NFL Player News

The Titans waived Hesse on Monday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Hesse spent time on the Titans' practice squad last season. He's still vying for an opportunity to make his NFL debut, for which a depth role will need to be sought elsewhere in the league.

Bushman (Achilles) signed with the Raiders on Friday as an undrafted free agent.

Bushman ended up going undrafted out of BYU, in no small part due to the fact that an Achilles tear forced him to miss the entire 2020 season. By successfully participating in BYU's pro day, he's already proven that he's ready to resume football activities. He'll work to develop in the Raiders' crowded tight end room.

Ertz is still a strong candidate to be traded this offseason, according to Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Given the chatter earlier this spring, it's a little surprising Ertz is still on the Eagles' roster this late in the offseason. That doesn't means he'll still be with the team for Week 1, but it does suggest trade talks haven't moved along the way the Eagles were hoping. It's also possible the team ultimately decides to keep Ertz, considering Dallas Goedert is the only other tight end on the roster with more than three NFL starts or 23 career receptions.

Hopkins will compete for offensive snaps with fourth-round selection Jacob Harris, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

While Harris was a wide receiver in college, he spent his time during the pre-draft process with tight ends coach Wes Phillips, and he's expected to be a lock to play special teams. Hopkins was limited to a developmental role and received just two offensive snaps last season, but tight end Gerald Everett is out of the picture after signing with the Seahawks during free agency, so there should be opportunities for Hopkins to take a step forward in Year 2.

The Broncos signed Saubert to a contract Monday, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports.

Saubert appeared in eight games with the Jaguars last season, securing three of four targets for 16 yards. He'll now compete to earn a similar depth role for Denver.

Trautman is expected to step into a starting role this season, Katherine Terrell of the Athletic reports.

After letting both Jared Cook and Josh Hill walk in free agency, New Orleans did almost nothing to replenish the tight end room this offseason outside of signing Broncos castoff Nick Vannett. The team's belief in Trautman may be the main reason why, as the all-around tight end followed up a 900-yard, 14-touchdown 2019 season at Dayton with an impressive rookie campaign that saw Trautman finish as Pro Football Focus' No. 1 blocking tight end in 2020. Should a jump in targets follow his likely surge in playing time this fall, Trautman could become a significant fantasy contributor before long.

Alie-Cox has signed his second-round tender.

Cox will return to the Colts on a one-year deal in 2021 as a result of this move. He caught 31 passes for 394 yards and two touchdowns as part of a deep tight end room last season but could play a more prominent role alongside Jack Doyle this season with Trey Burton now a free agent.

The Falcons aren't exercising the fifth-year option on Hurst's rookie contract, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

The 2018 first-round pick got his big shot after a trade from Baltimore to Atlanta, but Hurst was underwhelming in his first season with the Falcons, putting up a modest 56-571-6 receiving line despite playing 70 percent of the snaps in a pass-happy Atlanta offense. He'll be working with a new coaching staff led by Arthur Smith in 2021, but the more important development for fantasy purposes is the Falcons' recent addition of No. 4 overall pick Kyle Pitts, the only FBS tight end to reach 700 receiving yards last season. Even if Hurst remains the nominal starter, he'll likely be replaced by Pitts in a lot of passing situations.

Coach Vic Fangio said Saturday that Okwuegbunam (knee) is progressing well but may not be ready for the start of training camp, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Okwuegbunam had a solid four games as a rookie before suffering an ACL tear, recording 11 catches for 121 yards and a score as the team's No. 2 tight end. The Missouri product continues to rehab his knee following surgery, and it's good news to hear his coach echo positive sentiments in his recovery.

The Texans selected Jordan in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 147th overall.

Jordan was a very productive pass catcher at Miami (FL), but as an undersized tight end (6-foot-3, 247 pounds) he didn't test as well as previously hoped, registering a 4.68-second pro day 40 to go with poor agility numbers and mediocre jumps. There's a thin line between a Jordan Reed and a Hunter Bryant, and it's tough to tell where Jordan lands specifically on that spectrum. With the Texans, Jordan will need to compete for a pass-catching specialist role at tight end, and his main competition figures to be the underwhelming Jordan Akins.