NFL Player News

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll cited Hodgins' size as an asset this week as something the team hopes to put to good use this season, Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site reports. "They're bigger guys, size guys," Daboll said in reference to Hodgins and fellow rookie Gabriel Davis. "Both the type of men they are and really the type of player, tough physical guys that have good ball skills, are not afraid and provide us a little bit of size."

The team's top three receiving spots are spoken for between Stefon Diggs, John Brown and Cole Beasley, but beyond that, the No. 4 role is completely up for grabs. Hodgins is slightly taller than fellow rookie Davis, but he was also drafted two rounds later. He'll get a fair shot at a roster spot, though this is a receiving corps that runs pretty deep. Just because he's slightly taller than most, at minimum Hodgins will have to beat out at least one of his taller teammates in Davis and Duke Williams, and maybe both. Given the short learning period in this pandemic year, Hodgins' upside seems to be a final roster spot, though at worst there's room on the practice squad for a guy with his upside.

Davis (shoulder) has been waived by the Chiefs with a non-football injury designation, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Davis spent his rookie season on injured reserve due to a shoulder injury. It is unclear if he aggravated the injury during the offseason in any way. The 23-year-old will need to get his health back up to par before he has any chance of returning to the field.

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll cited Davis' size as an asset this week as something the team hopes to put to good use this season, Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site reports. "They're bigger guys, size guys," Daboll said in reference to Davis and fellow rookie Isaiah Hodgins. "Both the type of men they are and really the type of player, tough physical guys that have good ball skills, are not afraid and provide us a little bit of size."

The team's top three receiving spots are spoken for between Stefon Diggs, John Brown and Cole Beasley, but beyond that, the No. 4 role is completely up for grabs. Davis was considered a nice snag in the fourth round and seems to be impressing the team's coaching staff with his habits, as much as a new player is able to do in a virtual setting. He'll have a good shot at snagging that role while competing with Isaiah McKenzie, Duke Williams, Robert Foster, Hodgins and others, though a full camp around the pandemic issues would certainly benefit the two rookies more than their more experienced teammates.

Lamb could be used as the Cowboys' primary punt returner in addition to his duties on offense, Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com reports.

Dallas hasn't had a player return a punt for a touchdown since 2017 and didn't have a single punt return over 15 yards last season, so the door is wide open for Lamb to seize the job. The rookie receiver had three returns of 40-plus yards during his college career and an 8.8 yard average on punt returns, and his elusiveness in the open field could make him a weapon on new coach John Fassel's special teams unit.

Jones (ankle) acknowledged on Twitter that he recently hosted Lions rookie Quintez Cephus and free agent signee Victor Bolden for workouts at his residence.

Jones spent the final three games of last season on injured reserve due to an ankle injury. Considering he was seen planting and cutting on both of his ankles in the video he posted, it seems the 30-year-old is getting back to full health. Jones, in a contract year -- along with Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola -- is also giving the Detroit front office plenty of reason to keep him around -- n spite of his age and contract status -- given his displays of leadership.

Taylor (foot) has been running routes and catching passes from Jimmy Garoppolo during recent workouts, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

The 26-year-old missed all of 2019 due to a foot injury but appears fully recovered after undergoing numerous surgeries to address the issue. His quiet 2018 season (26 catches, 215 yards and one touchdown) and the injury bring question to his roster security as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. The 49ers have indicated he's still a part of the team's plans, but he'll likely be competing with Jalen Hurd, Dante Pettis, Richie James and Travis Benjamin for a roster spot.

Johnson (sports hernia) said Wednesday that he's hopeful to receive clearance to resume training within the next few days, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Johnson indicated that he first picked up the groin injury Week 2 of the 2019 season and played through the issue before undergoing a procedure over the winter. The second-year receiver has spent time working out with Ben Roethlisberger this offseason in an attempt to develop a rapport with the veteran quarterback, but he's still apparently facing some limitations in his recovery from surgery. Johnson will face competition from James Washington and rookie Chase Claypool for regular reps at receiver, though the 23-year-old's impressive rookie season likely gives him a leg up.

Offensive coordinator Jay Gruden said Tuesday he believes the Jaguars "can do a little bit more" with Chark this season, including using him out of the slot more often.

Gruden discussed Chark in a conference call, noting that the 23-year-old wideout has confidence, work ethic, size and speed all working in his favor. Slot work wouldn't be anything new, as Pro Football Focus shows that Chark logged 24 percent of his routes and 17.5 percent of his targets from an inside alignment last season, catching 13 of 20 passes for 205 yards and four touchdowns. He produced 1.43 yards per route run from the slot, compared to 1.78 YPRR on all other snaps. An ankle injury slowed Chark down in December and forced him to limp across the finish line for a 1,000-yard season, but he otherwise enjoyed a second-year breakout, catching 67 passes for 956 yards and eight touchdowns through his first 13 games. He appears locked in as the No. 1 receiver, leaving Chris Conley, Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole and rookie Laviska Shenault to compete for snaps at the other two receiver spots.

Agnew will work as a wide receiver once the Lions begin practice, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

A 2017 fifth-round pick, Agnew returned both kicks and punts the past three seasons, scoring four touchdowns on special teams. He's played 30 snaps on offense and 207 on defense, mostly serving as an emergency option at cornerback. Agnew has been attending virtual meetings with both the wide receivers and cornerbacks this spring, but the Lions want him to focus on offense over the summer, likely preparing for a part-time gadget role. There doesn't appear to be an opening for regular snaps or targets with Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola are locked in for three-receiver sets. Marvin Hall, meanwhile, likely profiles as the top deep threat off the bench. As a result, Agnew is still expected to have his greatest impact in the return game.

Brown (foot) has been running routes and catching passes in workouts with quarterback Lamar Jackson.

It's a strong indication that Brown emerged without any complications from winter surgery to remove a screw in his left foot. He initially had surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury last January, missing spring practices and the beginning of training camp. Jackson and coach John Harbaugh both mentioned that Brown was never at full strength during his rookie campaign, with the foot injury and an ankle sprain often limiting his participation in practice. The young wideout missed two games and was listed as questionable for seven others, but he scored seven touchdowns in 14 regular-season appearances and then added 126 yards in Baltimore's lone playoff game. Brown appears locked in as the team's No. 1 wideout for 2020.