NFL Player News

Nwangwu "appears to be [the No. 2 running back] behind Alexander Mattision," Dane Mizutani of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports, based on his early observations at training camp.

While it's too early in camp to get a concrete read on the Vikings' running back pecking order, Minnesota at least appears set to hold an open competition for the top backup spot behind Mattison, now that Dalvin Cook is no longer in the mix. With that in mind, Nwangwu -- a 2021 fourth-round pick -- will jostle for slotting with 2022 fifth-round pick Ty Chandler and 2023 seventh-round pick DeWayne McBride. Further context will be revealed once the team's unofficial depth chart is posted, but based on Mizutani's report, Nwangwu is a player to monitor in the coming weeks.

Pacheco (hand/shoulder) sported a non-contact jersey at Wednesday's practice but has been expanding his play count in 7-on-7 drills, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.

The fact that Pacheco is already starting to expand his reps early in training camp is a good sign that he'll be cleared before the start of the regular season. The running back is working his way back from offseason surgeries to repair a broken hand and torn labrum. He's likely to play a prominent role once healthy, but it wouldn't be surprising if Pacheco sits out most or all of the preseason.

Davis-Price is still working behind Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason in practice, but the 2022 third-round pick looks "quicker and leaner" than he did last season, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Davis-Price still has time to shake off the "bust" label, but he realistically won't be any higher than third on San Francisco's depth chart if everyone is healthy. Christian McCaffrey is among the two or three best in the league at his position, and Mitchell is one of the NFL's better backups. Challenging Mason for the third spot is a realistic goal but would still leave Davis-Price dependent on injuries to see work outside of garbage time in his second pro season. Mason came in as an undrafted rookie last season and quickly moved ahead of his third-round teammate.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was non-committal Wednesday when asked about the injury that resulted in Dobbins (undisclosed) opening training camp on the active/PUP list, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

The active/PUP list is allowed only for players that are recovering from an injury or illness, but there's also been speculation that the running back's continued absence is related to frustration with contract negotiations. Dobbins even hinted that he was displeased with his contract in June when he missed minicamp, one day after Harbaugh had attributed the absence to a soft-tissue injury. Some combination of both is possible, of course, as Dobbins could have a minor injury that he would normally practice through but doesn't want to take that risk without a new contract. Whatever the case, Dobbins finished the 2022 season strong and enters the final year of his rookie contract essentially unchallenged as Baltimore's lead back. The options behind him are Gus Edwards, Melvin Gordon, Justice Hill and two undrafted rookies (Keaton Mitchell and Owen Wright).

Herbert and D'Onta Foreman split most of the first-team reps Wednesday during the first practice of training camp, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

The even breakdown of reps is no major surprise, though it's possible one of the two backs pulls ahead of the other before Week 1, and/or another running back joins the fray. In addition to signing Foreman this offseason, the Bears added fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson and special teamer/passing-down specialist Travis Homer. In other words, there's no lack of competition for Hebert, who averaged 5.7 yards on 129 carries last season but caught only nine passes in 13 games.

Williams (knee) participated in the first day of Denver's training camp Wednesday, but the team plans to bring him along slowly with a mix of limited practices and days off, James Palmer of NFL Network reports.

The Broncos have little reason to rush Williams' recovery with six weeks left before the start of the season, but the team is encouraged with his progress as the running back works his way back from a torn ACL suffered Oct. 2 of last year. Williams' ability to practice in any capacity at this point is a positive sign, and he projects to return to the top of the depth chart once deemed 100 percent healthy.

Taylor (ankle) was present at practice Wednesday but spent the entire session standing on the sidelines, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.

On the bright side, Taylor didn't have a boot protecting his surgically repaired right ankle. Head coach Shane Steichen refused to provide an updated recovery timeline for Taylor, who is on the active/PUP list. Steichen said Taylor will resume practicing once he's 100 percent healthy, which means the running back has yet to fully cleared at this point.

Abanikanda hasn't pushed Michael Carter or Zonovan Knight for reps early on during training camp, as the Jets coaching staff is looking for a greater sense of urgency from the rookie fifth-round pick, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

According to head coach Robert Saleh, Breece Hall needed a similar ramp-up period as a rookie last season to learn how to run through contact in NFL practices. With Hall recovering from a torn ACL, Abanikanda should get plenty of opportunities in camp, and the rookie took a step in the right direction with a 50-yard touchdown run in Tuesday's session.

Gibson said Wednesday that he'll be in a "third-down back" role with Washington in 2023, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

Meanwhile, Brian Robinson profiles as the top option on early downs, with most of Gibson's usage expected to come on passing downs. While suiting up for 15 games in 2022, Gibson produced 546 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 149 carries while also catching a career-high 46 passes for 353 yards and two scores.

Pollard said Wednesday that the Cowboys' plan is for him to be eased into training camp, but he noted that he feels "pretty much at 100 percent," Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

Pollard has been medically cleared for the start of camp, but the Cowboys will take a cautious approach to his initial practice workload. The standout back underwent surgery in January to address a broken fibula and high-ankle sprain, but the team seemingly doesn't have any concerns about his availability for Week 1. Pollard looks primed to operate as a focal point of the Cowboys offense while playing out the 2023 campaign on the franchise tag, but in the early portion of camp, some additional first-team reps could be up for grabs among Malik Davis, Ronald Jones and Deuce Vaughn.