NFL Player News

Diggs missed Monday's practice with a knee injury, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.

It's the first report of any injury for Diggs this summer, though he did reveal in May that he played through a torn oblique in the playoffs last season. He had 311 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the three playoff games, and prior to Monday's absence he appeared to be enjoying a healthy training camp.

Coach Mike Zimmer said Monday that he expects Jefferson (shoulder) to make a "pretty quick" return to practice, Eric Smith of the Vikings' official site reports.

Jefferson has been sidelined since landing on his left shoulder at the end of a catch at Friday's training camp session. He was eventually diagnosed with an AC joint sprain, which was accompanied by a "day-to-day" timeline. The Vikings likely will exercise the utmost caution with the second-year wide receiver, making it difficult to tell if the team will allow Jefferson to see any action in Saturday's preseason opener against the Broncos.

Bowden is competing for a spot on Miami's regular-season roster, Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post reports.

Bowden flashed in limited opportunities as a rookie, when he secured 28 of 37 targets for 221 yards across 10 contests. The 2020 third-round pick also logged nine carries for 32 yards. Despite the versatility and elusiveness Bowden already has demonstrated at the NFL level, Miami's newly revamped wide receiver corps has enough depth that there may not be enough roster spots to go around. In addition to DeVante Parker and new starters Will Fuller (suspension) and Jaylen Waddle, Albert Wilson and Allen Hurns have both returned after opting out due to COVID-19 last season, while the likes of Jakeem Grant, Preston Williams (foot), Isaiah Ford and Robert Foster could all also be in the mix for limited depth roles.

Strachan appears to be the leading candidate for the fifth receiver role after an impressive first half of training camp, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 ESPN Indianapolis reports.

The Colts selected Strachan in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 229th overall. He's built upon a strong showing at spring practices to where it looks like he's set to make the 53-man roster. However, he may not get many targets as the fifth receiver, especially if the Indy passing game struggles with Carson Wentz sidelined 5-12 weeks after foot surgery.

Parker progressively has increased his involvement in practice, including a busy session Saturday when he caught a bunch of passes from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in 11-on-11s, Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Parker was removed from the PUP list last Monday after missing the first week of camp with an unspecified soft-tissue injury. The Dolphins have a deep group at wideout this year, so while Parker's starting job may be safe, it's possible he rotates off the field a bit more often than in past years. He played 84 and 78 percent of Miami's snaps in his active games the past two seasons, despite making an early exit due to injury on three separate occasions. It sounds like Parker has avoided setbacks while working his way back from the recent issue.

Cephus missed practice with a head injury over the weekend, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

Coach Dan Campbell said Cephus bumped his head, so continued absences from practice would hint at a concussion. The second-year pro mostly has worked with the second-string offense in training camp, but projected starters Tyrell Williams (groin) and Breshad Perriman (hip) also are banged up at the moment, so Cephus could see more reps with the first team if he returns to practice soon.

Johnson played well during Saturday's scrimmage and was a favorite target of quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Ashlyn Sullivan of the Jaguars' official site reports

Johnson caught a pair of touchdowns and also had three straight receptions on another drive as he's clearly established an early rapport with the rookie signal-caller. The second-year wideout opened camp No. 4 on the depth chart, but an opportunity may have opened up after DJ Chark recently underwent surgery to address a hairline fracture in his finger. Chark is expected to be available for the season opener Sept. 12 in Houston, but it still should provide Johnson more chances to work with the starting offense during the preseason. Johnson totaled only 272 receiving yards as a rookie last year, but he flashed his potential with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown Weeks 12 and 13. He's unlikely to have much fantasy relevance if Chark, Marvin Jones and Laviska Shenault are able to play, but Johnson could be in prime position to step up should the opportunity arise during the regular season.

Moore is behind rookie Terrace Marshall in the competition for the Panthers' No. 3 receiver job, Joseph Person of The Athletic reports.

Moore was signed this offseason coming off a strong campaign with the Seahawks, but Carolina's subsequent drafting of Marshall in the second round immediately gave him significant competition to serve behind DJ Moore and Robby Anderson. After the first couple weeks of training camp, Marshall now has been deemed the favorite to be the third wideout, with coach Matt Rhule admitting the team is aiming to force-feed Marshall to ensure his readiness ahead of Week 1. Although Moore still can stake his claim with a quality preseason, the veteran ultimately may be destined for the fourth place on the depth chart, hurting his stock overall.

Marshall is the early favorite to become the Panthers' No. 3 wide receiver, Joseph Person of The Athletic reports.

Marshall sat out most of Carolina's offseason activities to ensure he'd be healthy for training camp, and the rookie second-rounder has proceeded to hit the ground running. Already familiar with coordinator Joe Brady's scheme from their time at LSU, Marshall also has impressed with his hands in practice, where head coach Matt Rhule said, "We're trying to force-feed Terrace and bring him along as fast as we can." Given that admission, it seems likely Marshall will be the Panthers' third-choice wideout behind DJ Moore and Robby Anderson before long, making him a higher priority than veteran signing David Moore.

Hightower (groin) has had issues with drops and route-running this preseason, Chris Franklin of NJ.com reports.

Hightower has shown the speed to make plays both in 2020 and in camp but hasn't consistently executed his routes or catching the ball so far this year. Those just happen to be two of the primary elements in the job description of a wide receiver. Add to that he's currently week-to-week with a groin injury, and it's safe to say that the 2020 fifth-round pick is currently behind Quez Watkins and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside in the competition for one of the final spots on the Eagles' roster.