NFL Player News

Gray fielded punts in practice Thursday and is a candidate to take on that role for the Giants this season, Ryan Novozinksy of NJ Advance Media reports.

Gray wasn't a prominent return man in college -- he tallied just nine punt returns and four kickoff returns in his four-year tenure, including none of either type in his senior season -- but he's a logical candidate to see work in that regard for the Giants given his lateral quickness. Running back Gary Brightwell worked as New York's primary kickoff returner last season, while Richie James served as the team's top punt returner for much of the campaign. James is now in Kansas City, and the team may not want to turn to a starter such as cornerback Adoree' Jackson, who sprained his MCL while returning a punt in Week 11 last season and missed seven weeks. As such, Gray could take over on punts while also working in a limited role as a running back behind Saquon Barkley and Matt Breida.

Felton rushed seven times for 46 yards and a touchdown, brought in two of three targets for nine yards and returned five punts for 10 yards during the Browns' 21-16 preseason win over the Jets in Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game.

Felton was efficient throughout the night on the ground while leading the Browns in rushing yards. The 2021 sixth-round pick also had a presence in the passing game and recorded Cleveland's second touchdown on a 16-yard run off left guard just past the midway point of the third quarter. Felton has been underutilized from scrimmage over his first two seasons despite his versatile skill set, but with Kareem Hunt off the roster, the third-year pro will have a chance to make a case for a larger role throughout the remainder of the summer.

Abanikanda rushed nine times for 27 yards and a touchdown and brought in his only target for five yards during the Jets' 21-16 preseason loss to the Browns in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game.

The rookie fifth-round pick started the game and played up until just before the halfway point of the second quarter, scoring a 10-yard touchdown around left end on his final play with 9:04 remaining in the first half. Abanikanda gained just 17 yards on his other eight carries, so he wasn't exactly a study in efficiency. The rookie, who had a spectacular 1,431-yard, 20-touchdown season during his final college season at Pittsburgh a year ago, has reportedly been clearly behind incumbents Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight early in training camp and will look to achieve more carry-to-carry consistency during a road preseason matchup against the Panthers a week from Saturday.

Mattison (undisclosed) took part in Thursday's practice, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

After Mattison missed the final stages of Tuesday's session while sporting a limp, he's been able to handle reps in back-to-back days. Wednesday's practice was a walkthrough, while the Vikings were back to a normal version Thursday, so he appears to be putting the injury behind him. Reserve running back Kene Nwangwu also is dealing with an unknown injury at the moment, so Minnesota signed Abram Smith on Thursday to bolster its backfield depth alongside Ty Chandler and rookie seventh-round pick DeWayne McBride.

Carter isn't slated to suit up for Thursday's Hall of Fame Game versus the Browns, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

Breece Hall continues to reside on the active/PUP list due to the ACL tear that he suffered Week 7 of last season. Meanwhile, Carter and Zonavon Knight also won't play Thursday, leaving rookie Israel Abanikanda, Travis Dye and Damarea Crockett as the Jets' backfield options for the team's preseason opener. Carter's next chance to get exhibition action is Saturday, Aug. 12 at Carolina.

Mack had a workout with Arizona on Thursday, Howard Balzer of GoPHNX.com reports.

After spending his first five seasons with the Colts, Mack played six games for the Broncos in the 2022 season and two with the 49ers. The latter placed him on injured reserve in January due to a hamstring injury. His workout with the Cardinals indicates his health is back up to par. There are currently five running backs on Arizona's roster, so it remains to be seen if he will get an opportunity.

Smith agreed to terms with the Vikings on Wednesday, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.

After leading the XFL in rushing last season with 791 yards in 10 games, Smith has been signed by Minnesota. Before his XFL stint, the running back went undrafted in 2022 and signed with the Saints, but they waived him just months later. Expect the Baylor product to compete for a depth role at running back or a spot on Minnesota's practice squad ahead of the coming season.

Walter (undisclosed) was placed on IR on Thursday.

Walter was working to earn a depth role in the Raiders' backfield after joining the team on a reserve/future deal in January. The 26-year-old hasn't appeared in an NFL game since 2021 with the Jets, and now he'll likely have to wait a while longer. Unless he reaches an injury settlement with the team, Walter will be forced to miss the entirety of the 2023 campaign.

Walker (groin) is present at Thursday's practice but doesn't have a helmet, Bridget Condon of NFL Network reports.

Walker has been out for about a week now, which coach Pete Carroll using the term "week-to-week" to describe his status Monday. Meanwhile, fellow running back Zach Charbonnet (shoulder) is back in action sooner than expected after missing only three practices, giving him a nice opportunity to take more snaps with the starters while Walker remains limited to observing from the sideline.

Charbonnet (shoulder) returned Thursday after missing only three practices, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

It didn't sound great Sunday when coach Pete Carroll used the team "out indefinitely" to discuss Charbonnet, who had just joined fellow running back Kenneth Walker (groin) on the team's list of injured players. As it turns out, Charbonnet is back in action already, albeit for a practice without full pads, while Walker remains limited to observer status on the sideline. Both are expected to be healthy before Week 1, or perhaps even long before then. In the meantime, Walker's continued absences should allow Charbonnet to get more snaps with the starters. The workload division between the pair of recent second-round picks has been much-discussed in recent months but may be hard to truly decipher until the regular season.