NFL Player News

Head coach Dan Quinn said that Gage will get "more extended work" this week, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports.

In a scenario in which Julio Jones sits out Week 1 because his contract situation remains unresolved, Gage has an opportunity to see an uptick in usage. Atlanta is optimistic that it can agree to a deal with its six-time Pro Bowl receiver by the time Sunday rolls around, but if not, Gage would be a top candidate to get snaps at the "X" receiver position, as McClure mentioned in his report that the 23-year-old wideout lined up in that spot frequently throughout the preseason. Should Gage see increased involvement in Week 1, it would come against a Vikings defense that is returning two former All-Pros in the secondary with Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes, and coming off a No. 3 finish in pass defense.

Beckham popped up on the injury report Thursday as a full participant with a hip injury.

One day after the report didn't include Beckham, the star receiver was added as a full participant Thursday. In a related item, he told Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he's been afraid to open up due to the hip injury that has hung over him all preseason. "It's something that hinders me from fully sprinting as fast as I can. I'd rather get to Sunday and open up [vs. the Titans] than be running around and hinder myself before the game," said Beckham. Despite that uncertainty during the practice week, he added that he'll be ready to go full tilt Sunday against the Titans.

Metcalf (knee) practiced fully Thursday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Earlier Thursday, Metcalf relayed to Brady Henderson of ESPN.com that he feels "100 percent" just 19 days removed from undergoing minor surgery on his right knee. With his health not in question, Metcalf will turn his focus to Sunday's game versus the Bengals, when he may be working on a limited snap count to ease him back into the fray.

Pettis (groin) practiced in full Thursday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Pettis endured a topsy-turvy training camp and preseason, which culminated with the second-year wideout suffering a minor groin injury in late August. He kicked off Week 1 prep with a limited session Wednesday, so his progression to an uncapped practice one day later bodes well for his availability Sunday at Tampa Bay.

Slayton (hamstring) did not practice Thursday.

Slayton has been dealing with a lingering hamstring injury since July and is not expected to suit up Sunday versus the Cowboys. A timetable for the rookie fifth-round pick's recovery remains undisclosed, and Cody Core will slot in as the team's No. 5 receiver until Slayton gets healthy.

Anderson (calf) remained limited at practice Thursday.

Coach Adam Gase previously noted that he expected Anderson to play Sunday against the Bills. Such a notion would be cemented if the wideout approached the contest minus an injury designation once Friday's final Week1 injury report is released.

Coutee (ankle) was limited at practice Thursday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The report suggests that the wideout remains a question mark for Monday night's game against the Saints, but Coutee does at least have a couple more days worth of practice to make his case to play in the game. With Will Fuller bouncing back from an ACL injury and Coutee seemingly/perpetually having trouble staying on the field, the Texans recently added Kenny Stills to their receiving corps via a trade with Miami. Stills would presumably be a candidate to see added work in Week 1 should Coutee be limited at all, or even miss Houston's season opener.

Davis signed with the Vikings' practice squad Monday.

This comes just one day after Davis was waived by the Vikings as part of the team's final roster cuts. He joined Minnesota as an undrafted free agent, and the team has elected to keep him around on the practice squad after he cleared waivers.

Diggs (hamstring) was limited at Thursday's practice.

Seen with a helmet while going through individual drills, Diggs made his presence felt on the practice field one day removed from sitting out entirely. Perhaps the Vikings are easing him into Week 1 prep with the health of his hamstring in mind, but his listing on Friday's injury report will forecast his odds to play Sunday against the Falcons.

With first-rounder N'Keal Harry (ankle) on IR, the Patriots' wideout corps heading into Week 1 features Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, Demaryius Thomas, Dorsett and undrafted rookies Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski, ESPN's Mike Reiss reports.

Given that Thomas is bouncing back from an Achilles' injury and was limited at Wednesday's practice with a hamstring issue, it's not hard to imagine a scenario in which Dorsett ends being the team's third-busiest wideout in Week 1, at least in terms of snaps. Though Edelman and Gordon obviously carry more fantasy upside than Dorsett, Harry's placement on IR and uncertainty with regard to how effective Thomas will be out of the gate places Dorsett on the fantasy fringe, just one break away from relevance in that realm.