NFL Player News

Shakir had a strong weekend of practice, taking advantage of extra opportunities with veterans Jamison Crowder and Jake Kumerow (undisclosed) sidelined by injuries, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

Crowder is making progress and expected to practice in some capacity this week, potentially pushing Isaiah McKenzie back to more second-team work. Shakir, a rookie fifth-round pick, has mostly worked with the backups this summer, but he could have a Week 1 role as the fourth or fifth receiver.

Coach Nick Sirianni said Monday that Pascal (illness) does not have a return timetable, Martin Frank of The Delaware News Journal reports.

Pascal is dealing with a stomach illness, one which has prevented him from participating in training camp thus far. If Pascal is unable to get back on the field in the near future and begin establishing a rapport with Jalen Hurts, it could lower his chances of earning a notable depth role in Philadelphia's wide receiver corps, which is headlined by A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

Crowder, who had been dealing with what coach Sean McDermott referred to as "soreness" and "tightness," will practice Monday, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

Now that Crowder is in line to resume practicing, he'll look to secure a role in the Bills' wide receiver corps, which is slated to feature Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis out wide, with Crowder and Isaiah McKenzie in the mix to handle slot duties and 2022 fifth-rounder Khalil Shakir also contending for snaps.

Edwards (arm) is not participating in the start of Monday's practice, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

Edwards fell on his right arm during Saturday's session and suffered an injury. GM Terry Fontenot said the team has no updates on his health or recovery timeline. Edwards has an opportunity to secure the No. 2 wide receiver role behind Drake London this season, but his chances of earning such a substantial gig could dip significantly if he's forced to miss more than a small portion of training camp.

Milne (foot) participated in Friday's practice session, Bryan Manning of USA Today reports.

Milne was in a protective walking boot at minicamp in mid-June but was catching passes at training camp Friday. The 23-year-old will presumably need to compete for a spot on the Commanders' 53-man roster ahead of the regular season.

Young (hamstring) participated in Saturday's practice session, Corbin Smith of SI.com reports.

Young was dealing with a hamstring injury in early June when voluntary OTAs wrapped up, but he was working with quarterback Drew Lock during Saturday's practice session. Young is competing for a spot on the 53-man roster during training camp.

Melton (hamstring) participated in Thursday's practice session, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

Melton was limited by a hamstring injury to close out voluntary OTAs in early June, but he appears to have moved past the issue now that training camp is underway. The 23-year-old will compete for a spot on the 53-man roster ahead of the regular season.

Samuel and the 49ers agreed to a three-year, $71.55 million contract extension Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Samuel reportedly requested a trade in April, but the star receiver and the team continued to work on an extension over the last several months. His deal includes $58.1 million guaranteed and keeps him under contract with the 49ers through the 2025 season. The 26-year-old had limited work during practices earlier in the offseason to preserve his health in the event of a trade, but he should ramp up his workload now that he's landed a long-term deal. Samuel saw work as both a receiver and running back in 2021, securing 77 of 121 targets for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns while rushing 59 times for 365 yards and eight more scores. He'll likely be catching passes from Trey Lance in 2022 because the 49ers are attempting to trade Jimmy Garoppolo.

Pickens has been impressive over the first few days of training camp, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.

Pickens was selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft and should have the opportunity to earn targets early in his rookie season because the team lost several receivers during the offseason. The 21-year-old likely will be behind Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool (shoulder) for targets to begin the regular season, but Pickens has made impressive catches over his first few practices in a Steelers uniform. Rookie Calvin Austin and veterans Miles Boykin and Anthony Miller also should be in the mix for work in Pittsburgh's passing game.

Duvernay avoided a serious injury after colliding with Chuck Clark during Saturday's training camp practice, Clifton Brown of the Ravens' official website reports.

Coach John Harbaugh said that Duvernay suffered a thigh bruise, and while the wideout sat out the rest of practice, he could've resumed action if necessary. "He hit his thigh, so good news, nothing serious there," Harbaugh said. The 2020 third-round pick faces a real opportunity to earn a more prolific role on offense heading into his third NFL season, especially after Baltimore's trade of Marquise Brown to Arizona and Sammy Watkins' departure to Green Bay.