NFL Player News

Samuel has been a consistent standout to start training camp, Bill Voth of the Panthers' official site reports.

Samuel was noted as one of Carolina's best players during minicamp and has continued to build on that momentum lately. Thanks to regular highlight plays, Samuel's confidence is high as he approaches his third season. As long as he avoids the injury setbacks he endured his first couple campaigns, Samuel seems poised for his best year yet, as he's pegged to start alongside D.J. Moore in a much faster Panthers receiving corps this season.

Cracraft is listed as the Broncos' starting punt returner and No. 2 kick returner on the team's first official depth chart.

An oblique injury has slowed Cracraft to the point where, after some promise in spring practices, he is now buried among other unproven options on the receiver depth chart. Assuming that the Broncos keep six receivers, Cracraft could sneak onto the roster purely as a steady returner, especially if the team moves on from Devontae Booker -- the current leader in the clubhouse at kick returner.

Hollins remained on the sideline at Monday's practice with a lower-body injury, Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Hollins was able to practice Thursday through Saturday after missing the entirety of the 2018 season due to issues related to hernia surgery, but his current injury is apparently a separate issue. The 25-year-old still caught balls off the JUGS machine after practice and is considered day-to-day.

Lodge is not participating at Monday's practice, PewterReport.com reports.

Lodge joined the Buccaneers in April after going undrafted out of Ole Miss. According to Greg Auman of The Athletic, the 22-year-old was first sidelined Saturday, but it remains unclear why he's not participating.

Boykin continued his strong play over the weekend, catching a pair of long touchdown passes from Lamar Jackson at Saturday's open practice, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Hensley and Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic agree that Boykin has been one of Baltimore's best players during the first week of training camp, holding his own against one of the top cornerback groups in the league. Fellow wideout Willie Snead compared the rookie to former Saints teammate Michael Thomas, while coach John Harbaugh favors a more cautious assessment, noting that it's only been a few days and Boykin will now face more attention from the defense in practice. Quarterback Lamar Jackson also chimed in, referring to Boykin as "amazing" and "nice". Meanwhile, fellow rookie wideout Marquise Brown (foot) remains on the non-football injury list, though he could be removed by the end of the week. Baltimore's veteran options at wideout -- Snead, Chris Moore, Seth Roberts and Michael Floyd -- are utterly lacking in upside.

Crowder, who was forced out of Monday's practice after having his left foot looked at by trainers, is slated to undergo an MRI, Matt Stypulkoski of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

The Jets signed Crowder to man the slot and provide a complement to outside wideouts Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa. It's a role he handled capably during his stint with Washington, though injuries limited Crowder's 2018 campaign to nine games and 29 catches. During the 26-year-old's yet to be determined time off the field, Deontay Burnett figures to see added slot reps in practice.

Ridley (hamstring) worked with the rehab group during Monday's practice, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports.

Ridley tweaked his hamstring Thursday and was held out of practice over the weekend. He took a small step forward Monday, but the Falcons aren't quite ready to put him back on the field for full-team drills. There hasn't been any suggestion that Ridley's injury is a major concern for the team.

Robinson (hamstring) is practicing at training camp, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Robinson seems to have moved past the hamstring injury that cropped up during June minicamp. He'll still need to battle for a roster spot, competing for backup work with Jarius Wright, Chris Hogan (back), Torrey Smith and Rashad Ross. The Panthers should have open competition for wideout roles behind presumed starters D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel.

Crowder left Monday's practice with an apparent left ankle/foot injury, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Crowder reportedly has looked good in the early days of training camp, including a 40-yard touchdown catch Monday just a few minutes before he got hurt. An injury to his other ankle led to seven absences last season with the Redskins, but he played 47 of 48 possible games his first three years in the NFL. Crowder's three-year, $28.5 million contract includes $17 million fully guaranteed.

Watson is splitting reps at outside receiver and in the slot "down the middle" during early camp practices and has received praise from coach Bruce Arians for his flexibility in adapting to the needs of both positions, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

The second-year wideout is battling to secure the No. 4 receiver role this summer, with his primary competition likely to come from the speedy Bobo Wilson. Watson has been focused on both playing with more speed than he did during his limited opportunities in his rookie 2018 season and on refining his blocking, with the latter a vital part of any slot work he might be asked to carry out. With a total of 179 targets from last season having left town in the form of Adam Humphries (free agency) and DeSean Jackson (trade), Watson would seemingly line up for a solid amount of opportunities in the coming season despite the heavy volume the pass catchers in front of him will command, especially if he proves he can handle both outside and inside routes equally well.