NFL Player News

Watkins is having a solid training camp and still seems to be the favorite to win the Eagles' No. 3 receiver role, according to Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The Eagles don't need their third wideout to take on much target volume, but they want a player who can stretch defenses without making too many mistakes. The latter area proved problematic for Watkins last season, with his most memorable moments arguably being a lost fumble in the team's first loss of the season and then a dropped pass during the Super Bowl. The 25-year-old now faces a challenge from Olamide Zaccheaus, who is also a fast, small wideout and had a better 2022 in Atlanta (40-533-3 receiving line on 61 targets) than Watkins had in Philadelphia (34-354-3 on 51 targets). Watkins may be the incumbent and now the early leader at training camp, but Zaccheaus still has time this summer to make his push for the No. 3 spot.

The Jaguars relayed that the toe issue that bothered Ridley earlier Wednesday was caused by the cleats the wideout had been wearing, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.

DiRocco notes that Ridley eventually switched cleats, which is expected to resolve the issue. Though the wideout had been in for limited work at Wednesday's practice, Demetrius Harvey of The Florida Times-Union relays that Ridley was able to join team drills. Ridley, who didn't play last season while serving a suspension for violating the NFL's gambling policy, has been "one of the top players of camp thus far" for the Jaguars, according to Harvey.

The Broncos placed Patrick (Achilles) on injured reserve Wednesday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.

Patrick is set to miss a second consecutive season after he suffered a torn Achilles' tendon in Monday's practice. With Denver also waiving KJ Hamler with a non-football illness designation Monday, 2023 second-round draft pick Marvin Mims should handle an expanded role in the team's passing offense alongside top wideouts Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton.

Thornton (undisclosed) was spotted heading to the conditioning field during Wednesday's practice, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

The Patriots haven't revealed what prompted Thornton's visit to the tent, but Cox notes that "it's been a quiet camp" thus far for the second-year wideout, who hasn't yet logged any catches from quarterback Mac Jones in full-team drills. Thornton still has time to pick up the pace, which is what he'll need to do in order to carve out a steady role in a New England wideout corps that also includes JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne.

Brownlee has been a standout performer for the Jets in camp, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Brownlee went undrafted out of Southern Miss, but the Jets gave him $246,000 guaranteed to sign, which is similar money to a fifth-round pick and suggests Brownlee had a robust post-draft market. Since coming to New York, Brownlee has drawn rave reviews for his performance in OTAs, and he has carried that momentum into training camp. If he can sustain his early camp success in preseason, Brownlee will likely earn himself a spot on the Jets' 53-man roster.

Ridley will be limited at Wednesday's practice due to a toe injury that isn't considered serious, Demetrius Harvey of The Florida Times-Union reports. "He'll be fine," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said. "We were sort of cautionary with [Ridley on Tuesday]. He'll be back out there and we'll just monitor him and limit the amount of running that he'll do."

Ridley missed portions of Tuesday's practice and could be on a similar schedule Wednesday. The wideout has drawn positive reviews early on in training camp after he missed the entire 2022 season while serving a gambling-related suspension.

Kupp underwent an MRI on his hamstring after exiting Tuesday's practice and could be back for scrimmages "in a few weeks," Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The Rams are expected to be cautious with their top wideout for the rest of training camp and the preseason, but Schefter's report suggests Kupp will have a chance at being ready to go in advance of Week 1. While Kupp is sidelined, the likes of Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek (back), Tutu Atwell, Puka Nacua and Demarcus Robinson are all likely to see added opportunities in practice.

Kupp walked off the field of Tuesday's practice with medical staff due to a hamstring injury, and the team has not provided a timetable for his return, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

The injury was sustained when Kupp came up short on a red-zone route, according to head coach Sean McVay. Look for the Rams to err on the side of caution with their star pass catcher going forward in order to ensure his health heading into the season and avoid a lingering issue. The 30-year-old entered camp as a full participant after logging only individual drills during the Rams' offseason program in mid-June while recovering from a high-ankle sprain that ended his 2022 season early.

According to John DeShazier of the Saints' official site, Thomas, who was cleared to practice in full during training camp, said Tuesday that he feels like he's "trending in the right direction," and, "taking every day one day at a time..." as he works continues to work his way back from nearly a two-season long hiatus.

Thomas played just 10 games over the last three regular seasons for the Saints, as numerous injuries and subsequent surgeries plagued him during this span. DeShazier adds that the 30-year-old wideout has looked impressive during team drills and one-on-one sessions in training camp; however, it makes sense that Thomas doesn't talk like he's completely regained the same physical form from his 2018 and 2019 All-Pro campaigns. The Saints also appear to be prioritizing Thomas' long-term availability during training camp. Coach Dennis Allen said Tuesday, "There's a number of guys that we have some planned limited practice days, some planned extra days off. We've got a plan for [Thomas]." It's unclear if this precautionary practice schedule will impact Thomas' development and familiarity with new starting quarterback Derek Carr, though avoiding potential re-injury or setbacks will likely go a long way toward maximizing the wideout's effectiveness, and fantasy value, this coming season.

Mims was a full participant at practice Monday, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports.

After missing some time due to a hamstring injury, Mims' full participation in practice is welcome news as the Broncos lost veteran receiver Tim Patrick to a season-ending Achilles tear during Monday's practice. The 21-year-old rookie could have the opportunity to carve out a role in the receiving corps with Patrick out for the season and KJ Hamler (pectoral/pericarditis) waived and expected to miss at least a month. When speaking about Mims' progress, head coach Sean Payton said, "He's feeling good and you're going to see him more and more this week. He's going to be ramping up and we're encouraged." The Oklahoma product will look to secure the No. 3 spot on the depth chart behind Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton ahead of the 2023 campaign, as he presents a deep threat for Russell Wilson, who is no stranger to stretching the field.