NFL Player News

In the wake of James White's retirement, based on how things have gone in training camp, Montgomery could have the inside track to fill the Patriots' vacated receiving back role, Evan Lazar of the team's official site reports.

One bit of context supporting that notion is that Montgomery was among the Patriots (a group that included the team's key skill players) who sat out Thursday night's preseason opener. The report notes that rookie Pierre Strong is also candidate to help fill the void created by the absence of White, but the 2022 fourth-rounder is going to need to establish that he can be counted on in pass protection and thus may be eased into the mix if Montgomery indeed claims a notable change-of-pace role out of the gate this season behind top early-down options Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson.

Edwards (shoulder) won't play in Friday's preseason game against Detroit.

Edwards has been practicing in a non-contact jersey and didn't travel to Detroit for Friday's exhibition. He's right in the mix for a starting wideout job, and his ability to continue practicing in some capacity suggests he's dealing with a sprain or bad bruise rather than a severe injury.

Chase could see more work in the slot this year, with offensive coordinator Brian Callahan noting that the second-year wideout is a "really smart" player who knows assignments for multiple receiver spots, Paul Dehner of The Athletic reports.

Primarily an X receiver last season, Chase didn't move around the formation much early on, instead finding success with his ability to beat press coverage, win one-on-one matchups outside and run past slower defenders. The Bengals moved him around a bit more as the year went along, but his 20.6 percent slot-snap rate over the final nine games (including playoffs) was still on the low side for a top receiver. Chase could move inside a bit more often this year, though it isn't clear how much that even matters for fantasy, as he finished last year with 2.49 yards per route run from the slot and 2.45 YPRR on the perimeter. There's also the matter of fellow Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd, who has primarily worked the slot for most of his career.

Agholor was among the Patriots' key skill players who didn't see action in Thursday's preseason opener against the Giants, Mark Daniels of The Providence Journal reports.

The same applies to fellow wideouts Jakobi Meyers, DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne, which paved the way for Kristian Wilkerson, Tre Nixon, Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Tyquan Thornton to see added opportunities Thursday. Once the season starts, steady volume in New England's passing game could remain an issue for Agholor; however, if the 2015 first-rounder and Mac Jones develop improved chemistry in the QB's second season, a resurgence is possible for Agholor in 2022, especially if the team takes more downfield shots.

Wilkerson logged 46 snaps en route to recording eight catches for 99 yards in Thursday's 23-21 preseason loss to the Giants, Mike Dussault of the Patriots' official site reports.

With the Patriots resting starting quarterback Mac Jones and top wideouts DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor, Wilkerson was targeted a team-high 12 times in the contest. Now in his third year with New England after spending the last two seasons primarily on the practice squad, Wilkerson is currently competing with Tyquan Thornton, Tre Nixon, Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Josh Hammond for a depth spot on the team's roster. As a 2022 second-round draft pick, Thornton figures to make the cut, but Wilkerson could end up landing a spot if injuries or roster moves thin out the squad's WR ranks as the summer progresses.

Johnson reeled in seven of eight targets for 82 yards in Thursday's 23-21 preseason victory over New England.

Johnson led New York pass catchers in targets, receptions and yards in the opening game of the preseason slate. The third-year pro caught five passes for 51 yards in Week 3 last season but had only six receptions the rest of the campaign. He's on the bubble for a spot on the 53-man roster, so Thursday's performance could prove to be especially important for his chances of making the squad.

James caught three of five targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in a 23-21 preseason win over the Patriots on Thursday.

Collin Johnson led New York pass catchers with seven receptions and 82 yards, but James corralled the only touchdown, running a nice route to gather a seven-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor in the second quarter. James is competing with a handful of other receivers for a spot on the 53-man roster, so Thursday's solid showing could go a long way toward that goal.

Robinson was listed as a starter but wasn't targeted in Thursday's 23-21 preseason win at New England.

Fellow starting wide receiver Kenny Golladay and No. 1 quarterback Daniel Jones played the first two possessions of the game, so Robinson likely logged at least as much action as the established pair. A second-round pick in the 2022 Draft, Robinson impressed throughout the offseason program and training camp and was listed on the first-team offense on the Giants' first unofficial depth chart, putting himself in good standing in a receiving corps that's injury prone. At the moment, second-year pro Kadarius Toney (leg) isn't practicing, and Sterling Shepard (Achilles) remains on the PUP list, leaving Golladay, Robinson and Darius Slayton as the team's top healthy options.

Thornton caught both of his targets for nine yards and a touchdown in Thursday's 23-21 preseason loss to the Giants.

Thornton capped the first quarter with a two-yard touchdown catch to get the Patriots on the board, putting an exclamation point on his NFL debut. The rookie second-round pick out of Baylor was drafted to stretch the field in the methodical New England offense, but Thornton could carve out a more prominent role if he proves to be an effective option in the red zone, and Thursday's touchdown should help in that regard. Thornton will look to build on this promising debut when the Patriots host the Panthers on Aug. 19 for their next preseason game.

Philips failed to bring in his only target and returned two punts for 16 yards in the Titans' 23-10 preseason loss to the Ravens on Thursday night.

The rookie fifth-round pick drew the second target of the night on the opening drive from Malik Willis, but that was the extent of his involvement on offense. Philips did muster a 13-yard return when the Ravens were forced to punt on their first drive, yet he wasn't able to carry over any of the momentum he'd generated as a receiver in recent camp practices. The UCLA product will need to have much more of a presence on offense beginning with the Titans' next exhibition matchup against the Buccaneers a week from Saturday night to make his case for slotting in a WR corps that also includes Robert Woods, Treylon Burks and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.