NFL Player News

Woods is eager to ink a long-term extension and remain with the Rams, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN reports.

The 28-year-old receiver is coming off his second consecutive 1,000-yard campaign and projects to remain a go-to target for quarterback Jared Goff. With Brandin Cooks shipped off to Houston, Woods' role in the passing attack could even expand, and there should also be positive regression ahead of last season's two touchdowns -- Woods had 11 through 28 games over his first two seasons with the Rams. Still, Los Angeles has plenty of weapons, and Woods profiles as more of a possession receiver than big-play threat. As a result, it's probably best to target him as a high-floor asset. Additionally, barring injury, he should prove to be one of the safest mid-round receivers available.

Raymond made an over-the-shoulder catch on a deep ball from Ryan Tannehill during practice Friday, Erik Bacharach of The Tennessean reports.

Raymond beat Johnathan Joseph deep and caught a pass from Tannehill in stride for a long gain. Raymond emerged as a deep threat at various points in the 2019 season, with none being bigger than a 45-yard touchdown in the team's divisional-round win over the Ravens. He'll compete to maintain that some role in 2020, and to serve as the team's fourth wide receiver behind the top trio of A.J. Brown, Corey Davis (toe) and Adam Humphries.

Harris was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Friday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

It is unclear if Harris himself tested positive or was near someone who did. The distinction between the two will determine when he is allowed to rejoin the team, but that information for now will remain with the Saints. The second-year pass catcher recorded just six receptions for 24 yards during his rookie campaign, but he did haul in his lone target for 50 yards during New Orleans' 26-20 overtime wild-card loss to the Vikings.

Lamb made a big impression during individual drills Friday by making a spectacular one-handed grab, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

While the catch itself was noteworthy enough, Lamb also got a chance to showcase his elite body control as he adjusted to a throw that was high and behind him. The rookie also took reps as a punt returner, but it's his ability as a receiver in a potentially high-volume Dallas passing game that gives Lamb such intrigue as a fantasy asset, even with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup ahead of him on the depth chart.

Lockett considered opting out of the 2020 season but decided to play, Joe Fann of NBC Sports Northwest reports.

Lockett was diagnosed with a heart abnormality in 2015 while he was going through the draft process, and his cousin reportedly had a serious case of coronavirus. Those two aspects factored into his decision-making process, but ultimately, Lockett relayed that he believes the team has a good safety plan under head coach Pete Carroll's leadership. The 27-year-old Lockett is coming off his best season yet, as he hauled in 82 of 110 targets for 1,057 yards and eight touchdowns, and his targets should be relatively safe despite DK Metcalf's possible progression.

Boyd, who is one of 11 NFL wide receivers with 1,000 or more receiving yards in each of the past two seasons, figures to see fewer double-teams out of the gate this season with the return to health of top wideout A.J. Green, ESPN's Ben Baby reports.

With Green missing the entire season with an ankle injury, Boyd was the Bengals' unquestioned top target in 2019, a context that yielded 148 targets (tied for the sixth highest in the league) and 90 catches. With Green back in the mix, Boyd may not enjoy quite the volume he did last year, but with a fair amount of defensive focus likely to shift to Green, Boyd should continue to see his share of looks out of the slot. Moreover, the Bengals are on track to start No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow this season, and though the rookie QB is brimming with upside, Boyd could well end up being an on-field security blanket for the young signal caller in 2020.

Johnson didn't practice Thursday due to a "soft-tissue injury", Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

In the early stages of training camp, the Buccaneers likely are being cautious with the rookie fifth-rounder. Johnson has a tough path to snaps and targets in a receiving corps composed of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski and O.J. Howard. Having said that, Johnson may flash occasionally in 2020 if he can build a rapport with Tom Brady. In his last two collegiate seasons at Minnesota, Johnson averaged 15.2 YPC and 9.9 YPT.

Higgins has missed some practice time with what appears to be a minor unspecified injury, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

This nugget come via fellow receiver Tyler Boyd, with the report suggesting that Higgins could return to the field by Sunday. Once he's back, the No. 33 overall pick in the 2020 draft will look to secure snaps behind top wideout A.J. Green and Boyd, who mans the slot for the Bengals. John Ross, who's also in the mix for work on the outside, is currently away from the team indefinitely after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday.

Jones may lose his roster spot, ESPN.com's Paul Gutierrez reports.

Tyrell Williams, Henry Ruggs, Hunter Renfrow and Bryan Edwards are locks, presumably leaving Jones to compete with Nelson Agholor and a slew of young players for one or two jobs. Early reports seem to favor Agholor as the veteran pick, and it would be cheaper for the Raiders to keep a late-round pick or an undrafted player over Jones for the sixth and final spot (if one even exists). The 2017 second-round pick never made any noise after he was traded from Buffalo to Oakland last October, with his 461 offensive snaps producing 20 receptions for only 147 yards. According to Pro Football Focus, Jones' mark of 0.58 yards per route was tied for last among the 117 wide receivers that drew 25 or more targets in 2019.

Smith should be in the mix for a starting job, potentially competing with rookie second-round pick Denzel Mims, ESPN.com's Rich Cimini reports.

Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman are locked in for regular snaps, leaving one starting spot up for grabs. The Jets would like to see Mims step up to the challenge, but it's Smith -- a 2018 UDFA -- who has the benefit of a full year spent in Adam Gase's offense. Smith started four of his 13 games for the Jets last season, hauling in 17 of 31 targets for 225 yards while playing 318 offensive snaps. He also played 132 snaps on special teams, including 10 kick returns for 299 yards, so he should have a spot on the Week 1 roster even if Mims wins the starting job.