NFL Player News

  • Jordan Addison WR | MIN

    Vikings' Jordan Addison: Impresses at spring practices

    Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said Addison had "as good of an offseason program as really you can ask for," ESPN's Kevin Seifert reports.

    O'Connell said the wideout is stronger than he was as a rookie, and Addison mentioned that he's working to improve his technique on releases. Addison seems to have enjoyed a healthy offseason program, whereas last year he missed spring practices with an unspecified injury after the Vikings drafted him 23rd overall. He was on pace for 1,000 yards before Week 16 when an ankle sprain slowed him down, and he scored five touchdowns of at least 37 yards (plus a pair of 20-yarders) en route to a 70-911-10 receiving line across 108 targets and 17 games. There should be more target share for the taking with TE T.J. Hockenson (knee) uncertain for the early part of the season and former No. 3 receiver K.J. Osborn leaving in free agency, but there's also potential for QB trouble and reduced overall passing volume with Sam Darnold and/or J.J. McCarthy under center.

  • Puka Nacua WR | LAR

    Rams' Puka Nacua: Aims to make Year 2 leap

    Rams wide receiver coach Eric Yarber said Nacua's "body is totally different" due to his training regiment this offseason, Nick Shook of NFL.com reports.

    Nacua is coming off a stellar rookie campaign in which he racked up a 105-1,486-6 receiving line while suiting up for all 17 regular-season games, and he's putting in the offseason work to improve rather than resting on his laurels. Yarber said "[Nucua has] lost so much body fat and gained so much lean muscle, which enabled him to move more efficiently now," and that "he has better body control" entering Year 2. Nucua has reportedly dropped about 10 pounds over the offseason and shadowed Cooper Kupp, his positional mate and former Offensive Player of the Year, both in terms of training regimen and diet. Kupp was plagued by injuries even while on the field last season and should stands to demand a larger offensive share during the 2024 campaign, but Nucua looks to have already emerged as the new No. 1 wide receiver for Los Angeles. Coach Sean McVay's offense could be efficient enough for both wideouts to improve upon their production.

  • 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Meeting with Niners goes well

    Aiyuk and the 49ers had a meeting Monday that Tom Pelissero of NFL Network described as "good," and both sides are continuing to work toward a contract extension, Grant Gordon of NFL.com reports.

    Aiyuk, who held out of mandatory minicamp earlier this month, requested a meeting with San Francisco roughly one week after posting a video in which he told Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, whom he played with at Arizona State, that the 49ers "said they don't want me back," per Nick Wagoner of ESPN. It seems things have landed in a more amicable place following Monday's most recent meeting, though there still aren't any signs that an agreement on a new contract is immediately around the corner. As it stands, Aiyuk remains in line to play under the fifth-year option on his rookie contract for $14.12 million for 2025, but if that doesn't change by the start of training camp tensions could come to a head, especially if he continues to hold out. The 26-year-old is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving campaigns and has been one of the most efficient wide receivers in the league in Kyle Shanahan offenses.

  • Tayvion Robinson: Dropped by Baltimore

    The Ravens waived Robinson on Wednesday.

    Robinson signed a deal with the Ravens after going undrafted earlier this offseason, but the team has elected to part ways with the 23-year-old. Throughout Robinson's five collegiate seasons between Virginia Tech and Kentucky, he tallied 2,604 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns on 194 receptions.

  • Adam Thielen WR | CAR

    Panthers' Adam Thielen: Could stay in slot in 2024

    Thielen projects to reprise his role as the top slot receiver for Carolina during the 2024 season, with newcomers Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette (hamstring) slated to primarily line up on the outside, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

    Thielen was one of the few offensive playmakers to find success during Bryce Young's rookie season, as he compiled a 103-1,014-4 receiving line while suiting up for all 17 regular-season games. Adding an established veteran in Johnson and a high-upside first-round rookie in Legette could give Young the tools to take a step forward, and with that help elevate the Carolina passing offense. Despite an increase in target competition, Thielen's combination of established chemistry with Young along with the slot role could still make him a go-to target for the second-year signal-caller, especially early during the 2024 campaign if Legette needs some time to build momentum.

