NFL Player News

The Cowboys selected Lamb in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 17th overall.

Lamb (6-foot-2, 198 pounds) has the frame and skill set to become a WR1 in the NFL, though that obviously will be a challenging perch to reach with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup already in Dallas along with a hungry ground game led by Ezekiel Elliott. Something like a bigger, faster and all-around better version of Brandon Lloyd, Lamb is an effortless and natural wide receiver who was arguably better at Oklahoma than former teammate and 2019 first-round pick Marquise Brown. Lamb's arrival to Dallas raises the ceiling of Dak Prescott while arguably harming the projections of Cooper, Gallup and tight end Blake Jarwin. The third wideout off the board after Henry Ruggs (Las Vegas) and Jerry Jeudy (Denver), Lamb probably faces a tougher path to high volume than the Alabama duo.

The Broncos selected Jeudy in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 15th overall.

Denver likely wasn't expecting Jeudy to be available at 15, but only Henry Ruggs came off the board among receivers in the first 14 picks. Jeudy is the best route runner in the class and can work outside or in the slot. He has legitimate field-stretching speed with a 4.45 40-yard dash, but Jeudy does have a slight frame at 6-foot-1 and 193 pounds. Jeudy's production at Alabama stands out, especially in his final two years in which he caught 145 of 214 targets for 2,478 yards (11.5 YPT) and 24 touchdowns. He stands to be Denver's No.2 receiver opposite Courtland Sutton and profiles as a viable fantasy option as a rookie, especially if quarterback Drew Lock can take another step in his development.

Cole signed his restricted free-agent tender with the Jaguars on Thursday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Jacksonville was all but guaranteed to retain Cole's services after placing a second-round tender on the wide receiver in March. He's been a model of health in three pro seasons, never missing a game, but his target count has decreased on each occasion (83 in 2017, 70 in 2018 and 35 last year). Cole's peripherals are nothing to complain about -- 15.3 YPC and 8.5 YPT on 188 career targets -- but he faces a steep climb to regular volume with DJ Chark, Dede Westbrook and Chris Conley all ahead of him on the depth chart.

Coach Sean McVay said Reynolds is a starting-caliber receiver, Joe Curley of the Ventura County Star reports.

McVay also mentioned that the recent trade sending Brandin Cooks to Houston could be interpreted as a "big vote of confidence" in Reynolds, who has started 11 of 48 games in three pro seasons. He's averaging 3.3 catches for 46 yards and 0.55 TDs on 5.8 targets as a starter, logging more than 80 percent of offensive snaps in 10 of the 11 games. It's possible the No. 3 WR role comes with less playing time in 2020, as the decision to trade Cooks could also lead to increased use of multi-TE formations, a strategy that McVay mostly shied away from the past few seasons. In any case, Reynolds has a nice opportunity ahead of him as he prepares for the fourth and final season of his rookie contract.

General manager John Lynch said Godwin (knee) is still being shopped, Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The 49ers presumably are hoping for a late-round pick as compensation, considering Goodwin is scheduled for a $3.95 million base salary and $4.9 million cap hit in 2020 (per OTC.com). Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan both have said they don't want to cut the 29-year-old wideout, but that's what may ultimately happen if the Niners can't find a trade partner before the 2020 NFL Draft. The other scenario that might work is Goodwin accepting a pay cut to stick around in San Francisco, though he'd be facing a tough numbers game on a roster that has no shortage of quick, undersized wideouts. Goodwin finished 2019 on injured reserve with an unspecified knee injury.

Coach Dan Quinn said Powell is the current favorite to operate as Atlanta's return specialist in 2020, Jason Butt of The Athletic reports.

Powell played six games for the Lions in 2018 but wasn't able to make their 53-man roster last summer. He then caught on with the Falcons, spending time on the practice squad and active roster without ever playing in a game. Powell won't be assured of anything in 2020, facing competition for both return work and a depth spot at wide receiver. However, a strong summer could put him in position to challenge Russell Gage for slot work in three-wide formations.

Moore signed his original-round contract tender with the Seahawks on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Moore recorded 17 catches for 301 yards and two scores while playing a depth role in Seattle's receiving corps in 2019, and he's now locked in with the team for 2020. The 25-year-old looks primed to compete for the No. 3 wideout gig this offseason, though the Seahawks could still opt to bring in additional competition in the form of rookies or free agents.

Reynolds is a candidate for more work in 2020 following last week's trade of Brandin Cooks from the Rams to the Texans, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

The Rams still boast a formidable wide receiver duo of Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods atop the depth chart, but their consistent use of 11 personnel (i.e. three-wideout sets) under Sean McVay implies a bigger role for Reynolds may be on the horizon. Even after pacing the NFL by trotting out the formation 89 percent of the time in 2018, L.A.'s offense ranked 30th last season at 73 percent. Additionally, the combined loss of Cooks and Todd Gurley opens up 121 targets from what was the fourth-ranked passing attack in 2019. Reynolds isn't close to the deep threat that is Cooks, but the former has been productive when on the field the past two campaigns, averaging 7.6 yards per target and scoring six touchdowns on 96 targets.

Carter is expected to retain his roster spot with the Texans in 2020, despite facing tough competition for offensive snaps, Aaron Reiss of The Athletic reports.

Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks, Kenny Stills and Randall Cobb all have extensive NFL experience as starters, while Carter and Keke Coutee both have spent some time in the No. 3 receiver role for Houston. It was Carter who handled that job when Fuller missed a playoff game in January, while Coutee made just two appearances after mid-November. The other factor working in Carter's favor is his versatility, as he was the Texans' primary returner for both kicks and punts last season. Of course, the team may decide to keep six wide receivers anyway, or else it could trade one of them away to free up the logjam.

Coutee may be on the roster bubble after the Texans signed Randall Cobb and traded for Brandin Cooks during the offseason, Aaron Reiss of The Athletic reports.

The combination of Cooks and Cobb is no match for DeAndre Hopkins in terms of quality, but the two-in, one-out offseason plan creates a tougher numbers game further down the depth chart. While a trade could eventually free up the logjam, Houston's current roster construction hints at Coutee and DeAndre Carter competing for the fifth wide receiver spot, behind Cooks, Cobb, Will Fuller and Kenny Stills, in some uncertain order. Carter worked ahead of Coutee late last season, even serving as Houston's No. 3 receiver when Fuller missed a wild-card playoff game.