NFL Player News

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said Pollard is ready to be a No. 1 back and told reporters "there's nothing we will shy away from" when it comes to scheme, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas News reports.

Pollard made a smooth recovery from January ankle surgery and seems to have had a normal training camp, giving the Cowboys confidence they can get by with only Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn as backups Week 1 at the Giants. Pollard's new role will include some of the snaps Ezekiel Elliott took last year, including pass-blocking reps and at least a portion of the short-yardage carries, though the Cowboys might also use Dowdle or FB Hunter Luepke for some of that stuff to let the speedy Pollard focus more on what he does best. Regardless of the specifics of their respective roles, Pollard should get far more touches with Zeke gone and was typically taken in the second round of fantasy drafts in anticipation of a much larger role. The 26-year-old starts his season with a challenge, playing on the road Sunday night against a defensive line that starts Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams and A'Shawn Robinson (nearly 1,000 combined pounds).

Stevenson wasn't spotted during the media-access portion of Friday's practice, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Stevenson hasn't been listed on the Patriots' injury report this week, but his status is now worth monitoring ahead of Sunday's game against the Eagles. Added context regarding the running back's Week 1 standing should arrive once the team's Friday practice/injury report is posted.

Reynolds did not log a snap on offense during Thursday's 21-20 win over the Chiefs.

Reynolds secured the No. 3 role at running back in the wake of Justin Jackson's retirement this summer. While he started the year totally contained to special teams as David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs shouldered the load, Reynolds may have contingent fantasy value in a strong Detroit offense should anything happen to either of the top two running backs.

Gibbs rushed seven times for 42 yards while securing both of his targets for 18 yards during Thursday's 21-20 win over Kansas City.

While this wasn't the volume fantasy managers wanted for Gibbs, the Lions coaching staff did publicly state that the rookie might not see a full workload out of the gate. With that said, even with reduced expectations it was still a surprise to see him handle 14 less carries than David Montgomery, with Gibbs only seeing two looks in the passing game and no carries near the goal line. While he should see more work as the season unfolds, the electric playmaker may need to rely on extreme efficiency to put up big stats in the meantime. Up next is a matchup against Seattle in Week 2.

Montgomery rushed 21 times for 74 yards with one touchdown but was not targeted in the passing game during Thursday's 21-20 victory over the Chiefs.

Even though Montgomery's efficiency does not jump off the page, his usage does. In fact, offseason expectations for Montgomery to step into the role Jamaal Williams thrived within last year do not seem misplaced, and Montgomery could be in store for a big season in standard fantasy formats thanks to a prominent role near the goal line. However, it should be noted that first-round rookie Jahmyr Gibbs only saw nine touches after Lions coaches openly admitted that Gibbs wouldn't see a full workload out of the gate, and Montgomery probably won't see many passes come his way as long as his counterpart is in commission. Next up for the Lions' ground game is a Week 2 matchup against a Seahawks defense that looks more susceptible on the ground than through the air.

Edwards-Helaire rushed six times for 22 yards and secured his only target for seven yards in the Chiefs' 21-20 loss to the Lions on Thursday night.

Edwards-Helaire trailed backfield mate Isiah Pacheco by two carries, and neither back was able to find any appreciable running room against what appears to be an improved Lions run defense. The 24-year-old seems set to operate in a complementary role to Pacheco this season and perhaps share some pass-catching duties with Jerick McKinnon, but it will be interesting to see how the timeshare on early downs continues to evolve during a Week 2 road matchup against the Jaguars a week from Sunday.

Pachecho rushed eight times for 23 yards and secured all four targets for 31 yards in the Chiefs' 21-20 loss to the Lions on Thursday night.

Pacheco outpaced Clyde Edwards-Helaire by two carries even though the former logged his first touch of the game after the latter, and Pacheco was much more involved as a receiver than usual thanks in large part to the absence of Travis Kelce (knee). Pacheco did find running room at a premium thanks to what appears to be a significantly improved Lions rush defense, yet his overall usage was relatively encouraging and lends credence to the notion Pacheco should operate as a No. 1 back this season, even if only by a modest margin. If Kelce returns to action in a Week 2 road matchup against the Jaguars a week from Sunday, Pacheco may see less involvement through the air but would also go up against a looser defensive front than the one he encountered Thursday night.

Walker was limited at Thursday's practice due to a groin injury, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

Walker spent training camp tending to a minor groin strain, which kept him on the sidelines for the entire preseason slate. He eventually logged a full practice on Aug. 17 and even kicked off Week 1 prep with a similar session, but the injury clearly isn't behind him on the eve of the regular season. Thursday's limitations may have been a precautionary measure, but Walker's status on Friday's practice report will be one to watch out for to see if he enters the weekend as questionable.

Mason (foot) was a limited participant at the 49ers' practice Thursday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Mason is dealing with a sprained foot he suffered in the team's preseason finale Aug. 25 and he has now logged back-to-back limited practices. The running back will look to increase his participation Friday in order to play Sunday in San Francisco's regular season opener against the Steelers on the road.

Vaughn (personal) practiced in full Thursday.

Vaughn was absent from Wednesday's session due to personal reasons, which Greg Auman of Fox Sports called an unexcused absence. Despite Vaughn's listing of "full," Auman noted the running back only watched special-teams drills from the sideline during the media-access portion of practice. Vaughn may be poised for regular healthy scratches this season with Rachaad White the clear No. 1 RB and undrafted rookie Sean Tucker and Chase Edmonds ahead of him on the depth chart.