NFL Player News

The Raiders signed Bowers to the practice squad Sunday, Tadd Haislop of SportingNews.com reports.

Bowers spent the offseason in Las Vegas, but he wasn't able to parley his way into a depth role at tight end. The undrafted rookie out of Penn State will instead get a chance to further his development on the practice squad.

Deguara is listed third, along with Jace Sternberger, on the unofficial depth chart released by the Packers on Monday night.

Deguara looks set to begin his career behind both Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan, while mixing in alongside second-year pro Sternberger for work. The rookie third-round pick's versatility and impressive athleticism should make him a candidate to earn a larger role as his development progresses, but he's an unlikely option for fantasy success to kick off the 2020 season.

Thomas is listed as a starter on Washington's initial 2020 depth chart.

This was fully expected after multiple reports out of training camp relayed that Thomas received most of the first-team snaps. He won't necessarily have a three-down role, but the 29-year-old does figure to see more targets than Jeremy Sprinkle and Marcus Baugh, potentially setting up a rare late-20s breakout. It wouldn't necessarily be the type of breakout that leads to mainstream fantasy value, but Thomas does have a good chance to set career highs in every major receiving category.

The Texans waived/injured Stapleton (shoulder) on Sunday, WCCS Radio reports.

Stapleton was waived with an injury settlement. The undrafted rookie out of James Madison is expected to require five to seven weeks to recover from the shoulder fracture he suffered during training camp.

Okwuegbunam (hip) is participating in Tuesday's practice, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

The hip issue sidelined the rookie tight end over the weekend, but his presence on the field Tuesday suggests he's on track to be ready to go for the Sept. 14 season opener versus the Titans. With second-year man Noah Fant locked in as Denver's clear top tight end, Okwuegbunam is poised to fill a minor role in the passing game to begin the season, if Denver chooses to keep him active in Week 1.

Gesicki (undisclosed) returned to practice Tuesday, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports.

Gesicki sat out Saturday's practice session due to an undisclosed issue, but he appears to have gotten the all-clear for Sept. 13's season opener against New England. The third-year pro was listed as the No. 2 tight end behind Durham Smythe on Miami's first unofficial depth chart, per Wolfe, but Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post notes that Gesicki nonetheless remains locked in to the majority of receiving work at the position. Gesicki put together a late-season breakout in 2019 and concluded the campaign with 51 catches for 570 yards and five touchdowns, while Smythe has never managed 100 receiving yards in a single season. As such, Smythe's position atop the depth chart primarily seems like a hint that he could be in line for a heavy blocking workload Week 1.

Miami listed Smythe as its top tight end on the unofficial depth chart the team released Monday, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports.

Miami's decision to list Smythe as the No. 1 option on the depth chart perhaps hints that new offensive coordinator is placing a greater emphasis on blocking from the tight-end position. If that's indeed the case, it would spell bad news for Mike Gesicki, who broke out late in 2019 to finish his second season with 51 receptions for 570 yards and five touchdowns. While Gesicki remains entrenched as Miami's clear top pass-catching tight end, he could notice a decline in his overall snap count if the Dolphins choose to feature Smythe more in less obvious passing scenarios. Conversely, Smythe could see a boost in his overall target total simply by being on the field more often, but he's still unlikely to see nearly enough volume to emerge as a viable fantasy option.

Lewis is listed as the starting tight end on the unofficial depth chart released by the Packers on Monday night.

The Packers have four tight ends who could see the field, but the veteran Lewis gets the honor of opening the 2020 campaign atop the depth chart. Lewis was credited with 11 starts a year ago but caught only 15 passes, so don't assume his standing means he will play a fantasy-friendly role. He does figure to see plenty of snaps, though, given his run-blocking prowess.

Gesicki is listed as the No. 2 tight end behind Durham Smythe on Miami's first unofficial depth chart, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports.

Gesicki remains in line to handle the majority of receiving work at tight end for Miami, but his position on the first unofficial depth chart of the season could be an indication that the team intends to utilize Smythe heavily as a blocker during Sept. 13's season opener against the Patriots. During last season's Week 17 finale against New England, Gesicki had four catches for 34 yards and a score. With DeVante Parker expected to be shadowed again by Stephon Gilmore, Gesicki could once more be in line to see beneficial matchups.

The Vikings waived Dillon on Saturday and signed him to the practice squad Sunday, the Kokomo Tribune reports.

Dillon saw playing time during a sole contest in 2019 and otherwise also spent time on the Vikings' practice squad. He'll get the benefit of another opportunity to develop with the team.