NFL Player News

Samuel (groin) is expected to return to practice Wednesday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Samuel's likely return to practice will open a three-week window for Washington to either activate him from injured reserve or leave him there for the rest of the season. The team is hoping it will be the former after Samuel took some extended time off to rest, perhaps finally shaking the groin injury that bothered him all summer. He previously tried to resume practicing right before Week 1, only to be placed on IR two days prior to the season opener. Samuel is eligible to return as soon as Sunday's game in Atlanta, with Washington needing to activate him by Saturday to make that happen. The team hasn't gotten much from fill-in No. 2 receiver Dyami Brown, with the rookie catching eight passes on 148 offensive snaps through three games.

Shepard (hamstring) and Darius Slayton (hamstring) aren't present for the open portion of Wednesday's practice, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Both were removed from Sunday's loss to Atlanta in the first half and didn't play at all in the second half. Kadarius Toney and Collin Johnson then picked regular snaps alongside Kenny Golladay, who had entered the contest as a game-time decision due to a hip injury. The Giants also have C.J. Board on the roster, and John Ross (hamstring) reportedly was present for Wednesday's practice after spending the first three weeks of the season on injured reserve. Shepard excelled prior to hurting his hamstring, with 16 catches for 207 yards and a touchdown over the first two weeks of the season.

Slayton (hamstring) wasn't present for Wednesday's practice, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.

The Giants are beginning Week 4 prep with a walk-through session, but neither Slayton nor fellow wideout Sterling Shepard (hamstring) were in attendance for the workout, which doesn't portend well for their availability Sunday against the Saints. New York may wait and see what Slayton and Shepard are able to do on the field in the next two days before making a definitive ruling on their statuses for the weekend, but if both are sidelined, rookie first-round pick Kadarius Toney would likely step in as the preferred option in the slot. Meanwhile, Collin Johnson and C.J. Board would see more opportunities at the outside receiver spot opposite No. 1 wideout Kenny Golladay.

The Buccaneers placed Miller (toe) on injured reserve Wednesday, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

Miller's move to IR means he'll be sidelined for at least three weeks after he was diagnosed with turf toe following Sunday's loss to the Rams. After filling a depth role for the Bucs' first two games of the season, Miller occupied a regular spot in three-receiver sets Week 3 as a replacement for Antonio Brown (illness), who wasn't available after testing positive for COVID-19. Brown has not yet been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list, but because he's believed to be previously vaccinated, he should have a decent chance at making it back for Sunday's game at New England.

The Ravens designated Boykin (hamstring) to return from injured reserve Wednesday, Ryan Mink of the team's official site reports.

Boykin and fellow wideout Rashod Bateman (groin) will both rejoin the Ravens for practice this week after the two missed the first three games with their respective injuries. Given that Boykin hasn't logged any on-field work since Aug. 2 due to the hamstring injury, he won't be a lock to play Sunday in Denver, as he may need more than one week of practice before the Ravens are comfortable activating him from IR and adding him to the 53-man roster. Baltimore will have a 21-day window with which to evaluate Boykin for a return from IR.

The Ravens designated Bateman (groin) to return from injured reserve Wednesday, Ryan Mink of the team's official site reports.

Bateman had been sidelined since injuring his right groin in an Aug. 10 training camp practice and later undergoing surgery. Though head coach John Harbaugh said Monday that Bateman will take part in all three of the team's practices this week, the rookie first-round selection isn't a lock to be activated from IR and added to the 53-man roster ahead of Sunday's game against the Broncos. The Ravens will likely wait and see how Bateman's groin responds to practice work before determining whether he's fit to play this weekend.

Ward caught his only target for 15 yards in Monday's 41-21 loss to the Cowboys.

Ward made his first appearance in the box score this season thanks to garbage time, as there were three minutes left in the game when he finally drew a target. He has yet to play more than 21 snaps in any contest this season.

Watkins caught both of his two targets for 46 yards in Monday's 41-21 loss to Dallas.

Watkins accounted for the Eagles' longest play of the day, fending off pass interference to record a 41-yard reception in the third quarter. His night could have looked a lot better in the box score, too, but he had two catches totaling 45 yards called back due to penalties. Watkins appears to be gaining traction in the offense; his snap share has climbed from 49 to 51 to 64 percent through the first three contests.

Reagor caught five of his eight targets for 53 yards in Monday's 41-21 loss to Dallas.

Reagor tied his career high in targets, which was previously set in Week 15 of last season. Unfortunately, he had the Eagles' huge second-half deficit to thank for the vast majority of the extra looks, as he had just two targets prior to halftime. The TCU product now has at least five targets in each game this season, but a meager 107 yards (5.6 per target) to show for it.

Guyton didn't catch his lone target but rushed once for three yards in Sunday's 30-24 win over the Chiefs.

Guyton handled 41 offensive snaps (62 percent) but couldn't beat out Mike Williams, Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler for a piece of the target pie. The 24-year-old has deep-threat appeal and could be used on gadget plays, but he's not a dependable fantasy option.