NFL Player News

Coach Frank Reich said Monday that Hurst (sports hernia) is recovering from a procedure and progressing well, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Hurst is absent from the start of Carolina's voluntary offseason workouts due to his rehab. While Reich didn't offer an exact timeframe for his expected return, it doesn't seem as though Hurst is in danger of missing significant time. The veteran tight end signed a three-year contract with the Panthers this offseason, putting him in prime position to act as one of the top pass catchers for No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and Andy Dalton once Hurst is healthy.

Granson isn't a lock for the Week 1 roster, according to Zak Keefer of The Athletic.

Granson led the Indianapolis tight ends with 32 catches last year, but Mo Alie-Cox took more snaps and Jelani Woods had more yards (312-302) and touchdowns (3-0) on the same number of targets (40). While the team didn't make any high-profile additions to the TE room this offseason, there's more competition for jobs with veteran Pharaoh Brown and fifth-round pick Will Mallory joining the mix. Mallory could challenge Granson for playing time in passing situations, as both are small for the position and are mostly valued for receiving skills/potential. Granson has caught 76.4 percent of his 55 targets since the Colts made him a fourth-round pick in 2021, but he's averaged only 9.7 yards per catch and is still searching for his first NFL touchdown.

Tomlinson was released by the Texans on Thursday, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Tomlinson signed a deal with Houston on May 3 after spending the 2022 campaign in Denver, but it appears his time with the Texans will be cut short. The 31-year-old logged nine receptions on 13 targets for 79 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Broncos in 2022 in 17 contests. He'll now look to catch on elsewhere as a depth tight end.

Mack signed a contract with the Titans on Thursday, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

Mack missed last season after being cut from injured reserve by the Packers after suffering an undisclosed injury. The 26-year-old has bounced around the league since being selected in the seventh round of the 2019 Draft by the Saints, but he has yet to play in a regular season game. He'll work to finally make that happen with the Titans in 2023.

Kincaid signed a four-year deal Saturday, Alec White of the Bills' official site reports.

The Bills surprised plenty of people when they jumped up in the first round to select Kincaid out of Utah with the 25th pick, but there's little doubt about his pass-catching ability. He's already been participating in minicamp, though it may take much of the summer to determine how the Bills plan to utilize Kincaid in conjunction with the established Dawson Knox. There's a chance that Kincaid has enough athletic ability to see work in the slot, even at times when Knox is also on the field.

Gindorff has agreed to a deal with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent, John Boyle of the team's official website reports.

Gindorff accumulated 522 yards and 12 touchdowns on 44 receptions during his four-year collegiate career at North Dakota State. He will now look to make an impression in Seattle during OTAs and training camp, but he will be competing against a crowded tight end room.

Otton is joined on the tight end depth chart by rookie fifth-round pick Payne Durham, who recorded 56 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns during his senior 2022 campaign at Purdue, Brianna Dix of the team's official site reports.

Otton was a first-year hit in 2022 while splitting time with veteran Cameron Brate, progressively earning Tom Brady's trust and finishing with 42 receptions, tops among rookie tight ends across the league. Brate is no longer on the roster, but Otton now stands to face competition for targets from another young position mate with receiving prowess in Durham, who boasts a large catch radius that could make him an especially good fit while working with either Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask, two quarterbacks for which accuracy may not always be a strong suit. Nevertheless, Otton is expected to serve as the clear leader in snaps at the position thanks in part to his underrated blocking ability and knack for moving the chains -- 19 of his receptions in 2022 went for first downs.

Moreau (illness) agreed to terms Wednesday with the Saints on a three-year, $12 million contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Moreau was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma after he took a physical with New Orleans during the early portion of free agency, and he'll now ultimately signs with the same team, reuniting with quarterback Derek Carr in the process. Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, Moreau's recovery is progressing positively, and the 26-year-old plans to play in 2023. Moreau could play a significant role in a tight-end corps headlined by Juwan Johnson and hybrid player Taysom Hill. During the 2022 season, Moreau caught 33 passes (on 54 targets) for 420 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games with the Raiders.

Kroft has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Dolphins, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

In 11 games with the 49ers last year, Kroft worked primarily as a blocker, recording just four catches on five targets for 57 yards, but his best season as a receiver came in 2017 with the Bengals when he produced a 42-404-7 line on 62 targets. He bolsters a Miami tight end corps that also includes Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert, Elijah Higgins and Tanner Conner, but it seems unlikely that the 30-year-old will see enough of an uptick in volume in 2023 to resurface on the fantasy radar.

Tremble seems to be third on Carolina's TE depth chart after Hayden Hurst signed with the team and Ian Thomas accepted a pay cut, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Kaye notes that the contracts for Hurst and Thomas suggest they'll be on the roster for the next two years, which covers the final two years of Tremble's rookie contract. The 2021 third-round pick took 510 offensive snaps as a rookie and 510 last season, but he caught only 39 of 67 targets (59.4 percent) for 354 yards and four TDs in 33 games. With Hurst now taking over as Carolina's top receiving tight end, Tremble may get even fewer pass-catching chances this season.