NFL Player News

Wallace (hamstring) is participating it OTAs this week, Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Wallace was placed on injured reserve ahead of the Ravens' playoff loss to the Bengals last postseason and missed a total of nine games last year with the hamstring issue. A fourth-round pick in 2021, Wallace has yet to make an NFL impact and is likely competing for a roster spot this summer.

Robinson (foot) has been limited at OTAs this week, Chris Adamski of TribLIVE.com reports.

Robinson is still working his way back from surgery to repair a broken foot and expects to be 100 percent for the start of training camp later this summer. He's been participating in on-field work this week, but the veteran wideout is taking things slow. Notably, Robinson has been working as the slot receiver with the first-team offense. Diontae Johnson and George Pickens have remained on the outside.

Shepard (knee) ran routes at practice Thursday, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

It's only non-contact work at OTAs but at least shows that Shepard is on schedule in his rehab from October surgery on an ACL tear. He signed a one-year contract with the Giants in March and may end up on the roster bubble this summer, but they'll first give the 30-year-old a chance to get healthy and compete for slot snaps. Shepard has averaged at least 42.7 receiving yards per game in each of seven pro seasons, topping 50 the past six years, but he played only 10 games total the past two years and 32 over the past four. He's now rehabbing from major surgery for a second straight offseason after tearing an Achilles in 2021.

Downs missed practice Thursday with a knee injury, George Bremer of The Anderson Herald Bulletin reports.

Coach Shane Steichen described it as "a little bit of a knee issue" without elaborating any further. The third-round pick out of UNC isn't likely to be part of a high-flying pass attack his rookie year, but he did find a good place to earn early snaps once he moves past the knee injury, as Michael Pittman is the only player on Indy's roster with a 600-yard receiving season to his name. Alec Pierce had 593 yards as a rookie second-round pick last year, but it's possible he'd see fewer targets than Downs even if he's the No. 2 receiver in terms of snaps and the rookie is the No. 3.

Sills left practice early Thursday after suffering what appeared to be a back or rib injury, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reports.

Sills sustained the injury while landing hard on the ground on an attempted catch. However, he was able to walk off the field on his own. The soon-to-be 27-year-old appeared in nine games for the Giants last season, making 11 catches on 17 targets for 106 yards. He's expected to be fighting for a depth role in the Giants' receiving corps, which added Parris Campbell, Jeff Smith and Jamison Crowder in free agency, while also adding Jalin Hyatt in the third round of the 2023 Draft.

Coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that Williams (suspension) is "miles ahead of where he was last year" and praised his activity in OTAs, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Williams wasn't able to participate in last year's offseason activities due to a torn ACL, but per Twentyman he's now made significant improvements, with Campbell singling out his route running in particular. The speedster's ACL recovery hindered his production as a rookie, limiting him to just one catch (a 41-yard touchdown) in six appearances, in addition to one carry that went for another 40 yards. Now back to full health, Williams' big-play skillset could set him up as an extremely productive contributor in Detroit's offense alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown, but he'll first need to fully serve his six-game suspension for violation of the NFL's gambling policy.

Chrest signed a contract with the Steelers on Thursday.

Chrest joined the Colts as a UDFA out of Sam Houston State earlier this month, but he was ultimately waived a few short days later. He'll now work to make the most out of his new opportunity.

Kupp (ankle) isn't taking part in the start of the Rams' OTA workouts, as he and his wife are expecting their third child soon, Skyler Carlin of USA Today reports.

Fantasy managers eager to see the star wideout return to the field after undergoing tightrope surgery for a right high-ankle sprain in November will have to wait a little longer, as Kupp awaits the arrival of a new member of his family. When Kupp does get back on the field for practice, he'll do so under the watchful eye of a new offensive coordinator (Mike LaFleur). Aside from subtracting Allen Robinson and gaining fifth-round draft pick Puka Nacua in the offseason, Kupp will be returning to a Los Angeles receiving corps that doesn't look dramatically different from when he suffered the ankle injury.

Cooper (abdomen) hasn't been practicing at OTAs this week, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Cooper had core muscle surgery back in February, and the procedure typically entails a recovery timeline of 6-to-8 weeks. While Cooper was in attendance for Wednesday's team workout, he was working off to the side with the training staff. There's no reason for the Browns to rush the 28-year-old wideout on the field ahead of training camp, and he should be back to 100 percent in time for padded practices.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday that Duvernay (foot) has been working hard and "kind of building his stamina back up" this spring.

Duvernay suffered a broken fifth metatarsal Dec. 20 and didn't resume running until the spring. He's been doing some on-field activities at the first few OTA sessions but still has limitations five months removed from the major injury. Duvernay averaged only 3.5 targets per game last season despite starting in 13 of his 14 appearances, and he's likely sliding down the depth chart after the Ravens added wideouts Odell Beckham, Zay Flowers and Nelson Agholor this offseason. Duvernay is still likely to return punts and kickoffs once he's healthy, and the players in front of him for reps on offense don't have the best track records for durability or reliability.