NFL Player News

Eskridge (hamstring) was limited during Wednesday's practice, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Head coach Pete Carroll said the team was being cautious because Eskridge's hamstring tightened up after the start of practice, but this isn't a new issue. Eskridge sat portions out of OTAs in early June with a hamstring injury, as well. This will be a pivotal training camp for the 2021 second-round pick, as he caught just 10 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown as a rookie. Eskridge will need to get healthy quickly and have a strong showing in the preseason to unseat Freddie Swain from the No. 3 wideout role.

Gage, who dealt with an unspecified injury earlier in the offseason, was able to participate in the first practice of training camp Wednesday without limitations, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Gage also got some new competition for snaps and targets in the form of multi-time Pro Bowler Julio Jones, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Buccaneers on Tuesday. While the playing-time matter will sort itself out throughout camp and preseason, Gage was notably at full health for Wednesday's opening session despite his prior limitations, drawing the praise of head coach Todd Bowles in the process.

Schwartz opened training camp as one of the Browns' top three receivers after rookie David Bell (foot) was placed on the active/PUP list, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

A healthy Bell is the favorite to open the season as the starting slot receiver, but he'll be missing reps early in camp, which opens up an opportunity for Schwartz. The Browns don't anticipate adding another wideout, which suggests that Bell's injury isn't considered serious.

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that he doesn't anticipate the team adding another wideout as insurance while Bell recovers from a foot injury, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

The Browns kicked off training camp Wednesday without Bell, who sustained the injury at some point late in the offseason program or at minicamp, according to Ahsley Bastock of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Stefanski's comments about the Browns not considering adding another wide receiver at this time supports the notion that Bell's injury isn't seen as serious. The coach told Athony Poisal of the Browns' official site that the rookie is expected to be ready for Week 1. The organization views Bell as more advanced than other first-year players and feels he can pick up to playbook once he's medically cleared, but Bell will miss out on some valuable reps in camp.

McKenzie's growth as a route runner has stood out during Buffalo's first four training camp practices while he sees extra reps in place of injured veteran wideout Jamison Crowder (undisclosed), Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

McKenzie saw limited opportunities as the Bills' fifth-leading receiver last year, hauling in 20 of 26 targets for 178 yards and one score over 15 regular-season games. However, his production included a breakout Week 16 game against the Patriots in which the 5-foot-8 wideout caught 11 passes for 125 yards and his lone touchdown of the campaign. With slot receiver Cole Beasley no longer on the team, McKenzie's head-turning performance thus far in training camp could catapult him ahead of Crowder, who is currently day-to-day with general soreness.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll acknowledged Wednesday that Metcalf's offseason foot surgery isn't the reason the wideout isn't participating in the team's early training camp practices, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Per Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio 950 KJR Seattle, Metcalf has indeed passed his physical, but for now he's sitting out practice while he and the team look to work out a new contract. Carroll hinted that progresses is being made on a new deal, which suggests that Metcalf could be back on the field with his teammates before long.

Meyers, who had been limited some during the Patriots' offseason activities due to "bumps and bruises," participated in Wednesday's training camp practice, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.

Meyers finished the 2021 season with a team-high 83 catches (on 126 targets) for 866 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 17 games. During the upcoming season, he's expected to remain a key cog in a New England wide receiver corps that also will feature newcomer DeVante Parker, fellow returnees Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor and rookie second-round pick Tyquan Thornton. Even when all of the team's options at receiver are all available, Meyers should continue to see a fair share of target volume from second-year quarterback Mac Jones. In that context, the 25-year-old is capable of continuing to yield decent fantasy production in PPR-friendly leagues, though Meyers' history of infrequent trips to the end zone caps his upside in touchdown-heavy formats.

Thomas appeared fluid while running routes and wasn't wearing a brace or wrap on his surgically repaired left ankle during Wednesday's training camp practice, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports.

While neither the wideout nor coach Dennis Allen are willing to put a timetable on when Thomas -- who worked in every portion of Wednesday's practice except for full-team drills -- would be back to 100 percent, the 29-year-old indicated that he's "very confident, very confident" that he'll return to form after not playing in 2021. If so, Thomas would be in line to claim his lead role in a New Orleans wide receiver corps that also features newcomer Jarvis Landry and 2022 first-round pick Chris Olave. Thomas will also have to forge a connection with starting quarterback Jameis Winston (knee), as the pair didn't play together in 2021 and saw only limited reps with one another in 2020, when Winston worked behind Drew Brees and Taysom Hill.

Metcalf (foot) is present at Wednesday's practice but isn't participating, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

The Seahawks' decision to keep Metcalf off the active/PUP list suggests he has a chance to practice in some capacity during the early part of training camp. No setbacks have been reported since his foot surgery in March, with the bigger issue for fantasy being a poor quarterback situation in Seattle.

Johnson was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, sitting out team drills as he enters the final year of his contract, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

A report in early July suggested the Steelers weren't planning to extend Johnson, who may thus be hesitant to take part in full-team drills at training camp without a new deal in tow. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said he doesn't think Johnson's limited activity is a big deal, and it's possible a new contract is around the corner despite the report from a few weeks ago.