NFL Player News

Lynch is competing with Trevor Siemian for the starting QB position, Mike Klis of KUSA 9News reports.

Lynch was drafted in the first round of the 2016 draft but lost out to Siemian for the starting role last year. Head coach Vance Joseph has stated that the competition won't begin until training camp, but it's anticipated that OTAs could play a role in the final decision. Both Lynch and Siemian will have to learn new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy's system, and the player who ends up starting could be the one who learns it the fastest this spring.

Watson isn't sure if he'll be the Week 1 starter, ESPN.com's Jovan Buha reports. "I have no idea," said Watson. "That's up to the coaching staff. My job is to come in and learn the system, learn the organization and play my part."

Head coach Bill O'Brien said after the draft that Tom Savage is still considered the starting quarterback, reflecting O'Brien's preference for a veteran signal-caller to handle his complex offensive system. Watson still figures to get a shot at unseating the 27-year-old in a training camp battle, as Savage is a 2014 fourth-round selection who doesn't have much experience (92 career pass attempts) and was mediocre in a two-game stint as the starter last season. The Texans gave up a 2018 first-round pick for the right to move up 13 spots in the draft and select Watson at No. 12 overall. Boasting a ceiling and draft pedigree that vastly outweigh those of his competitor, Watson likely will make starts at some point in the season, if not from the get-go. Whichever player earns the Week 1 starting role will be backed by an impressive defense in addition to a supporting cast on offense led by running back Lamar Miller and wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller.

Both general manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott have given Taylor lukewarm endorsements in recent weeks, praising the quarterback in some talk while also saying the quarterback position will be subject to constant competition, The Buffalo News reports.

Don't read too much into this and think Taylor might not be the starter come Week 1 -- only injury would prevent something of that magnitude. But it took awhile this offseason for the team to commit to Taylor, and that's still thought to be only a short-term strategy until he proves himself further, especially with two first-round picks waiting in 2018. Those who draft Taylor will have to hope he plays well early in the season, or he runs the risk of being subbed out later in the season if the Bills -- a team with talent but also with a difficult 2017 schedule while going through a bit of a rebuild -- end up falling out of the playoff chase.

Petty (shoulder) said he is 100 percent healthy for the start of OTAs, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

The 2015 fourth-round selection had surgery in early January to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. His recovery seems to have gone according to plan, giving him plenty of time to make his mark in a quarterback competition with Josh McCown and Christian Hackenberg. Petty appears the least likely of the trio to earn the Week 1 starting job, as he completed only 56.4 percent of his passes last season, with three touchdowns and seven interceptions in six games. McCown has a huge advantage in experience, while Hackenberg has the benefit of higher draft status as a 2016 second-round selection.

Evans (foot) was waived by the Eagles on Sunday with an injury settlement, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

With the likes of Carson Wentz, Nick Foles and Matt McGloin in the fold at quarterback, Evans was always a long shot to make the team's final roster. He'll look to latch on with another team ahead of training camp in hopes of making a regular-season roster, but if all else fails, Evans could find a spot on a practice squad as a developmental project during the season.

Watson signed a four-year, $13.85 million contract with the Texans, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Watson signed in time to take the field with teammates Friday at the team's rookie minicamp.

According to Titans coach Mike Mularkey, Mariota (fibula) is still not able to run full speed, ESPN's Paul Kuharsky reports.

Mariota is reportedly getting very close to testing his previously broken right fibula by sprinting, but the quarterback isn't there just yet. Even when he is, Mularkey said the Titans may do an abnormal amount of 7-on-7 work in practice to ensure Mariota can participate while still being out of harm's way. Although it appears likely he'll be ready by training camp, expect Mariota's situation to be updated further in the coming weeks.

Gabbert signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The 2017 NFL Draft came and went without the Cardinals choosing a quarterback, which came as a slight surprise after long-time starter Carson Palmer publicly flirted with retirement earlier in the offseason. Thus, the signing of Gabbert -- a 2011 first-round pick -- could be seen as coach Bruce Arians' version of adding a high-upside developmental project that he could potentially groom for the future. However, considering Gabbert is already turning 28 years old this season and hasn't shown much promise throughout his six years in the league, the more likely scenario is that the Arizona front office simply wants to add competition for the backup job this season after missing out -- perhaps unintentionally -- on a signal caller in the draft.

Smith (knee) recently indicated he's 100 percent healthy, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Smith suffered a torn ACL in Week 7 of last season, but his recovery has gone off without a hitch, and he claims he'd be able to play in game if he was needed to right now. According to Raanan, Smith will battle Josh Johnson for rights to the second-string quarterback job, with the loser likely to be let go, as 2017 third-round draft pick Davis Webb is expected to remain on the team as the developmental third-string quarterback.

According to Dolphins coach Adam Gase, Tannehill is no longer impacted by last year's knee injury and boasts a better understanding of the team's offense heading into this season, the Miami Herald reports.

Tannehill is five months removed from spraining the ACL and MCL in his left knee, and was reported to be free of restrictions by late March. With Gase acknowledging this week that Tannehill "looks just like he did last year," it seems his injury is no longer something fantasy owners should be concerned about. If anything, they should be encouraged by his improved grasp of Gase's offense as they enter a second season together. With tight end Julius Thomas now in tow, Tannehill also has a new weapon to target, which only figures to help his stock.