NFL Player News

Colts tight end Dwayne Allen was out of practice Thursday, due to soreness in one of his feet that he first felt after Tuesday's practice.

"His foot was a little bit sore, so right now he's going through the process and being evaluated," head coach Chuck Pagano told the Indianapolis Star.

Allen is coming off a solid rookie season in which he posted 45 receptions and 521 yards, to lead all NFL rookie tight ends. The Colts will likely give an update on his status Friday, and it is not yet clear whether he will be available for the team's preseason opener Sunday. 

Dolphins tight ends Kyle Miller and Michael Egnew are potentially fighting for one roster spot, the Miami Herald reported. 

Patriots coach Bill Belichick on Monday spoke highly of rookie tight end Zach Sudfeld, who is an undrafted free agent from Nevada. Sudfeld is trying to earn a roster spot and potentially be a fill-in for Aaron Hernandez.

"Zach has come in and absorbed a lot of information," Belichick said. "The offense that he played in in Nevada is quite a bit different than what we do. I'm sure there are some similarities, but there are quite a few differences as well. He's been able to acclimate to those changes. He catches the ball well."

Patriots rookie tight end Zach Sudfeld continues to make a good impression, reports ESPN.

The report says the rookie free-agent from Nevada has good size (6-7, 260) and has shown solid hands going back to spring camps and into the early part of training camp.

As of now, Sudfeld is behind Daniel Fells and Michael Hoomanawanui on the depth chart with Rob Gronkowski (back) hurt, but the report indicates Sudfeld could challenge for a bigger role.

Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew, a self-proclaimed "burger man," revamped his diet in the offseason to include more grilled chicken and vegetables, reports MLive.com. He showed up to camp "trimmed down" and with "a more defined physique."

"Brandon looks as good as I've ever seen him physically," coach Jim Schwartz said. "He's very accountable."

Pettigrew, who's listed at 6-5, 265 pounds, dealt with sore knees and a rolled ankle last year. He believes his new physique will help him bounce back from a season in which he caught 59 balls for 567 yards -- his lowest numbers since his rookie year.

"You don't want to be out here too heavy, trying to move around," Pettigrew told the website. "If I want to be a complete tight end, not just a blocking tight end, (trimming down) is probably the way to go."

Eagles rookie tight end Zach Ertz is making a strong impression early on, reports Comcast Sports Net.

The report says Ertz has already shown an ability to create matchup problems.

"I think that's why they drafted me, to be honest," Ertz said. "In college I was used all over the field. And here I expect kind of the same thing. Obviously I have to earn my reps. I know it’s not going to be handed to me in any sense."

The Cardinals claimed tight end Mickey Shuler off waivers from the Bills. Shuler is on his seventh NFL team after being drafted in the seventh round in 2010.

Jaguars offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch wants to make better use of 6-foot-6 tight end Marcedes Lewis.

"We need him to be more than just a blocker," Fisch told the Associated Press. "We're trying to use this camp to see what he does best. There's a lot of positives. He's 6-6 and 260 pounds. When you have a guy like that, you have to find ways to get him the ball."

After catching 10 touchdown passes in 2010, Lewis has grabbed four in the past two seasons combined. He did go off for seven catches and 103 yards in the 2012 regular-season finale at Tennessee.

The Jeremy Maclin leg injury sounds pretty serious. It's terrible because the Eagles receiving corps isn't exactly rich with established talent and Maclin himself was poised to work hard in a contract year. Drafting him is a mistake until we know more about his situation. 

In the event his injury is season-ending, expect tall receiver Riley Cooper and speedster Damaris Johnson to see a lot of work in his place (Arrelious Benn would also be a factor except he, too, is battling an injury). These receivers shouldn't be drafted outside of deeper leagues but could be useful off waivers once byes kick in. 

Another move the Eagles could do is lean on tight end-heavy formations. For now Philadelphia has three intriguing tight ends in Brent Celek, James Casey and rookie Zach Ertz. All have had time with the first-team offense in the early days of camp. It wouldn't be a shock to see two of the three, if not all three, on the field at the same time. The Eagles could then look for mismatches in the quick-hitting passing game. 

Of the three tight ends, Casey is the one with the most upside, especially after a report last week suggested Casey was one of two receiving tight ends while Celek was more of a blocker. 

In addition to tight end Heath Miller, the Steelers placed linebacker Sean Spence, defensive lineman Alameda Ta'amu and tight end David Johnson on the PUP list to begin training camp.