NFL Player News

Smith has been busy and effective at training camp, catching 11 of 14 targets through five full-team practices, Eliot Shorr-Parks of Sports Radio 94 WIP Philadelphia reports.

It sounds like the Eagles are getting their RBs a bit more involved in the passing game, particularly new addition D'Andre Swift, but the reports coming out of Philadelphia otherwise have Smith, A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert predictably dominating targets from QB Jalen Hurts. Those three accounted for 77.7 percent of the team's receiving yards and 69.3 percent of the targets last season, with Smith's shares coming in at 27.4 percent and 26.9 percent, respectively. There's probably not a ton of room for growth beyond 26.9 percent target share so long as Brown and Goedert enjoy relatively healthy seasons, but Smith could nonetheless match or exceed last year's stats if he improves his already-strong efficiency numbers (69.9 percent catch rate, 8.8 YPT). That certainly isn't out of the question, given he's an extremely talented 24-year-old entering his third pro season while playing in an elite offense.

Campbell (knee) will return to practice Friday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Campbell missed just one day of practice due to tendinitis in his knee. Prior to that, he was staying busy at Giants training camp, with multiple beat writers reporting that Campbell and TE Darren Waller were drawing the most targets from QB Daniel Jones during practices. The former Colt thus appears on track for a top-three spot at WR to open the season, though it could be a fairly fluid position for the Giants throughout the year given that they have quantity more so than quality at the position.

Darden (leg) did not play in Thursday's preseason game against the Jets.

Darden is having a strong camp, but a leg injury Tuesday prevented him from competing Thursday. He's in the mix at both return jobs and is seen as the primary competitor of Jakeem Grant (ankle) at both wideout and returner. It's unlikely the Browns keep both.

Grant did not play in Thursday's preseason game against the Jets and remains limited at practice as he tries to return from a torn Achilles tendon, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Grant has been first in line at kick-return drills but has yet to practice at full speed. The Browns signed him in 2022 to reform the return game, but Grant is not a lock for a roster spot until he can work at full health and compete in games. Hassan Hall handled the return duties Thursday, but the role is expected to be handled by Grant, Jerome Ford or Jaelon Darden (leg).

Schwartz caught his lone target for seven yards, had one carry for seven yards and fumbled in Thursday's preseason victory over the Jets.

That the third-year wideout was playing in the ceremonial Hall of Fame Game indicates where he stands in terms of a roster spot -- on the wrong side of the bubble. His fumble, which led to a Jets field goal, may have sealed his fate.

Metchie has been fielding kicks on special teams along with his work on offense during training camp, Deepi Sidhu of the Texans' official site reports.

Metchie has participated in all seven days of training camp after missing what would have been his rookie season in 2022 due to a leukemia diagnosis last summer. The wideout reports feeling "110 percent," saying he feels better now than he did in college at Alabama. Once preseason games begin, Metchie's place on the depth chart will become clearer. He currently sits in a pack, along with Noah Brown, Nathaniel Dell and Xavier Hutchinson, behind Nico Collins and Robert Woods. Houston's first preseason game takes place Thursday against New England.

Beasley worked as the Giants' No. 1 slot receiver during Thursday's practice, Ryan Novozinksy of NJ Advance Media reports.

Beasley's role Thursday must be taken with context, as Parris Campbell -- who has been occupying the No. 1 slot position during training camp -- was sidelined due a knee issue and Sterling Shepard and Wan'Dale Robinson are both working back from ACL tears. Still, it can only help Beasley in his quest to make the team and play a meaningful role this season that he had such a prominent opportunity to show that he still has gas left in the tank, especially since he reportedly has looked good in camp so far. The Giants have a crowded receiver room, especially in the slot, and it's too early to make any assumptions about how things will shake out, but Beasley appears to have at least a decent chance to secure a depth spot with New York in his age-34 campaign.

Bell brought in both targets for six yards during the Browns' 21-16 preseason win over the Jets in Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game.

The 2022 third-round pick tied with several teammates for third in receptions on the night, but all of Bell's yardage actually came on one catch. The 24-year-old logged a team-high 236 snaps out of the slot last season and was in on 493 plays from scrimmage overall across 16 games, but he had a modest 24-214 line to show for it. The Purdue product is fighting to carve out a spot on the latter portion of the Browns' receiver depth chart, and he was notably outperformed by rookie third-round selection Cedric Tillman, one of his primary competitors, on Thursday. Bell will aim to make up ground during Cleveland's second preseason tilt, a home clash against the Commanders a week from Friday.

Tillman secured two of three targets for 35 yards during the Browns' 21-16 preseason win over the Jets in Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game.

The 2023 third-round pick tied with Austin Watkins for the team lead in receiving yardage while also recording the Browns' second-longest catch of the night (20 yards). Tillman was a 1,000-yard receiver at Tennessee in 2021 before being limited to six games as a senior, and with Marquise Goodwin (illness) on the NFI list indefinitely, the rookie could carve out a No. 4 receiver role with a strong enough summer.

Brownlee brought in two of five targets for 17 yards during the Jets' 21-16 preseason loss to the Browns in Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game.

The undrafted rookie, who's been turning heads since OTAs, put together a solid showing relative to his playing time and the quarterback play overall. Brownlee's catch total tied him with two other players for the team lead on the night, while his target tally encouragingly set the pace for the Jets as well. While his numbers don't exactly jump off the page, Brownlee's solid target volume suggests he consistently gained some separation, giving him something to build on in a road preseason battle against the Panthers a week from Saturday.