NFL Player News
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Trey Benson RB | ARI
Cardinals' Trey Benson: Packs on seven pounds
Benson said Thursday that he added seven pounds during the offseason but feels more explosive, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Benson also said he wants the Cardinals to have "two RB1s" this season, suggesting he's ready for a larger role behind James Conner after taking 69 touches for 350 total yards (on 137 snaps) during his rookie campaign. The 2024 third-round pick missed the final three games of last season with an ankle injury but came back healthy for OTAs and minicamp this spring. There aren't many running backs that offer a better combination of speed and size, with Benson having run a 4.39 40 at the 2024 Combine at 6 feet, 216 pounds. It sounds like he may have maintained that speed while pushing his weight to the 220-225 range.
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Troy Franklin WR | DEN
Broncos' Troy Franklin: Looking good this spring
Broncos coach Sean Payton said Thursday that Franklin had a good spring, looking "extremely explosive" and "about five pounds heavier," Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.
Franklin had 2,274 receiving yards and 23 TDs over his final two seasons at Oregon, but he fell to the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft after checking in at just 172 pounds at the combine -- an unheard of weight for a 6-foot-2 wide receiver in the NFL. He's still among the thinnest players at his position, and coming off a low-impact rookie year with 263 yards on 53 targets, but Franklin may nonetheless be part of the competition this summer for Denver's Nos. 2 and 3 WR spots behind top target Courtland Sutton. The competition includes Marvin Mims, Devaughn Vele and rookie third-round pick Pat Bryant.
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Brian Thomas Jr. WR | JAC
Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Returns to practice
Thomas (shoulder) was a full practice participant Thursday, SI.com's John Shipley reports.
He returned for the final offseason practice after exiting early a day before. With the shoulder injury confirmed to minor, Thomas should be a full go for the start of training camp, where he'll look to build on a phenomenal rookie season in which he caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 TDs on 133 targets. The Jaguars have a new coaching staff, led by Liam Coen, and a new-look WR room with Travis Hunter and Dyami Brown replacing Christian Kirk (Texans) and Gabe Davis (free agent).
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Jauan Jennings WR | SF
49ers' Jauan Jennings: Bothered by calf
Jennings dealt with a minor calf injury during the offseason program, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
It doesn't sound like something that will impact Jennings' availability for training camp, but this did leave the 49ers without their projected top three WRs during spring practices, with Brandon Aiyuk still rehabbing an ACL tear and Ricky Pearsall nursing a hamstring injury. In their absence, free-agent addition Demarcus Robinson and 2024 fourth-round pick Jacob Cowing reportedly stepped up and took more reps on the first-team offense.
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Noah Brown WR | WAS
Commanders' Noah Brown: Set for MRI
Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Thursday that Brown (undisclosed) will undergo an MRI, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.
Quinn did not specify the nature of Brown's issue, but the veteran wideout appeared to go down via a non-contact injury while making a catch on the ground at practice Wednesday. He was able to walk to the sideline under his own strength but then had to be carted into the building. If the MRI reveals a significant injury for Brown, Washington will have to count on one of Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, Michael Gallup (hamstring), K.J. Osborn or Chris Moore to step up as the No. 3 receiver behind Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel.
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Tetairoa McMillan WR | CAR
Panthers' Tetairoa McMillan: Wraps minicamp with rest day
McMillan (leg) is not participating in Carolina's final session of mandatory minicamp Thursday as a precautionary measure, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
Panthers coach Dave Canales said McMillan took a hit to the leg Tuesday while accidentally colliding with a defensive back, per Joe Person of The Athletic, causing the rookie first-round pick to be held out of the final two days of mandator minicamp. All signs are that McMillan's absence from on-field work is purely precautionary, but the next chance to see him at team practices won't come until training camp in July. A minor injury at this stage of the summer doesn't move the needle in terms of projecting McMillan's production Year 1, so if an abundance of caution causes his ADP to slide in early fantasy drafts it could be an opportunity to pounce.
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David Njoku TE | CLE
Browns' David Njoku: On field for minicamp
Njoku (knee) has been an active participant at Cleveland's mandatory minicamp, which concludes Thursday, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Njoku missed the final two regular-season games of the 2024 campaign due to a knee injury and then skipped voluntary OTAs, but his participation at minicamp finally provides confirmation that he's fully healthy. The 2017 first-round pick, who turns 29 in July, figures to be extra motivated as he heads into a contract year, and with the Browns having added some competition for routes in the form of third-round rookie TE Harold Fannin, who led the FBS in terms of catches in 2024. Njoku is no stranger to underwhelming quarterback play, but as Cleveland prepares for a year in which all of Deshaun Watson (Achilles), Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders have conceivable paths to the starting lineup, it looks inevitable that he again is faced with overcoming a tumultuous situation under center.
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Malik Nabers WR | NYG
Giants' Malik Nabers: Limited to walkthrough
Giants coach Brian Daboll said Thursday that Nabers (toe) is progressing but not quite ready to practice, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reports.
Nabers' toe injury reportedly dates back to college and then bothered him at times during his rookie season, but it isn't anything that led to missed games or required a procedure during the offseason. While yet to practice this spring, he's talking part in a walkthrough Thursday and may be ready for a full workload at the start of training camp in late July. It's unclear if Nabers has a chance to practice next week when the Giants hold mandatory minicamp June 17-19.
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Kevin Foelsch TE | KC
Chiefs' Kevin Foelsch: Going to Kansas City
The Chiefs signed Foelsch on Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Foelsch was cut from the practice squad of the Super Bowl champions, the Eagles, near the end of last year. Now, he's getting picked up by last season's Super Bowl runner up. He'll probably have to make a big impression during training camp to earn a spot on the final 53-man roster for 2025.
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Germaine Pratt LB | LV
Raiders' Germaine Pratt: Donning silver and black
Las Vegas signed Pratt to a one-year, $4.25 million contract Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Pratt was cut loose by Cincinnati on Monday, but it didn't take long for him to find another suitor. After all, he is coming off a season in which he recorded a career-high 143 tackles (80 solo), good for 10th in the NFL in 2024. He projects to start for the Raiders in 2025 and could be one of their leading tacklers if he stays healthy.