NFL Player News

Lasley struggled during Baltimore's mandatory minicamp, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

The second-year receiver out of UCLA needs to make a strong impression this offseason after not seeing the field as a rookie. Unfortunately, Lasley isn't off to a good start in that regard, and the team's restocked receiver room puts him further down the depth chart. If healthy, rookies Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin figure to start alongside Willie Snead, leaving Lasley to battle for a reserve position. Beyond that trio, veterans like Seth Roberts and Michael Floyd will also have strong cases at making the 53-man roster, and fellow 2018 draft pick Jaleel Scott reportedly stood out during minicamp. As it stands, Lasley will need to step up during training camp and the preseason to keep his roster spot come September.

Montgomery will have to earn a roster spot in camp, Matt Stypulkoski of NJ.com reports.

With New York bringing back veteran Bilal Powell, the team is set up for a healthy running back competition behind Le'Veon Bell. Stypulkoski believes Montgomery's ability to shift to wide receiver in a pinch should help earn him the inside track for one of the available spots behind Bell, but the team almost certainly won't keep all of Bell, Powell, Montgomery, Elijah McGuire and Trenton Cannon.

Williams said he's confident in handling an expanded role after the Chargers lost Tyrell Williams to the Raiders, Ricky Henne of the team's official site reports. "I'm a lot more confident coming out here and playing," (Mike) Williams said. "My role is going to expand with Tyrell leaving. A lot more balls coming my way. I'm looking forward to it."

With the 2017 first-round pick coming off a season that included 10 touchdown catches on 66 targets, the Chargers didn't appear interested in re-signing Tyrell Williams at market value. Mike Williams now steps in as the No. 2 receiver, while Travis Benjamin will try to fend off Dylan Cantrell, Geremy Davis and Artavis Scott for the No. 3 job. There's still some concern regarding volume, as wide receivers accounted for 55 to 58 percent of the Chargers' targets each of the past three years, ranking 18th or lower every season since Ken Whisenhunt took over as offensive coordinator. It was less of an issue when Philip Rivers challenged for 600 pass attempts, but he dropped off to 508 last season with the help of a strong defense. On the other hand, Williams may prove himself a good enough player to dictate team strategy, potentially encouraging Rivers to throw fewer passes to Keenan Allen, Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler. The return of Hunter Henry adds another variable, but most of the tight end's volume should come from the basket that went to Antonio Gates (45 targets) and Virgil Green (27) last season.

Cobb has formed a quick connection with Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, Clarence Hill Jr. of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Early indications are that the former Packer may be used in different packages than departed slot receiver Cole Beasley, getting more opportunities in the running game on reverses and jet sweeps in addition to routes underneath and over the middle. Cobb isn't likely to see an increase in workload in Dallas, however -- Beasley averaged 5.3 targets per game over the last three seasons, less than Cobb's 6.4 over that same time frame in Green Bay, and second-year receiver Michael Gallup will also be pushing for more looks from Prescott.

Conley was Jacksonville's best wide receiver throughout the offseason program, according to ESPN.com's Mike DiRocco.

Marqise Lee (knee) wasn't available, but it's noteworthy that Conley looked better than the team's 2018 receiving leader, Dede Westbrook, who is drawing hype as a third-year breakout candidate. Granted, the Jaguars mostly have used Westbrook from the slot, while Conley primarily played outside in Kansas City. With Westbrook seemingly locked in for slot work, the battle for outside snaps involves Conley, Lee, D.J. Chark, Keelan Cole and Terrelle Pryor. The Jacksonville passing attack isn't likely to be prolific with Nick Foles playing quarterback, but a lack of pass-catching talent at running back and tight end should push a higher-than-average share of the total targets to wide receivers.

James was outplayed by Trent Taylor during the offseason program, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

With the 49ers using draft picks on Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd, it's hard to see how they'd make space for both James and Taylor on the 53-man roster. There's even a chance both undersized wide receivers might be cut, as the team also boasts two veteran wide receivers -- Kendrick Bourne and Jordan Matthews -- with experience playing from the slot. It sounds like James will need a big summer to stick around on the Week 1 roster, though he might be able to earn a spot strictly on the basis of his work as a return specialist.

Taylor has been healthy throughout the offseason program and is working closely with wide receivers coach Wes Welker, Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

At 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, Taylor says he's been compared to Welker since his freshman year of college, long before he'd met the former NFL star. Now entering his third pro season, Taylor is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2018 campaign that was impacted by his recovery from offseason back surgery. He says he never quite made it back to full strength, lacking the explosiveness he'd previously displayed during the second half of his rookie season. Taylor seems to be stronger and faster now, but he's also looking at a crowded depth chart after the 49ers signed Jordan Matthews and drafted Deebo Samuel (second round) and Jalen Hurd (third round). Each of the new additions is a threat to take slot snaps that might otherwise go to Taylor.

Pringle has caught coach Andy Reid's attention, Seth Keysor of The Athletic reports. "Pringle is doing a nice job," Reid said. "His weight is down, you can tell that he's worked and is catching the ball great. He's plucking it - hands, not body stuff. We've been real happy with his production, and we know he's a tough kid."

Reid also mentioned that Pringle has been rotating in with the first-team offense, and ESPN.com's Adam Teicher identified the 25-year-old as the surprise standout of the Chiefs' offseason program. Pringle went undrafted out of Kansas State last year and spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury in the final week of preseason. He now has a chance to earn snaps in a high-powered offense, as the Chiefs lost Chris Conley during the offseason and still aren't sure if/when Tyreek Hill will be available. The competition for playing time appears wide open behind oft-injured Sammy Watkins.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury said Kirk has a good feel for the Cardinals' new offense, Mike Jurecki of the Cardinals' official site reports.

As expected, Kirk's experience in an air raid offense at Texas A&M is proving useful as he learns Kingsbury's scheme. The second-year pro and Larry Fitzgerald are safe bets for regular snaps at wide receiver, while rookies Andy Isabella and Hakeem Butler will compete with Kevin White, Trent Sherfield, Chad Williams and Damiere Byrd. There hasn't been any sign of physical limitation after Kirk's rookie season ended early with a broken foot. He finished the year with a 43-590-3 receiving line on 68 targets, posting a 63.2 percent catch rate and 8.7 YPT in an offense that completed 57.2 percent of its passes for 5.8 YPA. The efficient stat line in a terrible environment bodes well for Kirk's NFL future.

Samuel stood out as one of the Panthers' best players at mandatory minicamp, Brendan Marks of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Samuel is enjoying his first healthy offseason in the NFL after battling a series of injuries the past two years. He worked his way into a starting job by the end of last season, averaging 7.6 yards on 65 targets and 10.5 yards on eight carries, with seven touchdowns on just 47 touches in 13 games. The Panthers intend to find more work for Samuel this upcoming season, with coach Ron Rivera noting that the wide receiver has shown significant improvement in his route running. It helps that Samuel is one of the younger players from the 2017 draft class, celebrating his 23rd birthday Aug. 11. He's on track to join Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore at the center of a dynamic offense that relies on its pass catchers to pick up yardage after the catch. The Panthers also run a lot of jet sweeps to manufacture touches for Samuel and Moore while simultaneously opening up interior rushing lanes for McCaffrey and quarterback Cam Newton (shoulder).