NFL Player News

Long (lower body) is participating in some team drills Tuesday, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports.

Long appears to be limited at Tuesday's practice, but it's certainly encouraging to see him handle blocking drills just over a week after he had to be carted off the field due to a lower-body injury. The Dolphins have a number of reliable tight ends atop the depth chart, namely Mike Gesicki, Adam Shaheen and Durham Smythe, so the team can take a cautious approach to Long's recovery. Still, it looks like the rookie third-round pick could have a chance at suiting up for action at some point during the preseason.

Alie-Cox (knee) returned to practice Tuesday, George Bremer of The Anderson Herald Bulletin reports.

After missing about two weeks of practice, Alie-Cox should have time to prep for an appearance in one or both of the Colts' remaining preseason games. He's competing for snaps in what could be a committee at tight end, with Jack Doyle and rookie Kylen Granson being the main competition for snaps/targets. Alie-Cox produced 394 yards on 39 targets last season, but the Colts seem to value his blocking and in-line work as much as, or more than, his athleticism.

Smith (ankle) isn't practicing Tuesday, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports.

Smith has missed back-to-back sessions after suffering a low ankle sprain in Sunday's practice. He'll presumably miss Thursday's preseason game against Philadelphia, but it's possible he makes it back for the exhibition finale versus the Giants on Aug. 29. Fellow Patriots tight end Hunter Henry has made enough progress with his shoulder injury to travel with the team for joint practices in Philadelphia, but it doesn't sound like he's done much on the field so far.

Waller (ankle) returned to practice Tuesday, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

A report last week from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said Waller likely would've been available to play had Saturday's preseason opener against Seattle been a regular-season contest. The tight end missed two weeks of practice but should still be plenty comfortable catching passes from QB Derek Carr in coach Jon Gruden's offense. Coming off back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons, Waller is most often picked in the second round of fantasy drafts.

Akins (leg) returned to practice Monday, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

Akins missed four practices and the preseason opener while dealing with muscle tightness in his leg. He's a clear favorite to lead Houston tight ends in targets this season, but he may not have the blocking chops for a three-down role, which in turn would cap his volume ceiling as a pass catcher. The Texans also have blockers Pharaoh Brown and Ryan Izzo competing for TE snaps, in addition to the more receiving-focused guys like Akins, Kahale Warring, Antony Auclair and rookie fifth-round pick Brevin Jordan.

Conklin suffered a mild hamstring injury Monday, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

The tight end left practice early with a trainer but reportedly isn't expected to be out too long. Conklin is the Vikings' No. 2 tight end, with his solid performance late last season perhaps making it easier for the team to move on from Kyle Rudolph (now with the Giants) in the offseason. The role may entail only 2-4 targets per game, but Conklin could establish mainstream fantasy value if starter Irv Smith misses any time.

Akins (leg) is close to returning to practice, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson reports.

Akins has been dealing with muscle tightness in his leg since Wednesday, and he's been held out of practice since then. The tight end also missed Saturday's preseason opener against Green Bay. Coach David Culley is optimistic that the 29-year-old's injury isn't serious, but a better idea of his status likely will be revealed once he's able to increase his activity level.

The Browns placed Carlson (knee) on injured reserve Monday, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson reports.

Carlson suffered a season-ending knee injury in Sunday's preseason opener against the Jags, rendering this move more of a formality. Prior to the injury, he was enjoying a strong camp and considered a strong candidate to make Cleveland's 53-man roster.

Tyree Jackson has converted to tight end and has a good shot to make the Eagles, especially if Zach Ertz is traded, Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Jackson was unable to latch on to an NFL roster as a reserve quarterback, so the 6-foot-7 Buffalo product made the switch to tight end in November 2020. He caught two balls for 32 yards in the Eagles' preseason opener and has shown good hands and the ability to get open while running good routes so far in training camp. The team is likely to keep only three tight ends, and right now Dallas Goedert, Ertz and Richard Rodgers all are listed ahead of Jackson on the depth chart. While an Ertz trade seemingly would assure the 23-year-old Jackson a place on the team, his potential at the new position could entice Philadelphia to keep him over Rodgers if Ertz stays put.

Johnson is more involved in the offense since transitioning to tight end, Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Johnson mainly was used to block from a receiver position during his rookie year, but he has since been moved to tight end in Year 2, and it appears to be a more natural fit for the 6-foot-4, 231-pound Oregon product. Not only can Johnson still be used to block, he is more of a receiving mismatch against linebackers than he is against cornerbacks, as evidenced by his two-catch, 71-yard performance during last weekend's preseason game against Baltimore. Add in the fact that none of New Orleans' other depth options at tight end seem to have stood out this summer, and Johnson seems to have a great chance at securing a roster spot yet again.