NFL Player News

It’s especially notable because Washington is already without stud LT Trent Williams (thumb surgery). And RT Morgan Moses limped off a few plays later. The Skins can’t afford to lose so many linemen due to their run-heavy approach.

Meyers seemingly has the No. 4 wide receiver job locked up. On the first drive, he hauled in three passes. He bagged a nine-yard pass on an in-breaking route from the slot on the first, a 17-yard pass via a corner route from the slot and a 25-yard gain on the following play. The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. labeled Meyers a “roster lock,” saying at first a special teams returner role seemed to be Meyers’ ticket to a roster spot, but “the consistency of his playmaking at every turn of camp and the preseason made him undeniable.” He ran with the first-team offense in practice this week, and Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters said, “he can play all three positions.” File Meyers’ name away for down the road.

Tracy went down after an eight-yard run late in the second quarter. After he was on the ground for a while, Tracy headed to the locker room with a trainer. While the nature of his injury remains unclear, Tracy was an effective runner against the Jets with 37 yards and a touchdown on four carries.

Per Dehner, Young has “made as many highlight catches as anyone, validating the Bengals’ fourth-round pick.” He believes “the seeds of a bright future were planted” for Young this summer. That said, Young is still developing and is likely to start the season as the Bengals’ No. 5 wide receiver.

Pitts ripped off multiple double-digit gains, moved well and looked tough to bring down. He delivered a 37-yard catch on the Falcons’ first drive, securing the pass on a quick out route from bunch formation before taking off down the right sideline. He later had a 16-yard gain on a sort crossing route, where he again chewed up yards after the catch. Pitts is a mid-tier TE1 entering the year.

It was a rough day for Tagovailoa. The Falcons quarterback was greeted by booes in his former home stadium this evening. He maintained his relatively low level of play, throwing short and, at one point, fumbling a snap, which was recovered by a Dolphins defender. It was not his worst showing, but it is unlikely to earn him the starting job either.

Bell played in the preseason for the first time this evening. He got involved early and looked good. He snagged a four-yard catch on the first play from scrimmage and hauled in an 18-yarder on the next drive by finding the soft spot in the Falcons’ zone coverage on a post route. Bell got shaken up by a hard hit while unsuccessfully attempting to bring in another pass, but he remained on the field and came back out for the next drive as well. Bell’s return from an ACL tear seems to be going well, and the Dolphins’ wide receiver depth chart has open roles. He should be targeted as a last-round pick in 12-team fantasy drafts.

Douglas has seemingly secured a starting role in his rookie season. The big-bodied downfield wide receiver looked good in the first preseason game and played just three snaps in the second one. The Dolphins are expected to field a run-heavy offense, but Douglas could warrant FLEX treatment before long. He should be targeted late in drafts.

Taylor stops short of declaring Allen a starter in three-wide receiver sets, so he is likely still stuck in the No. 4 wide receiver spot. The fifth-round rookie has at least carved out a role for himself, and Taylor dubs him “the biggest winner in camp.” Allen is a worthwhile late-round pick at this time.

The Vikings hoped that McCarthy’s ankle injury would heal, but ultimately the 23-year-old quarterback isn’t ready to play. The injury is considered minor and McCarthy is day-to-day, according to Lewis. While minor, McCarthy’s injury has cost him valuable reps as he now finds himself battling Carson Wentz for the QB2 job.

Dehner has been covering the Bengals’ intent to increase the number of plays run from under center all summer. Last season, “the Bengals ran from under center 120 times on early downs. The league average was 210.” Per Dehner, it has become clear “over the weeks that the under-center offense would not be going away.” The Bengals are committed to changing their ways in pursuit of more explosive gains. Starting RB Chase Brown is a locked-in RB1.