NFL Player News

Coutee's path to seeing regular work out of the slot in 2020 appears to have taken a hit after the Texans signed Randall Cobb to a three-year, $27 million deal last week, Aaron Reiss of The Athletic reports.

While he won't be anything close to a one-for-one replacement for DeAndre Hopkins, Cobb in combination with fellow wideouts Will Fuller and Kenny Stills and newly acquired running back David Johnson are currently in line to pick up most of the targets that became available when the four-time Pro Bowler was dealt to Arizona. That leaves Coutee as no better than the No. 4 receiver on the depth chart, and when the three players ahead of him in the pecking order are all available, he could be at risk of being a healthy inactive due to his inability to contribute on special teams, After flashing some promise as a rookie, Coutee has since moved into coach Bill O'Brien's doghouse and could probably use a fresh start elsewhere.

Treadwell signed a one-year contract with the Falcons on Sunday, Zach Klein of WSB-TV reports.

Treadwell hasn't lived up to his draft status as a first-round pick of the Vikings in 2016, but perhaps a change of scenery will help him take flight in Atlanta. Expectations should be tempered, as Treadwell will have a hard time carving out a major role in a deep receiving corps headlined by Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley.

Agholor (knee) signed a one-year contract with the Raiders on Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

It's a fresh start for the embattled 2015 first-round pick, as Agholor had essentially run his course with the Eagles after failing to record over 800 receiving yards in each of the past five seasons. It's hard to identify an obvious role, however, for Agholor, given Tyrell Williams remains as the obvious field stretcher while 2019 fifth-round pick Hunter Renfrow emerged as a valuable underneath route runner. While Agholor probably figures to be a quality receiving option for whoever wins the starting job between Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota, it's hard to suggest he'll be any sort of fantasy difference maker, especially if the team chooses to invest in a rookie receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Byrd's one-year. $1.35 million contract with the Patriots includes $600,000 guaranteed, plus another $900,000 available via incentives, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reports.

This contract suggests the Patriots are cautiously optimistic about Byrd earning a spot on the 53-man roster. He's still at the mercy of whatever else might happen this offseason, but it's easy to see how the 27-year-old might fit as a speedy, cheaper replacement for free agent Phillip Dorsett. The Cardinals moved Byrd in and out of the lineup last season, with the final product being a 32-359-1 receiving line on 46 targets (7.8 YPT) in 11 games. He mostly saw shorter passes and also got a few deep looks, while intermediate targets were few and far between.

Kirkwood (hamstring) signed a one-year contract with the Panthers on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Kirkwood will follow quarterback Teddy Bridgewater from New Orleans to Carolina, placing himself in a wide receiver corps led by D.J. Moore (concussion) and Curtis Samuel. The 27-year-old was limited to just one game in 2019 due to a hamstring injury, but when fully healthy he stands to be in the mix to compete for the Panthers' No. 3 or No. 4 receiver gig.

Mitchell (Achilles) is signing a one-year contract with Tampa Bay, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Mitchell spent three seasons in the CFL before signing with the Cardinals and then Bucs last offseason. He suffered an Achilles tear in the preseason opener, landing on injured reserve in August. The 27-year-old wide receiver faces an uphill battle to rehab from the injury and earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

Cooks is available for trade, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports.

The Rams are hoping to trade Cooks and/or Todd Gurley in an effort to save money and free up cap space. Cooks produced four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2015 to 2018, but he dropped off to 583 yards in 14 games in 2019, and his struggles with concussions have been well documented. The 26-year-old receiver is signed to a five-year, $81 million contract, so the Rams won't get much in return if they end up trading Cooks.

The Browns could be looking to trade Beckham (core muscle), Troy L. Smith of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports, citing a claim by ESPN Radio host Bart Scott.

Scott, a former Jets and Ravens linebacker, made the claim this week. "Just know you heard it here first," Scott said. "I'm telling you right now, Odell Beckham is on the trading block and it's real right now." Scott didn't point to any specific information, but projected confidence in his statement. The Browns haven't confirmed this news. One thing for certain, new Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski saw the team make moves early during the free agency period that hints at a change in an offensive philosophy that was wide-receiver focused in 2019. The Browns added tight end Austin Hooper and fullback Andy Janovich, suggesting less reliance on Beckham and Jarvis Landry in 2020.

Godwin (hamstring) is slated to catch passes from Tom Brady after the latter agreed to a two-year deal with the Buccaneers this week, Jim Trotter of NFL.com reports.

Godwin navigated the inaccuracy and ball-security issues of Jameis Winston to post a career-best 86-1,333-9 line in 2019, his first season in coach Bruce Arians' aggressive passing attack. He now gets an upgrade at quarterback in Brady, with the future Hall of Famer having long excelled at completing the intermediate routes that Godwin has thrived with over his first three seasons. The Penn State product recorded 22 catches of between 20 and 39 yards last season, and Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times relays further optimism about Godwin's prospects from ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, who believes Brady's arm remains more than strong enough to thrive on the downhill play-action passes that Arians' system frequently calls for.

Evans (hamstring) is slated to catch passes from Tom Brady during the 2020 season after the latter agreed to a two-year deal with the Buccaneers this week, Jim Trotter of NFL.com reports.

Despite playing with interception-prone Jameis Winston, Evans proved to be an excellent fit for coach Bruce Arians' offense during his first season in the scheme in 2019. The towering wideout generated a solid 67-1,157-8 line across 13 games before a hamstring injury held him out of the final three regular-season contests. Evans has averaged over 17.0 yards per grab in each of the last two seasons, a stretch during which he's logged 43 receptions of 20 or more yards and 13 of 40 yards or greater. There are some lingering questions about Brady's arm strength after he reportedly dealt with some elbow issues over the final quarter of the 2019 campaign, but Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times relays comments from ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky, who believes the future Hall of Famer still has more than enough in the tank to consistently succeed on the downhill play-action passes and accompanying intermediate routes that are a staple of Arians' system.