NFL Player News

Bell signed with the Browns' practice squad Saturday, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.come reports.

The 2022 third-round pick was waived by the team earlier this week, but it always seemed like this was a roster manipulation move as opposed to Bell falling out favor with the franchise. It's entirely possible Bell will be elevated to the active roster frequently to begin the year, but he at minimum won't be eligible to play until Week 2.

Darden signed a contract with the Browns on Saturday,.

Darden will replace David Bell, who was waived earlier this week. A fourth-round pick by the Buccaneers back in 2021, Darden projects to be the team's top punt returner and could operate as one of the team's kick returners too, but he'll be hard-pressed to see offensive snaps due to numerous players being above him on the wide receiver depth chart.

Wicks was targeted three times and did not catch a pass in Friday's 34-29 loss to the Eagles.

Wicks was on the field for 31 of the 67 plays Green Bay ran Friday, but he was unable to haul in any of the passes thrown his direction. A productive rookie campaign made Wicks a trendy sleeper pick in fantasy drafts, but he finished fourth among Packers wideouts in snaps in Week 1, and he will presumably remain the fourth option at his position as long as the three receivers who played more than him stay healthy.

Smith brought in seven of his eight targets for 84 yards in Friday's 34-29 win over Green Bay.

Friday's tilt at Corinthians Arena in Brazil featured multiple strong fantasy scores for both sides after 63 points were put on the board. Smith finished with Philadelphia's fourth-highest score for fantasy purposes after all seven of his receptions failed to cross the goal line. The 25-year-old wideout hasn't eclipsed seven touchdowns in any of his three seasons as a pro, but he has proven to be a reliable target opposite A.J. Brown (5-119-1 on Friday) that fantasy managers can rely on for consistent production, especially for those in PPR formats. Smith will look for that first score of the season in a home matchup against the Falcons in Week 2.

Brown had five receptions (on 10 targets) for 119 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 34-29 win over the Packers.

Brown ripped off a 67-yard touchdown catch for the Eagles that saw the star wideout outrun star defensive back Jaire Alexander to the pylons. The fantasy stud produced as if he was in midseason form despite seeing no action this preseason. Fantasy managers who snagged Brown as one of their main WRs should feel good about Friday's results in Brazil. A home matchup against the Falcons awaits in Week 2 on Monday, Sept. 16

Watson recorded three catches on five targets for 13 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 34-29 loss to the Eagles.

Watson finished with the fewest targets, catches and yards among Green Bay's starting wideout trio that also includes Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs, though he salvaged his performance from a fantasy perspective with a two-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter. The North Dakota State product has shown a nose for the end zone in his NFL career thus far, as Friday's score was his 15th (13 receiving and two rushing) through 24 regular-season games. Despite his low yardage total Friday, Watson finished with just one fewer target than Reed and two fewer that Doubs, and a fairly equitable target share among the trio should emerge as the season progresses. However, the potency of the Packers' passing game could suffer if quarterback Jordan Love, who had to leave the contest in the final seconds of the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury, is forced to miss time.

Doubs caught four of seven targets for 50 yards in Friday's loss against the Eagles.

Doubs' biggest gain came on the Packers' third offensive play of the game, when he registered a 19-yard reception. The third-year wideout was pretty quiet thereafter, though he did lead Green Bay with seven targets and finished second with 50 receiving yards. Quarterback Jordan Love spread the ball around pretty evenly between Doubs, Jayden Reed (six targets) and Christian Watson (five targets), but Doubs was the only one of the trio not to catch a touchdown in the season-opening loss. Doubs figures to remain substantially involved in the team's offense Week 2 versus the Colts, though the Packers' potential for success in the passing game could hinge on the health of Love, who left the game in the waning seconds of the final period with an apparent leg injury.

Reed caught four of six targets for 138 yards and a touchdown and added one rush for a 33-yard touchdown in Friday's 34-29 loss to Philadelphia.

Reed had two huge plays in the second quarter -- a 33-yard touchdown run and a 70-yard reception for his second score. The second-year wideout had only three other catches, but two of them went for big gains of 26 and 33 yards, respectively. Quarterback Jordan Love spread the ball around pretty evenly Friday, with eight different players receiving at least two targets and all three of the team's top wideouts -- Reed, Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson -- getting at least five looks. That trend could continue throughout the campaign, as all three are likely to play a big role in the Packers' passing game, but Reed has shown a knack for producing even without being the clear-cut No. 1 receiver during his time in the NFL. He'll likely be a key part of the team's offense again Week 2 against Indianapolis, though his outlook will dampen if Love, who left the contest in the final seconds of the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury, ends up missing time.

Heath (coach's decision) is inactive for Friday's Week 1 game in Brazil against the Eagles, Mike Spofford of the Packers' official site reports.

Heath had a nice preseason that helped him make Green Bay's 53-man roster, but he won't play in the team's first game of the regular season. That leaves the Packers with five active receivers for the contest -- Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks and Bo Melton. Heath may need an injury to a wideout (or two) ahead of him in the pecking order to see regular offensive snaps during the campaign.

Jennings (ankle) remained limited in practice Friday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Jennings dealt with ankle and then oblique injuries during the preseason, but there'd been no report of recent trouble until the Niners listed him Thursday on their first official injury report of the season. He's now been limited in back-to-back practices, setting up Saturday as the final chance for full participation before the Niners host the Jets on Monday.