NFL Player News

Beasley is dressed for Friday's practice after missing Thursday's session due to an illness, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

Perhaps the Bills will take it easy on the veteran slot receiver during the final practice of the week, but Beasley looks like he'll be good to go for Sunday's game at the Giants. He posted a 5-40-0 line in his Bills debut last week, but missed a catch that resulted in a turnover. His nine targets were a good sign, as Beasley and Josh Allen had a good rapport for much of the summer.

Smith announced his retirement from the NFL via Twitter on Friday.

Smith was released by the Panthers at the start of September and will call it a career rather than attempt to latch on elsewhere. The 30-year-old played for the Ravens, 49ers, Eagles and Panthers over eight NFL seasons and totaled 319 receptions for 5,141 yards and 41 touchdowns in 119 games.

Samuel brought in four of 12 targets for 82 yards and rushed once for two yards in the Panthers' 20-14 loss to the Buccaneers on Thursday.

Samuel saw his targets rise sharply from the scant four he'd logged against the Rams just four days earlier, and his 20.5 YPC paced both squads on the night. Additionally, Samuel was also an integral part of the Panthers' final drive, making grabs of 24 and nine yards while also drawing a face mask penalty on the latter catch. However, Samuel was also far from efficient considering the number of targets he saw, although Cam Newton's inaccuracy did have a role to play at times in the eight missed connections between the two. Nevertheless, the significant uptick in involvement does have to assuage fantasy owners that were disappointed by Samuel's underwhelming Week 1 performance, and he'll look to build on Thursday's effort against the Cardinals in a Week 3 battle a week from Sunday.

Moore brought in nine of 14 targets for 89 yards in the Panthers' 20-14 loss to the Buccaneers on Thursday.

Moore paced the Panthers in receptions and targets during the disappointing defeat, although his 9.9 YPC left much to be desired. The 2018 first-round pick has already been the recipient of 24 targets from Cam Newton across the first pair of contests, parlaying them into a team-leading 16 grabs. Although he's been unable to shake loose downfield thus far, Moore will inevitably hit on some big plays if he continues to see a similar level of volume. He'll look to extend his strong start to the season in a Week 3 battle against the Cardinals a week from Sunday.

Evans (illness) brought in four of eight targets for 61 yards in the Buccaneers' 20-14 win over the Panthers on Thursday.

Evans did manage to bump up his numbers from his lackluster 2-28-0 Week 1 line, but he still had a pedestrian catch rate and also failed to haul in a catchable first-half would-be touchdown. The Buccaneers' presumptive No. 1 receiver has had a bit of a ragged start to this 2019 campaign, and an illness that plagued him leading up to the opener likely had a role in his underwhelming numbers against the 49ers. Evans has been out-targeted by fellow wideout Chris Godwin by a 15-13 margin over the first pair of contests, but he'll look to put together his first breakout effort of the season at the expense of the Giants in a Week 3 matchup a week from Sunday.

Godwin brought in eight of nine targets for 121 yards and a touchdown in the Buccaneers' 20-14 win over the Panthers on Thursday.

Godwin's reception and receiving yardage totals led both squads for the night, as the third-year wideout displayed excellent routes and hands throughout the contest. Godwin's 20-yard touchdown reception late in the first half also erased a 6-3 deficit for the Buccaneers and served as his second in as many games to open the campaign. Notably, Godwin has logged 15 targets to Mike Evans' 13 over the first pair of contests, and although there's no question Evans will be a pivotal part of the offense, Godwin appears to be making the distinction between the No.1 and No. 2 receiver roles a thin one. With his first 100-yard effort of the season now under his belt, Godwin will look to continue his strong start to the campaign against the Giants in a Week 3 home matchup a week from this Sunday.

Coutee (ankle) was a full participant at Thursday's practice.

Coutee, who was inactive for Week 1, has been a full participant the first two days of the practice week. He should be anxious to get back on the field after newcomer Kenny Stills caught a touchdown pass and played 28 snaps so soon after being acquired by the Texans.

Anderson will be catching passes from Trevor Siemian in Week 2 and likely for at least another game after that, as ESPN's Rich Cimini reports that starting quarterback Sam Darnold will be sidelined by mononucleosis.

In addition to the downgrade in quarterback, Anderson will have to deal with elite cornerback Denzel Ward, who held Tennessee's Corey Davis without a catch in Week 1. While Anderson's stock is undoubtedly sinking in the short term, savvy owners could potentially capitalize on a potential Week 2 dud and acquire the speedster for pennies on the dollar in hopes of better days ahead.

Lockett (back) was a limited practice participant Thursday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

After Wednesday's DNP, this is a step in the right direction for Lockett, who has one more session to put a back injury behind him. When healthy, Lockett is the Seahawks' No. 1 wide receiver, but he took a back seat to rookie DK Metcalf in Week 1 in terms of targets (two to six). Friday's injury report will be telling for Lockett's chances to bounce back Sunday in Pittsburgh.

Miller (coach's decision) won't play in Thursday's matchup with Carolina, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Miller sat due to a coach's decision in Sunday's season opener as well. The rookie likely wouldn't factor into the Buccaneers' passing attack if he were active, so the receiving corps won't be shaken up much by his absence.