NFL Player News

Byrd signed with the Panthers on Friday.

The 30-year-old wideout started at least three games each of the past four seasons, playing for a different team every year and maxing out at 604 yards for the Patriots in 2020. Byrd now returns to Carolina, where he made 17 appearances (three starts) from 2016 to 2018 and caught only 12 passes for 129 yards and two TDs. He's one of the smaller receivers in the league -- listed at 5-foot-9, 175 pounds -- and figures to start off no higher than third or fourth on Carolina's depth chart, behind Adam Thielen and DJ Chark (ankle) at the very least.

Kansas City re-signed Watson on a two-year contract Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Watson put together a career-best 15-315-2 receiving line on 34 targets across 17 regular-season appearances in 2022, his first year paired with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Now back with the Chiefs on a two-year deal, Watson figures to reprise his role as a rotational deep threat, one that mostly limits his fantasy value to best ball formats or extremely deep leagues.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has told Gallup (knee/ankle) that he will be featured more in 2023, according to Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News.

We should believe it when we see it. Gallup tore his ACL late in 2021 and missed the first three games of the 2022 campaign only to go on and average a career-low 30.3 yards per game and 10.9 yards per catch on 5.3 targets per contest. With the addition of Brandin Cooks as CeeDee Lamb's new sidekick and playing in an offense that wants to run the ball, Gallup will be fighting for leftover targets as the third option at best. He's not an exciting fantasy prospect headed into 2023 and is coming off of offseason clean-up surgeries on both his ankle and knee.

Grant (Achilles) expects to be ready for the start of training camp, according to Noah Weiskopf of Browns Digest.

"Absolutely, 100 percent," Grant said when asked if he'll be ready for camp. The 30-year-old signed a three-year, $10 million deal with Cleveland last offseason but suffered a torn Achilles in training camp and missed all of 2022. At the end of March, Grant estimated he was at "85-90 percent" and suggested he could even get on the field for OTAs. Grant is unlikely to play a big role on offense behind Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, and Donovan Peoples-Jones, but he should be the favorite for returner duties.

Ross, who is bouncing back from a foot injury that landed him on IR last season, has been participating in recent throwing sessions with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Charles Goldman of USA Today reports.

Ross, who Kansas City signed as an undrafted free agent last year, spent the entire 2022 campaign on injured reserve after undergoing surgery to repair a nagging foot injury. Now that the 23-year-old has had time to move past the issue, Ross appears poised to compete for a role in a Chiefs' wideout corps that also includes Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and Richie James. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, Ross brings good size to the mix, but the Clemson product will need to prove his health in the coming months in order to secure a roster spot ahead of the 2023 season.

The Raiders waived Zuber on Wednesday.

Zuber will now head to the open market despite signing a future/reserve contract back in January. The 25-year-old spent the entirety of last season on the Raiders' practice squad and hasn't appeared in an NFL game since 2020.

Head coach DeMeco Ryans said Tuesday that Metchie (illness) will be involved in the Texans' offseason program, Drew Dougherty of the team's official site reports.

The 22-year-old missed all of last season after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia in July, but Ryans recently noted that the young wideout is "doing fine" and continues to make progress. Ryans added that, for the time being, the Texans plan to "take it one day at a time" with Metchie "and see where he can grow and where he can be when the time comes." During his final season of college football with Alabama in 2021, Metchie caught 96 passes for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games. Houston selected the 5-foot-11, 187-pound wideout with the 44th overall pick in last year's draft.

Hopkins wasn't present for the start of Arizona's voluntary workout program Tuesday, according to Darren Urban of the team's official site.

With two years left on his current deal, Hopkins has already been granted permission to seek a trade, though there's been little traction on that front. The 31-year-old wideout has been working out on his own and is currently in Texas. Hopkins has no desire to be part of the Cardinals' rebuild, especially with Kyler Murray (knee) unlikely to be ready for the start of the season.

The Falcons re-signed Hodge to a one-year contract, the team announced Tuesday.

The 28-year-old has bounced around the league since entering it as an undrafted free agent out of Prairie View A&M in 2018, but Hodge has settled in as a core special teams player and depth wideout. He set career highs on offense last season with 13 catches for 202 yards and his first NFL touchdown.

Beckham agreed Sunday with the Ravens on a one-year contract worth up to $18 million, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Beckham spent the 2022 season as a free agent while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the Rams' Super Bowl win over Cincinnati in February 2022. The 30-year-old has been in contact with and worked out for numerous teams this offseason, and he was scheduled to visit with the Jets on Monday. Instead, Baltimore will come away with the three-time Pro Bowler's services heading into the 2023 campaign. Across 12 games in the 2021 regular season and playoffs with the Rams, Beckham caught 48 passes for 593 yards and seven touchdowns. He should have a chance to immediately step in as one of the primary wideouts for the Ravens, who are in desperate need of help at the position. Baltimore's starting wideouts Rashod Bateman (foot) and Devin Duvernay (foot) as well as primary reserve Tylan Wallace (hamstring) all ended the 2022 season on IR.