NFL Player News

Montgomery (leg) didn't practice Tuesday, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

With Montgomery continuing to miss practice, the versatile back isn't likely to suit up for the Patriots' preseason opener Thursday against the Texans. Once he's able to rejoin practice, he'll look to carve out a change-of-pace role in a backfield led by Rhamondre Stevenson, fighting for backup snaps with second-year pros Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris.

Byrd suffered a hamstring injury during practice Tuesday, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.

Byrd's injury was described as severe, according to head coach Frank Reich. He is expected to miss at least a month, which would put him in jeopardy of missing the team's Week 1 game against the Falcons. That is if he makes the 53-man roster, which was no guarantee for the veteran receiver, and perhaps this injury lessens his chances to do so.

Sanders was carted off the field during practice Tuesday after suffering a knee injury, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

Sanders was running a route in 11-on-11 drills in a Falcons and Dolphins combined practice when the injury occurred. Until there are further details, it'll remain unclear how much time Sanders could miss. The 24-year-old was working to earn a roster spot with Miami after signing a reserve/future deal with the team in January.

King signed a contract with the Eagles on Tuesday, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

King initially joined the Colts this offseason after going undrafted out of Southeast Missouri State. However, he was waived Wednesday, leading to him being able to join Philadelphia. He'll now work to earn in a spot in the team's receiving corps.

Allen (undisclosed) was activated from the active/non-football injury list Tuesday, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Allen will now get to work on earning a spot on the 53-man roster after he spent the 2022 campaign on the Eagles' practice squad. The 28-year-old made a return to football last season after moving on from a decorated track career that saw him compete in the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics.

Grant (Achilles) made his first appearance during full-team drills Monday, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

It's a step forward for Grant, who had been limited to fielding kickoffs and punts and focused on individual drills. He's not guaranteed a roster spot, but if Grant makes enough progress before roster cuts, he'll put himself in position to make the team and win either or both of the return jobs. Fellow wideout Jaelon Darden is a return-game option as well, but he's missed the last five practices with a leg injury.

Thompkins, who's looking to secure a spot as a reserve receiver in addition to a potential returner role, has been making spectacular catches in nearly every training camp practice, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

The diminutive Utah State product already clawed his way onto the active roster last season, going from training camp standout to the practice squad before getting into the last five regular-season games and the wild-card loss to the Cowboys. Most of Thompkins' touches came on special teams -- he posted 324 total return yards -- but he also logged 70 regular-season snaps from scrimmage and compiled a 5-32-0 line on 10 targets while also rushing twice for 26 yards. He's naturally still looking up at the top trio of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage on the wide receiver depth chart, but with veterans Julio Jones and Breshad Perriman off the roster, Thompkins appears to have a legitimate chance at earning the No. 5 receiver spot, at minimum, if his preseason play matches his training camp performances.

Lockett (undisclosed) primarily logged work on the side during Monday's practice, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Coach Pete Carroll relayed that Lockett is tending to "some minor tightness," per Henderson. The Seahawks open the preseason Thursday against the Vikings, so it's unlikely Lockett will be available for that contest. In fact, considering the rapport he displayed with quarterback Geno Smith in 2022, Lockett may not see much, if any, work during exhibition season. Whenever he's healthy, Lockett will be looking to put up a fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season during the upcoming campaign.

Philips is listed as the top punt returner on the Titans' initial unofficial depth chart, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Meanwhile, Philips is listed behind top wideouts DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks, who are listed as being backed up by Chris Moore and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. That said, we'd expect Philips, a 2022 fifth-rounder, to see his share of snaps out of the slot this coming season after being limited to eight catches (on 13 targets) for 78 yards in four games as a rookie. In that context, if the UCLA product can avoid injuries, he could emerge as a fantasy option in deeper PPR formats in 2023.

K.J. Osborn is listed as the No. 2 wide receiver ahead of Addison on Minnesota's first unofficial depth chart of the preseason. Osborn may get more snaps this season as the team's "F" receiver as he'll frequently be used as a blocker, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Osborn may also be listed ahead of Addison to begin the preseason as the team may give deference to the veteran. It's also possible Osborn plays more snaps on offense this year, but Addison gets more targets. Addison has looked sharp in camp so far with good chemistry with quarterback Kirk Cousins, so we wouldn't be too worried about this early preseason listing. Still, Addison's ability to be used in run blocking could be something to watch to ensure he gets more playing time.