NFL Player News

Kinsey was spotted fielding punts during several practice periods Friday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Kinsey, an undrafted free agent, was noted as a standout earlier in camp, regularly making plays as a receiver. In particular, he's shown rapport with backup quarterback candidate Logan Woodside. However, Friday it was work on the special teams unit that was notable, as he fielded punts alongside Adam Humphries, Rashard Davis and Kalif Raymond. While Kinsey still has long odds to make the roster, he may stick on the practice squad and work on special teams as needed throughout the season.

Grant (undisclosed) reeled in a 45-yard pass in team drills Friday, Josh Tolentino of The Athletic reports.

Grant missed a couple of practice sessions due to a minor injury, but the 27-year-old is back to competing for the No. 3 wide-receiver role in Miami. His 45-yard reception turned heads coming off an injury, and now the 5-foot-7, 171-pound wideout will spend the rest of training camp holding off Isaiah Ford, Chester Rogers and Gary Jennings for a starting role.

Patmon has increased his chances of making the Colts' 53-man roster through a solid training camp, Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star reports.

Patmon came out of Washington State as an unpolished receiver, but the Colts were enamored enough by his frame (6-4, 228) and his senior-season production (58-762-8) that they took a flier on him in the sixth round. The knocks about his limited route tree may still be justified, but Patmon is asserting himself in training camp, showing he's dependable on jump balls and can leverage his speed (4.48-second 40) to get open. Patmon could still be on the roster bubble since there's plenty of proven talents on the team, but a strong end to camp could help him secure a spot.

The Patriots waived Hastings on Friday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

The undrafted rookie wasn't very productive at Auburn, catching 19 of 41 targets for 222 yards and a touchdown in his senior season. His best opportunity to make a roster this year will likely be through special teams.

Blacknall signed with the Steelers on Friday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Perhaps Blacknall never left the Steel City, as the Steelers cut the Penn State product exactly one week ago. He still figures to be a long shot to make the roster, but while Diontae Johnson (undisclosed) and Ryan Switzer (foot) tend to injuries, Blacknall will look to prove himself as a worthy depth option.

Thielen had three receptions for 67 yards in Friday's dress rehearsal scrimmage at U.S. Bank Stadium, Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated reports. Thielen has looked in top form in training camp and was the best player on the field during the scrimmage, Dane Mizutani of the St. Paul Pioneer Press adds.

Thielen's 2019 season was derailed by a hamstring injury in Week 7 and he had just three receptions the final nine games. However, he rebounded in the playoffs, hauling in 12 of 16 targets for 179 yards in two games. Following the Vikings' trade of Stefon Diggs this offseason, Thielen is destined to see plenty of targets in his age-30 season, presumably opposite first-round pick Justin Jefferson. It's encouraging to hear that he's back to top form in training camp and again the top target in the passing offense.

Pascal didn't practice Friday, Andrew Walker of the Colts' official site reports. He has a hamstring injury,Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star reports.

Pascal joined fellow wide receiver Parris Campbell (concussion) as a non-participant. Pascal took advantage of injuries in the Colts' receiving corps in 2019 and ending up pacing the team in receiving yards (607) while hauling in 41 of his 72 targets. With T.Y. Hilton healthy, Campbell poised to see an expanded role when he returns, and second-rounder Michael Pittman also in the mix, volume could be an issue for Pascal. He's therefore off the radar in most re-draft formats in his present context.

Campbell (concussion) remained sidelined at practice Friday, Kevin Bowen of 1075thefan.com reports.

Campbell, who is in the NFL's concussion protocol after he was in a minor car accident Wednesday, did watch Friday's session from the field, with Bowen noting that "normally, if a player suffers a particularly severe concussion, they would not be attending practice just a couple of days following the injury." Supporting that notion is that coach Frank Reich indicated Friday that Campbell "is going to be fine." While there's no precise timetable for the wideout's return to practice, time is on his side, with the Colts' season opener not until Sept. 13.

Cooper took part in individual drills Friday but had his workload in team drills managed, David Helman & Rob Phillips of DallasCowboys.com report.

With a five-year, $100 million contract extension in his pocket, Cooper's spot as the Cowboys' No. 1 receiver is extremely secure, and the team isn't going to wear him out in camp. Look for him to get a fairly heavy snap count in Sunday's intrasquad scrimmage, one of the few game-like situations the team will be involved in before Week 1.

Brown (undisclosed) didn't finish Friday's practice, but appeared to be okay as he left the field, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com.

Though Brown's issue doesn't appear to be anything too concerning, his status will nonetheless be worth monitoring in the coming days. The 2019 second-rounder is slated to serve as the Titans' top wideout this season, on the heels of recording a 52/1,051/8 stat line as a rookie.