NFL Player News

Cooper (heel/foot) anticipates being pain-free before the regular-season opener, also noting that he should be able to play through the injury if it doesn't resolve, Clarence Hill of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Absent since the second week of training camp, Cooper will miss the entire preseason but hopes to return to practice next week. His confidence in playing in the regular-season opener might be taken as a good sign, but it is a bit worrisome that he's already discussing the possible need to fight through his plantar fasciitis, an injury that tends to linger. Cooper dealt with the same issue during his sophomore year at Alabama and rookie season in Oakland, the latter resulting in a 1,000-yard campaign. He said his foot has improved since two weeks ago, allowing him to run routes at less than full speed the past few days.

Shepard (thumb) won't play in Thursday's preseason game against the Bengals, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

Shepard fractured the tip of his left thumb on the second day of training camp and was limited to non-contact work until this past weekend. Coach Pat Shurmur said the wide receiver is on track for Week 1 against Dallas, though Shepard still has a splint on his thumb for support, per Tom Rock of Newsday.

Blacknall (undisclosed) reverted to injured reserve Wednesday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Blacknall was waived/injured by the Dolphins with the unspecified injury, but he moves to IR after clearing waivers. The 23-year-old will be out for the season unless he agrees to an injury settlement.

Grayson (knee) reverted to injured reserve Wednesday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Grayson was waived/injured by the Chiefs earlier in the week, but he lands on injured reserve after going unclaimed on waivers. The 23-year-old will miss the 2019 season unless he reaches an injury settlement with the team.

Hill (personal) returned to practice Wednesday, KCTV 5 News reports.

Held out Tuesday for personal reasons, Hill was quick to rejoin his teammates in preparation for Saturday's preseason game against the 49ers. He could see a decent chunk of playing time, as coach Andy Reid usually gives his best players some run in exhibition contests, bucking the recent trend league-wide.

Cooks and other starters aren't expected to play in Saturday's preseason game against Denver, Gary Klein of The Los Angeles Times reports.

Sean McVay played starters in the preseason his first year as a head coach, but he held out all the big names last summer and seems to have the same plan this time around. Cooks seems to have been healthy throughout most of the offseason and training camp, apart from a brief absence caused by a minor hamstring tweak at the beginning of his August. He's locked in as Jared Goff's favorite deep threat, seeking a fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season.

Smith-Schuster is focused on becoming more of a deep threat outside, Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. "Being able to catch the deep balls down the field," Smith-Schuster said. "That's what I've focused on a lot, catching the ball over the shoulder and being able to be a threat on the outside."

With Antonio Brown off to Oakland and slot specialists Ryan Switzer and Eli Rogers left behind in Pittsburgh, there's an excellent chance Smith-Schuster takes more of his snaps outside this season. It's less clear if he'll become a viable deep threat, but he's so good at everything else that it shouldn't be a major issue if he struggles to gain separation on go routes. His work after the catch has led to some huge plays through two seasons, including gains of 97, 97, 75, 69 and 67 yards.

Kupp's post-surgery athletic testing numbers for quickness and agility are better than the times he had before he tore his ACL, Jay Glazer of The Athletic reports.

This should be taken with a grain of salt, as the exact nature of the drills isn't specified, nor is the date when his pre-injury times were recorded. Kupp may be held out for the entire preseason along with the rest of the Rams' top starters, but his participation in practices this summer suggests he's on track for Week 1 at Carolina. His stat line from eight appearances last season prorates to an 80-1,132-12 receiving line over 16 games -- and that includes two contests in which injuries limited him to 36 and 28 snaps.

Crabtree agreed Wednesday with the Cardinals on a one-year deal, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

Crabtree worked out with Arizona earlier in August, but it took a couple weeks before the two sides could come to terms on a deal. The veteran wide receiver had 54 catches for 607 yards and three touchdowns on 100 targets in Baltimore last season. He's expected to fill a depth role as a member of the Cardinals, the fourth stop of his NFL career.

Crabtree is nearing agreement on a contract with the Cardinals, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Crabtree was close to reaching a deal with Arizona earlier in August after working out with the team, but those talks ultimately fell apart. His latest discussions with Arizona appear to be gaining some steam, with rookie wideout Hakeem Butler's fractured hand perhaps spurring the Cardinals to bring in some additional depth at the position. The 31-year-old Crabtree caught 54 of 100 targets for 607 yards and three touchdowns with the Ravens last season, but he probably won't be in store for as prominent of a role if he ends up reaching a deal with Arizona.