NFL Player News

The Falcons traded a conditional seventh-rounder for Richards at final cuts last year. He went on to start 12 games after Keanu Neal suffered a torn ACL in Week 1. Richards was a liability in coverage but gives the Raiders a third safety behind Lamarcus Joyner and Karl Joseph. He’s also a cog on special teams.

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald revealed on Wednesday that Arroyo was working through something, but was expected to be ready for training camp. Getting back early, even in a limited capacity, is good to see. Arroyo’s past few years, both in college and in his NFL rookie season, have been slowed by knee issues. Fellow backup TE Eric Saubert resumed practicing as well. Hopefully, both players are practicing fully before long.

Both Pollard and Spears are entering contract years. Pollard, 29, has missed just one game over the past two seasons, while Spears, 24, has missed nine. Spears also entered the NFL with concerns regarding one of his knees, which has full thickness cartilage loss and is missing its ACL. Pollard has been far more productive than Spears, who acknowledges he needs to prove his consistency to the coaching staff, but Pollard’s age is working against him. Both players appear locked into the top-two spots on the depth chart, but Glennon thinks it’s “not a huge stretch to see” RB Nicholas Singleton becoming the team’s primary ball-carrier in 2027. Of course, we are a long way from having an answer to this. The Titans’ backfield developments in training camp are worth following, though.

In a lengthy report on Walker’s acclimation to his new team, Taylor explores the ways in which Chiefs coach Andy Reid, RB coach Eric Bieniemy and OL coach Andy Heck are tinkering with different run concepts. Walker prefers running the ball when the quarterback is under center, rather than in shotgun, and the Chiefs led the league in yards per play (8.3) back in 2022, the final season of Bieniemy’s stint as their offensive coordinator. He spent 2025 as the Bears’ running backs coach and is expected to implement the “clever shifts, motions and counter-attacking runs” he learned from coach Ben Johnson. Taylor notes that Walker is diligently working on his pass protection and receiving abilities, noting that in the two practices open to reporters, Walker has caught every pass thrown by QBs Patrick Mahomes and Justin Fields. Walker’s “speed and vision” on a “sophisticated screen pass” elicited cheers from his teammates. This is a positive update on Walker’s quest to be a “feature back” in Kansas City.

The Bills waived Strong yesterday, with a non-football injury designation. Strong’s football future was uncertain after he underwent surgery to correct a neck injury in February, but apparently, there is a chance he can play again at some point. The Bills moved him to season-ending injured reserve after signing him, so he will ostensibly rehab all year in an effort to resume playing in 2027.

Studesville spent 2022-25 serving as the Dolphins’ assistant head coach and running backs coach under former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel. According to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Jason Lieser, over the past year, Johnson has mentioned multiple times that he is fascinated by McDaniel’s creativity in the run game. Lieser did not elaborate on which tactics Johnson is interested in learning more about, but a cursory PFF data review shows the Dolphins used lead run concepts at the league’s third-highest rate (32.5 percent) last year, while Johnson’s Bears used them at just a 14.6 percent rate. Adding some of the creative — and successful — concepts that Studesville learned from McDaniel can only be viewed as a good thing for Bears RBs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.

Engram is “making light work of linebackers in coverage with eye-widening catches,” which Renck thinks could suggest Engram is headed toward a bounce-back campaign. Renck also believes Engram will be more involved in the offense thanks to Davis Webb’s promotion to offensive coordinator. Webb recruited Engram, his former teammate, to join the Broncos last year. Renck also rightly believes new WR Jaylen Waddle will command safety attention, clearing out the middle of the field for Engram. However, he does not address the fact that Waddle represents a massive increase in target competition. Renck also spends the entire piece comparing Engram to a banana and asks whether said banana is ripe or stuck in a tailpipe. Seriously. Engram can be viewed as a potential TE2 candidate in best ball, but we fear a tailpipe scenario is in play for those hoping he produces a TE1 outcome.

Oh, boy. Kelly giveth and taketh away. On the one hand, Kelly believes Tolbert “seems ready to handle the split end, possession receiver role.” On the other hand, Kelly thinks Tolbert is a replacement-level player. Tolbert has cleared 275 receiving yards just once in his four-year career. Kelly is probably right. If Tolbert can become the clear-cut No. 1 target, he might be able to return FLEX value, but he could be an extremely volatile producer.

Kelly published an offseason awards list today, and Willis’ review was not great. Kelly believes the coaching staff " needs to find a way to improve his processing speed.” He also thinks Willis “needs to spend the next month developing better chemistry with his weaponry.” The latter issue has been mentioned before by coach Jeff Hafley and OC Bobby Slowik. To be fair to Willis, Kelly notes that Willis never once attempted a scramble in practice open to media members because he is trying to refine his pocket passing. Unfortunately, Kelly believes Willis failed to put distance between himself and backup QB Quinn Ewers, whom Slowik complimented publicly earlier this month. Willis will score plenty of fantasy points with his legs this season, but he will need to produce at least somewhat reliably as a passer as well.

Carter is participating in individual drills. He sat out for a month of the 2025 season after undergoing procedures on both shoulders last year. Late in May, Eagles DC Vic Fangio said Carter “had a good offseason of lifting” and that Carter’s shoulders “are fine,” so Carter’s limited participation is unlikely to be health-related. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni gave a non-answer when asked if this was injury-related or perhaps contract-related. We suspect it is the latter. The front office picked up Carter’s fifth-year option last year, keeping him under contract through 2027. He has a $3.7 million salary this year and a $27.1million salary next year. He is likely seeking a rich, long-term investment from the team. It remains to be seen how this will pan out, but GM Howie Roseman is a very savvy salary cap manager.

Wilson’s first two years in the NFL were riddled with injuries. A summer concussion and in-season hamstring injury slowed his rookie season development, and he was robbed of his second season after being rolled up on in an August practice. He underwent season-ending ankle and knee injuries and was replaced in the lineup by Cooper, who uninspiringly caught nine passes for 92 yards all year. Wilson, an oversized slot receiver, is unlikely to be fantasy-relevant, but it sounds like he has a chance to at least contribute this season.