NFL Player News

The Lions have waived Lacy, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

Lacy -- who joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2018 -- caught three passes for 60 yards in seven games with the Lions in 2019. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder will now look to secure a depth wideout role with another team.

Mickens has re-signed with the Buccaneers, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

Mickens, who Tampa Bay released on July 31, has re-joined the team and will now look to secure a roster spot as a depth wideout/returner. The 26-year-old didn't record a catch in his only regular-season appearance with the Bucs last season, but he did log some experience returning kicks and punts with the Jaguars in 2017 and 2018.

Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor suggested Williams will be a frequent target of deep passes, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Taylor said 50-50 jump balls are "more like 70-30 or 80-20" when thrown to the 6-foot-4 Williams. It's widely expected that the Chargers will run the ball more as they transition from Philip Rivers to Taylor and Justin Herbert at QB, but there should still be room for Williams to get a few downfield looks per game. While the Chargers also need to feed Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen and Hunter Henry, their shaky depth at the skill positions could lead to the top four players handling a dominant share of the targets.

Metcalf spent a lot of time working out with Russell Wilson during the offseason, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Metcalf spent his offseason in good company, also working with 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman and new teammate Greg Olsen. The second-year pro expects to take a big step forward, following a rookie campaign where he put up a 58-900-7 receiving line in the regular season and an 11-219-1 line in two playoff games. His 7.0 percent drop rate was 17th worst among qualified wide receivers, and Metcalf pointed to the drops as a clear area for improvement in 2020. He and Tyler Lockett could essentially operate as co-No. 1s this season, accounting for a large chunk of the receiving production in a Seattle offense that typically stays committed to the run.

Shenault is making a strong impression on Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew, who referred to the rookie as "a freak" and praised his route running, Michael Giardi of NFL Network reports.

Coach Doug Marrone discussed Shenault's versatility after the 2020 draft, noting that the second-round pick could even see snaps in the backfield or as a flex tight end. The path to Year 1 fantasy value probably requires a regular role at one of the three WR spots, which could be a bit tricky with Chris Conley, Dede Westbrook and Keelan Cole also in the mix to see playing time alongside top dog DJ Chark. The Jaguars should find a way to get Shenault some touches, but even a strong showing throughout training camp wouldn't necessarily put him in a top-three role out of the gate.

The Steelers activated Washington from the reserve/COVID-19 list Friday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Washington is back on the active roster with plenty of time to spare before the Steelers start padded practices in mid-August. The third-year pro profiles as the top deep threat in an offense with plenty of receiving weapons, hoping to build on a 2019 campaign in which he averaged 3.8 catches for 63.8 yards and 0.33 TDs across nine games in November and December.

Cooks is not worried about his concussion history, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

Cooks said he has "zero" concerns about his concussion history. The wideout has five known concussions during his six-year NFL career, three of them coming in the last two seasons. Despite that, he's only missed two games since 2015. Cooks enters a crowded wideout position in Houston, but he is expected to be a starter opposite Will Fuller. He caught 42 passes for 583 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games last season, the lowest output since 2015.

The Dolphins placed Merritt (illness) on the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.

The undrafted rookie out of Arkansas State has either tested positive for COVID-19 or been exposed to someone who did. With Albert Wilson and Allen Hurns both having opted out of the 2020 season, Merritt could benefit from increased opportunities for reps once he's cleared to join teammates at training camp.

Davis is on the active/PUP list due to offseason toe surgery, Paul Kuharsky of 104.5 The Zone Nashville reports.

Since he was selected in the first round of the 2017 draft, Davis hasn't been listed on the injury report with a toe issue, but the procedure was performed "on a troublesome big toe, from which doctors had to remove a piece." Despite his recovery extending into training camp, he's expected to be ready for a Week 1 game at Denver, where he'd be working as the No. 2 wide receiver behind second-year pro A.J. Brown.

The Patriots signed Zuber on Wednesday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

A week and a half after cutting Zuber, the Patriots have brought back the undrafted rookie in the wake of veteran wide receiver Marqise Lee opting out of the season. During four seasons between Kansas State and Mississippi State, Zuber averaged just 34.8 receiving yards per game. He had a bigger impact on special teams, averaging 15.5 yards on 33 kick returns and 16.4 yards on 11 punt returns.