NFL Player News

Coach Doug Pederson confirmed Wednesday that Arcega-Whiteside has earned an early season role in the Eagles' offense, Daniel Gallen of The Harrisburg Patriot-News reports.

Arcega-Whiteside heads into the regular season as the youngest member of a crowded receiver room housing Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson (finger) and Nelson Agholor. The veterans currently command the top three spots on the depth chart, but Pederson's comments suggest Arcega-Whiteside may see more prominent usage than a typical No. 4 wideout. The rookie second-round pick impressed in the preseason with 12 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown, and his 6-foot-2, 225-pound frame and jump-ball skills could quickly make him Carson Wentz's favorite red-zone weapon.

Shepherd (hamstring) has been ruled out for Thursday's game versus the Bears, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

After missing all three practices this week, Shepherd's NFL debut will be put on hold. The North Dakota State product had an impressive preseason -- he nabbed eight catches for 68 yards and two scores -- earning his spot on the 53-man roster as a result. Allen Lazard was called up from the practice squad to add depth to the Packers' receiving corps.

Isabella isn't included among the Cardinals' three starting receivers heading into Sunday's game against the Lions, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk appear locked in as Arizona's top two receivers, while veteran Michael Crabtree is included in the starting group on the team's first depth chart of the regular season. Even if Crabtree doesn't ultimately start, Isabella isn't believed to be the top candidate to fill the opening, as Trent Sherfield, KeeSean Johnson and Damiere Byrd are listed as the second-string options on the depth chart. At this stage, the Cardinals appear to view Isabella as more of a developmental project than a player being counted upon to make an immediate impact as a rookie.

Shepherd (hamstring) didn't practice Tuesday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Shepherd earned his 53-man roster spot throughout the preseason, racking up eight catches (on 12 targets) for 68 yards and two touchdowns across four games. It helped that Equanimeous St. Brown (ankle) landed on IR, but Shepherd's own status for Week 1 at Chicago now is in question after he missed sessions both Monday and Tuesday. Shepherd may have to make an appearance at Wednesday's practice to have a shot to suit up Thursday.

Davis (shoulder) cleared waivers Sunday and was placed on IR, Brooke Pryor of The Kansas City Star reports.

Davis battled an Achilles injury during the offseason and beginning of training camp, and he suffered a shoulder injury in the final preseason game versus the Packers. He'll remain on injured reserve unless he and the Chiefs reach an injury settlement.

The Packers signed Lazard (concussion) to their 53-man roster Wednesday, Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports.

With Darrius Shepherd dealing with a hamstring injury and tight end Jace Sternberger (knee) on injured reserve, the Packers were in need of more pass-catching depth. Lazard made a worthy case for a roster spot in the preseason, but Shepherd's own solid showing in the exhibition slate made the former expendable. For now, there will be room for both on the roster, and Lazard could end up dressing in Thursday's season opener versus the Bears with Shepherd already ruled out. Lazard was dealing with a concussion ahead of landing on the practice squad, but his signing indicates that he's likely passed through all five phases of the protocol.

Anderson (calf) participated in the early portion of Wednesday's practice, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

Anderson's presence on the field supports a report from Monday that suggested he's trending in the right direction for Sunday's season opener against Buffalo. Another update will be available later Wednesday, when the Jets release their initial Week 1 injury report.

Coach Freddie Kitchens said Beckham (hip) is "ready to go" for Sunday's game against the Titans, Andrew Gribble of the Browns' official site reports.

Beckham returned to team drills Monday after missing the entire preseason. There hasn't been serious doubt about his Week 1 availability at any point, though his history of lower-body injuries creates some concern regarding his chances to play 16 games. In any case, the 26-year-old will have his first opportunity to play in a game with Baker Mayfield when the Browns host the Titans this weekend. The Tennessee defense was tough on quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends last season, but only nine teams allowed more fantasy points to wideouts, and only eight yielded more receiving yards to the position. Beckham should run most of his routes against Malcolm Butler or Adoree' Jackson, a pair of cornerbacks who came on strong last December after struggling earlier in the year.

Crabtree is listed as a starter on the Cardinals' first depth chart for the regular season, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

This is a good time to point out that depth charts are created by a team's communications/PR department, not the football staff. To that end, coach Kliff Kingsbury said last week that he wasn't sure if Crabtree would be ready for the regular-season opener Sunday against the Lions. The depth chart doesn't provide an answer, but the decision to keep Crabtree on the 53-man roster suggests he'll eventually have a role on offense, considering he's never been a factor on special teams. Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk are the other starting wide receivers on the depth chart, with KeeSean Johnson, Trent Sherfield and Damiere Byrd listed as second-stringers. Rookie second-round pick Andy Isabella checks in at the very bottom.

The Bills are listing three starters on their first unofficial depth chart for the season: Jones, John Brown and Cole Beasley, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports.

The team will run three wideouts for much of the campaign, so there's playing time to be had for all three players. However, it'll be interesting to see who gets pulled off the field the most when the Bills run power sets or use multiple tight-end packages. Each wideout offers something unique from the other of his teammates, so it could turn into a situation where each player plays about 70-80 percent of the game but is quasi-capped. If any of the three is going to inch toward 100 percent, it's probably Beasley, given his value in the slot and as a security blanket for Josh Allen. The one takeaway from this summer is that Robert Foster has clearly taken a back seat in the pecking order, when at one point Jones looked to be competing with him for depth chart positioning.