NFL Player News

Heinicke was the first quarterback to take reps in team drills Wednesday, Bryan Strickland of the Panthers' official site reports.

Heinicke served as Cam Newton's (shoulder) backup most of last season, but it was actually Kyle Allen -- who started Week 17 when both Heinicke and Newton were out with injuries -- who received the first reps Tuesday during the opening day of OTAs. With third-round rookie Will Grier also in the mix, the competition for the No. 2 job in Carolina could be a fluid situation all offseason.

Keenum took the first snap Monday during team drills, Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post reports.

Keenum was followed by first-round pick Dwayne Haskins, while Colt McCoy (leg) remains sidelined but is expected to be ready for the beginning of training camp. JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington observed a noticeable difference between Keenum and Haskins during Monday's practice, with the rookie holding a large edge in terms of both size and arm strength, while the veteran has a quicker release and better mobility. Both quarterbacks are learning new play-calling terminology from coach Jay Gruden, who has been clear about his intention to stage a three-way QB competition. Regardless, Finlay believes Haskins' ascension to the starting job "is a matter of when, not if."

Jones will get the bulk of the backup reps behind Eli Manning during OTAs, Ryan Dunleavy of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

The Giants are positioning Jones to get as many reps as possible while still having Manning run with the starters. Jones, the No. 6 overall pick, figures to be the backup quarterback as a rookie while being groomed as the starter of the future once Manning's Giants tenure concludes.

Smith agreed to a contract Wednesday with the Seahawks, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Smith has spent time with the Jets, Giants and Chargers since being drafted in the second round back in 2013, but he hasn't been pressed into meaningful extended action since his failed stint as the Jets' starter in 2014. The 28-year-old comes to Seattle as high-profile candidate for the backup job to Russell Wilson, with Paxton Lynch looming as Smith's top competition for the gig.

McCoy (lower leg) is expected to participate in June minicamp to some extent and should be fully ready in late July when training camp begins, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

McCoy is back with the team for OTAs and seems to be recovering well from his third surgery on a fractured right fibula. He was originally expected to miss all offseason work until training camp, but the timetable apparently has been moved up. Once healthy, McCoy will compete for the starting job with Case Keenum and first-round pick Dwayne Haskins. While experience in coach Jay Gruden's offense may help his cause, McCoy hasn't shown any real sign of being anything more than a competent game manager.

Christion was waived by the Seahawks on Monday, Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio KJR reports.

Christion's stint in Seattle lasted less than a month, as the quarterback was waived to allegedly make room for veteran Geno Smith on the 90-man roster. The two-year starter in the FCS for South Dakota State will look to find another destination to land before the beginning of training camp this summer.

Smith is scheduled to visit with the Seahawks on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com relayed earlier Monday that Smith was nearing agreement on a contract with Seattle, but the club will apparently sit down and meet with him first before drawing up terms on any deal. If Smith reaches agreement on a pact with Seattle, he would likely become the clear frontrunner to emerge as Russell Wilson's backup heading into 2019. Though he threw just four passes in 2018 as the backup to Philip Rivers in Los Angeles, Smith has logged 40 regular-season appearances in his career and sports a 29:36 TD:INT and 57.7 completion percentage over 906 attempts. Beyond Wilson, the only other quarterbacks on the Seahawks' roster are 2016 first-round bust Paxton Lynch and undrafted rookie Taryn Christion.

Coach Vic Fangio suggested Lock, Kevin Hogan and Brett Rypien will share second- and third-string reps during spring practices.

Fangio said Joe Flacco will take all the first-team snaps while Lock is busy competing with a pair of borderline NFL talents. The No. 42 overall pick has a decent shot to make starts during his rookie season, but it doesn't appear the Broncos will give him a fair shot to win the Week 1 job.

Coach Bill O'Brien expects Watson to take a big step forward in his third NFL season, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle reports. "I've always said with his work ethic and his intelligence and his hunger to be better, he'll always make a jump," O'Brien said. "I've always said that I don't think there's any ceiling on Deshaun Watson."

Watson was already quite effective in 2018, though his impressive averages of 8.2 yards per pass attempt and 5.6 per carry don't account for a league-high total of 62 sacks, which was partially a product of poor line play and partially a matter of holding on to the ball for too long. It didn't help that the Texans struggled to keep their wide receivers on the field, with Will Fuller (knee), Keke Coutee (hamstring), Demaryius Thomas (Achilles) and Bruce Ellington (undisclosed) each playing seven games or fewer. The offensive line still doesn't look particularly good on paper, but first-round pick Tytus Howard might help the matter, plus Houston is optimistic about having both Fuller and Coutee ready for Week 1. For all the sacks his playing style leads to, Watson also creates frequent long gains when he dodges pass rushers rather than throwing the ball away or settling for a dump-off. The 23-year-old should be able to refine his approach without straying too far from his aggressive instincts, assuming his supporting cast isn't just the DeAndre Hopkins Show and little else for a second straight season.

McCoy (lower leg) is expected to be sidelined until training camp, Les Carpenter of The Washington Post reports.

McCoy originally was going to be back on the field during the middle of OTAs, but he underwent a third surgery on his fractured right fibula in mid-April and now will be sidelined until much closer to the start of the regular season. Once healthy, he's expected to compete for snaps with Case Keenum, who could gain an edge for the starting job during McCoy's recovery. The Redskins also selected Ohio State product Dwayne Haskins in the first round of the draft, representing another competitor as head coach Jay Gruden tries to settle on a man to lead the offense once the season begins.