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Coach Shane Steichen said Thursday that Mitchell is "making a lot of plays" at OTAs, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 the Fan reports.

Advice: It sounds like the rookie second-round pick is getting a lot of first-team reps, in part because top wide receiver Michael Pittman has been out with a minor knee injury. Wearing a No. 10 jersey to signify the number of WRs drafted before him this spring, Mitchell has taken advantage of the early opportunity by catching a number of passes from starting QB Anthony Richardson. Still, it's unclear if Mitchell will head into Week 1 as a depth/rotation receiver or if he'll immediately supplant Alec Pierce as a starter alongside Pittman and slot man Josh Downs. There's also the question of how different that role might look if/when Mitchell replaces Pierce, as the latter was targeted on just 10.2 percent of his routes last year -- easily the the lowest rate in the league among regular starters at wide receiver. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:38 am

Mims said things are going "a lot smoother" for him in his second NFL offseason, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports.

Advice: In addition to having a much better understanding of Sean Payton's offense, Mims mentioned that he's "as healthy as I've been in a long time." The 2023 second-round pick was limited by hamstring injuries last spring and summer, though that didn't stop him from having a big impact early in the season, including four receptions of 38 or more yards and a kick-return TD within the first four weeks. While Mims remained effective on special teams apart from a pair of lost fumbles, he had only 135 receiving yards on 22 targets in his 12 appearances after Week 4. The NFL's new kickoff rules figure to make Mims even more important for Denver's special teams this year, and he should also be part of a competition for the No. 2 receiver job opposite Courtland Sutton. If not Mims, it'll likely be Josh Reynolds, Troy Franklin or Tim Patrick (Achilles) stepping up as the No. 2 receiver, though a rotation also is possible. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:09 am

Gipson is expected to have competition as New York's primary return specialist heading into the 2024 season, Andy Vasquez of The Bergen Record reports.

Advice: Gipson operated as the Jets' kick returner and punt returner for the entirety of the 2023 season, but with the team signing running back Tarik Cohen on Wednesday, Gipson may not be a shoo-in for the role again in 2024. Head coach Robert Saleh said Wednesday that Gipson will get "first dibs," but the returning job is an "open competition." Rotowire.com Thursday, 4:50 pm

Bucs waived/injured WR Deven Thompkins.

Advice: A 2022 UDFA, under-sized Thompkins caught 17 balls in 17 games last season, so it’s a little surprising to see him cut loose at this stage of the offseason. Heading into his age-25 campaign, 5-foot-8 Thompkins has roughly six weeks to land on someone else’s 90-man roster before training camp. That, of course, will depend on his health. Rotoworld Thursday, 3:50 pm

Broncos head coach Sean Payton said of Marvin Mims, “You’re going to see a lot of growth from year one to year two.”

Advice: The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider in Thursday’s OTAs. We’re at the peak of coach-speak season, so take Payton’s quotes with a grain of salt, but a second-year leap from Mims could be on the way. Mims caught 22 passes for 377 yards and one touchdown as a rookie but was frustratingly buried near the bottom of Denver’s wide receiver depth chart behind the likes of Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Brandon Johnson. Payton and the Broncos traded up in the 2023 draft to select Mims in the second round, which should serve somewhat as a signal of how the team envisions him for the long term. With Jerry Jeudy now gone and rookie Troy Franklin carrying fourth-round draft capital, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Mims earn starting reps in his second season, giving Bo Nix an explosive weapon on the outside. Rotoworld Thursday, 11:52 am