NFL Player News

Parker may still be the Dolphins' No. 1 receiver, even after the team added veteran Will Fuller and sixth overall pick Jaylen Waddle, Safid Deen of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

It's far from a sure thing, considering Fuller had more yards (879) and touchdowns (eight) last season, despite being suspended the final five weeks. Granted, Fuller was playing with Deshaun Watson while Parker caught passes from Tua Tagovailoa and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Both wideouts now face QB uncertainty, and the Miami offensive line is another big question mark. On the other hand, the Dolphins now have a promising group of pass catchers, with Parker, Fuller and Waddle joined by TE Mike Gesicki and depth wide receivers Preston Williams, Albert Wilson, Jakeem Grant, Allen Hurns and Lynn Bowden.

The Seahawks waived Terry on Wednesday, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

The 23-year-old joined the Seahawks on a three-year deal after going undrafted in the spring, but he's been let go after going through offseason work with the team. Terry was battling a hip injury in May, but he's currently healthy and will be free to sign elsewhere once he clears waivers.

McLaurin recently worked with former Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin to improve his releases off the line of scrimmage, independent NFL journalist Mark Bullock reports.

During his career, Baldwin made a living with toughness, technique and reliable hands, while McLaurin is far more physically gifted, having run a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-2, 208 pounds. The third-year pro has also proven himself to be a quick learner in the NFL, with rapid improvement on short and intermediate routes allowing him to put up 1,118 receiving yards in 15 games last season despite playing in an offense with minimal downfield passing. The hope in Washington is that veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick can help create a more balanced passing game, which would give McLaurin a shot to mesh his big-play ability from 2019 (15.8 yards per reception, seven touchdowns in 14 games) with his big-time volume from 2020 (8.9 targets, 5.8 catches per week). He faces more competition for targets this season, with Washington adding Curtis Samuel, Adam Humphries and third-round pick Dyami Brown in the offseason.

Samuel has been working out in Southern California with rookie quarterback Trey Lance since the 49ers' offseason program concluded earlier this month, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Samuel seems to be enjoying a healthy offseason, unlike last summer when he suffered a Jones fracture in mid-June. He missed the first three weeks of the regular season, then later missed six more games while dealing with hamstring injuries and a stint on the COVID-19 list. In the seven games he played, Samuel averaged 4.7 receptions for 55.9 yards and 1.1 carries for 3.7 yards, with his average of 12.1 yards after catch per reception leading all qualified pass catchers. He largely made his living on quick passes and pseudo-handoffs, but there is some hope to add more intermediate or even deep work, especially if Lance ends up being a better downfield passer than incumbent Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers seemingly intend to start the veteran Week 1, though the outlook could change in a hurry if Lance is impressive at training camp.

Samuel (groin) didn't participate in June minicamp, Chris Russell of 106.7 The Fan reports.

Samuel was first held out of practice June 2 and never made it back for mandatory minicamp June 8-10. He should be ready for the start of training camp July 27, but if not, the likes of Cam Sims, Adam Humphries and Dyami Brown could see more work with the first-team offense. Samuel figures to be the No. 2 wide receiver in Washington, after signing a three-year, $34.5 million contract in March.

Davis (shoulder) participated in team drills during June minicamp, Andy Vasquez of The Bergen Record reports.

Davis didn't miss much time after suffering a shoulder strain at the end of May. He should be a full go for the start of training camp, where he'll likely be the top perimeter target for rookie QB Zach Wilson. The Jets do have a deep group of wide receivers, with Davis joined by Denzel Mims, Jamison Crowder, Keelan Cole and rookie Elijah Moore.

Brown (knee) didn't participate in OTAs or June minicamp, but he said it won't be long before he's back on the practice field, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Brown had surgery on both knees in January and has thus far mostly been limited to rehab work and cardio. It sounds like he could be ready for training camp, where he'll team up with Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry and recent addition Julio Jones in a star-studded Tennessee offense. With WR Corey Davis and TE Jonnu Smith both departing this offseason, the Titans presumably expect Brown and Jones to handle a huge share of the targets and receiving production.

Cole has played well in camp and will be in New York's wide receiver rotation, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Cimini implied that Cole has looked better than second-year wideout Denzel Mims, who most have penciled into the starting spot opposite Corey Davis. Rookie Elijah Moore's also on hand to compete for snaps at wide receiver, but it sounds like Cole should at least carve out a consistent role if not an outright starting spot with his new team.

The Saints intend for Baker to learn multiple receiver positions, Sam Shannon of the Saints' official site reports. "Baker is someone that has position flex ... you see him line up in the slot," head coach Sean Payton said during his post-draft press conference in May. "He's a high-IQ player for the receiver position. He's played in multiple positions. We will probably work him outside to begin with."

Payton was at least initially true to his word, considering Baker said June 10 that he had mostly been learning the outside "Z" receiver position up to that point, per Jeff Nowak of WWL Radio. While it's not clear whether or not the seventh-round rookie continued to specialize in a flanker role during the Saints' mid-June mandatory minicamp, we should learn more during training camp, where Baker will try to earn a role behind Michael Thomas and Tre'Quan Smith. Even if he doesn't, it bodes well for the South Alabama product that two different pairs of undrafted rookies have logged offensive snaps for New Orleans each of the past two seasons, so Baker could still make an impact in 2021 even if he doesn't initially make the 53-man roster out of training camp.

Hardman displayed "sizable improvements" at June minicamp, according to Nate Taylor of The Athletic.

The report points to route-running, hands and focus as three areas where the 23-year-old has improved, thereby strengthening his case to replace Sammy Watkins (Ravens) as the Chiefs' No. 2 wide receiver. With fifth-round pick Cornell Powell being the team's most noteworthy wideout addition this offseason, Hardman could end up playing more than three-quarters of the offensive snaps, after logging just 44.9 and 45.3 percent in his first two NFL seasons. Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle are the other candidates to handle the starting job across from Tyreek Hill, but neither Robinson nor Pringle figures to see many targets, regardless of the starter/reserve designation.