NFL Player News

The Buccaneers waived Hudson on Friday, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Hudson spent the entire 2019 season on the Buccaneers' active roster, but he was pushed out of the tight-end room after the addition of Rob Gronkowski. If he clears waivers, the team plans on retaining him on the practice squad.

Dwelley (foot) was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Dwelley was dealing with a minor foot injury sustained earlier in camp, but he was practicing without limitations Thursday. After serving as George Kittle's primary backup last season, the 25-year-old will have to compete with veteran Jordan Reed and rookie Charlie Woerner for snaps behind the starter in 2020.

Okwuegbunam has a hip issue and will not participate in Friday's stadium practice, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports.

Okwuegbunam will have just over one week to get fully healthy ahead of Sept. 14's season-opener against the Titans. The rookie tight end has reportedly put together an impressive training camp, and it wouldn't be out of the question for him to push Nick Vannett for the No. 2 role right out of the gate. Noah Fant looks locked in as Denver's top tight end, but Okwuegbunam boasts the athleticism and red zone prowess to make an impact even on limited snaps.

Thomas (toe) is considered day-to-day, Myles Simmons of the Panthers' official site reports.

Coach Matt Rhule has now made multiple comments suggesting the toe injury Thomas suffered Monday isn't serious. Assuming he's okay, the third-year pro is set to serve as Carolina's top tight end in a Week 1 home game against the Raiders.

Kittle (hamstring) looked healthy Wednesday in his return to practice, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Kittle was held out of practice for about a week while dealing with some tightness in his hamstring. He'll have plenty of time to prepare for a favorable Week 1 matchup against a Cardinals defense that was roasted by tight ends throughout last season, though it's worth noting the Cardinals' selection of Isaiah Simmons with their top pick in April was partially aimed at solving those woes.

Hooper and quarterback Baker Mayfield connected in the red zone during a practice earlier this week, Nathan Zegura of the Browns' official site reports.

Hooper and fellow tight end Harrison Bryant have stood out thus far in training camp, which isn't surprising. Mayfield has a history of targeting tight ends going back to his college days, and it looks like he's found a safety valve in Hooper. The two established chemistry during the offseason, and that continues as they prepare for a Week 1 game against the Ravens. Hooper recorded 146 catches and 10 touchdowns over his final two seasons with the Falcons.

Tonyan likely will start the season as Green Bay's top receiving threat at tight end, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

The role widely was viewed as Jace Sternberger's to lose, and the 2019 third-round pick may have indeed fallen behind in the competition. The 26-year-old Tonyan will likely be part of a rotation at the position, with Sternberger, Josiah Deguara and Marcedes Lewis also in the mix to earn roles. Tonyan has 14 catches in 27 regular-season games for the Packers, so there hasn't been much hint of fantasy upside during his career.

Sternberger may not begin the season as Green Bay's No. 1 tight end job, with Robert Tonyan emerging as an option to serve as the Packers' top pass catcher at the position, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

A 2019 third-round pick, Sternberger barely played as rookie before scoring a touchdown in the playoffs. He looked like a dark-horse breakout candidate earlier this summer, but a stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list kept him away from the Packers for the first two and half weeks of August, and he apparently hasn't made a strong impression since returning. This doesn't mean Tonyan will handle the pass-catching role all season, but it's at least a possibility for Week 1 at Minnesota.

Head coach Vic Fangio said Fumagalli underwent a procedure and will return in "about a week," Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

According to Mike Klis of 9News, Fumagalli had a bacterial infection that stemmed from a past procedure, and this isn't expected to be a lingering issue. Heading into his third pro season, Fumagalli is having a solid training camp as a receiver, although he'll still be on the roster bubble with Noah Fant, Nick Vannett and Albert Okwuegbunam looking like locks.

Bryant was named the winner of Cleveland's 2020 Maurice Basset award for the best rookie at training camp, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

The rookie fourth-round pick has made the most of his opportunities in training camp, especially when David Njoku logged a three-day absence due to a wrist injury and Bryant was called upon to step up. New coach Kevin Stefanski stands run a substantial amount of two-tight end sets this season, so Bryant could see a respectable amount of reps despite operating behind Austin Hooper and Njoku on the depth chart. If Bryant is able to carry his momentum from camp into the regular season he could even pressure Njoku, but the Florida Atlantic product still faces a steep path to fantasy relevance as a rookie.