NFL Player News

Williams (knee) won't be ready for Week 1, though the Lions are pleased with his rehab progress, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Tampa's Chris Godwin tentatively appears on track for Week 1 after tearing his ACL in December, but guys who suffered the same injury any later than that -- notably Williams and Dallas WR Michael Gallup -- are expected to miss at least a game or two at the beginning of the season. In Williams' case, a cautious approach is especially likely given that he's rookie on a team that's considered a longshot for the playoffs. He'd be ruled out for the first four weeks of the season if the Lions were to leave him on the non-football injury list at the end of the preseason. Williams was the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, making him the fourth receiver off the board less than four months after he suffered an ACL tear in the FBS National Championship Game.

Slayton has worked with the third-team offense during parts of training camp, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

The Giants' receiving corps is crowded, especially with rookie Wan'Dale Robinson having solidified a significant role in the offense during camp. Robinson's presence has pushed Slayton further out of the picture after his massively disappointing 2021 campaign. Sterling Shepard (Achilles) is on the PUP list and Kadarius Toney is possibly dealing with a hamstring injury that may keep him out of Thursday's preseason opener, so Slayton may have a chance to shine and work his way up the depth chart. If he fails to impress, it's possible that he may not make the 53-man roster, per Duggan.

Sills is dealing with an undisclosed injury and probably won't play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Patriots, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Sills was an early standout in camp, per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, but he's now dealing with an injury that is expected to keep him out of the preseason opener. The West Virginia product would presumably need to show up big in preseason contests to have a chance at making the 53-man roster, so his inability to play Thursday could be particularly detrimental to his outlook with the team.

Smith-Marsette is listed as the primary punt returner on Minnesota's first depth chart of the preseason even though he has never returned a punt in an NFL regular-season game, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The 2021 fifth-round pick missed some practice time this spring with a lower-leg injury that seems to have been minor. He saw only six targets as a rookie, while K.J. Osborn emerged as the No. 3 receiver, but Smith-Marsette did flash some promise at the end of the season with three catches for 103 yards and a TD in Week 18. If he can carve out a role on special teams, he could win a reserve receiver role in competition with Bisi Johnson, Albert Wilson, Dan Chisena and sixth-round rookie Jalen Nailor.

Lacy signed a contract with the Raiders on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old receiver heads to Las Vegas after the team recently released Jordan Veasy. Lacy caught three passes for 60 yards for the Lions in 2019, but has otherwise found himself jumping between numerous practice squads since joining the league in 2018.

Atwell was listed as a backup on the Rams' first unofficial depth chart released Wednesday, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.

Ben Skowronek earned the No. 3 wide receiver role on the initial depth chart behind Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson, but Atwell has impressed during camp, showing off his blazing speed and sure hands during a pair of big plays in this week's practice. One potential hiccup for Atwell could be durability, as he told coaches he weighed 150 pounds, which is 15 pounds lighter than his already tiny official roster playing weight of 165. After missing the latter half of last year with shoulder surgery, Atwell will need to be able to prove he can stay on the field in order to earn the trust of coaches and supplant Skowronek and Van Jefferson (knee) on the depth chart to start the regular season.

Skowronek was listed as one of the Rams' three starting receivers on the first unofficial depth chart released Wednesday, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.

With Van Jefferson (knee) uncertain to be ready for Week 1, Skowronek will be first in line to join Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson in three-receiver sets. Skowronek has some competition for the No. 3 role, however, with 2021 second-round pick Tutu Atwell, Brandon Powell and Jacob Harris representing his top challengers.

Toney appeared to be favoring his hamstring during practice Tuesday, Darryl Slater of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Slater notes that Toney was limited in practice for the fourth time (out of 11) during training camp, but in this instance, the reduced workload may not have been planned in advance. While neither player nor team has mentioned an injury, it's possible Toney won't be available for Thursday's preseason game against the Patriots. Reports on Toney out of Giants camp have been mixed, and his stock may be trending downward, as the 2021 first-round pick reportedly had a bunch of drops and mistakes in a full practice Monday. He missed seven games as a rookie and had arthroscopic surgery this offseason.

Campbell (hamstring) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, going through 7-on-7 drills with his teammates, George Bremer of The Anderson Herald Bulletin reports.

Campbell was held out of practice Monday and said he would be back in action Wednesday, though he wasn't a full participant as anticipated. The 2019 second-round pick has played only 15 games through three seasons, but he's the favorite for slot work in Indianapolis and could even get some run outside in two-wideout formations, depending on the development of rookie second-round pick Alec Pierce.

Eskridge (hamstring) went through drills without a helmet Wednesday, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

It's an encouraging sign for Eskridge, who has displayed some vulnerability to the injury bug since he was drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft. It would be somewhat surprising to see him suit up for Seattle's preseason opener Saturday considering he still hasn't put his pads on this season, but he'll be one of the top candidates for reps behind Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf once he returns to action in earnest.