NFL Player News

Thornton recorded one catch (on three targets) for four yards in Sunday's 20-10 preseason loss to the Commanders.

Thornton paired with K.J. Osborn as a starting outside receiver, and he entered the game ahead of the likes of Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. That may not remain the case in Week 1 against Cincinnati, but New England looks poised to rotate its receiving corps, so Thornton should see the field plenty even if he isn't the first on the field.

Johnson brought in three of five targets for 12 yards and rushed twice for 13 yards in the Buccaneers' 24-14 preseason win over the Dolphins on Friday night.

The Barton College product overcame a multi-week rib injury just in time to participate in the final preseason game, and while he didn't do anything spectacular with his touches, Johnson was kept busy during his time in the game. The undrafted rookie had impressed throughout the offseason and early in training camp, so he may have a good shot at sticking on the practice squad come final cutdowns.

Polk recorded two receptions (on three targets) for 29 yards in Sunday's 20-10 preseason loss to the Commanders.

Polk wasn't on the field for the Patriots' first drive, instead getting usurped by K.J. Osborn and Tyquan Thornton as the starting outside wide receivers. However, Polk was on the field for the team's second possession paired with Drake Maye, and the former hauled in a strike across the middle that he turned upfield for a 29-yard gain. Polk also had a nice catch on an out route that would have gone for another first down, though the gain was offset by a penalty. Polk had been working with the starting unit in practice leading up to the game, so even if he isn't formally listed as a starter, he should still see the field plenty Week 1 against Cincinnati.

Douglas recorded three receptions (on four targets) for 14 yards in Sunday's 20-10 preseason loss to the Commanders.

Douglas played exclusively in three-receiver sets, but he was still among the snap leaders for the Patriots in their first several offensive possessions as he worked primarily alongside Tyquan Thornton and K.J. Osborn. His longest catch of the day came on a third down midway through the first quarter that went for 16 yards and was delivered by Drake Maye. More importantly, Douglas looks to be the starting slot receiver for the Patriots heading into a Week 1 matchup against the Bengals.

Smith secured four of five targets for 34 yards, rushed three times for 16 yards and returned one punt for 23 yards during Saturday's 17-15 loss to the Texans.

The Rams rested a large portion of their starters Saturday, and Tyler Johnson was among those who didn't see the field. This seemed to signal that Smith was squarely on the roster bubble, and he made a strong case for his inclusion as the seventh wide receiver with another multi-faceted performance. No other receiver on the Rams did much to make a claim for the final spot, so head coach Sean McVay is likely deciding between keeping Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington and the aforementioned Johnson as his receiving corps or adding Smith on as a depth piece.

Wilson did not play in Sunday's 30-27 preseason loss to the Titans.

Wilson was among an extensive group of Saints players who did not play in the preseason finale, as the team held out the vast majority of its starters and key backups. This also comes one week after the 28-year-old started in New Orleans' second preseason contest. His usage and playing time in two exhibitions seems to indicate that Wilson has secured a spot as the team's third or fourth wideout ahead of the regular season. With Rashid Shaheed (hamstring) still working his way back from injury, Wilson could even step in to play as the No. 2 wideout alongside Chris Olave in Week 1.

Weaver caught two of four targets for a team-high 56 yards in Sunday's 38-12 preseason loss to the Broncos. He added 71 yards on two kickoff and two punt returns.

The undrafted rookie out of Colorado got a chance to make an impression in the Cardinals' preseason finale and took advantage, showing his ability as a return man and also connecting with Clayton Tune on a 43-yard reception in the second quarter. Weaver is a long shot to crack Arizona's season-opening roster, but with Zay Jones set to miss the first five games after the league handed down a suspension Friday, the 23-year-old at least picked a good time to have a strong performance.

Moore caught his only target for seven yards in Sunday's 38-12 preseason loss to the Broncos.

While he didn't make much of a statistical impact, Moore's lone catch came on the Cardinals' first drive of the game, suggesting he's in the lead for one of the final spots on the wide receiver depth chart. With Zay Jones (suspension) set to miss the first five games of the season, that could open up some slot snaps for a player like Moore, although Greg Dortch should get first crack at that role.

Nacua failed to catch either of his two targets during Sunday's 30-27 preseason loss to the Titans. He also returned a missed field-goal attempt for 106 yards.

Nacua nearly pulled off the highlight of the preseason when he returned a 58-yard field-goal try that fell short of the uprights at the end of the first half. The 26-year-old evaded almost every would-be tackler on his way to the end zone, but he was pushed out of bounds by Titans tight end Thomas Odukoya just nine yards shy of the goal line. Nacua has been competing for a fringe roster spot with the Saints this preseason, and an extreme effort play like this could help him stand out with the team ahead of Tuesday's deadline to get down to a final 53-man roster. However, with no regular-season playing time in his career, it's likely that Nacua will be on the outside looking in while more experienced veterans like Cedrick Wilson and/or Equanimeous St. Brown snag the final roster spots alongside recent draft picks like A.T. Perry and Bub Means.

Johnson caught both his targets for 83 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 38-12 preseason win over the Cardinals.

The third-year wideout showed some good chemistry with Zach Wilson, hauling in a 37-yard pass late in the third quarter to set up one TD before snagging a 46-yard touchdown pass of his own in the fourth. Johnson is fighting with 2024 fourth-round pick Troy Franklin and others for a spot at the bottom of the Broncos' wide receiver depth chart, so Sunday's performance may not have been enough to secure a place on the 53-man roster.