NFL Player News

Kirk (ankle) isn't expected to play in Friday's preseason game against the Browns, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

After not suiting up for the Hall of Fame Game, Kirk was spotted working on the side at Wednesday's practice due to an ankle issue, which will keep him in street clothes for the Jaguars' second exhibition. He'll have two more chances to get some work with quarterback Trevor Lawrence before the regular season, the first of them Saturday, Aug. 20 versus the Steelers. Along with Kirk, Laviska Shenault (hamstring) and Jamal Agnew won't be available Friday, leaving Marvin Jones, Zay Jones and Laquon Treadwell, among others, as the team's active wide receivers.

The Browns have announced that Cooper is among the team's players not expected to play in Friday's preseason opener against the Jaguars.

The same applies to top running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, with the team electing to rest a number of key players Friday. With Cooper -- the team's clear-cut No. 1 wideout -- not in the mix Friday, the Browns' coaching staff will presumably focus on evaluating some of the WRs who are competing for slotting behind him on the team's depth chart.

Davis (hamstring) agreed to an injury settlement Friday and was waived off the Texans' injured reserve list, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Davis reverted to Houston's injured reserve list after clearing waivers at the beginning of August. Once healthy, the 25-year-old can look to land a deal with a new team. The wideout appeared in two games last year, catching one of three targets for 17 yards across 20 offensive snaps.

In the wake of James White's retirement, based on how things have gone in training camp, Montgomery could have the inside track to fill the Patriots' vacated receiving back role, Evan Lazar of the team's official site reports.

One bit of context supporting that notion is that Montgomery was among the Patriots (a group that included the team's key skill players) who sat out Thursday night's preseason opener. The report notes that rookie Pierre Strong is also candidate to help fill the void created by the absence of White, but the 2022 fourth-rounder is going to need to establish that he can be counted on in pass protection and thus may be eased into the mix if Montgomery indeed claims a notable change-of-pace role out of the gate this season behind top early-down options Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson.

Edwards (shoulder) won't play in Friday's preseason game against Detroit.

Edwards has been practicing in a non-contact jersey and didn't travel to Detroit for Friday's exhibition. He's right in the mix for a starting wideout job, and his ability to continue practicing in some capacity suggests he's dealing with a sprain or bad bruise rather than a severe injury.

Chase could see more work in the slot this year, with offensive coordinator Brian Callahan noting that the second-year wideout is a "really smart" player who knows assignments for multiple receiver spots, Paul Dehner of The Athletic reports.

Primarily an X receiver last season, Chase didn't move around the formation much early on, instead finding success with his ability to beat press coverage, win one-on-one matchups outside and run past slower defenders. The Bengals moved him around a bit more as the year went along, but his 20.6 percent slot-snap rate over the final nine games (including playoffs) was still on the low side for a top receiver. Chase could move inside a bit more often this year, though it isn't clear how much that even matters for fantasy, as he finished last year with 2.49 yards per route run from the slot and 2.45 YPRR on the perimeter. There's also the matter of fellow Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd, who has primarily worked the slot for most of his career.

Agholor was among the Patriots' key skill players who didn't see action in Thursday's preseason opener against the Giants, Mark Daniels of The Providence Journal reports.

The same applies to fellow wideouts Jakobi Meyers, DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne, which paved the way for Kristian Wilkerson, Tre Nixon, Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Tyquan Thornton to see added opportunities Thursday. Once the season starts, steady volume in New England's passing game could remain an issue for Agholor; however, if the 2015 first-rounder and Mac Jones develop improved chemistry in the QB's second season, a resurgence is possible for Agholor in 2022, especially if the team takes more downfield shots.

Wilkerson logged 46 snaps en route to recording eight catches for 99 yards in Thursday's 23-21 preseason loss to the Giants, Mike Dussault of the Patriots' official site reports.

With the Patriots resting starting quarterback Mac Jones and top wideouts DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor, Wilkerson was targeted a team-high 12 times in the contest. Now in his third year with New England after spending the last two seasons primarily on the practice squad, Wilkerson is currently competing with Tyquan Thornton, Tre Nixon, Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Josh Hammond for a depth spot on the team's roster. As a 2022 second-round draft pick, Thornton figures to make the cut, but Wilkerson could end up landing a spot if injuries or roster moves thin out the squad's WR ranks as the summer progresses.

Johnson reeled in seven of eight targets for 82 yards in Thursday's 23-21 preseason victory over New England.

Johnson led New York pass catchers in targets, receptions and yards in the opening game of the preseason slate. The third-year pro caught five passes for 51 yards in Week 3 last season but had only six receptions the rest of the campaign. He's on the bubble for a spot on the 53-man roster, so Thursday's performance could prove to be especially important for his chances of making the squad.

James caught three of five targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in a 23-21 preseason win over the Patriots on Thursday.

Collin Johnson led New York pass catchers with seven receptions and 82 yards, but James corralled the only touchdown, running a nice route to gather a seven-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor in the second quarter. James is competing with a handful of other receivers for a spot on the 53-man roster, so Thursday's solid showing could go a long way toward that goal.