NFL Player News

Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis (calf) was able to practice on a limited basis yet again Thursday, a good sign for his chances of returning from injury. If Lewis gets through Friday's practice without issue, he could be activation in Week 7 against the Chargers Sunday. 

The enthusiasm of Fantasy owners over Texans tight end Garrett Graham after a Week 4 performance in which he caught five passes for 69 yards and a touchdown was heightened when he became the starter upon the departure of Owen Daniels due to injury.

That enthusiasm waned Sunday when he caught just two passes for 25 yards and no scores. It must be understood that Graham was the only Houston tight end targeted in that game and that he's still working out a relationship with quarterback Matt Schaub.

Fantasy owners should give the situation time to work itself out and keep Graham firmly on the bench in Week 7, especially considering that Schaub could be sidelined and that the Chiefs boast statistically the strongest pass defense in the game.

The three CBSSports.com senior Fantasy writers rank 24 tight ends every week and Graham showed up on only one of their lists. He was placed at No. 20 by Jamey Eisenberg. So keep Graham on your bench unless bye weeks or a lack of talent on your roster at that position dictate otherwise.

The Cardinals releasd a long injury report for Thursday's game against the Seahawks. Among the injured players, wideout Brittan Golden (hamstring) has been ruled out and defensive end Calais Campbell (neck) is questionable.

The probables include linebackers John Abraham (shoulder), Karlos Dansby (quadricep) and Kenny Demens (hamstring), tight end Jim Dray (quadricep), safety Rashad Johnson (finger) and defensive end Ronald Talley (wrist).

Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew's scoring slump has extended to eight games dating back to last season. He will look to snap his scoring drought Week 7 vs. Cincinnati.

Tight ends have totaled three touchdowns in six games against Cincinnati. They also averaging 6.7 Fantasy points per week, which is tied for the 12th-lowest average in the NFL. Tight ends average 45.3 receiving yards per game against Cincinnati, which is the ninth-lowest average in the league.

Pettigrew is averaging a career-low 31.2 receiving yards per game this season. The emergence of Joseph Fauria has cut into Pettigrew's production, especially in the red zone. The Lions laud Pettigrew for his blocking skills, which keeps him in the starting lineup, but that clearly isn't going to help Fantasy owners. Pettigrew is at best a No. 2 Fantasy tight end Week 7.

Lions rookie Joseph Fauria became the first tight end in team history to record three touchdowns in a game during a 31-17 win Week 6 at Cleveland. Fauria will certainly have a tough time reapting his Week 6 performance, but he will do his best Week 7 vs. Cincinnati.

Tight ends have totaled three touchdowns in six games against Cincinnati. They also averaging 6.7 Fantasy points per week, which is tied for the 12th-lowest average in the NFL. Tight ends average 45.3 receiving yards per game against Cincinnati, which is the ninth-lowest average in the league.

Fauria has had a knack for finding the end zone, scoring five times in six games. However, he has just seven catches for 66 yards. Coach Jim Schwartz said Fauria still has some work to do before his reps increase on offense. 

As of now, if Fauria doesn't score, then he's going to have a bad Fantasy week. It's definitely a gamble to start him, so consider Fauria more of a No. 2 Fantasy tight end Week 7.

Hamstring and calf injuries have limited Jaguars veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis to one game and no receptions in 2013. But Gus Bradley said he "should be" available to play against visiting San Diego on Sunday, the San Diego Times-Union is reporting.

Lewis has been a steady contributor throughout his career. He has gained between 460 and 700 yards through the air in each of the last five seasons, peaking with 700 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2010.

Since the Buccaneers made the change to Mike Glennon at quarterback, tight end Timothy Wright has averaged 6.0 catches for 66.0 yards in two games. The two rookies got in sync in offseason workouts, and it's carried over to regular-season games.

Of course, the Eagles' 31st-ranked pass defense no doubt contributed to his seven catches for 91 yards last week, but the good news is the Falcons, who the Buccaneers will visit in Week 7, have been nearly as ineffective against the pass, ranking 26th. They've allowed the seventh-most Fantasy points per game to tight ends.

Wright may end up losing some targets to wide receiver Mike Williams, who's expected back after missing Week 6 with a hamstring injury, but in a week when Jimmy Graham is on bye, he's an intriguing and highly available replacement. Jamey Eisenberg is willing to rank him as high as 11th among tight ends this week, which is certainly aggressive but not so unreasonable given the alternatives.

The Saints "will monitor Jimmy Graham's ankle/foot injuries during [the] bye this week but do not believe it is serious at this time," reports ESPN's Ed Werder. Graham got hurt Sunday at New England.

The Saints have not updated Graham's status.

Lions tight end Joseph Fauria has caught just three of his seven passes outside the red zone. He's been a great red zone target with four touchdowns, but his role still might be limited because Fauria is learning how to be an NFL tight end, according to MLive.com.

"He's a young player, there's still a lot of things that he's working on," coach Jim Schwartz said Monday. "I think everybody has seen some of his accomplishments and some of the things that he's good at, but sometimes people miss the things that he's still working on and he's like any young player right there. There's a lot of parts of his game that he's still working on.

"Right now we're just trying to find the best way to use guys, and try to put him on the field in situations that they can respond the best."

The Steelers had to make a few transactions Tuesday, which included placing two players on season-ending injured reserve. The Steelers placed offensive tackle Levi Brown (triceps) and tight end David Johnson (wrist) on injured reserve.

To take their roster spots, the Steelers signed free agent Richard Gordon and promoted cornerback Isaiah Green from the practice squad.