NFL Player News

The Packers signed Maryland as an undrafted free agent Friday.

Maryland started 32 games over four years for SMU, breaking the school's record for receiving yards by a tight end (1,495) despite missing time in 2024 with an ACL injury. The 21-year-old is a young, versatile option with strong upside as a pass catcher who can benefit from mismatches. The Packers already have a deep tight-end room, but Maryland may provide strong replacement value if the injury bug that plagued the 2025 corps reoccurs.

Las Vegas signed Lauter as an undrafted free agent Thursday.

Lauter spent all four of his collegiate campaigns with Boise State and had his best season as a junior, when he caught 47 passes for 619 yards and seven touchdowns over 14 games. The 6-foot-4 tight end took a step back as a senior, however, recording just 330 yards and two TDs on 37 receptions across 13 contests. The Raiders have one of the NFL's best 1-2 combinations at tight end with Brock Bowers (knee) and Michael Mayer, so Lauter probably won't see much game-day action early in his career.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that Kittle (Achilles) is aiming to be ready for the 49ers' Week 1 game against the Rams, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.

This has been the sentiment all offseason after Kittle suffered a "clean" tear near the soleus muscle higher up on the Achilles in the 49ers' wild-card win over Philadelphia back in January, which typically results in a quicker rehab process. Working against Kittle, however, is his advanced age (32 years old) and just eight months between the injury and Week 1. The 49ers are surely going to be careful with Kittle and not rush him back just to have him at less than 100 percent for the first game of the 2026 season. Jake Tonges (foot) would be next in line at tight end if Kittle isn't ready to face Los Angeles in four months.

Seattle signed Bryant on Wednesday, Ari Horton of the Seahawks' official site reports.

The details of the deal are unknown at this point, but Bryant fits with the Seahawks' recent approach of seeking out hard-nosed tight ends. As for his competition, 2024 fourth-rounder AJ Barner, 2025 second-rounder Elijah Arroyo and veteran Eric Saubert are all likely to make Seattle's 53-man roster to start the 2026 season, but there's a decent chance the team keeps four tight ends, meaning one of Bryant or Nick Kallerup could potentially make the opening roster too.

The Eagles waived Bell on Tuesday, Zach Berman of The Athletic reports.

Bell signed a reserve/future deal with the team in January but is headed to waivers. The 2024 seventh-round pick spent time with both Philadelphia's and Pittsburgh's practice squads during the 2025 campaign, and he will now look to catch on with a new team.

The Rams signed Jones as an undrafted free agent Tuesday.

Jones, who was with Arkansas in 2025, finished his collegiate career with 80 catches for 1,352 yards and 20 touchdowns. While he will likely face an uphill battle to make the team's final roster, he's a candidate to land on the practice squad.

The 49ers signed Dinkins as an undrafted free agent Sunday.

Dinkins caught 37 passes for 399 yards and seven touchdowns across his four seasons at Penn State. With George Kittle (Achilles) and Jake Tonges (foot) both dealing with injuries, Dinkins has a chance to make the team's final roster.

The Jaguars signed Connor as an undrafted free agent Sunday.

Connor played three collegiate seasons at Troy, producing 31 receptions for 397 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns over 11 games in his final season. The tight end comes in at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, making him smaller than the other depth-level tight ends currently on the Jaguars' roster. With marginal receiving upside and a smaller frame, it will likely be difficult for Connor to work his way up the depth chart and would take an exceptional showing at the team's camp for him to be considered for the 53-man roster.

The Chargers signed Svoboda as an undrafted free agent Saturday.

Svoboda was originally a quarterback at Wyoming before switching over to tight end in 2025. He caught 11 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown during the 2025 campaign. Svoboda was one of two tight ends the team added as undrafted free agents alongside Jerand Bradley.

Villari is slated to sign with the Rams as an undrafted free agent, Tom Rock of Newsday reports.

Villari is a unique and intriguing prospect, as he worked as a pass catcher, runner and quarterback during his college tenure, with his last four seasons spent with Syracuse. As a senior, he recorded 39 catches for 412 yards and rushed 17 times for 55 yards and a touchdown. He hasn't seen work as a quarterback since 2023, when he completed 23 of 33 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions for the Orange, so his path to an NFL roster spot is likely as a tight end.