NFL Player News

Gray is signing with the 49ers, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Gray will compete for a depth role in a crowded tight end room that also includes Jordan Reed and Ross Dwelley (foot) behind clear-cut starter George Kittle (hamstring). The 30-year-old Gray hasn't played in the NFL since suffering an Achilles injury prior to the 2018 season.

Cager (knee) did not practice Saturday, Connor Hughes of The Athletic reports.

It's unclear what the result of Cager's recent MRI yielded, but we at least know for certain the undrafted free-agent rookie is not practicing Saturday. It's a critical distinction given a number of other Jets wideouts are also missing time due to various injuries.

Coach Kyle Shanahan relayed Friday that tests on Kittle's hamstring didn't reveal a strain or pull and that the tight end is merely dealing with some tightness, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

That's in line with Shanahan's previous comments indicating that that Kittle's removal from practice Wednesday was for precautionary reasons. At this time there's no reason to think the star tight end's Week 1 status is in any peril.

Kittle (hamstring) didn't practice Friday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

The star tight end left Wednesday's practice with what was described as hamstring tightness. Afterward, coach Kyle Shanahan suggested that Kittle's removal was for precautionary measures. For now, we'll consider the 49ers' top pass catcher day-to-day.

Dwelley (foot) is considered day-to-day, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

The 49ers are also currently without top tight end George Kittle (hamstring) at practices, leaving Jordan Reed as the de facto top option for reps. When healthy, Dwelley stands to compete with Reed for leftover snaps behind Kittle. The 25-year-old primarily operates as a run blocker.

Keene has "made up a lot of ground recently" on his fellow rookie tight end, Devin Asiasi, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.

Asiasi, the team's other rookie third-round tight end, has been limited by a foot/ankle issue over the past few days, which has afforded Keene some added opportunities in practice. The Virginia Tech product's versatility figures to be an asset in the Patriots offense, but we'd expect him to share snaps and targets with Asiasi out of the gate in 2020, a context that initially limits the duo's fantasy lineup reliability.

Njoku (wrist) returned to practice Thursday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Sidelined since Saturday as a result of the issue, Njoku may ease into drills with the state of his wrist in mind. No matter, he'll now prepare to be the Browns' No. 2 tight end behind offseason acquisition Austin Hooper, a reality that impacts his potential for the 2020 campaign.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Kittle is dealing with a tight hamstring, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Kittle was removed for the last 30 minutes of Wednesday's practice, and after testing it was revealed that the All-Pro tight end doesn't have a strain, per David Lombardi of The Athletic. The precautionary measure may result in some lost practice reps in the short term, but the aim is to make sure Kittle is healthy for Week 1.

Houston offensive coordinator Tim Kelly noted the improved consistency Akins has shown in preparation for his third NFL season.

Darren Fells is the expected starter at tight end with Akins part of a bunch looking to be the primary backup. "Jordan's become a more consistent player," said Kelly. "So, looking at the jump that he's made from year two to year three, he's been more consistent, has come in every day and has really made, basically, a big play a day for us as we've gone through this camp. The one thing that's shown that he's definitely improved on has been his consistency." Akins flashed as the second-string tight end in 2019 when he caught 36 passes with an 11.6 YPG and two touchdowns. Jordan Thomas, Kahale Warring and Dylan Stapleton are also in the mix.

Bryant has received practice snaps in place of the injured David Njoku (wrist), Andrew Gribble of the Browns' official site reports.

Njoku is experiencing soreness in the same wrist he injured in 2019, though the issue doesn't appear to be serious at this time. Bryant has stood out in camp both with his play on the field and with his ability to grasp the offense. "He is a very locked-in young man," coach Kevin Stefanski told Scott Patsko of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "He is on top of his assignments. He plays with great effort. Very pleased with where he is. He has a ton of work to do. Everything that he is doing is happening for the first time for him, but pleased with his progression." The consensus entering the regular season is that Bryant will sit behind Austin Hooper and Njoku on the depth chart, but the 2020 fourth-round pick out of Florida Atlantic could eventually push for more playing time.