NFL Player News

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.

James Cook has been seeing most of the reps in training camp with the starters, while it appears that Murray and Damien Harris are battling for positioning behind him, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com reports.

Murray is 33 years old and is working under a one-year deal, so he seems like the most likely to be slotted third in the pecking order. He was also thought to have some work to do to secure a roster spot, but that was before Nyheim Hines went down for the season with an off-field knee injury. While Murray looks to be on firmer footing to make the Week 1 roster, it looks like he has little chance to unseat Cook or claim anything resembling a heavy workload.

Achane (undisclosed) returned to practice Tuesday, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

Achane missed a few days of practice due to an undisclosed injury sustained Saturday, but he was back on the field in full uniform a couple days later. The undersized rookie has made a handful of highlight plays in training camp already, so it will be interesting to see what he's able to accomplish in preseason action. His first chance could come as early as Friday's contest against Atlanta.

Foreman is listed as a second-stringer on Chicago's initial preseason depth chart, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.

Signed to a one-year contract this offseason, the 27-year-old seems to be Khalil Herbert's main competition for carries, while rookie Roschon Johnson and fellow free-agent addition Travis Homer are more likely to see playing time on passing downs. A committee of some sort is still the probable outcome, with 235-pound Foreman a candidate to handle goal-line and short-yardage carries even if Herbert (listed as the starter on the initial depth chart) is the lead ball carrier.

Jerome Ford suffered a hamstring injury during Monday's practice, per Zack Jackson of The Athletics, which puts Felton in a position to get more reps at running back.

There was no immediate word on a prognosis for Ford, but any extended downtime will benefit Felton's chances of sticking with the team. Felton, who had a hopeful showcase during the Hall of Fame Game, continues to compete for both return jobs and the No. 3 running back role.

James Cook has been seeing most of the reps in training camp with the starters, while it appears that Harris and Latavius Murray are battling for positioning behind him, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com reports.

This falls in line with observations made by beat writer Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic last week, that Cook is looking like the clear-cut starter. On a brighter note for Harris, his roster spot is a lock, especially after Nyheim Hines was lost for the season due to a knee injury. Murray is 33 years old while Harris is just 26 and not far removed from a 15-TD season in 2021, so there's still something to see with the latter. We could see a situation where Harris becomes the goal-line back, given his nose for the end zone plus the potential inclination for the team to keep star QB Josh Allen and Cook in one piece the whole season.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said Monday that he expects both Pacheco (hand/shoulder) and wideout Kadarius Toney (knee) to be available for the Sept. 7 regular-season opener against the Lions, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports. "Organizationally, we feel pretty good those guys will be ready to play, barring no setbacks,'' Veach said.

Pacheco, who underwent offseason surgeries on his hand and shoulder, has been a limited practice participant during training camp and hasn't be cleared for contact to date. Once he's fully up to speed, Pacheco will likely work as the Chiefs' lead back, but holdovers Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire also are candidates to mix into the backfield rotation.

McCrary has signed with Green Bay, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

McCrary bounced around several practice squads during his rookie campaign in 2022. He subsequently signed a reserve/future contract with the Browns following the season, but he was ultimatey waived Aug. 4. After clearing waivers, he has found a new opportuinty in Green Bay.

Ford left practice early Monday due to a hamstring injury, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegramreports.

Ford is currently expected to hold down the No. 2 running back role behind starter Nick Chubb. However, his injury could derail those plans if he has to miss any kind of extended time. Selected in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Ford mainly worked as a return man last season, but with the departures of Kareem Hunt and D'Ernest Johnson, the 23-year-old is in line for a significant increase in opportunities in 2023. Ford now will focus on making a return to the field as soon as possible.