NFL Player News

Homer may be in line to make the Bears' regular-season roster due to his role as a key special teamer, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.

Homer is competing with Trestan Ebner for the No. 4 running back role. Although both players have had positive moments during camp, the Bears will likely need Homer to be heavily involved on special teams. That could give him a leg up in the battle with Ebner. Unless the team has multiple injuries at running back, it's unlikely the No. 4 role results in many offensive snaps.

Williams (knee) will suit up for Saturday's preseason game against the 49ers, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Coach Sean Payton said Tuesday he isn't sure yet how many snaps Williams will handle, but the announcement bodes exceptionally well for the 23-year-old as he completes his recovery from ACL surgery. Though Payton noted that the Broncos will be smart with Williams, it would seem that he's on track to start Week 1 versus the Raiders. Denver does have Samaje Perine available to take on a significant workload should Williams need to be eased back into action.

Valladay signed with the Steelers on Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Valladay was waived by the Texans over the weekend after spending the bulk of the offseason in Houston. The undrafted rookie rushed four times for eight yards in the Texans' preseason opener. In Pittsburgh, Valladay will try to show enough to carve out a spot on the practice squad.

Hall (knee) downplayed his return to practice Tuesday but is "confident" he'll be available for Week 1, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Hall, however, stopped short of guaranteeing that he'd play in the season opener against the Bills. The plan is to ease the second-year running back into practice and let him get his legs back before making any decisions on Week 1. Hall's fantasy stock took a hit Monday with the Jets' signing of Dalvin Cook, although new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett has experience juggling two top backs from his days in Green Bay.

Shampklin signed a contract with the Chargers on Tuesday.

Shampklin joined the Colts on a reserve/future deal in January, after he spent part of last season on the Cowboys' practice squad. Ultimately, he was waived by the team in May, but he'll now get a chance in Los Angeles to make the team's 53-man roster.

The Jets reinstated Hall (knee) from the active/PUP list Tuesday.

Hall is set to practice on a limited basis, a significant step in his recovery from a left ACL tear suffered Week 7 of his rookie season. New backfield mate Dalvin Cook (shoulder), signed Monday, isn't yet ready to practice due to his own recovery from an offseason procedure, but the hope in New York is that both will be in top form shortly. If Hall's recovery lingers into the start of the regular season, or he needs time to ramp up his workload, Cook's presence could provide the Jets with a highly capable starting option. When both are fully healthy, however, new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett could deploy a scheme similar to the one he used in Green Bay, in which Aaron Jones found success despite being in tandems with first Jamaal Williams and then AJ Dillon.

Hall (knee) is expected to come off the active/PUP list Tuesday, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

Hall hasn't been officially activated quite yet and will be limited at practice initially once he is, but the move will be a huge step forward for the second-year running back, who is working to be available Week 1. The Jets are fresh off agreeing to a contract with Dalvin Cook (shoulder), who isn't yet ready to practice himself. Still, the former Viking's presence provides some backfield insurance for New York and gives the team extra cushion to allow Hall all the time he needs to recover fully from knee surgery. When both Hall and Cook are at 100 percent, how the backfield workload will be divvied up isn't yet clear, but both new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and new quarterback Aaron Rodgers have plenty of experience from their Green Bay days keeping two backs relevant for fantasy purposes.

Cook (shoulder), who signed a one-year contract with the Jets on Monday, is at least one week away from being able to practice with his new team, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Cook is nearing the end of his recovery from February shoulder surgery, and it looks like the Jets want to ensure he's ready to go before he begins participating at camp. Once he enters the fray, the 28-year-old will provide depth to a backfield that includes Breece Hall, who is in the final stages his recovery from an ACL tear suffered Week 7 of last season. Should Hall ultimately not be ready for the season opener, Cook would likely be the team's lead running back, with Michael Carter right behind him.

The Jets and Cook (shoulder) agreed to terms of a one-year contract Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Only hours after Ezekiel Elliott signed with the Patriots, another running back domino has fallen with Cook signing with an AFC East rival. The Vikings officially released Cook on June 9 after being unable to find a trade partner, and after visiting with the Jets early on in training camp, his expected landing spot has come to pass. In New York, he'll join forces with former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and provide depth to a backfield that rosters Breece Hall, who is in the final stages of his recovery from the torn ACL that he sustained Week 7 of last season. If Hall isn't healthy for the season opener, Cook, a four-time Pro Bowler, likely will be the lead runner for the Jets, followed by Michael Carter.

In his return to practice Monday, Dobbins participated in individual drills while also circling out of the Ravens backfield to catch several passes, Clifton Brown of the team's official site reports.

On the heels of missing 14 training camp practices and this past Saturday's preseason opener against the Eagles, the running back was activated off the active/PUP list Monday after passing his conditioning test, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Following Monday's light practice, coach John Harbaugh noted, "We'll probably ramp him up a little bit this week and work him in there and try to be smart in how we do it, but he'll be fine. He's 100 percent healthy. He looks good, [and] he's been training hard, so he's ready to go." While it remains to be seen if Dobbins logs any preseason action, now that he's back on the field, the 2020 second-rounder will look to cement his status as the top option in a Baltimore backfield that also includes Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Melvin Gordon and Keaton Mitchell.