NFL Player News

Brown caught two of six targets for 13 yards Monday against the Chiefs.

The Ravens could not get the passing game, or indeed their entire offense, in gear Monday and Brown was no exception. He was shut down by the Kansas City secondary, registering catches of just six and seven yards after having a catch of at least 20 yards in each of the first two weeks. Brown gets a chance to bounce back Sunday against Washington, though the NFC East squad has been tough on opposing receivers thus far this season.

The Eagles signed Butler off the Panthers' practice squad Tuesday.

The Eagles are listing Butler as a tight end, so he'll add depth at the position since Dallas Goedert (ankle) was placed on IR and will miss the next three weeks. The 2019 fourth-round pick was a standout wide receiver at Iowa State in 2018 but spent his rookie season on IR and failed to make the Cardinals' 53-man roster this year. At 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, perhaps he can operate at tight end, but his signing should be of little concern to fantasy managers.

Coach Adam Gase said Tuesday that Smith (abdomen) may return from IR in Week 5 against the Cardinals, Andy Vasquez of The Bergen Record reports.

Smith has been practicing without pads, so Gase said he won't be ready for this Thursday's game versus the Broncos. However, he's optimistic that the 24-year-old receiver could be healthy by Week 5. He'll likely serve in a depth role upon his return to the lineup.

Philadelphia designated Watkins (upper body) to return from injured reserve Tuesday, Chris McPherson of the Eagles' official site reports.

The transaction opens a 21-day window in which Watkins can take part in practices while the Eagles evaluate him for a potential promotion to the 53-man roster. Watkins missed the Eagles' first three games with an upper-body injury, but if the coaching staff is satisfied with where he stands on the health front during practice this week, he could be cleared to make his NFL debut as soon as Sunday in San Francisco. The Eagles are in dire need of another healthy body at receiver with all of Alshon Jeffery (foot), DeSean Jackson (hamstring) and Jalen Reagor (thumb) at risk of sitting out Week 4, in addition to the absence of tight end Dallas Goedert (ankle).

Robinson didn't catch his only target in Monday's win over the Ravens.

Robinson did very little to impact Monday's scorebook despite playing the third-most snaps among receivers yet again behind Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins. In terms of fantasy intrigue, Robinson is clearly fourth in the pecking order behind Hill, Watkins and Mecole Hardman, who put up an impressive performance Monday despite a limited snap count. It would not be surprising if Hardman surpasses Robinson at some point in terms of playing time.

Duvernay caught two of three targets for seven yards and totaled 119 yards and a touchdown on two kickoff returns in Monday's 34-20 loss to the Chiefs.

Duvernay had more kickoff return yards than Lamar Jackson had passing yards, and the rookie speedster's 93-yard kickoff return touchdown in the second quarter was Baltimore's only first-half touchdown. While Duvernay's involvement on offense is limited, he's carving out value in leagues that reward return yardage.

Guyton caught two of his three targets for 23 yards in the 21-16 loss Sunday to the Panthers.

Guyton didn't see much of a jump in targets even after Mike Williams left Sunday's game with a hamstring injury. That's to be expected considering Guyton is essentially meant to be a speedy distraction for opposing defenses. It's unclear what Williams' status will be for next Sunday, but expect the offense to funnel even more of its production through Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen and Hunter Henry in the event he was unable to play.

Jets head coach Adam Gase said that Crowder (hamstring) will be listed as a limited participant on Tuesday's injury report, but the wideout is expected to be available for Thursday's game against the Broncos, Andy Vasquez of The Bergen Record reports.

Crowder may end up carrying a questionable designation into the Week 4 matchup if he's unable to graduate to full participation in Wednesday's practice, but he looks to be trending toward a return to the New York lineup after missing the previous two contests. With Breshad Perriman (ankle) already being ruled out for Thursday, Crowder would profile as quarterback Sam Darnold's clear-cut top option in the passing game. Before being diagnosed with the hamstring injury, Crowder had a productive showing in the Week 1 loss to the Bills, hauling in seven of 13 targets for 115 yards and a score.

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski doled out praise to Beckham, whose four catches during Sunday's win over Washington went for first downs, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. "Four catches, four huge plays, four first downs, which was very big for us,'' Stefanski said.

Beckham came up big on a 3rd-and-12, snaring a pass for 15 yards and a first down to keep what turned out to be the Browns' game-winning drive alive. Beckham has 22 targets through three games compared to the 30 he had after three games in 2019. That will be the nature of the offense, which will rely on the ground game when it can dictate the terms of a game. That means fewer opportunities for Beckham, who has learned to accept the new offense and adjusted his goals accordingly, per an earlier report from Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Peoples-Jones could be on the active roster for Week 4 against the Cowboys, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The Browns lost their primary returner, JoJo Natson, to a Week 3 knee injury that was diagnosed as a torn ACL. Peoples-Jones, who has been inactive through the first three games, returned 89 punts during three seasons at the University of Michigan for an 8.3 average and two touchdowns. The Browns gave him reps in the return game during training camp. Head coach Kevin Stefanski would not commit to having the rookie make his debut this week and mentioned multiple candidates to replace Natson on special teams.