NFL Player News

The Patriots traded Boutte to the Texans for safety Jaylen Reed and a draft pick Monday, Tom Pelissero of Netflix reports.

With the additions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs to New England's receiving corps this offseason, a player like Boutte may have felt the roster crunch with cut-down day less than one week away. Now with Houston, Boutte joins a position group that has lost Jayden Higgins for the season due to a torn ACL and also includes the banged-up Jaylin Noel (hamstring) and Tank Dell (knee). As a result, Boutte has a chance to make an impact early on this season.

Wicks stood out with his route running during the Eagles' joint practices with the Patriots last Wednesday and Thursday, Cayden Steele of NJ.com reports.

Though he was generally impressive in both practices, Wicks turned in one highlight-reel-worthy rep during Thursday's session, when he easily shook 1-on-1 coverage from New England cornerback Carlton Davis at the line of scrimmage for what would have been a big gain, per Henry McKenna of FoxSports.com. Acquired from the Packers in April and immediately signed to a one-year, $12.5 million extension, Wicks has been repping with the first-team offense for most of his first camp with the Eagles while No. 1 wideout DeVonta Smith and rookie first-round pick Makai Lemon have been slowed by hamstring injuries. Both Smith and Lemon are practicing again, but the time Lemon has missed along with his own strong performance could set the stage for Wicks to head into the regular season as the Eagles' No. 2 wideout.

Nacua (groin) isn't practicing Monday, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

Nacua now is ticking toward two weeks off the practice field due to soreness in his psoas, but he was able to work with a member of the Rams' training staff on a side field Monday, indicating he's making some progress. In the end, the team likely is being as cautious as possible with Nacua with a Week 1 matchup with the 49ers in mind.

Lemon (hamstring) was a full participant in Monday's practice, EJ Smith of The PHLY Sports reports.

The rookie has been hampered by a hamstring issue for much of camp but is starting to get on track as the season approaches. Lemon practiced in a limited fashion last week and has upgraded to full participation as of Monday. The rookie still has to play catch-up a bit with the lost time during camp, but a fully healthy remainder of the offseason will put Lemon in a good spot come Week 1.

Smith (hamstring) is a full participant in Monday's practice, EJ Smith of PHLY Sports reports.

The Eagles got some good news in their receiving corps with both Smith and Makai Lemon (hamstring) full go for Monday's session. Smith returned in a limited capacity last week and is now ramping up further as the season approaches.

Legette (ankle) will remain in a walking boot on his foot until Thursday, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.

Legette sustained an ankle injury during Wednesday's joint practice with the Jaguars, and given that he'll be in a walking boot until Thursday, he'll presumably sit out Friday's preseason finale against the Texans. When available, the 2024 first-rounder has an opportunity to claim a portion of the Panthers' WR targets that don't go to Tetairoa McMillan or Jalen Coker, a context that may not yield steady volume as long as both McMillan and Coker are available.

Pittman (right ankle) was in pads and going through stretching during Monday's practice, Alan Saunders of Steelers Now reports.

After missing practice time since Aug. 8, Pittman at least was back on the field for the early portion of Monday's session. Pittman joins DK Metcalf (undisclosed) among notable Steelers to return to the practice field Monday after missing some time. The development offers a positive step for the Steelers' big offseason acquisition, though it doesn't confirm that he has resumed full practice work. Still, Pittman has time to get back to full-go before the season kicks off Sunday, Sept. 13 versus the Falcons.

Metcalf (undisclosed) returned to practice Monday after having been sidelined since Aug. 8, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports.

Monday was a notable day for the Steelers with both Metcalf and Michael Pittman (ankle) getting back on the field. Metcalf appears to have put his multi-week absence behind him and will have time to ramp back up before the season starts Sunday, Sept.13 against the Falcons.

Iosivas is listed as the No.3 receiver on the Bengals' depth chart.

The Princeton product enters his fourth season looking to rebound from a down 2025 in which he fell short of the breakout season that saw him record six touchdowns in 2024. The Bengals have a heavily concentrated target tree centered on Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, which has limited Iosivas' week-to-week usage. He has performed poorly on targets per route run in each of the last two years, coming in under 12 percent in each campaign. Iosivas could have added competition for snaps this year, considering rookie Colbie Young's impressive showing in the preseason thus far. As it stands, Iosivas may be on the field a fair amount, but his involvement in the passing game could be limited again.

Raymond has made a strong impression in his first five months with Chicago, with Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic relaying coach Ben Johnson's praise Monday and calling him "the most selfless player I've ever been around."

With Raymond joining the Bears on a one-year deal earlier in the offseason, Johnson's comments highlight the veteran wide receiver's standing in the building with Week 1 approaching. The praise suggests Raymond is making a positive case for a supporting receiver role and special-teams work.