NFL Player News

Flowers has made a strong first impression on and off the field, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Flowers has displayed terrific shiftiness, earning the nickname "the joystick" from quarterback Lamar Jackson, with whom the rookie first-round pick is already building chemistry. Flowers has also done all the right things when it comes to preparation, both in meetings with the coaching staff and in the weight room. The receiver out of Boston College is set to play a prominent role out of the gate in a new-look Ravens offense that's looking to employ a more pass-heavy attack led by tight end Mark Andrews and the wide receiver trio of Flowers, Odell Beckham and Rashod Bateman (foot).

Williams was waived by the Broncos on Friday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.

Williams was signed by the Broncos on Tuesday, but the team decided to waive him shortly thereafter in a move that corresponded with the signing of wide receiver Michael Bandy. It's the second time that Williams has been let go by the Broncos this offseason after initially signing as an undrafted free agent in June before being waived a week later to make room for Frank Clark. Williams posted 28 catches for 435 yards and two touchdowns in his 2022 season at UNLV.

Bandy signed with the Broncos on Friday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.

Bandy started last season on the Chargers' practice squad but took advantage of injuries to the wideout corps, catching 10 of 21 targets for 89 yards in 10 games. He was also on 39 special teams snaps last season and has experience as a kick returner in 2021, which could give him an edge as he competes for a roster spot.

Hinton, who was dealing with a knee injury, was removed from the Broncos' active/PUP list Friday after passing his physical, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.

Hinton was placed on the active/PUP list Sunday after he underwent a minor offseason knee scope at the end of June. Now that he's been removed from that list, Hinton can participate in practices and preseason games. Hinton is coming off having set career highs in targets (40), receptions (24) and receiving yards (311) during the 2022 campaign. He's set to compete for a wide receiver depth spot and has his work cut out for him as he operates behind Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, KJ Hamler (pectoral) and Marvin Mims (hamstring).

Gage (undisclosed) spent Wednesday's practice running on the side, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Gage was the only player unable to practice in some capacity during Wednesday's training camp session. He sat out June minicamp as well, but Gage still has plenty of time to recover from his unspecified injury before the Buccaneers open the regular season Sept. 10 in Minnesota.

Skowronek (foot) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice at training camp, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Skowronek and Cooper Kupp (ankle) both ramped up to full speed as the Rams opened training camp after minimal participation in spring practices. After posting 376 receiving yards in 2022, Skowronek will jostle for position on a wide receiver depth chart that's unsettled behind Kupp, with the likes of Van Jefferson, Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell and rookie fifth-round pick Puka Nacua (lower body) also vying for playing time.

Cooper (undisclosed), who had missed four days of practice due to what Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer refers to as "a minor tweak," returned to the field Friday.

The report notes that Cooper was limited to individual drills but will likely do a little more Saturday when team drills are on tap. Per Cabot, the Browns' top wideout appeared to be moving well during position drills Friday, which suggests that it shouldn't be long before Cooper is deemed a full practice participant.

Montgomery, who suffered an apparent left leg injury during Thursday's practice, was not present for Friday's session, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports.

The report notes that after sustaining the injury, Montgomery -- who coach Bill Belichick calls "day-to-day" -- stayed on the field for a half-speed walk-through before exiting Thursday's practice. Once he returns to the field, the versatile Montgomery will look to establish a change-of-pace/pass-catching role in a New England backfield that will be led by Rhamondre Stevenson and also includes second-year players Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris.

Beckham said Thursday there are "no real limitations" on what he can do in practice, ESPN's Jamison Hensley reports.

While he doesn't have any specific limitations, Beckham and the Ravens seem to have a plan to limit his reps and keep him healthy, so it won't be surprising if he's rested for a few practices this summer. The 30-year-old wideout is now more than 17 months removed from his ACL tear in the Rams' Super Bowl win over the Bengals, and with a one-year, $15 million contract in hand he's expected to be a big part of Baltimore's revamped passing game under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. The Ravens have tougher target competition than in years past -- or at least they will if they can actually keep OBJ and Rashod Bateman (foot) healthy -- so it doesn't hurt that Beckham has prior experience with Monken from the 2019 Browns.

Mooney is easing into practice this summer after rehabbing from ankle surgery during the offseason, Collen Kane of The Chicago Tribune reports.

It sounds like Mooney is off to a good start, already doing 7-on-7s and individual drills during the first week of training camp. He mentioned that he'd been planning to have offseason ankle surgery even before suffering a season-ending ankle fracture in late November, though it presumably would've been a lesser procedure with a shorter recovery timeline had he not sustained the major injury. Mooney is no longer Chicago's No. 1 receiver as he enters the final year of his rookie contract, but there's a chance he stays fantasy-relevant as second fiddle to DJ Moore if the Bears' passing attack takes a big step forward in Luke Getsy's second year as offensive coordinator and Justin Fields' third season as the starting QB.