NFL Player News

The Rams selected Higbee (knee/legal) in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, 110th overall.

Recovering from a knee surgery and with very serious allegations of race-influenced assault hanging over him, Higbee carries far more baggage than anyone selected to this point in the draft. He's a rare athletic talent at tight end, but his April 10 arrest leaves his situation highly uncertain. Higbee claims he's not guilty, and his arraignment is May 5.

Amaro (shoulder) is back in uniform and expected to be ready for offseason workouts, the team's official website reports.

Amaro missed all of last season due to his shoulder injury, but if he can get up to speed quickly, he could be a decent option in the passing game. Unfortunately, the Jets have a plethora of weapons there, including Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker and Matt Forte, which likely means Amaro isn't heading for a huge season.

The Seahawks selected Vannett in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, 94th overall.

Vannett is a fine player, but his skills don't really translate to fantasy football, as he figures to make a lot of his living as a blocker. He won't be able to push the far more athletic Luke Willson for targets.

The Falcons selected Hooper in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, 81st overall.

Hooper might not have a great deal of upside, but he has a high floor and should be a meaningful contributor to an Atlanta offense that never bothered to replace Tony Gonzalez. Rookie tight ends almost never produce, however, so don't expect returns on Hooper until 2017 at the earliest.

The Chargers selected Henry in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, 35th overall.

The Chargers lost Ladarius Green in free agency, and Antonio Gates will turn 36 in June. Given those facts, it's easy to understand why the Chargers would covet Henry, the consensus top tight end in the draft. While Henry doesn't boast obvious star potential, he heads into the NFL as an accomplished pass catcher and experienced blocker. Timed around the 4.7-second range in the 40-yard dash at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, Henry has the athleticism and size to turn into a standout fantasy tight end a couple years from now.

The Broncos have signed Graham to a one-year contract.

He gives the Broncos added depth at tight end to go along with Virgil Green, Jeff Heuerman, Richard Gordon, and Manasseh Garner. Graham's chances of securing a role in the Denver offense this season are bolstered by his past experience working with head coach Gary Kubiak while the two were with the Texans. Graham caught just four passes for 30 yards and a TD in eight games in 2015, but he did snag a career-high 49 catches for 545 yards and five TDs in 13 games for Houston back in 2013.

Kroft could be a candidate to receive more targets out of double tight-end sets this season.

Kroft caught just 11 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown as a rookie last season, but with the Bengals incorporating new targets to their passing game in 2016, his familiarity with the offense could earn him an expanded role early on. While star tight end Tyler Eifert is obviously ahead of Kroft on the depth chart, Cincinnati often utilized two TE sets last year and could continue to do so in order to get Kroft more involved this term.

Donnell has signed a contract to remain with the Giants after having received medical clearance from the team's medical staff.

Donnell, who did not play after suffering a neck injury on Nov. 1, has the green light to play and he'll look to compete for tight end snaps this coming season with Will Tye and Jerome Cunningham. Prior to his injury, Donnell caught 29 passes for 223 yards and two TDs in eight starts for the Giants, but Tye's emergence as the 2015 season rolled along suggests that Donnell is hardly a lock to fully reclaim his previous role in the team's offense.

Graham (knee) is expected to be ready to play Week 1, general manager John Schneider told Seattle's KJR radio Wednesday.

Graham ruptured the patella tendon in his right knee in Week 12 last season. Schneider said Graham might not be ready for the first couple preseason games, but that getting him ready for Week 1 is the priority. That still might be optimistic, as patella ruptures are notoriously severe injuries.

Escobar's recovery from a torn right Achilles may extend into the upcoming season, Rob Phillips of the Cowboys' official site reports.

Escobar sustained the injury on Dec. 19, so it's no surprise that the lengthy rehabilitation required of such an ailment is poised to impact his offseason regimen. If training camp reps are few and far to come by, a stay on the PUP list could be in the cards. Among those set to pick up the slack behind Jason Witten are James Hanna and Geoff Swaim.