NFL Player News

Coach Urban Meyer challenged Chark (shin) to get stronger during the offseason, and the wideout has already added seven pounds in the weight room, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.

Meyer didn't like what he saw from the 24-year-old when reviewing film from the 2020 season, and the new coach approached the wideout to voice his concerns. It's a pivotal point in Chark's career as he enters a contract year, and he should benefit from more stability at quarterback with rookie first overall pick Trevor Lawrence taking the reins. Chark eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards with eight touchdowns in 2019, but he struggled to find consistency last season with 706 receiving yards and five scores. The addition of Marvin Jones should also help open downfield opportunities for Chark, and the offense as a whole.

Aiyuk didn't take part in Wednesday's OTA session due to a minor groin injury, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Fortunately, Aiyuk and a number of other skill-position players who sat out Wednesday with injuries are expected to be ready by the time training camp rolls around in late July. Aiyuk's health situation is still worth monitoring in the coming months to ensure it doesn't become a bigger problem down the road.

Newsome suffered a fractured collarbone during Tuesday's practice, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Newsome reportedly had a "clean" break, which means the rookie sixth-round pick is facing an eight-week estimated recovery timeline. He suffered the injury 10 and a half weeks before the Bears' first preseason game, so it's possible the setback doesn't have much impact on his bid to earn a roster spot and a role within the Chicago offense. He caught 188 passes for 2,435 yards and 18 touchdowns over his four seasons at North Carolina, peaking in 2019 with a 72-1,018-10 receiving line in 12 games.

Bateman (undisclosed) returned to practice Wednesday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

The rookie first-round pick was removed from practice a week earlier with an undisclosed injury. The brief absence shouldn't have any impact on his bid to earn a key role, as Bateman quickly made it back on the practice field, and he even had a touchdown catch in red-zone drills Wednesday. With Marquise Brown seemingly locked in for one starting spot at wide receiver, Bateman's competition for playing time mostly comes from Sammy Watkins and Miles Boykin, though 2020 third-round pick Devin Duvernay and 2021 fourth-round selection Tylan Wallace could also get involved. It isn't the best setup for rookie-year production, but Baltimore gives Bateman a shot to eventually seize the No. 1 wideout role, considering Brown looks more like a No. 2 receiver through two pro seasons.

Samuel was held out of Wednesday's practice after feeling a "twinge" in his groin, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

The injury is seemingly minor, considering Samuel was out on the field to observe practice and even did some work on the side, according to Keim. Samuel should be the No. 2 wide receiver in Washington this season, a step up from No. 3 status in his final year with the Panthers. Despite being behind Robby Anderson and DJ Moore in the pecking order in Carolina, Samuel delivered his best season yet in 2020 with 1,051 total yards and five touchdowns in 15 games. He'll celebrate his 25th birthday Aug. 11, one day before Washington's preseason opener at New England.

Chargers offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi predicted Tuesday that Williams should have "nice numbers" in 2021, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports.

Williams hasn't lived up to his status as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 draft, but he's at least been useful as a big-play threat, and he now has arguably the best chance of his career to tack on more volume. Already lacking a reliable No. 3 receiver, the Chargers lost top tight end Hunter Henry (93 targets in 2020) to the Patriots this offseason, replacing him with 34-year-old Jared Cook (60 targets for the Saints in 2020) in what could be a prolific passing offense. Quarterback Justin Herbert averaged 39.7 attempts and 289.1 yards per game last season, but Williams didn't really benefit, as a bunch of the deep throws went to the Chargers' third and fourth wideouts (Jalen Guyton and Tyron Johnson). Meanwhile, Henry, Keenan Allen and running back Austin Ekeler dominated short and intermediate targets. Williams could take a slightly bigger chunk of both route types this season, which would portend well for a breakout in the fifth and final year of his rookie contract.

Cobb enters offseason training as one of three returning members of the 2020 wideout group.

Cobb joins Brandin Cooks and Keke Coutee as the primary incumbent wide receivers for the Texans, who brought in several veterans and rookie third-rounder Nico Collins to compete for jobs in what is expected to be an overhauled passing offense in 2021. For starters, quarterback Deshaun Watson may not be around due to his desire to be traded and off-field legal entanglements. They also let Will Fuller walk in free agency, leaving Cooks and Cobb as players with assured roles. While Cooks can work outside and inside, Cobb is a slot receiver, where the less experienced Coutee could cut into some of his reps. Still, Cobb has a large dead-cap hit ($10.3 million) if Houston makes him a post-June 1 cut, so it likely behooves the team to keep him around and involved with so much invested in the 10-year pro.

Samuel was spotted taking snaps out of the backfield during OTAs, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports.

This confirms what many assumed when Washington signed Samuel to a lucrative three-year, $34.5 million contract during the early stages of free agency. Positional versatility has been a theme for the Football Team this offseason, particularly on defense, but it appears as if the mindset also applies to offensive coordinator Scott Turner, who utilized Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic and Samuel in a wide variety of looks throughout this week's OTAs. The talented 24-year-old put together a career year in Carolina last season in large part thanks to his ability to take carries out of the backfield, but that figures to happen less in Washington with both Gibson and McKissic presenting more competition at the position than anything Samuel saw last year after Christian McCaffrey's injury. Even if Samuel takes a dramatic step back on the ground, his dangerous abilities in space still present plenty of reasons for Washington to use him as a pass catcher both in the slot and out of the backfield.

Davis injured his shoulder during Thursday's practice, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

The Jets believe it's only a minor shoulder strain, though they did send scans to Dr. James Andrews for further evaluation. Davis signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract in March, coming off career highs for receiving yards (984) and touchdowns (five) in his fourth and final season with the Titans. The Jets believe their new wideout will recover with rest, hopefully making it back for the beginning of training camp to start building chemistry with rookie QB Zach Wilson.

The Bills cut Walker on Wednesday.

Walker was cut to make room for fellow wide receiver Lance Lenoir on the 90-man roster. The undrafted San Jose State standout will look to find a home elsewhere before NFL training camps open in July.