NFL Player News

Philips has impressed in the slot during training camp and could open the season as Tennessee's starting slot receiver, John Glennon of SI.com reports.

Gelnnon points out that Robert Woods (knee) and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine can both play the slot as well, but they could both be ticketed for roles on the outside if rookie first-round pick Treylon Burks (undisclosed) isn't ready to start right away. Philips, who was a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of UCLA, is thus involved in an indirect competition for playing time with his rookie teammate.

Johnson caught two of three targets for 16 yards in Thursday's 27-11 preseason loss to the Bears. He also returned two kicks for 47 yards.

Despite a prolific college career at South Dakota State, Johnson spent his entire rookie season on the Seahawks' practice squad. He now has three catches for 37 yards through two preseason games. It's a good sign that he's getting an opportunity on special teams, but he's on the bubble with cutdown day approaching.

Ward (toe) isn't practicing Friday, Tim McManus of ESPN reports.

Ward's toe injury has lingered through much of August, depriving the wide receiver of valuable practice time as he competes for a spot on the Eagles' roster. He's unlikely to suit up for Sunday's preseason game in Cleveland, though Ward hasn't officially been ruled out at this point.

Doss has not been waived by the Giants, as New York rescinded the move and instead put fellow wide receiver Robert Foster (hamstring) on injured reserve, Art Stapleton of The Record Sports reports.

The Giants were planning to waive Doss on Friday, but Foster got hurt in practice before the 4:00 p.m. EDT deadline to process the move, and Foster's placement on IR freed up a roster spot for New York to keep Doss. While his spot on the team is safe for now, Doss remains a likely candidate to be waived at some point before the start of the regular season.

Mike Dussault of the Patriots' official site indicates that Agholor -- who was among the team's key skill players who didn't see action in last Thursday's preseason opener against the Giants -- has "been very consistent dating back to OTAs and it seems like he's in a really good place as far as grasping the offense and earning (QB) Mac Jones' confidence."

In his first season with the Patriots after signing a two-year deal last March, Agholor finished with 37 catches (on 64 targets) for 473 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games. Though he's part of a crowded wideout corps that also includes Jakobi Meyers, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and rookie Tyquan Thornton, Agholor's strong efforts of late suggest that he has a chance to engineer something of a bounce-back in 2022, particularly if Jones takes more downfield shots in his second season as a pro. Per Dussault, New England's key players are expected to see some action Friday night against the Panthers, so it appears as though Agholor could be poised to make his preseason debut.

Kupp and other key players won't play in Friday's preseason game against Houston, Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire reports.

Sean McVay has long been among the NFL's most cautious coaches when it comes to playing starters in the preseason. There's been some concern about QB Matthew Stafford's right elbow, but with the quarterback reportedly looking much better this week, Kupp is cemented as a top-three wide receiver on nearly all fantasy draft boards.

Houston ended Thursday's joint practice with the Chargers by catching a Hail Mary pass from Dak Prescott for a touchdown, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The undrafted rookie out of Western Illinois has been making a name for himself since OTAs, and Houston connecting with Prescott on a big play -- even if it's in practice -- can only help his chances of making the final roster. What's working in Houston's favor even more is the health of the rest of the Cowboys' wide receiver corps. Michael Gallup (knee) and James Washington (foot) are set to miss the beginning of the regular season, while CeeDee Lamb and Noah Brown are both dealing with minor toe/foot issues. That leaves Houston competing primarily with Simi Fehoko and KaVontae Turpin for snaps on offense behind 2022 third-round pick Jalen Tolbert.

Tolbert was more consistent this week during joint practices with the Chargers after a rough performance in the Cowboys' preseason opener, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The rookie receiver caught only two of his seven targets and got flagged for a false start against the Broncos last Saturday, but Tolbert appears to have put it behind him. "I'm learning more and more about each [wide receiver] position as I go," he said after Thursday's practice. "And so, me just being able to move around and understand more - in the game Saturday, it was kind of flying around on me. Overall, I'm picking it up. I'm good. Now, I'm just working on being consistent. My main goal was to come out here, be consistent and compete hard, and I think I did a very good job of that." With Michael Gallup (knee) and James Washington (foot) both set to miss the beginning of the regular season, there will be a lot of pressure on Tolbert to handle a big role from the jump despite being a third-round pick from a smaller conference. If he continues to show progress and can maybe add better preseason numbers to his resume before Week 1, his status as a fantasy sleeper will be a lot more secure.

Miller (wrist) won't play in Sunday's preseason matchup against the Bengals, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.

Miller sustained a broken wrist during practice in early August and has been in a cast recently. He hasn't been placed on IR, but he'll unsurprisingly be held out for a second consecutive matchup to begin the preseason.

Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald relays that over the past two weeks, Bourne logged the fewest catches in team drills during practice.

Bourne finished the 2021 season with 55 catches (on 70 targets) for 800 yards and five touchdowns to go along with 12 carries for 125 yards in 17 games, and as training camp approached he looked to reestablish his key role in a WR corps that also includes DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor and second-round draft pick Tyquan Thornton. Though Callahan suggests that Bourne's roster spot appears secure, the 27-year-old does face added competition for targets this season and a rebound at practice in the coming weeks would no doubt help solidify his role. With the Patriots expected to play their key healthy skill players some in Friday night's game against the Panthers, Bourne appears poised to make his preseason debut.