  • Texans' John Metchie: Healthy and explosive at OTAs

    Metchie rotated in with the first-team offense during spring practices and looked explosive while doing so, according to ESPN.com's DJ Bien-Aime.

    The 2022 second-round pick missed his rookie year while recovering from leukemia and then worked as a depth wideout for most of 2023. Slow development is understandable given the major health concerns he dealt with to start his pro career, but Metchie now finds himself in a situation where it will be tough to get many snaps even if he takes a step forward. The Texans have Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell locked in as their top three wide receivers, and backup Noah Brown (shoulder) had a pair of 150-yard games last season. They even still have Robert Woods on the roster, at least for now, creating fierce competition for the No. 4 receiver role. It remains to be seen if Metchie will get many first-team reps once Brown is recovered from shoulder surgery and able to practice again.

  • Chiefs' Nikko Remigio: Building momentum entering Year 2

    Remigio took a substantial amount of first-team reps throughout OTAs and minicamp and looked impressive, Adam Teicher of ESPN reports.

    He got a chance to handle increased reps due to first-round rookie Xavier Worthy (hamstring) being sidelined, and Teicher reports that Remigio made the most of those opportunities. Kansas City boasts a crowded but still unsettled wide receiver corps, so Remigio will have to find a way to stand out in training camp alongside all of Marquise Brown, Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, Kadarius Toney, Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore and Justyn Ross in order to make the roster. As Teicher notes, Remigio's abilities in the return game could improve his odds.

  • Ravens' Malik Cunningham: Logging impressive offseason

    Cunningham has been one of Baltimore's standouts throughout OTAs and minicamp, Jamison Hensley of ESPN reports.

    Cunningham made the switch to wideout this spring, with coach John Harbaugh calling him "kind of a natural at the position." Harbaugh also noted that because of Cunningham's experience at quarterback, he has a good understanding of the passing game from that perspective. The second-year pro will compete for a depth role in a relatively thin Ravens wide receiver room, as well as potentially contribute in the return game.

  • Jalen Brooks WR | DAL

    Cowboys' Jalen Brooks: Could push for No. 3 role

    Brooks looked good during spring practices and may get a chance to compete for the No. 3 receiver role in Dallas, ESPN.com's Todd Archer reports.

    Jalen Tolbert is the favorite for the role, having essentially split it with Michael Gallup (now on the Raiders) last season. Brooks, meanwhile, played 77 snaps on offense and 82 on special teams in seven games as a rookie seventh-round pick, with four of his six catches coming in a 49-17 win over the Giants in Week 10. He was often a healthy scratch last season but now has an opportunity to move up to third or fourth on the depth chart behind entrenched starters CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks.

  • Falcons' Ray-Ray McCloud: Getting first-team looks

    McCloud got first-team reps this spring and caught some passes from QB Kirk Cousins for big plays, ESPN.com's Marc Raimondi reports.

    McCloud mostly served as a return specialist and fourth/fifth WR while playing for four different teams the past six seasons, but he got five starts and 66 targets with the Steelers back in 2021, catching 39 passes for 277 yards en route to a league-low 4.2 yards per target. He may now get another chance at significant snaps on offense, having signed in March with an Atlanta team that has Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore projected as the top three wide receivers. London and Mooney are locked in as starters, and tight end Kyle Pitts will get a significant target share, but Moore was a disappointment in Arizona and could now face competition from McCloud for a No. 3 role that would figure to entail a lot of screen passes, jet sweeps, etc. rather than downfield targets. The Falcons also have KhaDarel Hodge and Casey Washington as options if they want to go with a more traditional WR and not a vertically challenged YAC specialist like the 5-foot-7 Moore or 5-foot-9 McCloud.

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