NFL Player News

Head coach Dan Campbell said Wednesday that Williams (suspension) will get "a ton of game reps" during the Lions' three preseason contests, Tim Twentyman of the team's official site reports.

Detroit opens its exhibition slate Aug. 11 against the Giants, a game in which Williams can expect to see significant run. Whether or not that'll be with Jared Goff and the rest of the first-team offense is unknown, but, as Campbell noted, Williams "didn't practice last year" due to his recovery from a torn ACL that sidelined the wide receiver until Week 13. Once he got on the field, Williams' snap count was managed, and he logged just two touches, but they went for a 41-yard touchdown catch and a 40-yard carry. So far in training camp, he's had little issue getting open against the Lions defense, but issues with drops continue to plague him. In any case, the team has a plan for Williams to get as much work as possible before he's required to serve a six-game gambling suspension to start the upcoming campaign.

Brown (undisclosed) increased his activity level at Wednesday's practice, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Brown was limited Monday and took part in the initial portion of Tuesday's practice, after which head coach Jonathan Gannon told Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com that the wide receiver was dealing with "nicks and bruises." While Drake noted that Wednesday's session was low intensity, it's still an encouraging sign for Brown to get in some more work. Any reps that Brown is unable to handle will filter down to Rondale Moore, Greg Dortch, Michael Wilson and Zach Pascal, among others.

Copeland has been waived by the Titans, Jim Wyatt of the team's official website reports.

Copeland joined the Titans as an undrafted free agent this spring, but he was let go Wednesday to make room for the addition of offensive lineman Jimmy Murray. The Maryland product will now look to catch on elsewhere as a depth wideout.

Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips told reporters Wednesday that Jackson (knee) didn't suffer any ligament damage to his knee after being carted off during practice Tuesday, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

This health update is great news for the Vikings considering Jackson was thought to have suffered a very serious knee injury after being carted off. The Syracuse product has yet to appear in an NFL game after going undrafted in 2020. Expect the wideout to compete for a spot on Minnesota's practice squad for the second year in a row ahead of the coming season.

Rodgers agreed to terms with the Colts on Wednesday.

The 2021 third-round pick has found his third home in two years after being waived by both the Packers and Texans. Rodgers has tallied 20 receptions for 249 yards and one touchdown in his career, but he's mainly been a return man, as he's recorded 626 return yards. He's had issues holding onto the ball, fumbling eight times in just two years, but expect Indianapolis' newest receiver to compete for the kick and punt returner job ahead of the coming season.

Douglas has been one of the early standouts of Patriots training camp, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

The rookie sixth-round pick has seen daily work with the first-team offense, mostly out of the slot, with teammate Jabrill Peppers noting Monday that Douglas is "tough as nails" and shows surprising "physicality" for an undersized wide receiver. To that end, the Patriots optimistically list Douglas at 5-foot-8 and 192 pounds, though he was a mere 170 just five months ago when he ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. Regardless of his actual weight, Douglas seems to be making a bid for the No. 3 receiver job in New England, challenging veteran Kendrick Bourne, 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton and sixth-round rookie Kayshon Boutte.

Flowers has made a strong case for a starting job during training camp while fellow wide receiver Rashod Bateman (foot) has remained absent from practice, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Bateman has been on the active/PUP list for over a week now, and while that doesn't necessarily mean he won't be ready for the start of the regular season, it at least creates some concern that he won't be at his best early on. That wouldn't be at all atypical for a wideout coming back from a season-ending Lisfranc injury, though the Ravens were optimistic about the 2021 first-round pick earlier this offseason. With some of that optimism perhaps waning, the team's 2023 first-round selection (Flowers) has stepped up alongside Odell Beckham to form a solid duo for Lamar Jackson in practice. The Ravens have two other wideouts with considerable NFL starting experience, Nelson Agholor and Devin Duvernay, but in terms of likely fantasy contributors with potential for considerable target volume, it's probably a three-way race between Flowers, Beckham and Bateman. So far, Beckham and Flowers are winning that race, both delivering strong showings in training camp while Bateman lingers on the PUP list.

Boutte had a strong practice Wednesday, including his first catch from quarterback Mac Jones in full-team drills, Mark Daniels of The Springfield Republican reports.

The rookie sixth-round pick reportedly did well in 1-on-1 drills and then got his first action of the summer with the first-team offense. Fellow rookie Demario Douglas, also a sixth-round pick, has made more of a splash this summer, but there may be room for both to get looks on the first unit with 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton first struggling and now possibly tending to an injury. While the top two spots on the depth chart seem safely in the hands of JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker, everything else appears up for grabs in New England's wideout room, giving the rookies an opportunity to usurp not only Thornton but also Kendrick Bourne.

Montgomery (leg) remained sidelined during Wednesday's practice, Dakota Randall of NESN.com reports.

Montgomery hasn't practiced since suffering a leg injury last week, but the versatile running back has been spotted on the team's rehab field, an indication that he's progressing toward a return. With Montgomery banged up and with the Patriots managing Rhamondre Stevenson's workload in training camp, Kevin Harris, Pierre Strong and J.J. Taylor have handled added practice reps.

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.