NFL Player News

Gathers caught four of six targets for 47 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's preseason game against the Rams.

The former college basketball player also shined in the Hall of Fame Game, where he caught three of four targets for 59 yards and a touchdown. Again playing deep into the second half, Gathers had his best sequence in the third quarter when he alertly jumped on a teammate's fumble to preserve a drive, and then capped the series with a 25-yard touchdown on a seam route two plays later. It's unclear if he's ready for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, but with his athleticism clearly on display this preseason, the Cowboys may have to keep him on the active roster (rather than the practice squad) if they want to continue developing him for the future.

Njoku (back) returned to practice Saturday, Mary Kay Cabot of WKYC-TV reports.

Njoku dealt with a sore back the past few days, one that ultimately prevented him from taking part in Thursday's preseason opener against the Saints. However, his participation Saturday suggests he's back to normal. If everything goes well in practice this week, he should be set to get his first taste of game action Aug. 21 against the Giants.

Bowman (knee) was picked up by the Saints on Saturday, Herbie Teope of The Times-Picayune reports.

Bowman, an 2016 undrafted free agent out of South Alabama, will look to impress in an already crowded tight end field. However, his most likely path to the team's final roster will be as a long snapper. He missed the majority of the the 2016 season after tearing his ACL, and it is unclear how far along he is in his recovery.

Engram hauled in one of two targets for 11 yards in Friday's preseason opener against the Steelers.

Engram was quiet in his Giants debut, but the 23rd overall pick's stock remains high. While he's a tight end in name, Engram has the speed and athleticism to hold his own at wide receiver as well.

Kelce (knee) isn't expected to play in Friday's preseason game against the 49ers, BJ Kissel of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Kelce has missed a stretch of recent practices due to swelling in his left knee, which will sideline him in the Chiefs' first exhibition outing. Expect a cautious approach to continue to reign with his activity level until the injury is a thing of the past. In his stead, Demetrius Harris, Gavin Escobar and Ross Travis will handle TE reps.

Uzomah (ankle) isn't expected to play in Friday's preseason contest against the Buccaneers, Jay Morrison of the Dayton Daily News reports.

A cart was required to take Uzomah off the practice field Monday, and he was eventually diagnosed with a severely sprained left ankle, which is typically associated with a multi-week absence. As a result, his DNP on Friday isn't a surprise. Expect Tyler Kroft and Ryan Hewitt to earn valuable snaps in Uzomah's absence.

McGrath missed Friday's practice after hyperextending his knee, ESPN's Eric D. Williams reports.

McGrath apparently injured his knee during Wednesday's heated scrimmage with the new crosstown rival Rams, which forced him to miss Friday's practice. It's unclear how severe the injury may be, but it shouldn't be terribly impactful for fantasy owners given Hunter Henry and Antonio Gates sit above McGrath on the most recent depth chart update.

Hollister caught seven passes for 116 yards in Thursday's 31-24 preseason loss to the Jaguars.

The undrafted tight end out of Wyoming is no threat to overtake roster locks Rob Gronkowski and Dwayne Allen, but it's not out of the question that he sticks with the Patriots, with Matt Lengel, James O'Shaughnessy and Sam Cotton also in contention for the team's No. 3 tight end job.

Njoku (back) isn't expected to play in Thursday's preseason contest versus the Saints, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Due to his bout with back soreness, Njoku will remain on the sideline for the Browns' opening exhibition game, giving Randall Telfer and Seth DeValve valuable in-game reps with the offense. Whenever Njoku takes the field next, the 2017 first-round pick will resume his trek up the tight end depth chart with an eye on the No. 1 gig.

Kittle (hamstring) is not expected to play in Friday's preseason game against the Chiefs, Joe Fann of the 49ers' official site reports.

Contrary to a previous report, Kittle didn't actually practice Wednesday, which is confusing since he'd been removed from the injury report earlier in the morning. However, it's possible his absence could've been precautionary.