NFL Player News

Kirkwood landed a contract with the Panthers on Monday, according to the team's official site.

The 27-year-old wideout from Temple will spend his third straight season in Carolina. Over the last two years, he's recorded four receptions for 30 yards on nine targets. He'll likely need to catch a break to make the 53-man roster after the Panthers signed Rashard Higgins, who's been more productive, and Andre Roberts, who provides more utility on special teams, in free agency.

Bell has impressed with his hands and routes at Browns OTAs, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Jackson notes the rookie third-round pick made several impressive catches at Wednesday's session, including the first downfield grab of the day on a pass from Deshaun Watson. Bell saw his draft stock drop due to sub-par testing numbers, but his solid 6-foot-1, 212-pound frame and early body of work offer reason for optimism, and Jackson also notes Bell is getting plenty of quality on-field coaching from veteran wideout Amari Cooper.

Washington, who sported a walking boot last week, did some resistance cord work off to the side Thursday, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

While the specifics of Washington's injury are unclear, the wideout did at least shed his walking boot Thursday, which suggests that the issue he's dealing with is not a long-term concern. Once Washington is able to practice fully, he's in line to compete with third-round pick Jalen Tolbert for snaps behind CeeDee Lamb, which will be a situation to monitor, given that fellow wideout Michael Gallup is working his way back from a torn ACL suffered Week 17 of last season.

Burks believes that he is improving every day and is focused on developing all aspects of his game, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Burks has had an uneven start to his pro career, with the most concerning aspect being his struggle to consistently remain on the field due to breathing and conditioning concerns. However, he continues to build his workload and is focused on absorbing all the coaching he receives to improve his game. Burks will be counted on to immediately produce as a rookie, though veteran Robert Woods (knee) appears to be on schedule to return in time for the beginning of the regular season and should command plenty of targets.

Metchie (knee) has beat the normal timetables for a player recovering from a torn ligament, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Metchie remains on the sidelines while his teammates participate in OTAs, but the doctor who performed the knee surgery is confident the wide receiver will be ready this summer. "I think he's able to hit all the milestones that the medical staff in Houston wants him to meet in terms of being ready to do things for the team this summer," Dr. Lyle Cain said. The Texans aren't pushing Metchie, who remains confident he'll be ready to play by training camp.

Shepard started jogging again last week for the first time since suffering a torn Achilles in December, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports.

Shepard's recovery from the injury, which he suffered in Week 15 last year, seems to be on track as Giants general manager Joe Schoen previously indicated that he hoped the wideout would be back by August. With that in mind, Shepard mentioned to Anderson that there's no pressure when it comes to his exact return date and that he's been limited to taking mental reps and catching balls from the jugs machine while working at the Giants' facility this offseason. The 29-year-old, who finished fourth on the team in receiving yards during his injury-riddled 2021 campaign -- hauling in 36 catches for 366 yards and one touchdown over seven games -- has appeared in 29 total games across the past three seasons.

Thielen, who is bouncing back from season-ending ankle surgery, was a participant in Minnesota's organized team activities last week, Coral Smith of NFL.com reports.

Thielen indicated that he's now past his injury woes, noting that his ankle "is great" at this stage. The wideout first suffered his ankle injury early in the Vikings' Week 13 matchup against the Lions last year, an issue that forced him to miss four of the team's final five games. Heading into the coming campaign, Thielen, who turns 32 in August, is set to reprise his starting role alongside Justin Jefferson. Though he hasn't topped 1,000 receiving yards since 2018, Thielen has managed to collect 24 receiving touchdowns (in 28 games) over the last two seasons.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday that Smith-Marsette is out for the rest of the spring due to a lower-leg injury he suffered during a recent workout, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Smith-Marsette finished his rookie campaign with five receptions for 116 yards and two scores across eight appearances. It's unclear how serious his injury is, but any missed time will affect his development heading into his second second season. If healthy, Smith-Marsette will likely slot in behind Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn on the depth chart to start the 2022 campaign.

Jeudy (back) participated in OTAs on Tuesday, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Jeudy missed a practice last week due to a tight back, but he was able to participate in the Broncos' light practice Tuesday. Earlier Tuesday, the Arapahoe County District Attorney's office filed a motion to dismiss second-degree criminal tampering charges with a domestic violence enhancer against Jeudy, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and James Palmer. Pelissero noted that it's still possible Jeudy could face discipline from the NFL.

The Arapahoe County District Attorney's office has filed a motion to dismiss all charges against Jeudy (back), Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

Jeudy was facing two misdemeanor charges for non-physical contact domestic violence. He could still face NFL discipline, though the chances are lower with charges being dismissed.