NFL Player News

Demaryius Thomas says that Lynch turned heads as minicamp came to a close, Mike Klis of KUSA-TV 9 News reports.

Thomas' words carry significant weight and echo what the media, coaching staff and Lynch himself have said about the second-year quarterback's progress. The Broncos' quarterback competition has always been about Siemian's experience versus Lynch's superior athletic traits. The more comfortable Lynch gets in Denver's new offense, the better chance he has to win the job. One of the peculiar myths being used in Siemian's favor is that, given his affability and moxie, the Broncos players would have trouble rallying around the less experienced Lynch. If Thomas, an offensive team captain, is so willing to throw support behind Lynch, consider that myth busted.

Cousins remains a long shot to secure a new contract with the Redskins prior to next week's July 17 deadline, ESPN's John Keim reports.

Cousins is currently scheduled to play a second straight year under Washington's franchise tag, which is slated to earn him $23.9 million in guaranteed money this season. Although his representatives and the Redskins have reportedly met at least twice since late March, the parties remain apart on how much guaranteed money Cousins' next contract should include. Without common ground on his annual salary either, there's little optimism Cousins' prolonged contract saga will suddenly be solved by next week. As a result, Cousins could be entering his final season with the Redskins, but the motivation of another big payday looming should once again drive him to prove his worth. In two seasons as a starter, Cousins has totaled a whopping 9,083 passing yards to go with 63 touchdowns (54 passing, nine rushing) versus 23 interceptions.

Savage emerged from offseason activities as the starting quarterback, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports.

That means status quo for Savage, who was the putative starter following the 2017 draft when Houston selected Deshaun Watson with its first-round selection. The Texans were impressed by how Watson picked up the system, but head coach Bill O'Brien affirmed that Savage is "ahead in how he functions with the offense." So, Savage enters training camp as the starter, but as O'Brien has said several times, he'll need to earn the No. 1 job every day.

Smith (knee - ACL) was a limited participant during the Giants' OTAs, ESPN's Jordan Raanan reports.

Smith -- who tore his right ACL in Week 7 of last season -- declared himself 100 percent healthy in May, but the Giants evidently weren't convinced considering they prevented him from taking part in 11-on-11 drills during OTAs. It likely won't be long until he's back to full strength so we'll revisit Smith's status when training camp commences in late July.

Trubisky, who has yet to sign his rookie contract, said he'll report for training camp when it begins July 26, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The second overall pick of this year's draft, Trubisky is still the subject of negotiations between the Bears and his representatives, but the North Carolina product insists he'll be on the field for the first day of practice regardless of whether he's signed by that point. Furthermore, Trubisky said his agents aren't worried about getting a contract ironed out, as they have a great relationship with Chicago's front office. News that the 22-year-old isn't a holdout threat is obviously encouraging, as Trubisky is anticipated to need some seasoning before he's thrown into the fold. In fact, on that front, the rookie recently voiced his support of Mike Glennon being the Bears' starting quarterback until he's ready.

Trubisky told SiriusXM NFL Radio that he supports Mike Glennon as the Bears' starting quarterback, NFL.com's Marc Sessler reports. "Mike's the starter and I'm behind him all the way," Trubisky said.

Trubisky was notably selected second overall in this year's draft after the Bears traded a considerable amount of assets to move up just one pick. While that surely projects him as the team's starter in the long run, Chicago also signed Glennon to a three-year, $45 million contract this offseason. Given Glennon's experience -- which includes 18 career starts and 30 touchdowns versus 15 interceptions -- as well as the investment the Bears made in him, the 27-year-old is slated to start this season, allowing Trubisky to be groomed on the sidelines. After his small college sample size, that figures to suit Trubisky well, and the rookie is taking the right approach by supporting his veteran mentor, but it still wouldn't be surprising if the North Carolina product ultimately took Glennon's job if he were to falter during the regular season.

