NFL Player News

Melton was targeted once and caught one pass for 19 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 24-21 loss to the 49ers.

Melton did not get many opportunities in Saturday's contest, but he made a couple big plays early in the third quarter, drawing a 41-yard pass interference penalty on the play right before he found pay dirt. He was mainly an afterthought until Week 16, but in the five games the Packers played from that point onward he racked up 17 receptions for 237 yards and two scores. It will be tough for Melton to make a major move up the depth chart in 2024 with all four wideouts ahead of him still under contract, but if Green Bay sticks with the same composition in the receiver room, he should head into training camp no worse than the fifth option at his position.

The Bills signed Thompson to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Thompson didn't hear his name called up from Buffalo's practice squad this season, but he'll have a shot at a spot on its 53-man roster for 2024. He caught 25 passes for 377 yards at Arizona State in 2022.

Wicks was targeted twice but did not catch a pass in Saturday's 24-21 loss to the 49ers.

Wicks entered Saturday's contest on a bit of a hot streak, but he did not make a mark outside of the targets in Green Bay's final game of the season. He did reach the end zone in his team's playoff opener, and over the final six games of the regular season, he averaged 3.7 receptions and 56.8 receiving yards while scoring three times. Every Packers wideout that finished the year on the roster is under contract for 2024, so it's tough to predict what role Wicks will open next season in. However, he made a major mark during his rookie campaign, and he figures to make a push for a starting spot in Year 2.

Buffalo signed Shavers to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Shavers spent the entire season on the Bills' practice squad, but he'll now have an opportunity to compete for a spot on their 53-man roster for 2024. He caught 38 passes for 643 yards and three touchdowns at San Diego State in 2022.

Buffalo signed Isabella to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Isabella was active for the Bills' divisional-round loss versus the Chiefs, and now he'll get a chance to compete for a spot on Buffalo's 53-man roster for 2024. Over four games this season (including playoffs), he drew one target, which he failed to haul in, and two kick returns for 44 yards.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that there's no fracture in Samuel's left shoulder, but the wideout is still in pain, and his status for Sunday's NFC Championship Game versus the Lions is to be determined, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Monday morning that the 49ers consider Samuel "50-50" to play Sunday, and it looks like the wideout's official availability likely won't be known until inactives are released an hour and a half before kickoff. If Samuel can't suit up, Jauan Jennings, who stepped up with five receptions for 61 yards in Saturday's win over Green Bay, would likely see increased reps again.

Watson said Monday that he plans to undergo offseason medical testing to determine why he's battled recurring hamstring injuries in his NFL career, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

Watson missed the last five games of the regular season due to a hamstring injury, and though he managed to return for Green Bay's two playoff games, he was ineffective in those contests. His efforts culminated in securing one catch for 11 yards on two targets during Saturday's loss to the 49ers in the divisional round. It's worth noting that Watson also missed the first three games of the 2023 campaign due to a hamstring issue and that he was nicked up for a substantial portion of the year even while suiting up. resulting in a disappointing 28-422-5 line on 53 targets across nine appearances before the postseason. If Watson is able to gain some information this offseason that helps him avoid future soft-tissue injuries, it would certainly help boost his prospects heading into Year 3.

Turpin caught 12 of 18 targets for 127 yards and three touchdowns, gained 110 yards and a TD on 11 carries and added 371 return yards over 16 regular-season games in 2023.

Teams learned not to kick it to Turpin after his impressive rookie campaign as a returner in 2022, but the Cowboys found ways to get the ball in his hands on offense instead, and the 27-year-old delivered one of the most eye-popping TD-to-touch ratios in the league. Turpin's last touchdown came Week 12, though, and he got only five touches in seven games down the stretch, including Dallas' wild-card loss to Green Bay. He has one more season left on his current contract worth less than $1 million, but it wouldn't be surprising if the Cowboys signed him to an extension this offseason given his value on special teams and as a gadget player on offense.

Tolbert caught 22 of 36 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns over 17 regular-season games in 2023.

After a rough rookie campaign that saw the 2022 third-round pick get into the active lineup for only eight games, Tolbert was noticeably more reliable in 2023, and in the second half he was essentially splitting the No. 3 receiver role with Michael Gallup. There's a chance both Gallup and Brandin Cooks could be in different uniforms next season, which could position Tolbert to be the Cowboys' No. 2 wideout behind CeeDee Lamb, but it's more likely he heads into 2024 in roughly the same spot on the depth chart he occupies now.

Davis (knee) said Monday he'd be open to returning to Buffalo but that he expects to hit free agency this offseason, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

Davis, who missed both of the Bills' playoff games due to a knee injury suffered Week 18, said "there was nothing" in terms of extension talks with the team during the 2023 season. The wideout also said he'd have played this weekend if Buffalo had advanced to the AFC Championship Game, per Getzenberg, an indication that Davis will be fully healthy by the time free agency officially kicks off in March. Across 17 regular-season appearances in 2023, Davis secured 45 of 81 targets for 746 yards and seven scores, while his only carry went for minus-2 yards.