NFL Player News

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said Hooper has grown "exponentially" this offseason, Kelsey Conway of the Falcons' official website reports.

Selected in the third round (No. 81 overall) of last year's draft, Hooper made the most of a limited role as a rookie, producing 10.0 yards per target, 14.3 yards per catch and three touchdowns on just 27 targets, with gains of 44, 42, 34 and 28 yards among his 19 receptions. He also scored in the Super Bowl, and with 33-year-old Jacob Tamme still unsigned, Hooper is the team's unquestioned No. 1 pass-catching option at tight end. The Falcons do seem to value the 6-foot-8, 265-pound Levine Toilolo as a run blocker, which could serve to limit Hooper's snaps on early downs.

Kelce (shoulder) missed all of OTAs, but coach Andy Reid expects him to return for training camp, saying, "There's a pretty good chance he'll be ready," Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports.

Kelce is still working his way back from having shoulder surgery this offseason. Although it's unclear exactly when Kelce had the procedure, the Chiefs have long maintained their expectation that he'll be able to partake in training camp. While Reid furthered that sentiment this week, it remains to be seen whether the tight end will be 100 percent right away. Regardless, Kelce's Week 1 status appears to be in no jeopardy, which comes as good news after the Chiefs released wideout Jeremy Maclin, thus making Kelce the unquestioned top target for QB Alex Smith going into the campaign.

McFarland was waived by Dallas on Tuesday, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

McFarland's release comes just over a month after he signed with the club. He's unlikely to get much action wherever he lands in 2017, but he could earn a spot as a special teams player and depth tight end elsewhere.

According to head coach Vance Joseph, Derby (hamstring) is about 85 percent, Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post reports.

Derby continues his rehab from a minor hamstring ailment. It appears likely that he'll be able to return to the field for training camp, so keep an eye out for more updates at that time.

Waller (undisclosed) was sidelined during OTAs, ESPN's Jamison Hensley reports.

Waller joins a long list of Ravens tight ends that are dealing with injuries as Ben Watson (Achilles), Crockett Gillmore (shoulder) and Maxx Williams (knee) weren't available for OTAs either. However, it isn't clear what kind of injury he's dealing with or if he'll be back in time for training camp.

Williams was released by the Seahawks on Thursday.

Williams has spent time with the Patriots, Rams and Seahawks since going undrafted in 2016. He's yet to appear in a regular-season game but could catch on as a depth player or practice squad member of another club in 2017.

Malleck (neck) signed a contract with the Ravens on Tuesday.

The Ravens will shore up their tight end position as Dennis Pitta's career hangs in the balance of a devastating hip dislocation that took place last week. Mallek was formerly with the Steelers during the offseason but was cut a couple weeks ago. The 23-year-old missed the entirety of last season due to a neck injury, which is definitely something to keep an eye on as he competes in OTAs and training camp.

Henry is expected to receive more snaps this season, ESPN.com's Eric Williams reports.

While Henry finished his rookie season with 36 catches for 478 yards and eight touchdowns, Antonio Gates actually finished the year with more snaps (554) than Henry (546), thanks in large part to a variety of injuries that affected the rookie's durability. Now healthy, Henry appears primed to take an even bigger leap in his second year, as Gates transitions to more of a third-down and red-zone specialist. As a result, it's realistic to assume Henry should surpass his 2016 numbers, making him one of the best up-and-coming TEs in fantasy.

Bowman (knee) was waived by the Jets on Tuesday, Ethan Greenberg of the Jets' official site reports.

Bowman, who missed the majority of last season after tearing his ACL, will now look for another opportunity after he was cut Tuesday to make room for wideout Chris Harper. However, he'll likely have to prove his health before another team inks him to a deal.

Lewis (calf) hopes to return to a prominent role under new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union reports.

The Jaguars traded Julius Thomas and only replaced him with Mychal Rivera, who likely will occupy a part-time role on passing downs. Lewis is optimistic he'll take on a bigger pass-catching role under Hackett, but there's little reason to believe the 33-year-old can regain fantasy relevance at this stage of his career, following four straight seasons with 25 or fewer catches. The Jaguars figure to distribute most of the offensive touches to rookie running back Leonard Fournette and their wideout trio of Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee. While seemingly healthy and poised to start, Lewis mostly figures to contribute as a run blocker.