Bradford -- who will be a free agent after next season -- knows that his future in Minnesota could be complicated by Teddy Bridgewater's return from a torn ACL, Matt Vensel of The Star Tribune reports.

Coach Mike Zimmer got out ahead of any potential controversy, saying at the end of last season that Bradford had earned the right to retain the starting job. The 29-year-old set an NFL record for completion percentage (71.6) last year, and while that largely was due to the team's reliance on short passes, Bradford still deserves credit for keeping the offense afloat without the benefit of a competent O-line or running game. The Vikings' pass protection likely will improve due to the signings of tackles Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers, and the running game should get a boost from Latavius Murray (ankle) and Dalvin Cook. The already solid receiving corps may also be improved, with 2016 first-round pick Laquon Treadwell looking to take a big step forward alongside Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen and TE Kyle Rudolph after struggling through an injury-plagued and ineffective rookie campaign. It all adds up to much higher expectations, which could work against Bradford if he struggles early in the season and Bridgewater is back to full health. Bridgewater's looming presence also means the Vikings are unlikely to offer Bradford an extension before Week 1, though it's certainly worth noting Bridgewater is also in a contract year. The team seems content to take a wait-and-see approach.

Wilson overhauled his diet the past few months and has already gone from 225 pounds with 16 percent body fat to 214 pounds with 10 percent body fat, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia reports.

Listed at 5-foot-11, 215 pounds, Wilson was always able to maintain his quickness while playing with a stout frame that allowed him to stay healthy behind shaky offensive lines. The plan fell apart early last season when he suffered high-ankle and MCL sprains, which not only made it difficult for him to run or scramble, but also limited his cardio work and led to some unwanted weight gain. Wilson still played all 16 games and completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 7.8 yards per attempt, but he finished with career-low marks -- by a wide margin -- in rush attempts (72), rushing yards (259) and yards per carry (3.6). Coach Pete Carroll was excited to see his quarterback report to the team in top-notch shape this offseason, and while the offensive line remains a major concern, Wilson's improved health and conditioning should help revive the Seahawks' rushing attack.

Dalton believes the Bengals improved in the offseason, the team's official site reports.

The Bengals offense certainly had an interesting offseason, losing stalwart linemen Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler in free agency, then adding WR John Ross (No. 9 overall) and RB Joe Mixon (No. 48) in the draft. Ross gives Dalton another deep threat alongside A.J. Green, but the team may need to rely on its short passing game to combat potential issues in protection. While Dalton has struggled to deal with pressure throughout his career, he may have an easier time now that he has a full stockpile of weapons. Mixon's prowess as a pass catcher should lessen the impact of any absence or limitations on the part of Giovani Bernard (knee), who's uncertain for Week 1 while rehabbing from a torn ACL. And while TE Tyler Eifert (back) was limited throughout the offseason and still carries significant injury risk, the team's depth at wide receiver should ensure Dalton has plenty of weapons even if his favorite red-zone target once again misses some games. Brandon LaFell and 2016 second-round selection Tyler Boyd will compete with Ross for the Nos. 2 and 3 receiver jobs.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy believes Rodgers can play into his 40s, ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reports.

The 33-year-old superstar changed his diet last offseason in an effort to maximize his longevity, suggesting he at least plans to play deep into his 30s, if not his 40s. His skill set should allow for graceful aging, though a recurrence of the concussion issues that plagued him earlier in his career could throw a wrench in his plans. As for the more immediate future, Rodgers enjoyed a healthy offseason and should enter Week 1 with his best group of pass catchers since the days of Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. The team did lose two starting linemen (guard T.J. Lang and center JC Tretter) in free agency, but TE Martellus Bennett should be an upgrade over Jared Cook, joining the wideout trio of Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams and Randall Cobb to give Rodgers plenty of options. The team also used draft picks in the fourth, fifth and seventh rounds on running backs, hoping to add some power to complement Ty Montgomery's prowess as a receiver.