is one of the many Broncos looking to rebound after a disappointing 2022, though in his case it's been a multi-year slump ever since he put up 1,112 yards in 2019 and then tore his ACL in 2020. While it was easy to make excuses when he managed only 776 yards in 2021 -- his first year back from the severe knee injury -- it's discouraging that he put up a similar stat line in 2022 even after the Broncos traded for QB Russell Wilson. Granted, Wilson was from the best version of himself last year, in part because the Broncos were regularly outcoached under Nathaniel Hackett. The hiring of Sean Payton offers realistic hope for a rebound, but Sutton nonetheless has lost much of his luster as a fantasy prospect after finishing last year slow at the same time fellow Broncos wideout Jerry Jeudy was on a tear. Jeudy thus tends to go about 4-5 rounds ahead of Sutton in fantasy drafts, with both potentially rising now that injuries have thinned out the team's previously deep WR room, which could consolidate target share for the top few players. Tim Patrick tore an Achilles and thus will miss a second straight season, while 2020 second-round pick KJ Hamler (pectoral/pericarditis) seems unlikely to be ready for the beginning of the year. In addition to Jeudy and Sutton, the Broncos have rookie second-round pick Marvin Mims to pick up some of the slack.

Sutton trimmed down in the offseason and has excelled at getting off the line of scrimmage quickly in training camp, James Palmer of NFL Network reports.

Sutton has been unable to replicate his breakout 2019 season, in which he set career highs in both receiving yards (1,112) and touchdowns (six). He tore his ACL early in the 2020 season, then scored only two touchdowns in each of the 2021 and 2022 campaigns. A quicker release could help Sutton create the space he needs to utilize his 6-foot-4 frame effectively in the red zone, and the 27-year-old wide receiver could benefit from more scoring opportunities in a Denver offense that's expected to improve under new coach Sean Payton after averaging a league-low 16.9 PPG last season.

Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said Thursday that he considers Kupp (hamstring) day-to-day and expects him to be "alright," Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

LaFleur might be a bit too optimistic here, considering a previous report from Schefter suggested the wide receiver would be out for "a few weeks" after injuring his hamstring during Tuesday's practice. It is possible the Rams are feeling a bit better about things a few days later, but it's also possible this is just coach-speak and Kupp is still expected to miss the remainder of training camp. The timing of the injury early in camp gives Kupp nearly six weeks to recover before the Rams host the Seahawks in Week 1 (Sept. 10).

Smith has been busy and effective at training camp, catching 11 of 14 targets through five full-team practices, Eliot Shorr-Parks of Sports Radio 94 WIP Philadelphia reports.

It sounds like the Eagles are getting their RBs a bit more involved in the passing game, particularly new addition D'Andre Swift, but the reports coming out of Philadelphia otherwise have Smith, A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert predictably dominating targets from QB Jalen Hurts. Those three accounted for 77.7 percent of the team's receiving yards and 69.3 percent of the targets last season, with Smith's shares coming in at 27.4 percent and 26.9 percent, respectively. There's probably not a ton of room for growth beyond 26.9 percent target share so long as Brown and Goedert enjoy relatively healthy seasons, but Smith could nonetheless match or exceed last year's stats if he improves his already-strong efficiency numbers (69.9 percent catch rate, 8.8 YPT). That certainly isn't out of the question, given he's an extremely talented 24-year-old entering his third pro season while playing in an elite offense.

Campbell (knee) will return to practice Friday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Campbell missed just one day of practice due to tendinitis in his knee. Prior to that, he was staying busy at Giants training camp, with multiple beat writers reporting that Campbell and TE Darren Waller were drawing the most targets from QB Daniel Jones during practices. The former Colt thus appears on track for a top-three spot at WR to open the season, though it could be a fairly fluid position for the Giants throughout the year given that they have quantity more so than quality at the position.

Darden (leg) did not play in Thursday's preseason game against the Jets.

Darden is having a strong camp, but a leg injury Tuesday prevented him from competing Thursday. He's in the mix at both return jobs and is seen as the primary competitor of Jakeem Grant (ankle) at both wideout and returner. It's unlikely the Browns keep both.

Grant did not play in Thursday's preseason game against the Jets and remains limited at practice as he tries to return from a torn Achilles tendon, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Grant has been first in line at kick-return drills but has yet to practice at full speed. The Browns signed him in 2022 to reform the return game, but Grant is not a lock for a roster spot until he can work at full health and compete in games. Hassan Hall handled the return duties Thursday, but the role is expected to be handled by Grant, Jerome Ford or Jaelon Darden (leg).

Schwartz caught his lone target for seven yards, had one carry for seven yards and fumbled in Thursday's preseason victory over the Jets.

That the third-year wideout was playing in the ceremonial Hall of Fame Game indicates where he stands in terms of a roster spot -- on the wrong side of the bubble. His fumble, which led to a Jets field goal, may have sealed his fate.

Metchie has been fielding kicks on special teams along with his work on offense during training camp, Deepi Sidhu of the Texans' official site reports.

Metchie has participated in all seven days of training camp after missing what would have been his rookie season in 2022 due to a leukemia diagnosis last summer. The wideout reports feeling "110 percent," saying he feels better now than he did in college at Alabama. Once preseason games begin, Metchie's place on the depth chart will become clearer. He currently sits in a pack, along with Noah Brown, Nathaniel Dell and Xavier Hutchinson, behind Nico Collins and Robert Woods. Houston's first preseason game takes place Thursday against New England.