Who Should I Start? Tanner Conner or Payne Durham

Friday, August 9, 11:20 PM

Miami Dolphins tight end Tanner Conner caught three of four targets for 70 yards and a touchdown during Friday's 20-13 win against the Atlanta Falcons. His longest catch of the day was a 43-yarder where he came streaking off the line on a third and five, blowing right by a Falcons defender. Conner leaped to catch a slightly off-target Skylar Thompson pass in the soft spot of the zone and then showed off his yard-after-catch skills as he scampered down the field for a significant gain. He racked up 37 yards on his other two receptions. He had just four targets, but the third-year TE showed enough to be at least intriguing going into the second week of the preseason. He still has quite a bit of work to do, though. He sits behind Jonnu Smith, Durham Smythe, Julian Hill, and Jody Fortson Jr. on Miami's unofficial depth chart. It remains to be seen how much work Conner will get next weekend when the Dolphins take on the Commanders in Miami.

Thursday, August 15, 9:28 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Payne Durham (knee) Leaves Joint Practice Early with Knee Issue. On Wednesday, Durham suffered a knee injury during the Buccaneers' joint practice with the Jaguars. According to Buccaneers insider JC Allen, Durham's MRI results were negative, and he is not expected to miss much time. Durham was a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and appeared in 13 games during his rookie season, recording five catches for 58 yards. He played in Tampa Bay's preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on August 10, where he had two receptions for 27 yards. The Buccaneers won the game 17-14. If Durham cannot participate in the next preseason game, Ko Kieft and Devin Culp will have the opportunity for more reps to compete for the third tight end spot on the 53-man roster behind Cade Otton and Durham.