NFL Player News

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday that he expects Dobbins (undisclosed) to be back at practice "very soon," Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

For a second time in as many weeks, Harbaugh said "the ball is in [Dobbins'] court," essentially confirming that the running back's absence is related to his contract even though he's technically on the PUP list with an unspecified injury. The 24-year-old is in the final year of his rookie deal and presumably wants an extension, but his continued absence from practice this summer leaves Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and Melvin Gordon as the veteran options in Baltimore's backfield.

Vaughn is listed as the No. 3 running back on the Buccaneers' first depth chart of 2023, the team's official site reports.

The fourth-year pro began camp as the No. 2 back, but Chase Edmonds fills that slotting in the first iteration of the depth chart. However, Vaughn is better suited to be an early-down option behind starter Rachaad White, while Edmonds is a versatile, change-of-pace back that can also split out wide. Vaughn also has a longer tenure with the team, although he and Edmonds are both learning new coordinator Dave Canales' offense from scratch.

Edmonds is listed as the No. 2 running back on the first iteration of the Buccaneers' preseason depth chart, the team's official site reports.

Edmonds may ultimately serve in more of a change-of-pace role behind top back Rachaad White and even potentially split out wide at times, while Ke'Shawn Vaughn could be the primary candidate to spell White on early downs. With that in mind, it's worth noting Edmonds has logged under 100 carries in four of his first five NFL seasons.

Mack departed Tuesday's practice due to a left leg injury, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Mack sustained the injury during 7-on-7 drills when he appeared to lose his footing. Tuesday's session marked his third since joining the Cardinals last Friday. With Keaontay Ingram also tending to an abdominal injury, Corey Clement, Ty'Son Williams and Emari Demercado are the team's healthy running backs behind starter James Conner.

Hines had ACL reconstruction surgery Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Hines' surgery was inevitable after he suffered the injury in a jet ski accident in July. Although he has not officially been placed on injured reserve as of yet, that will likely be his next destination, as he has already been declared out for the 2023 campaign. He'll now work toward getting healthy to make a return in 2024.

Coach Doug Pederson said Saturday that Bigsby has been "a sponge" when it comes to learning the offense, John Shipley of SI.com reports.

The rookie third-round pick made a strong impression in rookie camp and has performed similarly in training camp. Travis Etienne was Jacksonville's workhorse tailback last season after James Robinson was shipped to the Jets and is expected to have a similar role in 2023, but Bigsby could see consistent touches week-to-week if he continues to build on the early foundation he's laid.

McNichols signed a one-year contract with the 49ers on Tuesday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

McNichols missed all of the 2022 season with a shoulder injury and was non-tendered by the Steelers in March. The 27-year-old last suited up for the Titans in 2021, seeing 41 carries for 156 yards in 14 contents. He'll now work to earn a role in San Francisco's backfield.

Coach Mike McCarthy said Tuesday that Jones (groin/suspension) is unlikely to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Jaguars, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Already poised to miss the first two games of the season due to a violation of the NFL's policy on performance enhancing substances, Jones now is dealing with a groin issue that kept him off the practice field Tuesday. It's unclear exactly how much time he'll need to recover, but per McCarthy's comment, he likely won't mix into drills again until next week, at the earliest. With Tony Pollard away from the team tending to a personal matter, Malik Davis, rookie Deuce Vaughn, Rico Dowdle and undrafted fullback Hunter Luepke will man the Cowboys' backfield at training camp.

On the Titans' initial unofficial depth chart, Haskins, Tyjae Spears, Jonathan Ward and Julius Chestnut are listed behind starter Derrick Henry.

As the coming season approaches, Henry remains entrenched as the team's clear-cut top back and thus remains in line to log a heavy workload when healthy. In the event that he misses time for any reason, some combo of Haskins and Spears would figure to fill in. For now, Spears -- a 2023 third-rounder -- profiles as the upside play among the two, which is reflected in his ADP this summer, but how the team's backfield pecking order behind Henry might shake out in his absence is far from clear During the 2022 season, Haskins, a fourth-round pick last year, logged 25 carries for 93 yards and caught 11 passes for 57 yards in 15 games.

Taylor (ankle) received an excused absence from practice Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The running back, who remains on the active/PUP list, is away from the Colts' facility as he seeks treatment on his surgically repaired ankle. As a result, Taylor could be away from the team for some time while he continues to manage the issue. Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis relays that coach Shane Steichen is optimistic Taylor -- who had previously requested a trade -- will rejoin practice at some point during training camp. "I'd like to see that. We'll see how it all plays out though," Steichen said Tuesday.