NFL Player News

The state of Louisiana dropped misdemeanor underage gambling and felony computer fraud charges against Boutte, the receiver's attorney announced Tuesday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

The 22-year-old was arrested in January in Baton Rouge, La. after he was alleged to have taken part in illegal sports betting while under the legal age of 21 during his time in college at LSU. Even while his legal situation was unresolved, Boutte was a full participant in spring practices for the Patriots, and he's unlikely to be subject to discipline from the NFL now that the charges have been dropped. A 2023 sixth-round draft pick, Boutte suited up for just five games as a rookie and will be fighting for a roster spot in a New England wide receiver group that lacks a true No. 1 option but has plenty of depth.

Addison was arrested Friday in Los Angeles on suspicion of driving under the influence, Luca Evans of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

According to a report from California Highway Patrol, Addison was found asleep behind the wheel of an immobilized vehicle blocking a lane of traffic on the freeway near Los Angeles International Airport at 11:06 p.m. local time Friday. The 22-year-old was then arrested and released shortly after a DUI investigation early Saturday. The Vikings released a statement Sunday acknowledging that they are aware of Addison's arrest and are in the process of gathering more information regarding the incident, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. Last summer, Addison plead guilty to a misdemeanor speeding charge after being cited for driving 140 miles per hour in Minnesota. The 2023 first-round pick went on to play in all 17 games during his rookie season, logging 70 catches for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Higgins and the Bengals will not agree to a contract extension by Monday's deadline, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Higgins signed his franchise tag in mid-June and will play on that tag this year before likely becoming a free agent in the 2025 offseason. Per Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site, it's possible the Bengals could franchise-tag Higgins again or work on a tag-and-trade scenario, though it's likely that this will be his final season as a Bengal. Higgins missed five games last season due to injuries but racked up over 1,000 receiving yards in both of the prior two campaigns.

Polk could secure the Patriots' top receiver spot to open the 2024 regular season if he impresses in training camp, Chad Graff of The Athletic reports.

Polk, a rookie second-round pick, didn't begin the offseason working as a starter but has since worked his way up the depth chart, and he was a standout at mandatory minicamp. The Washington product is considered pro-ready as rookie, so though his combine workout numbers didn't strongly impress, he's refined enough to quickly hit the ground running and entrench himself as one of New England's most reliable targets in the passing game, especially if Kendrick Bourne (knee) isn't fully recovered from his ACL tear by Week 1. Graff projects Polk to get a large portion of first-team reps in training camp, so if he can translate that into some preseason momentum, it wouldn't be surprising for him to start the season ahead of Bourne, DeMario Douglas, K.J. Osborn, JuJu Smith-Schuster and rookie fourth-rounder Javon Baker, especially if he can establish chemistry with Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye. As a pro, Polk may ultimately be more of a possession receiver than a deep target, but he boasts the upside to become one of the most consistent options in the Patriots' air attack.

Jefferson has "pole position" to be Pittsburgh's No. 2 wide receiver, according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic.

The Steelers signed four wide receivers with NFL starting experience between January and May, also bringing in Quez Watkins, Scotty Miller and Marquez Callaway. They've each had exactly one season with 500-plus receiving yards, either in 2020 or 2021. Jefferson's so-called pole position prior to training camp may not mean much, as he'll face competition not only from the aforementioned veterans, but also 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson and 2023 third-rounder Calvin Austin. It looks like a wide-open competition for snaps/roles behind runaway No. 1 receiver George Pickens.

Philips is expected to enter training camp fighting for a roster spot, John Glennon of the Nashville Post reports.

Philips, a 2022 fifth-round pick, secured 15 of 22 targets for 181 yards across nine appearances last season, and he never managed to play more than 50 percent of offensive snaps. With Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd joining DeAndre Hopkins atop the depth chart, and 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks still vying for opportunities, Phillips finds himself competing for limited reserve roles, and rookie sixth-round pick Jha'Quan Jackson also projects as a slot option and return man.

Toney could land on the trade block before the start of the 2024 regular season unless he's able to log an impressive training camp, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.

Toney missed training camp and the preseason last year due to injuries, then struggled with consistency and health before ending up as a healthy scratch for Kansas City's final stretch of games, including the team's Super Bowl win over the 49ers. Now, with the additions of Marquise Brown and rookie first-rounder Xavier Worthy, Toney could be staring down a make-or-break training camp. The same is true for 2022 second-round pick Skyy Moore, plus Mecole Hardman, Justyn Ross and Nikko Remigio, all of whom are competing for limited depth spots behind Brown, Worthy, Rashee Rice and Justin Watson.

Dulin (knee) did not participate in spring practices but has resumed running without a brace in personal workouts, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Dulin's latest workout video shows him running and cutting in non-contact football activities, and it looks encouraging as he works his way back from a right ACL tear suffered in training camp last year. The 27-year-old is competing for a depth role in Indianapolis' crowded wide receiver room.

Lamb isn't likely to report for the start of training camp on July 24 if he doesn't have a new contract by then, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic.

Lamb didn't show up for June minicamp, which means he can be fined a little more than $100,000. He's scheduled to make $17.99 million under a fifth-year option in 2024, whereas a long-term contract will cost the Cowboys nearly twice that much per season. It might nonetheless lower Lamb's cap hit for 2024, depending on how the deal is structured, and Machota suggests the most likely outcome is a long-term contract before Dallas players report to camp. If not, Lamb may continue his holdout and accrue further fines while his agent negotiates a deal.

Aiyuk recently told The Pivot podcast that he wants and expects to play for the 49ers this season despite being frustrated with contract negotiations at times.

"If I were to take a guess, probably a Niners uniform," Aiyuk said. "But if not a Niners uniform, probably a Washington Commander uniform. " Aiyuk said there have been times when he thought he was close to signing a new contract but also other moments where it felt the two sides were far apart. He met with the 49ers last Monday, and he then told The Pivot podcast that he's currently "in the right place, with the right quarterback" but "not on the right terms." Even though Aiyuk mentioned teaming up with close friend Jayden Daniels, the new QB in Washington, it sounds like the wideout still prefers San Francisco if he can get the contract he wants (or something close to it).