NFL Player News

Thomas (ankle) was at the Saints' facility Wednesday but didn't participate in practice, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

His presence at voluntary practices is a sign Thomas is back on decent terms with the team, but his ankle remains a significant concern after he missed a big chunk of the 2020 season and the entire 2021 campaign. Head coach Dennis Allen acknowledged earlier this month that the wideout still had "a few hurdles" to clear in the rehab process, but both Allen and general manager Micky Loomis said they expect Thomas to be part of the team this season. It's possible he's targeting training camp for a return to practice.

Washington has been wearing a protective boot on his foot but thinks he'll be OK for mandatory minicamp in mid-June, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The free-agent acquisition is expected to compete for snaps behind CeeDee Lamb, with regular playing time potentially available for both Washington and third-round pick Jalen Tolbert if Michael Gallup (knee) isn't ready for Week 1. It isn't a great sign that Washington is now dealing with an injury of his own, though he doesn't believe it'll be a long- term issue. The 2018 second-round pick missed five games in his four years with the Steelers, but despite staying mostly healthy, he never built on his 735-yard sophomore effort, instead dropping off to 392 yards in 2020 and 285 yards last season.

Bowden (hamstring) isn't participating during the Dolphins' OTAs, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

Bowden suffered a hamstring injury during training camp last year and was ultimately placed on injured reserve for the entire season. Health isn't the 2020 third-round pick's only concern, however, as he also faces competition for a roster spot after the Dolphins acquired Tyreek Hill via trade this offseason and drafted Erik Ezukanma in the fourth round. Miami's new head coach, Mike McDaniel, has praised Bowden's versatility as a unique trait, but the 5-foot-11 offensive gadget has to get healthy before he tries to carve out a role in Miami's loaded wideout corps.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that he expects Samuel to be at the team's mandatory minicamp in June, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

The disgruntled wideout has reportedly requested a trade from the 49ers after exploding for 1,770 scrimmage yards and 14 total touchdowns last year. Unsurprisingly, Samuel is currently not participating in voluntary OTAs, but it appears the team still hopes to work out a long-term deal.

Smith will compete for slotting this season behind Carolina's top two wide receivers, DJ Moore and Robbie Anderson, Ellis L. Williams of the Charlotte Observer reports.

Per Williams, Terrace Marshall is the early favorite to work alongside Moore and Anderson, but Rashard Higgins, Brandon Zylstra and Smith are also in the mix for the Panthers' complementary wide receiver reps. Smith was a sixth-round draft choice in 2021 and finished his rookie campaign with six catches for 104 yards while appearing in six contests. The 23-year-old, who has been present for the Panthers' OTAs, was among a handful of players sporting a red no-contact jersey during Tuesday's session, Fox Wilmington reports.

Burks isn't facing any limitations during the Titans' OTAs this week, John Glennon of SI.com reports.

Despite positive comments from Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, Burks was once again in and out of Tuesday's practice, per Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. The first-round pick was shut down during rookie minicamp due to an undisclosed injury, but the Titans have refrained from providing any more context. It doesn't appear to be a major issue at this point, but if Burks can't stay on field, it'll be hard for Vrabel to trust him during the regular season.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Higgins (shoulder) is expected to be able to participate in training camp, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Higgins remains sidelined during Cincinnati's OTAs this week, but it appears the wideout will be ready to go for training camp in July, which suggests he shouldn't have any limitations to start the 2022 season. The 2020 second-round pick underwent labrum surgery in March and has been sidelined since, but he appears to be making good progress and is already ramping up his rehab process.

Metchie (knee) is with the Texans but he isn't participating in Tuesday's voluntary OTAs, Adam Wexler of SportsTalk790 reports.

Metchie was spotted jogging on the sideline, but he wasn't able to get any reps in as he continues to rehab from a torn ACL. Texans head coach Lovie Smith said earlier in May that the team is still "in the process" of determining where Metchie is at, but the second-round pick has been confident he'll be ready for training camp in July. Houston obviously wants to be cautious with its rookie wideout, but they still expect him to be able to play at some point during the 2022 campaign.

Woods (knee) ran routes and caught passes at OTAs on Tuesday, Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com reports.

It'll be a while before he's cleared for team drills or contact, but this is a strong sign Woods is on schedule in his rehab from the ACL tear he suffered a little over six months ago. His progress still needs to be monitored throughout the spring and summer, as the timing of the mid-November injury means any setback could threaten Woods' availability for Week 1. With A.J. Brown off to Philadelphia, the Titans are counting on trade acquisition Woods and first-round pick Treylon Burks to be the top weapons for Ryan Tannehill, whose other pass catchers with NFL starting experience are WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and TEs Austin Hooper and Geoff Swaim. In other words, the Titans really need Woods to continue to make progress.

McLaurin hasn't been participating in offseason activities, but Commanders coach Ron Rivera said Tuesday it's "just a matter of time" before the wideout is back with the team, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

McLaurin was at the team facility at one point in April, with reports suggesting he wouldn't do on-field work until he'd signed a new contract. His absence since then might be interpreted as either a show of frustration or a negotiating tactic, but it's also possible the wideout is simply being cautious with a huge payday on the horizon. McLaurin is entering the fourth and final season of his rookie deal and should command at least $20 million per year on a long-term extension. Assuming he and the Commanders work things out, McLaurin could still have to deal with subpar QB play again, this time catching passes from former Eagles and Colts QB Carson Wentz.