Zay Jones was one of four wide receivers who tried out for the Cardinals on Tuesday. He joined Ronnie Bell, James Proche and Xavier Guillory on the practice field. The Cardinals are signing Jones, according to multiple reports. It is unclear whether Jones is joining the practice squad or the active roster, but the team announced it placed wide receiver Jalen Brooks on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday. The Cardinals were already thin at the position after the trade of Marvin Harrison Jr. on Oct. 11. Jones, 31, has played nine NFL seasons, including a previous stint with the Cardinals. He appeared in 11 games for the Cardinals in 2024 and eight last season, missing time for a suspension in 2024 and for a torn Achilles in 2025. He has 20 receptions for 267 yards with the team. Jones became a free agent in August when the Texans cut him out of the preseason
The Raiders worked out 16 players on Thursday, and the group of tryout players included offensive lineman Evan Neal and wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The Giants released Neal, who has not played since 2024. The Giants selected him seventh overall in the 2022 draft, and he began his career at right tackle. The Giants moved him to right guard, and he did not play a snap there last season. He ends his Giants career with 29 games played, including 27 starts. The Cowboys released Valdes-Scantling on Sunday. In 2025, he appeared in five games each for San Francisco and Pittsburgh, catching four passes for 40 yards with the 49ers and 10 catches for 80 yards and a score with the Steelers. A fifth-round pick in 2018, Valdes-Scantling has caught 219 passes for 3,686 yards with 21 touchdowns in his career. The Raiders also worked out offensive guard Evan Beerntsen, wide receiver Ronnie Bell, defensive tackle David Blay, defensive back Stephen Hall defensive back Tre Hawkins, center Trey Hill, offensive tackle Christian Jones, tight end Josh Kattus, linebacker Dasan McCullough, defensive back Latrell McCutchin, defensive end David Ojabo, linebacker Azeez Ojulari, linebacker B.J. Ojulari and offensive tackle Colby Sorsdal
We haven’t seen Jacob Cowing catch a pass since 2024. The 41-yard pass against the Chiefs in Week 7 of his rookie year feels like an eon ago. He was on the field for 175 snaps that season, mixed between wide receiver and returner. He was a good one. One kickoff return was 32 yards. Multiple punt returns went for double-digits. The fact that Cowing began the season as the starting punt returner tells you how the coaching staff felt about his ability with the ball in his hands. The allure of Cowing is tantalizing. You can throw him a screen, use him down the field, but also capitalize on his speed on intermediate routes. There’s a place for Cowing in Shanahan’s offense any year. The problem is that the last time we saw him, he was sharing the field with Ronnie Bell , Jordan Mason , Chris Conley , Eric Saubert , and a No. 14 wearing Pearsall. The roster is a little different in 2026, and the 49ers still don’t know what they have in Cowing beyond offseason platitudes. Last offseason, Shanahan said Cowing “put in some of the most work that anyone did over the offseason.” This spring, Kyle said, “I was really excited how Jordan and Jake came back. You could tell they came back; it wasn’t just healthy. You could tell they’ve been putting work in. They’ve come here, to me, to play and work.” If every 49ers player were to line up in the end zone and race to mid-field, my money would be on Cowing being the first to cross the 50. He has another gear, and you could see it in OTAs when he was behind the secondary multiple times. Age: 25 Experience: 2 accrued seasons Height: 5’8 Weight: 175 pounds Cowing has two years remaining on his rookie deal. His base salary is $1.075 million in 2026, and he’ll receive $132,177 of his prorated signing bonus. If the 49ers wanted to move on from Cowing, they’d lose his signing bonus in dead money, but save his base salary in cap savings. Cowing hurt his hamstring in OTAs and training camp as a rookie. Then he returned and had another setback in the form of a shoulder injury. Last July, Cowing sustained a serious hamstring strain on the first day of training camp. Then not only did he re-injure it, but he also fully pulled his hamstring during the rehab process. That caused the 49ers to shut him down and place him on the season-long IR. The 49ers toyed with the idea of activating Cowing toward the end of the season, but Shanahan ultimately said it would be unrealistic for him to play . Cowing told reporters that he has addressed his injury issue and that it’s a thing of the past. But history isn’t on his side, and he’ll need to prove he can make it through a training camp before the 49ers can rely on him. Per Sports Info Solutions, 63% of Brock Purdy ’s pass attempts last season came 10 yards or under. While that may fit some narratives, that is not the kind of quarterback Purdy wants to be. He wants to live in the intermediate portion of the field and occasionally uncork it deep. In 2023, his short passes