NFL Player News

The Saints signed Jones from their practice squad to the active roster Wednesday, Brooke Kirchhofer of NewOrleans.Football reports.

With Alvin Kamara still serving a suspension, the Saints had only two active running backs Week 2 at Carolina. When Jamaal Williams (hamstring) departed in the second quarter, Jones and the versatile Taysom Hill combined to lead the backfield, with the former salvaging his day with two rushing touchdowns. Overall, Jones had 12 carries for just 34 yards (2.8 YPC) and didn't haul in either of his two targets. Now that he's on the active roster and because Williams may miss some time due to his injury, Jones and rookie Kendre Miller (hamstring) may be tasked with handling most of the reps out of the backfield during Sunday's contest at Green Bay.

The Saints listed Miller (hamstring) as a full participant at Wednesday's walk-through practice, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Miller could easily show up as a limited participant Thursday or Friday if the Saints hold a proper practice on one of those days, but head coach Dennis Allen told John Hendrix of SI.com on Tuesday that the rookie running back would be "full go" during Week 3 prep. Thus, Miller's listing Wednesday is a good enough sign that he's closing in on his professional debut, especially considering that Alvin Kamara has one game left to serve for his suspension and Jamaal Williams may miss some time due to a hamstring injury. Ultimately, Friday's injury report will determine whether or not Miller has a designation ahead of Sunday's visit to Green Bay.

Williams (hamstring) didn't take part in Wednesday's walk-through practice, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Williams left Monday's eventual win at Carolina in the second quarter and was unable to return. On Tuesday, head coach Dennis Allen said that Williams will require "some time" to get past his hamstring injury, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. It's thus no surprise that Williams is opening Week 3 prep with no activity. If Williams is limited or sidelined Sunday at Green Bay, the Saints likely will roll with Tony Jones as their lead option on the ground, with Taysom Hill (knee) and potentially Kendre Miller (hamstring) also mixing in for change-of-pace work.

The Buccaneers placed Edmonds (knee) on injured reserve Wednesday, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

Edmonds exited this past Sunday's win over the Bears due to a knee injury and was ruled out after halftime. On Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Edmonds was slated for an MRI, specifically referring to his MCL. While the extent of the injury isn't clear, Edmonds will miss at least the next four games. The Buccaneers will continue to lean on Rachaad White out of their backfield, with Sean Tucker operating as the clear top backup.

Ekeler (ankle) isn't practicing Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.

Head coach Brandon Staley said Monday that there's "no timeline" for Ekeler's return from the ankle injury that kept him out for this past Sunday's loss to the Titans, so it's no surprise that the star running back isn't practicing Wednesday. If Ekeler isn't ready to play this weekend at Minnesota, Joshua Kelley would be in line to handle the majority of backfield touches against a Vikings defense that allowed 259 rushing yards to the Eagles in Week 2.

Hill, who didn't take part in practice Wednesday, is dealing with turf toe, Brian Wacker of The Baltimore Sun reports.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, Hill's injury could threaten his availability for Sunday's game against the Colts, but the running back shouldn't be ticketed for a long-term absence. If Hill sits out this weekend or is subject to a lighter workload, Gus Edwards would likely serve as the lead option out of the backfield. The Ravens also have Melvin Gordon and Kenyan Drake available on the practice squad and could look to elevate one or both players to provide more of a pass-catching option to complement Edwards if Hill is out of the picture Sunday.

Brightwell is expected to get some carries Thursday against the 49ers while working behind Matt Breida with top running back Saquon Barkley (ankle) ruled out for the contest, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Breida is expected to lead New York's backfield, but Brightwell is next in line for carries, while 2023 fifth-round pick Eric Gray could mix in sporadically as both a runner and a pass catcher. Since the Giants selected him in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Brightwell has carried 33 times for 150 yards (4.5 average) and one touchdown to go with eight catches for 51 yards over 32 games.

Breida is expected to start Thursday's game in San Francisco with top running back Saquon Barkley (ankle) ruled out for the Week 3 matchup, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Barkley has had a near-monopoly on touches out of the backfield through two weeks, but he sprained his ankle late in Sunday's win over the Cardinals. Prior reports had suggested that Barkley's injury was expected to sideline him for around three weeks, but he may be making more progress than expected up to this point in his recovery. At least for Week 3, Barkley will remain out, leaving Breida as the next man up to lead a Giants backfield that also includes 2021 sixth-round draft pick Gary Brightwell and 2023 fifth-round draft pick Eric Gray. Breida has a career average of 4.8 yards per carry, but much of that production came while he ran behind strong offensive lines with San Francisco from 2017 through 2019 and with Miami in 2020. On Thursday, he'll be rushing behind a Giants line that will be without both of its regular starters on the left side in tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring) and guard Ben Bredeson (concussion).

Head coach Mike McDaniel said Achane could serve as the top backup to starter Raheem Mostert in Sunday's game against the Broncos with Salvon Ahmed (groin) set to miss the Dolphins' first two practices of Week 3, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

McDaniel said Achane "did well with his opportunities" in his NFL debut Week 2 at New England, carrying once for a five-yard gain and reeling in his lone target for a four-yard gain across five snaps on offense. With Achane's preseason shoulder injury behind him, the rookie third-round pick could be in store for more touches Week 3 if Ahmed joins Jeff Wilson (abdomen) on the sideline.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Ahmed (groin) won't practice Wednesday or Thursday, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

McDaniel didn't rule Ahmed out for Sunday's game against Denver but also didn't exactly sound optimistic about Ahmed's chances of suiting up this weekend while noting that rookie running back De'Von Achane is ready for a role in the offense. Ahmed exited early during the Week 2 win over New England in which starting back Raheem Mostert rumbled for 121 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Ahmed's groin injury could open the door for Achane to settle in as the No. 2 option on a more permanent basis, albeit with the potential complicating factor of Jeff Wilson (abdomen) coming off injured reserve at some point after Week 4. None of Ahmed, Achane or Wilson holds much fantasy value with Mostert healthy, but history suggests the 31-year-old won't last an entire season taking double-digit carries each week.