NFL Player News

GM Joe Schoen noted Monday that he's hopeful Shepard (Achilles) will be back by August, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Shepard, who tore his Achilles back on Dec. 19, has made good progress in his recovery, per Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger. That said, the wideout figures to be eased into the training camp/preseason mix by the Giants, with an eye toward giving him a shot to be available for Week 1 action. Prior to his injury, Shepard recorded 36 catches for 366 yards and a TD in seven games, and once he's up to speed, the 29-year-old will look to reestablish his role in a WR corps that also includes Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney (shoulder) and Darius Slayton.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hinted Monday that Gallup (knee) isn't a lock to be available for Week 1 action, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The Cowboys clearly have confidence in Gallup's long-term prospects, having recently signed the wideout to a five-year deal, reportedly worth up to $62.5 million. However, Jones acknowledged that Gallup, who tore his ACL this past January, may not be 100 percent by the time the team's season opener rolls around. "Optimistically, I expect him to give us a question mark around the first game," Jones noted Monday. "And I see a conversation that says conservatively, you would like to have a couple more games to get him out there." Once Gallup is ready play, he and CeeDee Lamb will head Dallas' wideout corps, with Amari Cooper no longer in the mix, but if Gallup ends up out or limited early on this season, added opportunities would be available for James Washington and Noah Brown.

Smith has signed a two-year deal with the Saints, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Per Yates, Smith's deal to remain with the Saints carries a base value of $6 million, with the chance to earn the wideout another $4.5 million through incentives and escalators. The 26-year-old is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he caught 32 of his 50 targets for 377 yards and three TDs in 11 games. This coming season, the 2018 third-rounder is in line to compete for targets behind Michael Thomas (ankle) with the likes of Marquez Callaway (thumb) and Deonte Harris in the team's Jameis Winston-led offense. Moreover, there's a chance that New Orleans could add further wide receiver depth via free agency or the draft.

Waddle is likely to slide down the wide receiver depth chart following Miami's acquisition of Tyreek Hill in a trade with the Chiefs, Travis Wingfield of the team's official site reports.

Waddle set an NFL rookie record with 104 catches last season, while also surpassing 1,000 receiving yards and scoring six touchdowns, but he no longer seems like the favorite for the No. 1 wideout spot entering the 2022 season. Hill, whose skill set inspires obvious comparisons to Waddle's, established himself as one of the top playmakers in the league during his time in Kansas City and figures to operate as a pillar of new coach Mike McDaniel's scheme. The six-time Pro Bowler commanded 159 targets in 2021 and surpassed 1,100 receiving yards in four of the last five seasons. While there's still plenty of reason for excitement about Waddle's future, especially in dynasty formats, Hill's arrival could serve to limit the second-year pro's production upside for 2022. Mike Gesicki, Cedrick Wilson and incumbent DeVante Parker also stand to demand a share of targets.

Smith was arrested Friday on handgun and drug possession charges in addition to speeding, NFL.com reports.

Smith was reportedly stopped for going 31 miles per hour over the speed limit but is now facing three charges. He was released on bond, though what will come next for him remains to be seen.

Wims was released by the Raiders on Friday.

Wims landed a reserve/future contract with the Raiders in mid-January, but he'll now need to seek out another opportunity. The 27-year-old hasn't made a regular-season appearance since 2020, when he secured six of 12 targets for 48 yards and a touchdown while appearing in 13 games with Chicago.

The Falcons have signed Hodge to a one-year contract.

In 16 games with the Lions last season, the 27-year-old recorded 13 receptions on 27 targets for 157 yards. Hodge joins an Atlanta wideout corps currently headed by Olamide Zaccheaus, but the team is far from done in terms of adding depth at the position. With that in mind, it remains to be seen where Hodge settles into the equation for targets, but as things stand, he should have an opportunity to compete for a role in the Falcons offense, which is now helmed by QB Marcus Mariota.

Hardman has new competition at the wideout position after the Chiefs signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a three-year contract Thursday, Tod Palmer of KSHB 41 Kansas City reports.

It's still a net gain for Hardman in terms of potential for production in 2022 with Valdes-Scantling swapping in for star wideout Tyreek Hill. However, the Chiefs also picked up first- and second-round draft picks in the deal that sent Hill to Miami, so there's a relatively strong chance at least one of those picks will be another wideout.

James signed a one-year, $1 million deal with the Giants on Friday, Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

James missed the entire 2021 campaign due to a knee injury, but he showed flashes as a pass catcher for the 49ers during the 2020 campaign. During a Week 9 loss to the Packers that season, the speedy wideout was thrust into a bigger role due to injuries and registered nine catches for 184 yards and a touchdown. However, James' more likely path to playing time in New York will be as a returner. He's averaged 7.3 yards on 51 punt return over the past three seasons and recorded a 97-yard kickoff return during the 2018 campaign.

The Chiefs have signed Valdes-Scantling to a three-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Per the report, the speedster's three-year pact is worth up to $36 million. Following the trade of Tyreek Hill, it was clear that the Chiefs needed to fortify their wideout corps, and adding Valdes-Scantling to the mix is a step in the right direction. The 27-year-old, who caught 26 of his 55 targets for 430 yards and three TDs in 11 games with Green Bay last season, will bring a field-stretching element to a Kansas City wide receiver depth chart that also includes JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman, with further depth likely to arrive via free agency and/or the 2022 NFL Draft.