NFL Player News

Kittle projects to be the 49ers' starting tight end after the team traded away Vance McDonald to the Steelers on Tuesday, ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner reports.

San Francisco finally acted on the swirling offseason trade rumors surrounding McDonald, opening the door for Kittle to assume a significant role in Kyle Shanahan's offense. The fifth-round pick brings size (6-foot-4, 247 pounds) and athleticism (4.52 40 time) to the table as the 49ers' potential starter. The 23-year-old is still a raw talent, so it will be shortsighted to simply anoint him as a must-add fantasy asset, especially considering how Shanahan prefers to use his tight ends as blockers. He did not have a tight end rank in the top 32 as a receiver last season. Still, there is some upside to be had with Kittle -- just don't expect a smooth ride during his rookie campaign.

Odom was waived by the Steelers on Tuesday.

Odom was a long shot to make the roster after just 14 receptions, 192 yards and two touchdowns in nine games his senior year. Measuring 6-foot-8, however, it was worth it for the Steelers to check him out. He'll likely land on a practice squad or try his talents in another league.

James faces added competition following the Steelers' acquisition of fellow tight end Vance McDonald, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

While James is the Steelers' incumbent starter, head coach Mike Tomlin suggested that the move to acquire McDonald was spurred by concerns with the lack of consistency displayed by the team's tight ends. It remains to be seen if McDonald immediately or eventually supplants James, but either way, the potential for a timeshare here reduces the short-term upside of both players.

Donnell (hand) played 39 snaps in Saturday's preseason game against the Bills.

The veteran tight and had been dealing with a hand injury since early August, but he managed to play nearly 60 percent of Baltimore's offensive snaps in Saturday's dress rehearsal. He hauled in his lone target for a two-yard gain as his only contribution in the passing game.

Henry is unlikely to play in Thursday's preseason game in San Francisco, Eric Williams of ESPN.com reports.

Henry's preseason output may not reflect it -- three catches (on three targets) for 47 yards, 51 offensive snaps -- but he was perhaps the most noteworthy Charger in training camp. As long as he remains heavily involved in the red zone and experiences a bump in targets, the second-year tight end is on the brink of a breakout campaign. He only has one hurdle in his path to stardom: veteran TE Antonio Gates, who at 37 years old will remain a key cog of the offense.

Gathers (concussion) appears to be a candidate to land on injured reserve, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Gathers has completed nearly two weeks in the concussion protocol, and with no end in sight, he'll remain sidelined from practice and the Cowboys' final preseason game Thursday versus the Texans. The absence is expected to extend into the regular season, making him a candidate to be placed on injured reserve or the IR/designated-to-return list. An up-and-coming tight end in advance of training camp, Gathers is now out of the running to back up starting TE Jason Witten to start the regular season.

Njoku caught one of his two targets for 12 yards during Saturday's preseason game versus the Buccaneers.

Njoku has just two catches in two preseason games, but the rookie tight end has been limited throughout camp while dealing with back and neck ailments. The Browns have an open competition for the tight end job and Njoku seemingly still has a chance to nail it down, though the Browns may want to bring him along slowly.

Pruitt caught two passes for 22 yards in Sunday's win over the Titans.

Pruitt played exclusively with the backups, and he faces an uphill battle to make the regular-season roster, especially since the team currently carries six tight ends.

Higbee didn't catch either of his two targets during Saturday's preseason loss to the Chargers.

Higbee continues to jockey for positioning on the tight end depth chart with rookie Gerald Everett. At this stage of the game, neither has taken a stranglehold of the starter job, and it wouldn't be surprising if both Higbee and Everett were involved in the passing attack all season. However, that significantly limits their fantasy upside. Higbee isn't worth a roster spot in the majority of seasonal settings.

Schreck injured his knee during the Bengals' preseason contest Sunday, Jim Owczarski of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The severity of the injury is unclear at this point. Knee injuries can fall within a wide range of diagnoses, so we'll have to wait until more information becomes available to establish a timeline for his return. Being that he's buried on the team's depth chart at tight end, Schreck could be on the outside looking in if it takes him a long time to get back.