were in the 50th percentile while he targeted the intermediate part of the field 27% of the time. Purdy’s intermediate attempts dipped to 21% last season. That, to me, is not a Purdy stat. That’s a 49ers receiver stat. You’re not going to design an offense that runs routes between 12 and 18 yards when your wideouts consist of Kendrick Bourne and Jauan Jennings . The “swirl” routes were crossed out of the playbook because there were no vertical threats without Pearsall. Below, Cowing is the wideout in motion against Christian Gonzalez —one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL — running a swirl route: Last year, most cornerbacks were squatting on those routes without fear of a vertical threat. You cannot do that with Cowing. And it’s not just stretching the field vertically. Cowing’s addition would allow the 49ers to use him on deep crossing routes where he can use his god-given ability to run away from cornerbacks. That was on full display during OTAs. Cowing would be a couple of steps
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Going into last season, the New Orleans Saints ’ wide receiver room had one proven answer and a bunch of possibilities. This offseason, however, the front office made the position a focal point. The Saints went into the draft and came away with three wide receivers, the highest being Jordyn Tyson, who was selected with the eighth overall pick. The additions of the three rookies, along with veterans Devaughn Vele and Chris Olave , mean the Saints already have five receivers who appear to be in strong position to make the roster before minicamp even begins. But they didn’t stop there. Kevin Austin Jr. , Ronnie Bell , Damien Alford, Mason Tipton , Bub Means , Trey Palmer , and Ja’Lynn Polk were all part of the wide receiver room heading into rookie minicamp. Most of them already have some familiarity with the organization, having spent time with the Saints previously. Then, following rookie minicamp, the Saints signed rookie wide receiver Brock Rechsteiner, adding him to the roster for OTAs and minicamp. The Saints will not carry 13 wide receivers into the regular season. Typically, the team keeps six receivers on the active roster along with a few more on the practice squad. Barion Brown was initially expected to make the roster primarily because of his return ability, but throughout the offseason he has showcased his receiving skills and appears to be growing into a much larger offensive role. That likely eliminates the need to keep another receiver solely as a specialist. This means the remaining eight receivers on the roster could be battling for just one spot. That competition should be fascinating to watch. Mason Tipton has been around the Saints organization for a while, and every offseason he flashes potential. He received some game opportunities last season and performed adequately, but now he must prove he can take the next step. Bub Means was drafted by the Saints in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The expectation was that he could develop into the big-bodied possession receiver the Saints have been missing since Michael Thomas left the team. For one reason or another, it has not come together for him yet. Trey Palmer is a veteran who has spent time in the league and has been a reliable contributor for the Buccaneers as both a receiver and returner. Since arriving in New Orleans , however, injuries have slowed his progress. Perhaps this will be the year he can finally showcase his skills and earn a roster spot. Kevin Austin Jr. is another receiver who has now been with the Saints for two seasons. During that time, he has appeared in 16 games, recording 24 receptions for 291 yards and one touchdown. There is still plenty of untapped potential there. Ja’Lynn Polk was acquired by the Saints in a trade after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. The Saints are believed to be very high on Polk’s potential, but this will be his first real opportunity to show why the organization traded for him. Ronnie Bell was added late last season and appeared in the Saints’ final game, catching two passes for 23 yards. Bell has been in the league since 2023 and is still searching for the opportunity to establish himself as a consistent roster player. Damien Alford is one of the more intriguing prospects in the group. The 6’5″, 215-pound receiver went undrafted in 2025 but was selected first overall in the CFL Draft. The Saints signed him to a reserve/futures contract in 2026, giving him an opportunity to compete for a roster spot. Perhaps the most intriguing prospect of all is rookie Brock Rechsteiner. Rechsteiner is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Scott Steiner, better known as “Big Poppa Pump.” At 6’2″ and 225 pounds, he has excellent size for the position. He impressed during rookie tryouts and continued to perform well throughout rookie minicamp. Rechsteiner played at Jacksonville State and finished his collegiate career with 53 receptions for 629 yards and seven touchdowns. Did the Saints find a diamond in the [... truncated ...]
