NFL Player News

Evans and new quarterback Tom Brady have repeatedly connected on impressive completions during early training camp practices, Carmen Vitali of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

The arrival of Brady was naturally expected to be a boon for Evans' fantasy prospects, but the confirmation provided in practice is certainly welcome. Evans has made several difficult catches look easy in the first few throwing sessions of camp, and the Pro-Bowl receiver has worked open on multiple occasions when Brady's initial reads haven't been there. Vitali separately reports Evans also impressed with a one-handed catch from Brady on Sunday, lending credence to the notion the work the two put in during informal workouts at Berkeley Preparatory School in June is paying dividends.

Miller's speed and hands have already stood out over multiple training camp practices, Carmen Vitali of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

The second-year wideout is in the thick of the No. 3 receiver job battle with the likes of Justin Watson and rookie fifth-round pick Tyler Johnson, and he's making a strong early case for himself. Vitali noted Miller caught a perfect pass from Tom Brady in stride and also exploded up the field after taking a lateral from the legendary quarterback in Friday's practice. Meanwhile, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports Miller -- as opposed to other Buccaneers pass-catching luminaries such as Mike Evans, Chris Godwin or Rob Gronkowski -- was the recipient of Brady's first pass against the defense in the opening padded practice of camp Monday, with the two connecting on a deep throw. The competition for the third wideout job will likely last through training camp in the absence of preseason games, but Miller appears to be delivering an early message he'll be a force to be reckoned with.

Mims (hamstring) missed another practice Monday morning, Connor Hughes of The Athletic reports.

While the rookie second-round pick is falling behind, Mims' top competition for a starting job (Vyncint Smith) also is dealing with an injury. Smith is visiting a specialist Monday to evaluate his core muscle injury, and the Jets have signed 32-year-old Chris Hogan to provide depth in the meantime. Mims could still be in the mix for a Week 1 start if he makes it back on the practice field by the end of the month.

Davis (toe) passed a physical Monday morning and was removed from the PUP list, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

There hasn't been any suggestion of Davis not being ready for Week 1, but that doesn't mean he'll step right in as a full participant on his first day of practice. He's coming back from offseason toe surgery as he enters the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, presumably locked in for a starting job but without any assurance of steady target volume. The Titans declined the fifth-year option on his contract, following a 2019 campaign in which he was targeted only 69 times in 15 games. Davis did have career highs for catch rate (62.3 percent), yards per catch (14.0) and yards per target (8.7), but he was mostly an afterthought in the Tennessee offense once A.J. Brown broke through.

Arcega-Whiteside is day to day with a lower-body injury, Martin Frank of The Delaware News Journal reports.

Eliot Shorr-Parks of Sports Radio 94 WIP Philadelphia reports that DeSean Jackson, Jalen Reagor and Greg Ward are lining up with the first-team offense at Monday's practice. Meanwhile, Arcega-Whiteside is hoping to compete for the X receiver spot that's typically been occupied by Alshon Jeffery, who remains on the PUP list as he works his way back from major foot surgery. Following his poor rookie season, JJAW can't afford to miss much practice time if he wants a real shot at a Week 1 starting job.

Smith-Schuster changed his routine this offseason, working one-on-one with a trainer instead of working out with a group of players, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Prior to last year, Smith-Schuster never seemed to have any problem with strength, conditioning or durability, playing 40 games in three seasons at USC and 30 during his first two years with the Steelers. He then missed four weeks last season after he suffered a knee sprain and a concussion, adding injury to insult amidst a highly disappointing campaign. Ben Roethlisberger's return to the starting lineup puts Smith-Schuster on track for a rebound in the final year of his rookie contract, though it remains to be seen if the 38-year-old QB can match his pre-injury form. Smith-Schuster claims he isn't worried about signing a new contract, and it wouldn't come as any surprise if the Steelers were to announce an extension before Week 1. Absent a new deal, Smith-Schuster will be a top candidate for the franchise tag next spring.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury said Hopkins was held out of Sunday's practice due to tightness in his left hamstring, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Kingsbury specified that the decision to hold Hopkins out of practice was precautionary, a hint that the superstar wideout isn't dealing with an injury of tremendous severity. It makes sense for the Cardinals to employ caution when it comes to the team's prized offseason acquisition, and Hopkins will have plenty of time to get healthy for Week 1. The 28-year-old has only missed two regular-season games since entering the league in 2013. Still, if Hopkins remains sidelined for any amount of training camp, it would mean missing valuable opportunities to build chemistry with new quarterback Kyler Murray.

The Dolphins' aerial offense is primed to focus primarily on Parker and Preston Williams (knee) on the outside in 2020, Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Parker, Williams and Mike Gesicki are positioned to enter the season as Miami's only remotely proven weapons in the passing game. Even out of that trio, only Parker managed to eclipse 600 receiving yards last season (1,202), and Williams is still uncertain for Week 1 due to his recovery from a torn ACL. As such, in the wake of top slot candidates Albert Wilson and Allen Hurns having opted out for the 2020 campaign, Parker is set to kick off the year as Miami's unquestioned No. 1 weapon in the passing game. For fantasy purposes, Parker couldn't ask for a better situation as he looks to build upon 2019's fifth-year breakout. The 27-year-old should realistically be able to match last year's 21.1 percent team target share, and if Williams does ultimately get off to a slow start, it wouldn't be out of the question for Parker to even exceed 2019's target volume. Still, risk-averse fantasy managers will want to keep in mind Parker's early career injury issues, and the fact that he could have to deal with a quarterback switch at some point this season.

The Saints activated Harris from the reserve/COVID-19 list Sunday, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reports.

Harris was placed on the list Friday and quickly cleared the necessary protocols to return to team activities. The 22-year-old receiver likely won't make major contributions on offense this season, but he's poised to seize the top kick and punt returner jobs again this year.

Winfree (hamstring) practiced on a side field Sunday, Ryan O'Halloran of The Denver Post reports.

Since Winfree is still working out, this doesn't appear to be a long-term injury. The 2019 sixth-round pick is on the bubble for a roster spot after the team drafted Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler in April, so a quick recovery would be beneficial to his odds of making the squad.