NFL Player News

Duarte sustained a shoulder injury during Tuesday's OTA session, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Duarte has appeared in just one regular-season game with Miami since being selected by the team in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He's once again battling for a roster spot this offseason, so the injury could be a blow to the tight end's chances if it keeps him off the field for an extended period.

Malleck signed a contract with the Steelers on Monday, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

An undrafted free agent back in 2015, Malleck has struggled to remain rostered in the NFL, with his only regular-season action coming in two games with the Texans last season. He tallied just one reception for three yards during those contests before being released in the offseason. Malleck will look to shine during minicamp and potentially training camp with the hopes of earning a spot on the Steelers' final roster.

Byrd (hamstring) participated in OTAs on Monday, Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.

Byrd was unable to practice last Thursday, but his quick return to the field Monday suggests his hamstring is fine. The second-year tight end will now jump right back into the competition for the No. 3 tight end job in Green Bay with veteran Lance Kendricks. While Kendricks clearly has the leg up in this battle, the Packers could save $1.625 million by releasing him, according to OverTheCap.com. Meanwhile, cutting Byrd would only save $480,000.

Byrd did not participate in Thursday's OTA session due to a hamstring injury, Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports.

Byrd was promoted from the practice squad late in the 2017 campaign, hauling in his first two NFL passes during Week 17 against the Lions. He likely faces an uphill battle to earn a 53-man roster spot with the Packers with Jimmy Graham, Marcedes Lewis and Lance Kendricks on the roster. However, a strong showing in camp could prompt the coaching staff to keep four tight ends, especially if Byrd can prove valuable as a special teams contributor.

Thomas underwent knee surgery and has been ruled out for the rest of the spring, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports.

While there is no specific timetable on the surgery Thomas was forced to undergo, the Bills likely won't be looking to force him back into action any time soon. Thomas is expected to enter the 2018 season as a depth option at tight end after posting seven receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown across 12 games in Buffalo last year.

Orndoff signed a contract with the Jaguars on Wednesday.

An undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh in 2017, Orndoff spent the bulk of last season on Cincinnati's practice squad. He was cut loose by the Bengals earlier this month, but didn't have to wait long to find a new home. The 6-foot-4, 253-pound tight end will take the roster spot of the injured Zach Conque (undisclosed), who was waived in a corresponding move.

Lewis signed a contract with the Packers on Thursday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports.

Lewis played for the Jaguars over the last 12 seasons, consistently showing value as block-first tight end. With Jimmy Graham and Lance Kendricks on the roster as well, Lewis likely doesn't have a high ceiling as far as fantasy value goes. He did catch five touchdowns with Jacksonville in 2017 however, and he may get a few red zone targets if he's able to stick around in Green Bay.

It has been confirmed that Henry, who tore his right ACL on Tuesday, is slated to undergo season-ending surgery, the San Diego Union Tribune reports.

Henry, who caught 45 passes (on 63 targets) for 579 yards and four TDs in 14 games last season, appeared poised for an uptick in production this year, with the team's intentions to move on from veteran tight end Antonio Gates, who logged 52 targets in 2017. In the wake of Henry's injury, however, it's conceivable that Gates could return to Los Angeles after all. Moreover, the likes of Julius Thomas, Coby Fleener and Marcedes Lewis, among others, are available in free agency. Offseason acquisition Virgil Green is on hand, but he profiles more as a blocker, thus it seems inevitable that the Chargers will add a tight end with pass-catching prowess to the mix, in short order.

The Browns are expected to transition second-year tight end Njoku into a full-time starting role this season, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

As a rookie in 2017, Njoku earned five starts versus 14 for Randall Telfer and four for Seth DeValve. The current tight-end room only has two experienced options -- DeValve and free-agent pickup Darren Fells -- so the Browns' plan to elevate Njoku's workload appears as though it will come to fruition. Considering the upgrades at quarterback (Tyrod Taylor and 2018 first overall pick Baker Mayfield) and the skill positions (Jarvis Landry, Carlos Hyde and Nick Chubb) this offseason, Njoku should have a better situation to improve upon first-year marks of 32 catches, 386 yards and four touchdowns on 60 targets.

Lewis is expected to visit with the Packers this week, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Lewis hasn't caught more than 25 passes in any of his last five seasons, but he did snag five touchdowns for a Blake Bortles-led offense in 2017. Regardless, Green Bay is presumably looking to bring him in as more of a blocking-oriented tight end than a receiving threat, especially with the team having already inked Jimmy Graham earlier this offseason. The 34-year-old Lewis isn't known to have generated much interest from other teams since being cut by the Jaguars in March.