NFL Player News

Andrews caught each of his three targets for 61 yards in Thursday's preseason win over Washington.

Andrews dealt with a minor undisclosed injury throughout much of training camp and had just two catches for seven yards through the first three weeks of the preseason. He came up with a 45-yard gain on an impressive catch-and-run in the second quarter Thursday, perhaps making a case for a small pass-catching role while fellow rookie Hayden Hurst (foot) is unavailable. Hurst is expected to miss a minimum of two games, leaving Andrews to compete for playing time with Nick Boyle and Maxx Williams. The third-round pick offers the most pass-catching upside of that trio, but it isn't clear if the Ravens trust him to play more than a few snaps per game.

Allen has re-worked his contract with the Patriots, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

The tight end was previously due to earn $4.5 million this season (with a $5 million cap hit). Those figures have now been lowered, which cements Allen's roster spot with the team for the coming season. In any case, as long as starting tight end Rob Gronkowski is healthy, Allen's fantasy value is minimal, though the 28-year-old does help out the Patriots with his blocking prowess. Note that if Gronkowski suffers an injury, it wouldn't be surprising to see Jacob Hollister step into a greater pass-catching role rather than Allen.

Hollister (undisclosed) isn't expected to play in Thursday's preseason finale against the Giants, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

We expect Hollister to survive roster cutdowns and assuming that's the case, he'll provide depth behind star tight end Rob Gronkowski and blocking ace Dwayne Allen. In that context, Hollister's fantasy value is limited, but his pass-catching skills probably give him more upside than Allen in the event that Gronkowski misses any time.

Hill will likely focus on special teams this season after the Saints acquired Teddy Bridgewater in a trade with the Jets on Wednesday, Josh Katzenstein of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Apparently unimpressed by the backup quarterback battle between Hill and Tom Savage, the Saints acted aggressively to upgrade their depth behind starter Drew Brees. The team is expected to keep Hill around on the 53-man roster, as the athletic 28-year-old proved useful on special teams late last season and has some theoretical upside at quarterback. Hill owns an ugly 77.9 passer rating so far this preseason, but he's made up for it with 130 yards and two scores on 16 rush attempts. He'll likely get some work under center during Thursday's preseason finale against the Rams.

The Browns released Allen (abdomen) off of injured reserve Tuesday, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Allen was waived with an injury designation earlier in August and ultimately reverted back to injured reserve. The team elected to officially cut ties with him instead, and Allen will be free to pursue other opportunities when healthy.

Kittle (shoulder) participated in the open portion of Tuesday's practice, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Kittle kicked off the preseason slate with a separated right shoulder, and while he suffered no additional structural damage, the 49ers have opted to hold him out of their remaining exhibitions. After adding conditioning work to his regimen last Tuesday, he's already participating in practice, unlike teammate Matt Breida, who suffered the same injury in preseason Week 1 but remains committed to working on the side. Kittle is thus a candidate to be ready for most, if not all, drills once preparation for the regular-season opener begins next Wednesday.

Kelce will miss Tuesday's practice for personal reasons, Brooke Pryor of The Kansas City Star reports.

Kelce wasn't going to play in Thursday's preseason finale anyway, so it won't come as any surprise if the Chiefs let him take a few days away from the team. With no injury to report, the veteran tight end should be ready for his usual hefty workload in a Week 1 road game against the Chargers. Kelce caught six of eight targets for 78 yards in three preseason games.

Gesicki likely will enter the season as Miami's starting tight end, ESPN.com's Cameron Wolfe reports.

The rookie second-round pick combines rare athleticism with solid college production, and his shortcomings as a blocker may not be a huge issue in an Adam Gase offense predicated on short throws. Gesicki only has one catch for 10 yards this preseason, but he did get the starting nod each of the past three weeks. Despite the likelihood of a sizable Week 1 snap count, prospective fantasy owners should approach Gesicki with caution, given the poor track record of production from rookie tight ends in general.

Everett (shoulder) is working towards a Week 1 return, Myles Simmons of the Rams' official site reports.

Everett's shoulder injury has lingered for the larger part of August and seemingly could affect his chances of playing in Week 1. The injury has caused some concern given Everett's extended absence, but coach Sean McVay feels that, barring any setbacks, Everett will be ready to go for the regular season opener.

Kelce caught both of his targets for 29 yards during Saturday's preseason game against the Bears. He likely won't play in Thursday's preseason finale against the Packers, Nate Taylor of The Athletic Kansas City reports.

Kelce has had a fine preseason and displayed that there is plenty of reason to believe he will remain one of the elite tight ends, despite the change under center from Alex Smith to Patrick Mahomes. We may have to wait until the regular season to see him again, opening the campaign Sept. 9 with a road matchup against the Chargers.