NFL Player News

Shenault was held out of Saturday's scrimmage with a minor injury, though coach Doug Marrone said the wide receiver would've been able to play if it had been a real game, John Reid of The Florida Times-Union reports.

Dede Westbrook (shoulder) also was held out, leaving DJ Chark, Chris Conley and Keelan Cole to handle most of the first-team reps at wide receiver. The Jaguars have five viable candidates for WR snaps Week 1, with only Chark appearing locked in for a full-time role. Shenault thus seems most likely to start his career as a part-time player, but reports from training camp suggest he could eventually emerge from the pack, with Reid noting that the rookie is acclimating quickly while showing an ability to play both outside and in the slot. Quarterback Gardner Minshew said he already knew Shenault was an athletic freak but has been pleasantly surprised with the second-round pick's reliable hands and route running. Apart from Chark, it's the rookie who offers real upside in the Jacksonville receiving corps, more so than Conley, Westbrook or Cole.

Pittman dropped two passes in Saturday's scrimmage but also had three impressive contested catches, The Athletic reports.

Pittman has been getting reps with the first-team offense in training camp and it's thought he'll have a significant role at the start of the regular season, even with an uneven performance in the scrimmage. Pittman could see significant snaps in Week 1 if Zach Pascal (hamstring) and Parris Campbell (concussion) are limited by injuries.

Pascal (hamstring) did not participate in Saturday's scrimmage, the Indianapolis Star reports.

Pascal took advantage of injuries in the Colts' receiving corps in 2019 and ended up pacing the team in receiving yards (607) while hauling in 41 of his 72 targets. With T.Y. Hilton healthy, Paris Campbell poised to see an expanded role, and second-rounder Michael Pittman also in the mix, Pascal may have a more limited role. It's not clear if his injury is serious, but he could be limited heading into the regular season.

Baccellia signed with the Patriots on Saturday.

Baccellia will get a chance to climb a wide receiver depth chart that lacks certainty behind Julian Edelman. After being let go by the Chiefs earlier this month, Baccellia has a better chance of latching on with New England's practice squad than making the 53-man roster, if he sticks at all.

Updating a previous report, Kupp's early exit from Saturday's practice was precautionary and he's not dealing with any injuries, per coach Sean McVay, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Kupp fans can exhale after some nervous moments, as the coach's post-practice press conference revealed that the slot receiver is healthy. Prior to exiting the practice, Kupp had been serving as the holder for the kicking competition, so the coaching staff likely decided to give him the day off rather than put him at any risk in the unfamiliar role.

Kupp (undisclsoed) left Saturday's practice in the first half and was not on the sidelines with his teammates to start the second half, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

It's unclear what forced Kupp to exit, but hopefully his absence is just for precautionary reasons. Prior to leaving Saturday, Kupp had been serving as the holder for the Rams' kicking competition, as punter Johnny Hekker is away from the team for the birth of his second child.

Watkins did not participate in practice Saturday due to an upper-body injury, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

The report indicates Watkins is day-to-day with the undefined injury. The 2020 sixth-round pick hasn't necessarily stood out during training camp thus far, but the sheer volume of other qualified receiving threats has largely been the reason as opposed to any sort of shortcomings he has a receiver.

Coutee (foot) participated in practice Saturday, Connor Hughes of The Athletic reports.

Coutee is evidently dealing with a minor stress fracture in his foot with an emphasis on the "minor" part considering he was able to participate in Saturday's practice. Head coach Bill O'Brien has stressed he'd like to give Coutee rest in order for the injury to heal so it wouldn't be surprising to see the depth receiver have some planned practices off in the near future.

Perriman (knee) did not practice Saturday, Connor Hughes of The Athletic reports.

Coach Adam Gase previously expected Perriman to return to practice Saturday, so his absence is notable. It doesn't necessarily indicate a setback, and there's no indication that Perriman's regular-season playing time is at any risk, but a player with Perriman's inconsistent history would ideally have a smoother training camp with his new team. The good news in the meantime is that the Jets are so beat up and generally weak at receiver that it's almost impossible for Perriman to end up on the bench anytime soon. In addition to Denzel Mims (hamstring) and Vyncint Smith (core-muscle surgery) already being out, deep bench receivers Jeff Smith and Lawrence Cager had to leave practice Saturday. After Chris Hogan, the only healthy outside Jets receivers at the moment appear to be Josh Malone, George Campbell and Jehu Chesson. Free-agent pickup Donte Moncrief is incoming otherwise.

Cobb is expected to provide an inside presence out of the slot for the Texans, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Cobb was expected to serve as the primary slot receiver for quarterback Deshaun Watson after he was signed as a free agent, and that notion was reinforced with Keke Coutee nursing a foot injury. The 10-year veteran gives the Texans a dependable slot receiver that's been missing in the era of head coach Bill O'Brien. "With Randall (and) the amount of experience he has playing in this league, he's able to identify all the defenses," offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said of Cobb. "He understands how to attack them, how to set them up and makes good, quick decisions."