NFL Player News

The Bengals signed Orndoff to a reserve/future contract Monday, Laurel Pfahler of the Dayton Daily News reports.

Orndoff finished the 2017 campaign as a member of the Cincinnati practice squad and will likely get a shot to compete for a roster spot in training camp this summer. The Pittsburgh product is still awaiting his NFL debut after going undrafted last April.

Everett caught just three of six targets for 16 yards and lost a fumble during Sunday's 34-13 loss to San Francisco.

The rookie tight end also had a blunder on special teams, as he ran into the punter, and the ensuing penalty extended a drive for the 49ers. Everett wraps up his first season with 16 receptions for 244 yards and two scores. He will probably remain involved in the offense and garner the odd look in the playoffs because his athleticism, speed and size make him a potential matchup nightmare. However, Everett should continue to be viewed as an unreliable asset in all fantasy settings during the postseason.

Smith caught all three of his targets for 12 yards in Sunday's 15-10 win over the Jaguars.

Smith finishes his rookie season with 18 catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Expect Delanie Walker's backup to be a little more involved in year two, as Smith has an all-around skill set resembling that of his veteran superior.

The Bears signed Thompson to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Thompson finished the season on the Bears' practice squad but will need to put together an impressive offseason in order to stick with the team into the 2018 regular season.

Graham posted three receptions (on six targets) for 45 yards during Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Cardinals.

Graham was notoriously hit or miss in 2017. In the first two games of the season, he tallied four catches for nine yards on 10 targets. He followed up the early dry stretch with 133 yards in the next two contests, only to kick off an eight-game stretch in which he scored nine touchdowns. His yards per target was never up to his standard throughout the campaign, even during this span, when he countered a 24.3-percent TD rate with a measly 5.8 YPT. During the all-important stretch between Weeks 14 and 16, the latter point came back to haunt Graham, who gathered in just two of six targets for two yards and one touchdown. With no postseason to speak of in Seattle in the coming weeks, Seahawks brass must decide how much his rejuvenated TD prowess is worth as the unrestricted free agent prepares for his age-32 season.

Kittle hauled in four of his six targets for 100 yards in Sunday's season-finale victory over the Rams.

The athletic rookie appeared to have regained the starting tight end role in San Francisco last week against the Jaguars, and Sunday's team-leading six targets and 100 receiving yards fortified that notion. Kittle battled a myriad of minor injuries and briefly lost his starting job to Garrett Celek, but it is no coincidence that his strong finish to the season (194 yards and a touchdown over last three games) coincided with the arrival of Jimmy Garoppolo. Both Celek and Kittle are under contract heading into the 2018 season, but the latter's superior athleticism and late-season momentum should propel him into the starting role barring any unforeseen circumstances. The aforementioned Garoppolo appears to have brought out the best in all of his receiving options, no matter how inconsistent they may have been prior to his arrival, so Kittle should be on fantasy owners' radars heading into the 2018 season, especially considering the Yakety-Sax nature of the tight end position in fantasy this past year.

Seals-Jones was spotted in a walking boot following Sunday's game against the Seahawks, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Even though the specificity and severity of the injury remains unclear, the Cardinals' season came to an end Sunday, which allows for plenty of healing time for Seals-Jones. The 22-year-old ends his rookie season with 201 yards and three touchdowns.

James, who caught both his targets for nine yards in Sunday's 28-24 win over the Browns, finishes up the 2017 season with 43 receptions (on 63 targets) for 372 yards and three touchdowns playing in all 16 games.

James came out of the gate strong, scoring two touchdowns on six catches in Week 1, but only managed to score or have more receptions just once more all season. The tight end position has taken a backseat role in Pittsburgh's juggernaut offense, and James will likely still be in a timeshare with Vance McDonald, limiting the fantasy value of both next season.

Kroft had six receptions for 53 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Sunday's 31-27 win over the Ravens.

Kroft exploded in the first half with five catches for 50 yards and both touchdowns, but fell silent in the second half with the rest of the Bengals offense. It's the first time since Week 9 the 25-year-old had more than 30 receiving yards and was his first touchdown since Week 12. The return of Tyler Eifert (back) in 2018 should limit Kroft's fantasy potential as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract.

Niklas (ankle) is listed as active Sunday in Seattle, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

One week removed from his first absence of the season, Niklas increased his practice participation enough to earn a full designation at Friday's practice. With his health intact heading into the final game of the campaign, he likely will earn the second-most offensive snaps among Cardinals tight ends behind Jermaine Gresham.