NFL Player News

Coach Matt LaFleur said Saturday that Rodgers is "in much better shape" heading into his second NFL season, Peter Bukowski of The Leap reports.

Rodgers, a 2021 third-round pick, only filled a depth role as a rookie (eight targets in 16 appearances), but he reportedly looks leaner and more explosive in the early days of training camp. At the least, Rodgers is facing increased opportunity. With Davante Adams no longer in the mix, Rodgers is competing for touches in a wide receiver corps headlined by Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb along with rookies Christian Watson (knee) and Romeo Doubs. If Rodgers can continue to live up to LaFleur's praise, it certainly wouldn't be out of the question for him to handle a larger role Year 2.

Edwards left Saturday's practice early to undergo additional testing after evidently injuring his right arm, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

Head coach Arthur Smith downplayed the injury following practice, but the fact Edwards is expected to undergo additional testing is at least worth monitoring. The former Raiders wide receiver has been working with the starting unit opposite Drake London as the team's No. 2 wideout to begin training camp.

Pascal is not practicing Saturday due to an illness, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Pascal has been sidelined due to an illness since Wednesday, per EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer, but the Eagles' practice report indicates that the wideout is not dealing with COVID. The 27-year-old wideout is competing for a depth gig in Philadelphia's wide receiver corps, so it would benefit him to return to training camp as soon as possible.

Moore feels more comfortable heading into his second season and is ready to take a second-year leap, Jared Greenspan of the New York Post reports.

Moore was still getting used to the NFL level as a rookie, yet he still managed to lead the Jets in receiving yards despite playing just 11 games. He expects to be even better in his sophomore season and even feels comfortable enough to give rookie first-round pick Garrett Wilson tips, both on and off the field. "I had to go experience it," Moore said of playing at NFL speed last season. Now, he feels ready to excel: "I'm waiting, I'm ready for the game."

Claypool sustained a shoulder injury during Friday's practice, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Afterward, coach Mike Tomlin relayed that the wide receiver's shoulder issue is "probably not serious" and at this time the team doesn't have a "high level of concern" regarding the matter. With that in mind, consider Claypool day-to-day.

Teammate Terry McLaurin has been impressed with Dotson's hands and believes the rookie first-round pick out of Penn State will be an impact player out of the gate for Washington, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

"When you're a sure-handed guy like he is and has been up until this point, he has a lot of confidence when the ball does get into his vicinity," McLaurin said of Dotson. While McLaurin is the clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver for Washington, Dotson could earn a prominent role right away, as Curtis Samuel is his primary competition for targets behind McLaurin at wide receiver.

Slayton has mostly been running with the second-team offense through the first few days of training cap, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

The report does note that Slayton has been getting some reps with the starters this summer, after largely working with the backups this spring. Still, it sounds like Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney and second-round pick Wan'Dale Robinson all have been more involved alongside Daniel Jones, not to mention veteran slot man Sterling Shepard (Achilles) is hoping to come back from the active/PUP list at some point. Slayton may be resigned to a depth role or trade in the final year of his rookie contract.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury is hopeful Brown (hamstring) returns to practice "next week at some point," Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports. "I don't know when, but that's our hope," Kingsbury added Friday.

The Cardinals placed Brown on the active/non-football injury list Tuesday due to a hamstring issue, giving him a chance to practice at any point during training camp once he's healthy. With more than a month before the regular season, he'll have plenty of time to reach 100 percent, but getting back on the field will be the first step in that process. Once he's available, Brown is poised to serve as the team's top wide receiver Week 1, when DeAndre Hopkins' six-game suspension kicks in.

Robinson left Thursday's practice early after getting hit in the back and landing hard, but he was able to practice Friday, Dan Benton of Giants Wire reports.

Robinson appears to have avoided an injury Thursday and should continue to take valuable reps in training camp. The rookie second-round pick out of Kentucky will be jostling for playing time in a Giants receiving corps that also includes Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Sterling Shepard (Achilles) and Darius Slayton.

Woods (knee) says his goal is to be ready to play in the season opener against the Giants, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

Woods is unlikely to play in preseason, but he has progressed well in his recovery from a mid-November ACL tear. The veteran wide receiver has been able to build a rapport with quarterback Ryan Tannehill by running routes in practice, as Woods' knee is already healthy enough for non-contact work.