NFL Player News

Pittman didn't participate at Friday's practice due to a hip injury, George Bremer of The Anderson Herald Bulletin reports.

Head coach Shane Steichen indicated it's not a serious issue, saying the injury is "nothing crazy." Pittman appears as though he'll be ready for the start of training camp, which is nearly two months away. The 25-year-old led the Colts last season with 99 receptions for 925 yards and four touchdowns, and he'll remain the No. 1 wideout for 2023 while entering a contract year.

Maag and the Vikings agreed on a contract Friday, Craig Peters of the Vikings' official site reports.

Maag will join Minnesota as an undrafted free agent after he went unselected in the 2023 NFL Draft. The wide receiver spent five collegiate seasons with the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, most recently recording 582 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 42 catches in 2022. Maag will look to compete for a final roster spot, though he seems more likely to be a practice squad option in 2023.

Tolbert has made several impressive plays in OTAs, including during the two-minute drill, Patrik Walker of the Cowboys' website reports.

The 2022 third-round pick out of South Alabama did little as a rookie, seeing action in only eight games and catching two of three targets for 12 yards, and his small-school background seemed to leave him ill-prepared for the complexities of an NFL offense. Tolbert did flash impressive athleticism in college though, and his good early showing in OTAs suggests he has a better handle on the playbook and is no longer lost on the field. He has a tough climb to become fantasy-relevant, however, and he'll head into mandatory minicamp battling Simi Fehoko for the No. 4 spot on the Dallas depth chart at wide receiver.

Fehoko could be ahead in the battle for the fourth wide receiver spot on the Cowboys' depth chart after OTAs, Patrik Walker of the team's website reports.

A fifth-round pick out of Stanford in 2021, Fehoko has only three catches through his first two NFL seasons, but he got some run in OTAs on the first team with Dak Prescott under center and showed sharp routes and sticky hands. Given his 6-3, 220-pound frame, Fehoko could be the most logical candidate to handle the role previously filled by Noah Brown as a core special teamer, run blocker and secondary target -- a role Brown turned into 43 catches for 555 yards and three TDs last year. Heading into mandatory minicamp, 2022 third-round pick Jalen Tolbert appears to be Fehoko's primary competition for the WR4 spot.

Fehoko is now fully recovered from his shoulder injury, Patrik Walker of the Cowboys' official site reports.

Fehoko returned to the field last week after injuring his shoulder back in October. The 2021 fifth-round pick caught three of his four targets for 24 yards last season and will look to compete for a depth role ahead of the 2023 campaign.

Ateman and the Bills agreed on a one-year contract Thursday.

Ateman will join Buffalo after he spent the 2022 campaign as a free agent. The wide receiver last appeared in a game in 2021 with the Raiders, failing to garner a target in his only contest with the squad that year. Considering that his last reception came in 2019, Ateman will almost certainly be a practice squad player if he sticks with the Bills during the 2023 season.

Moore lined up in different spots during Wednesday's OTA, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Moore has been a frequent target of quarterback Deshaun Watson since the Browns' first OTA last week. On Wednesday, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt was pleased with receiver's skills, noting the flexibility to be used in the slot and outside the numbers in what looked like an up-tempo offensive attack. The Browns seem intent on throwing short passes to Moore and letting him create after the catch.

Shepherd and the Chargers agreed on a contract Thursday.

Shepherd will head to Los Angeles after being let go from the Broncos' practice squad in October. The wide receiver has not appeared in an NFL game since 2020 when he caught five passes for 46 yards over eight games with the Packers. Shepherd seems likely to be a practice squad option at best with a talented Chargers roster in 2023.

Coach Frank Reich said he expects Chark (ankle) to take part during individual drills at OTAs on Friday, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Chark has been limited early in OTAS as he continues his recovery from offseason ankle surgery, and any participation at Friday's practice would be an encouraging sign. The 26-year-old still has two months before the start of training camp, so the Panthers are likely to remain cautious after signing him to a one-year, $5 million contract in March.

Thornton was "at the epicenter of several schematic tricks" that offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien installed at Wednesday's OTA practice, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official website reports.

Selected 50th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, Thornton's rookie season started with missing the first four weeks of the season due to injury and then catching just 22 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns on 45 targets across 13 contests. His speed is standing out at OTAs, however, and Thornton's "route-running precision and pacing to create separation were better than his rookie training camp," according to Lazar. O'Brien has made it a point to feature Thornton's speed in practices. The second-year wideout will try to push Kendrick Bourne for a role in three-receiver sets alongside DeVante Parker and newcomer JuJu Smith-Schuster.