NFL Player News

Peoples-Jones had an excellent minicamp and figures to compete for the No. 3 receiver job this summer, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

The 2020 sixth-round pick worked as Cleveland's No. 3 receiver for part of his rookie campaign, including the playoffs, though he drew only 20 targets in 12 regular-season games and three more in the two postseason appearances. Peoples-Jones made the most of his limited opportunities, catching 16 of the 23 targets for 335 yards and two touchdowns while working behind Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins. With Odell Beckham (knee) seemingly on track for the season opener, Peoples-Jones will need to leapfrog Higgins in order to secure a top-three role. Rookie third-round pick Anthony Schwartz (hamstring) may also have a say in the matter, and the Browns figure to rank near the top of the NFL in usage of multi-TE formations, in any case.

The Raiders expect Edwards and fellow second-year pro Henry Ruggs to start at wide receiver, Tashan Reed and Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

Both were Week 1 starters as rookies last year, but Edwards injured his ankle Week 3 and was demoted to a reserve role when he returned in Week 9. The two 2020 draft picks combined for only 645 yards and five TDs, while Nelson Agholor emerged as the Raiders' No. 1 wide receiver with a 48/896/8 receiving line on 82 targets. The Raiders have since swapped out Agholor for John Brown, but the team hopes it'll be one of the young guys stepping up to take over the No. 1 role. Las Vegas also has slot specialist Hunter Renfrow, so it'll be tough to find regular snaps for all three of Edwards, Ruggs and Brown.

Lamb has been working at four different receiver spots this offseason, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Most NFL offenses have an X receiver, a Z and a slot, but the Cowboys apparently have a fourth designation as well. The larger point is that Lamb has become more comfortable in Mike McCarthy and Kellen Moore's scheme, so the young wideout may now see more work on the perimeter, after largely playing the slot as a rookie. He'll still see plenty of inside work in three-wide formations, perhaps moving outside to replace Michael Gallup in two-wide sets. That could in turn allow Lamb to run a few more routes per game, though it shouldn't make a huge difference in an offense that's heavily three-wide to begin with. McCarthy said he expects Lamb to make a second-year jump in 2021.

Beckham (knee) could be ready for the start of training camp, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Cabot used the term "freak of nature" when discussing Beckham's quick recovery from Nov. 10 surgery on a torn ACL. The wideout even took part in June minicamp, so while the Browns could still opt for a cautious approach throughout training camp and the preseason, it sounds like Beckham is well on his way to suiting up for Week 1 at Kansas City.

Jefferson has established himself as a legitimate receiver who head coach Sean McVay is counting on entering the 2021 season, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN reports.

The 57th overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, Jefferson wasn't a major factor in the Los Angeles offense as a rookie. He recorded just 19 receptions for 220 yards and a touchdown. However, with Josh Reynolds signing with the Titans during the offseason, there's an opportunity for Jefferson to climb the depth chart. His fantasy value is still a little murky, though, considering the Rams signed field-stretcher DeSean Jackson, and they also drafted speedster Tutu Atwell in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Still, Jefferson is definitely a receiver to keep tabs on and could be a sneaky fantasy contributor, especially in DFS formats over the course of the campaign.

Strachan made a strong impression in spring workouts and stood out among a deep receiving corps, ESPN Indianapolis 107.5 The Fan reports. "Strachan, the size and speed and he's got good short area quickness, he just has great competitive disposition as an athlete," coach Frank Reich said of the wideout.

The Colts selected Strachan in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 229th overall. The 6-foot-5, 224-pounder found success as a two-year starter at Charleston, but he'll need to become at least a bit more refined to carve out a role in Indianapolis. He's a long shot to find a steady role on offense, but it looks like he has a shot at making the roster as a reserve receiver and special teams player.

Anderson has spoken positively of quarterback Sam Darnold's transition to the Panthers, ESPN's David Newton reports.

Anderson is reunited with Darnold this season after the pair played together on the Jets in the 2018 and 2019 campaigns. Those were Darnold's first two years in the NFL and coincided with Anderson leading New York in receiving over that span. The wideout has taken note of Darnold's fresh demeanor away from the bright, big-city spotlight this offseason, and believes the signal-caller will have an easier time learning Carolina's playbook. If all goes well, a more comfortable Darnold could help he and Anderson pick up where they left off and build upon Anderson's success in 2020, when he finished with career highs in catches (95), targets (136) and receiving yards (1,096) in his first season as a Panther.

Terry was one of 11 individuals indicted by a grand jury June 22 on a felony murder complaint involving the July 2018 death of a 21-year-old woman in Georgia, Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The news of Terry's alleged involvement in the murder case likely played a factor in the Seahawks' decision to release the undrafted rookie out of Florida State on Tuesday. The incident in question occurred in Terry's home county (Turner County, Ga.), and occurred when he would have been heading into his redshirt freshman season with the Seminoles. Unless charges against the wide receiver are dropped as the legal process unfolds, Terry's football career could be over.

Brown likely will work out with QB Lamar Jackson this offseason, the Ravens' official website reports.

Jackson and Brown both are from South Florida, as is new Ravens wideout Sammy Watkins. The team upgraded its receiving corps this offseason with the additions of Watkins and first-round pick Rashod Bateman, but Brown should still be the top downfield option, even if he doesn't match his 100 targets from last season. The speedy 24-year-old could benefit from improved efficiency now that opposing defenses have more than one wide receiver to worry about.

Woods participated in voluntary OTAs and even made an effort to sit next to new Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford during film sessions, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Stafford hasn't had many chances to practice with Woods and fellow wide receiver Cooper Kupp, but it sounds like all parties are prioritizing development of the quarterback-receiver relationships. Woods even recorded pieces of his own film study to send to Stafford, helping the veteran QB understand when his new wideout will expect to see the ball on certain routes. Woods has been impressed with Stafford's attention to detail so far, and the two figure to take plenty of reps together later this summer at training camp. Woods is working on three straight seasons with 86 or more catches and 1,000 or more total yards, though his 2020 marks of 58.5 receiving yards per game and 10.4 yards per catch were the worst he's posted in four years with the Rams. Swapping out Jared Goff for Stafford should help Woods regain some of his pre-2020 efficiency, especially if he sees a few more intermediate and deep throws. Woods' average target depth dropped to 6.7 yards in 2020, down from 11.4 in 2018 and 8.4 in 2019.