NFL Player News

Coach Frank Reich expects Dulin to play a significant role on offense in 2022, Kevin Bowen of 1075thefan.com reports.

"We are all planning on him making a significant contribution, not only on special teams, but on offense, too," Reich said of Dulin. With no established No. 2 wide receiver on the team behind Michael Pittman, Dulin will compete with Parris Campbell and Alec Pierce for targets from new Colts quarterback Matt Ryan.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that the 49ers will ease Samuel back up to a full workload at practice, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Samuel, whom Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports already has signed his three-year, $71.55 million contract extension with the 49ers, won't handle 100 percent of practice reps Monday. Of course, all indications are that Samuel will have his activities ramped up due to an abundance of caution rather than due to any injury concerns. The star wideout will be able to spend training camp establishing a rapport with Trey Lance, whom Shanahan recently officially anointed the team's starting quarterback for 2022.

Bateman is making a good impression at training camp and has cut down on the drops that plagued him during the offseason program, Kyle Barber of the Ravens' official website reports.

The report notes that Bateman has been active at all levels of the field after largely seeing short-to-intermediate targets as a rookie. He'll likely see more deep looks -- and more targets overall -- now that Marquise Brown isn't with the Ravens, and it'll also help to have a healthy Lamar Jackson after Bateman spent much of his rookie year catching passes from weak-armed backups. The 2021 first-round pick is in good position to break out, with the Ravens clearly depending on him and TE Mark Andrews to pull most of the weight in the passing game.

Brown had a good first week of training camp, making a number of catches downfield, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

The 2021 third-round pick had minimal impact as a rookie, despite getting some starts at the beginning and end of the season. He'll likely be a backup again if everyone is healthy, potentially coming off the bench to provide a deep threat as the No. 4 receiver. Granted, the Commanders don't lack for speed in their starting WR group, with Terry McLaurin joined by Curtis Samuel and first-round pick Jahan Dotson. An opening for Brown to make a fantasy impact might require an injury to one of those three, even with the strong start to training camp.

Coach Arthur Smith said Monday that Edwards (shoulder) is considered "day-to-day," Scott Bair of the Falcons' official site reports.

Smith said Edwards' injury is "nothing that's considered long term." The 2020 third-round pick suffered a shoulder issue after falling awkwardly during Saturday's practice. Other wideouts on Atlanta's depth chart, including Olamide Zaccheaus and Auden Tate, will stand to benefit from increased opportunities as long as Edwards remains sidelined.

Coach Ron Rivera said Monday he has "some concern about football conditioning" in reference to Samuel, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Samuel has had his reps managed throughout all offseason workouts, and he's practicing off to the side during Monday's session. Rivera confirmed that none of Samuel's current limitations have to do with last season's injuries, which restricted him to just five appearances, but the 25-year-old's status still warrants monitoring. If Samuel isn't back to full form by Week 1, rookie first-round pick Jahan Dotson could see a clearer opportunity to entrench himself as the No. 2 wideout behind Terry McLaurin.

Shakir had a strong weekend of practice, taking advantage of extra opportunities with veterans Jamison Crowder and Jake Kumerow (undisclosed) sidelined by injuries, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

Crowder is making progress and expected to practice in some capacity this week, potentially pushing Isaiah McKenzie back to more second-team work. Shakir, a rookie fifth-round pick, has mostly worked with the backups this summer, but he could have a Week 1 role as the fourth or fifth receiver.

Coach Nick Sirianni said Monday that Pascal (illness) does not have a return timetable, Martin Frank of The Delaware News Journal reports.

Pascal is dealing with a stomach illness, one which has prevented him from participating in training camp thus far. If Pascal is unable to get back on the field in the near future and begin establishing a rapport with Jalen Hurts, it could lower his chances of earning a notable depth role in Philadelphia's wide receiver corps, which is headlined by A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

Crowder, who had been dealing with what coach Sean McDermott referred to as "soreness" and "tightness," will practice Monday, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

Now that Crowder is in line to resume practicing, he'll look to secure a role in the Bills' wide receiver corps, which is slated to feature Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis out wide, with Crowder and Isaiah McKenzie in the mix to handle slot duties and 2022 fifth-rounder Khalil Shakir also contending for snaps.

Edwards (arm) is not participating in the start of Monday's practice, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

Edwards fell on his right arm during Saturday's session and suffered an injury. GM Terry Fontenot said the team has no updates on his health or recovery timeline. Edwards has an opportunity to secure the No. 2 wide receiver role behind Drake London this season, but his chances of earning such a substantial gig could dip significantly if he's forced to miss more than a small portion of training camp.