NFL Player News

Diggs (back) practiced on a limited basis Thursday, Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site reports.

Diggs returned to practice Monday after missing a few days due to a sore back, so the guess here is that the team will be managing his issue in an attempt to make sure he's as close to 100 percent as possible for Week 1 against the Jets.

Coach Bill O'Brien said Coutee has looked good since returning from a foot injury, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Coutee missed about a week of practice in late August while resting a stress fracture in his foot. It's fair to wonder if the issue will pop up again this season, but he apparently didn't have any limitations in Wednesday's practice, as O'Brien noted that the third-year pro was returning kicks, taking reverses and running routes from the slot. With Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb and Kenny Stills all looking healthy, it's hard to see how Coutee fits in. The Texans might look for a trade, and they could even consider waiving Coutee if other depth receivers are expected to contribute more on special teams.

Offensive coordinator Shane Steichen suggests that Williams (shoulder) has a shot to play in Week 1 against the Bengals, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports. "Mike's gotta be ready to play," Steichen noted. "I think Mike has got that mindset to be ready to play. We look forward to having him on September 13."

We'll get a better read on Williams' Week 1 status once official practice participation reports start rolling in next week, but it sounds like the starting wideout could well tough it out in the Chargers' season opener. If that's the case, he'll be catching passes from confirmed starting QB Tyrod Taylor.

Campbell has cleared the NFL's concussion protocol, Andrew Walker of the Colts' official site reports.

That was confirmed by coach Frank Reich on Thursday, who added that the wideout is "full-go" for practice. Campbell -- whose 2019 rookie season was stalled by injuries -- now looks like the top candidate to work alongside T.Y. Hilton and rookie second-rounder Michael Pittman when the Colts roll with three-wideout formations to start the coming season.

James (wrist) was activated from the 49ers' non-football injury list Thursday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

James missed all of training camp, but coach Kyle Shanahan expects the 5-foot-9 receiver to be ready for Week 1. The 49ers likely envision James in a depth role on offense, potentially contributing as a return specialist as well. His clean recovery from a broken wrist could hurt the roster odds for guys like Dante Pettis and Kevin White.

With the Patriots parting ways with Mohamed Sanu, Byrd is the current favorite to emerge as the team's No. 3 wide receiver behind Julian Edelman and N'Keal Harry, ESPN's Mike Reiss reports.

Neither Edelman nor Harry possess blazing speed, and that's one thing Byrd can bring to the table. The 5-foot-9, 180-pounder, who can also return punts, could therefore carve out a role as an outside receiver in the team's offense. Whether that's a context that would include enough volume to merit fantasy consideration remains to be seen, but Byrd -- who logged a 32/359/1 stat line in 11 games with Arizona in 2019 -- is at least worth considering as a deep sleeper in re-draft formats and a potential economical DFS option certain weeks.

Cooper has missed four consecutive practices, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

No specific injury has been reported, and the Cowboys have downplayed the situation. Still, it's something to keep an eye on ahead of a Sunday night opener (Sept. 13) against the Rams, especially given Cooper's history of playing through lower-body injuries. For what it's worth, Todd Archer of ESPN.com thought Cooper spent a lot of time stretching his quadriceps before he did some resistance-cord workouts with a trainer Thursday morning.

Perriman (knee) isn't practicing Thursday, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

Perriman's first reported absence from practice was Aug. 23, so he's now coming up on two weeks. He did some running on a side field Wednesday, and results from an MRI suggest his knee shouldn't be a long-term issue. However, coach Adam Gase acknowledged a troubling pattern of on-and-off swelling, with Perriman thus far unable to put the issue fully behind him. The veteran wideout still has some time to get ready for the season opener at Buffalo, but it'll be cause for serious concern if he isn't practicing by early next week.

Campbell (concussion) practiced for a second consecutive day Wednesday while donning a red non-contact jersey, Jim Ayello of The Indianapolis Star reports.

While the Colts haven't announced whether Campbell has cleared the protocol, he's evidently making progress and looks on track for Week 1. Campbell entered the protocol after a minor car accident last week. If and when he's healthy, Campbell looks like the top candidate to work alongside T.Y. Hilton and rookie second-rounder Michael Pittman when the Colts employ three-wideout formations.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that he expects James (wrist) to be cleared ahead of the 49ers' Sept. 13 season opener against the Cardinals, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Shanahan said in late August that he didn't expect James to be ready for Week 1, so this seems like an indication that the second-year pro's recovery is ahead of schedule. If he makes the roster and receives full medical clearance, James stands to contribute as a depth receiver and return man for the 49ers.