NFL Player News

Derby is dealing with a foot injury and missed Sunday's training camp session as a result, Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post reports.

Derby's foot issue doesn't appear to be serious at this point, but it's still a hiccup in his quest for the No. 1 spot at tight end. Mike Gesicki and MarQueis Gray have also been getting work with the starters.

Andrews (undisclosed) isn't practicing Monday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

The rookie third-round pick previously missed some time at the beginning of training camp and has now sat out each of the last four days. The Ravens have described it as a muscle tissue injury, declining to elaborate on the location. Regardless of the exact issue, Andrews is off to a bad start in his bid to secure a role at a crowded position group. Incumbent starter Nick Boyle and rookie first-round pick Hayden Hurst are competing for the starting job, likely leaving Andrews, Maxx Williams, Vince Mayle and Nick Keizer to battle for depth jobs.

The extent of Traylor's usage has been a surprise to start camp, Cecil Lammey of 104.3 The Fan reports.

This is a Broncos tight-end room with few established options. Jake Butt and Troy Fumagalli have yet to play an NFL snap, while Jeff Heuerman, a 2015 third-round pick, has yet to live up to his draft position in three seasons. Traylor, undrafted out of Wisconsin, actually played more offensive snaps (179 to 139) than Heuerman during the final five weeks of the 2017 season. Don't be surprised if Traylor finds a way to make the team.

Njoku dropped four passes during Sunday's practice, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

It's been a rough start to training camp for the second-year tight end. Njoku -- who dropped three passes during his rookie season -- is expected to take the bulk of the team's snaps at tight end after sharing the position with Seth DeValve (thigh) in 2017, though that could change if his hands become a constant issue. Njoku dropped a total of eight balls during his last two seasons of college for a 11 percent drop rate, so his problem securing the ball is nothing new, and it's something to keep an eye on as training camp continues.

Gesicki received his most extensive first-team work Sunday and excelled as a pass catcher, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

Gesicki lined up alongside fellow tight end MarQueis Gray with the starters, catching a pair of touchdowns. The former Penn State star dominated the combine, posting elite numbers in each event to pair with his substantial college production. The second-round rookie has looked "exactly as advertised" as a receiver, according to tight ends coach Shane Day, who also praised Gesicki's growth as a blocker. "I'm very pleased with his blocking," Day said. "He's right where I would expect him to be as a rookie." Blocking was considered a shortcoming of Gesicki's coming out of college, so improvement in that area could give the athletic prospect a clear path to becoming a three-down player. Rookie tight ends generally don't have immediate fantasy value, but if Gesicki continues to impress in training camp he could garner late-round attention.

Hodges was waived by the Jets on Sunday.

Hodges was waived to make room for running back George Atkinson. If Hodges clears waivers, he'll become a free agent and will look to secure a depth tight end and special teams role with a team in 2018.

The Patriots cut Niklas on Friday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Niklas signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in April, but the team elected to let him walk Friday to open a roster spot for the signing of wide receiver Paul Turner. Given New England's depth at the position, it was going to be a long shot for Niklas to find a 53-man roster spot, but he will now be free to look into a deal with another club.

Henry (knee) has been placed on the PUP list, Jack Wang of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Henry tore the ACL in his right knee in May and will eventually be placed on injured reserve. He should have plenty of time to get healthy before Week 1 of 2019, at which point he'll step back in as the Chargers' No. 1 tight end. In the meantime, the Chargers are left with an uninspired group, though Antonio Gates may eventually be re-signed to help the situation.

Derby and MarQueis Gray were both on the field for the first snap of training camp with the first-string offense, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports.

Formations with multiple tight ends probably won't be a huge part of Miami's offense, as head coach Adam Gase has long favored three-wide sets and currently has at least four receivers who warrant significant playing time. Despite their slotting on the first day of camp, Derby and Gray may ultimately end up competing for one roster spot, considering rookies Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe are locks to make the team. Gesicki is probably the only one of the bunch with enough of a ceiling to warrant fantasy consideration.

Gray and A.J. Derby opened training camp with the first-string offense, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports.

Despite using a two-TE formation on the first play of training camp, the Dolphins figure to remain highly reliant on three-wide sets, leaving Gray, Derby, second-round pick Mike Gesicki and fourth-round pick Durham Smythe to compete for 70-85 cumulative snaps per game. With only 27 catches in 61 career games, Gray is an extreme long shot to earn fantasy relevance, regardless of how he's being used at the start of camp. Gesicki is the upside play among Miami tight ends, offering rare athleticism for the position.