NFL Player News

Shepherd had three receptions for 11 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's preseason loss to the Ravens. He also had two kickoff returns for 51 yards and two punt returns for 15 yards in the contest.

Shepherd made a nifty catch for a touchdown in the Packers' first preseason game, and he made a couple more plays in the second exhibition contest. He returned a kick 36 yards on the Packers' first possession of the game, and found paydirt for the second game in a row later in the contest. Shepherd has made far more of an impact than most of his receiver counterparts through two games, and there's a real chance he is on the roster for Week 1 at this point.

McLaurin may be dealing with an injury, Craig Hoffman of 106-7 The Fan Washington reports.

The rookie was removed from Washington's preseason opener after the first snap and didn't play at all in Thursday's exhibition loss to Washington. McLaurin is listed with the second unit on the preseason depth chart, behind Josh Doctson, Paul Richardson (quad) and Trey Quinn (thumb). Given the track records of the players ahead of him, McLaurin still has a shot to earn a role on offense, though his prowess on special-teams coverage units was identified by coach Jay Gruden as the primary motivation for using a third-round pick on the Ohio State product. Multiple reports from training camp suggest the Redskins have been pleasantly surprised by McLaurin's work on offense.

Valdes-Scantling did not catch a pass in Thursday's preseason loss to the Ravens, but he was in the starting lineup when the game began, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.

Valdes-Scantling has not had a ball thrown his way through two preseason games, but he also has not played more than a few drives, so the goose egg is seemingly mostly due to a lack of opportunities. More important for the long run: Valdes-Scantling has started both preseason games, and is listed in the starting spot on the Packers' depth chart opposite Davante Adams. Valdes-Scantling has not officially locked up a starting job -- fellow wideout Geronimo Allison was also on the field for the first play Thursday with the Packers utilizing three receivers -- but one way or another, he will be in position to play a key role when the regular season gets underway.

Sharp did not play in Thursday's preseason contest versus the Redskins.

Sharp was seen working out on the rehab field earlier in the week, per Tyler Dragon of The Cincinnati Enquirer, and he's apparently still battling the undisclosed issue. Any absence for the 25-year-old makes it increasingly difficult to make the 53-man roster.

Lacy worked with the first-team offense in the absence of Marvin Jones (knee) during practice this week, Chris Burke of the Athletic reports.

As someone who's routinely impressed since the start of spring workouts, Lacy looks to be putting together a solid case for a roster spot. Burke notes that, at this point, it would be a surprise if Lacy doesn't win the No. 4 receiver job behind Jones, Golladay and Danny Amendola (undisclosed). With Jones not traveling to Houston for the Lions' second preseason game, Lacy is a strong bet to open Saturday's exhibition with the starting offense.

Isabella was targeted four times, coming up with a 59-yard touchdown pass during Thursday's 33-26 loss to Oakland.

Isabella wasn't targeted until the fourth quarter, and even then he was unable to connect with quarterback Charles Kanoff on his first three targets. The fourth time was the charm as Kanoff launched a pass down field and Isabella separated from his defender to race in for a 59-yard touchdown. Isabella's speed is what got him drafted in the second round. While it might take him a bit of time to adjust from UMass' typical schedule to that of the NFL, Thursday showed that Isabella really only needs one play to make a difference in the game and stat sheet.

Morgan hauled in both of his targets for 21 yards in the Bengals' second preseason game against the Redskins on Thursday.

Morgan made his impact with third-string quarterback Jeff Driskel in the third and fourth quarters. He first hauled in a 15-yard pass down the right side of the field, and then followed that up with a six-yard reception on third-and-long down the middle of the field. Stanley has generated some buzz as an undrafted free agent and was productive in his senior season at Nebraska, catching 70 passes for 1,004 yards and seven touchdowns.

Johnson caught three of six targets for 23 yards during Thursday's 33-26 loss to Oakland.

Johnson showed a little bit of rhythm with Kyler Murray early in the game, snagging an eight-yard pass underneath and coming down with a shot downfield that was called back for offensive pass interference. The Cardinals loaded up on young targets in the draft, so there might have been some surprise associated with Johnson -- a sixth rounder -- not being buried on the depth chart. Johnson can hold his own, though, leaving Fresno State as the school's career leader with 275 catches and 3,463 yards, and could be a solid depth option in Arizona's open attack.

Erickson hauled in three catches for 15 yards in the Bengals' second preseason game against the Redskins on Thursday. However, he made his biggest impact with a 75-yard touchdown on a punt return.

Erickson recorded the game's final score with a long punt return, initially streaking down the right sideline prior to cutting into the middle of the field to reach the end zone. He made his biggest impact with the offensive unit early in the second quarter, when he caught a 12-yard pass over the middle from Ryan Finley to convert on third-down. Erickson is set to primarily contribute as both a kick and punt returner, though he could be in line for some role with the offense while A.J. Green (ankle) is sidelined.

Ridley caught both of his targets for 28 yards during Thursday's 22-10 preseason loss to the Jets.

Ridley's participation in this contests suggests he's fully recovered from his late-July hamstring injury. Both of his catches came on Atlanta's opening drive. After flashing immense talent with 10 touchdowns as a rookie, the 2018 first-rounder is looking to find more game-to-game consistency in Year 2.