NFL Player News

Guyton officially signed his exclusive rights free agent tender Tuesday and will remain with the Chargers this coming season, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

The 24-year-old finished the 2021 campaign third among Los Angeles' wide receivers in terms of yardage (448), while logging 31 receptions on 48 targets and three touchdowns in 16 games. Beyond competing for reps behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, Guyton could also contribute in the return game, as the Chargers haven't re-signed last season's primary returner Andre Roberts.

Higgins had the labrum in his left shoulder repaired last month, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The report notes that the wideout, who was spotted at a Cincinnati Reds game Tuesday with his left arm in a sling, is expected to recover from the procedure well before training camp. This past season, the 2020 second-rounder caught 74 of his 110 targets for 1,091 yards and six TDs in 14 games. In 2022, the 23-year-old will reprise his starting role in a Bengals wide receiver corps that also includes the ascending Ja'Marr Chase as well as Tyler Boyd.

Turner signed a one-year contract with the 49ers on Monday.

Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk head into 2022 as the 49ers' clear top two receivers, but Turner should get the chance to compete for the No. 3 role with Jauan Jennings and a host of other wideouts. Turner suited up in 14 games for Dallas in 2021, tallying 12 receptions for 149 yards and three touchdowns on 16 targets.

Carter signed with the Chargers on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Carter recorded a career-best 24 receptions for 296 yards and three touchdowns in 2021 as a member of the Washington Commanders. Now joining a wide receiver corps that already boasts Keenan Allen and Mike Williams among others, Carter isn't likely to improve upon -- or perhaps even repeat -- those marks. However, his primary value will come from his work in the return game, as he has proven to be both a valuable kick and punt returner throughout his professional career.

The Texans and Cooks agreed to a two-year contract extension Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The move puts to bed rumors that Cooks could be on the move this offseason and locks him in with Houston through the 2024 season. Only 28 years old, he's been a member of four organizations in his eight-year career, going for at least 1,000 yards in six of the last seven seasons and surpassing the 80-catch mark four times during that span. Cooks will continue to serve as the unquestioned No. 1 option for the Texans' passing game moving forward.

Diggs agreed to terms Wednesday with the Bills on a four-year, $104 million contract extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Diggs still had two years remaining on his five-year, $72 million contract, but after seeing the receiver market undergo a sea change this offseason, Buffalo didn't want to wait any longer to extend its star wideout. The 28-year-old, who hasn't missed a regular-season game in his two years with Buffalo, racked up a career-high 1,535 receiving yards in 2020, and he set another career mark with 10 touchdowns in 2021. The 28-year-old will continue to enjoy his position as Josh Allen's top target heading into the 2022 campaign, a combination which has proven highly valuable for fantasy purposes.

Following the team's trade for DeVante Parker, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic suggests that the Patriots could consider using Agholor more out of the slot.

At first glance, the addition of Parker to the mix doesn't seem to bode well for Agholor's prospects of seeing increased volume in 2022, with Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne also in the team's wide receiver mix. In the first season of his two-year deal with New England, Agholor finished with 37 catches (on 64 targets) for 473 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games. Though the 2015 first-rounder has the ability to provide the team with a downfield threat, it remains to be seen if he'll see enough steady snaps (be it outside or in the slot) and targets to make much of a fantasy splash this time around. That said, when injuries hit, the Patriots now are in a better position to cope, given that they have a clear-cut top four heading their WR depth chart.

The addition of Parker gives the Patriots "a physical boundary receiver with No. 1 potential," according to Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic.

That's a notion echoed by ESPN's Mike Reiss, who suggests that Parker is projected to fill a role -- that of a big target who can win in contested-catch scenarios -- which 2019 first-rounder N'Keal Harry wasn't able to seize. Per Fairburn, if Parker can stay healthy, the 29-year-old has a chance to emerge as the Patriots' top wideout, but Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor all remain in the mix for targets, as do tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. Despite the potential that New England's offense spreads the ball around among its pass catchers and continues to rely heavily on the run, Parker has the skill to bounce back in 2022 after posting a 40-515-2 stat line (on 73 targets) in 10 games with the Dolphins last season.

ESPN's Mike Reiss suggests that the Patriots' trade for DeVante Parker foreshadows the team parting ways with Harry.

With Parker joining Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor in New England's wideout mix, Harry looks like the odd man out. Since being drafted in 2019, the Arizona State product hasn't produced as hoped, with Parker -- a big target who can win in contested-catch scenarios -- slated to fill a role that the team had projected for Harry. This past season, the 24-year-old caught just 12 passes (on 22 targets) for 184 yards in 12 games, and at this stage a change of scenery probably would benefit the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder, who's approaching the fourth year of his rookie deal.

Johnson (ribs) will have to compete with free-agent signee Russell Gage and the returning Breshad Perriman (abdomen) for snaps behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin (knee) in 2022, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Johnson posted seven tallies of at least three receptions during the 2021 season and added another five grabs during the Buccaneers' two-game playoff run. The second-year wideout undoubtedly made strides while logging 38 more targets and 328 more snaps than in his rookie 2020 campaign, but the signing of Gage gives him some more experienced competition. The former Falcons wideout produced a 138-1,556-8 line across the last two seasons alone, and in addition to Gage, Johnson also will have to deal with the presence of Perriman, who has experience in the offense and brings some coveted deep speed. Godwin's likely absence early in the season will give Johnson a clearer path to meaningful snaps no matter where he ends up in the pecking order, but he'll have to make a notable impact to ensure that remains the norm once his teammate is healthy.