NFL Player News

Ebner (ankle) missed Thursday's practice, making it unlikely he plays Saturday against the Browns, Alyssa Barbieri of USA Today reports.

Ebner injured his ankle in the Bears' last game against the Seahawks and hasn't practiced since. He had been battling with Darrynton Evans for the No. 3 running back role behind David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. If he sits out, he'll have two weeks to get ready for the regular-season opener.

Harris carried four times for 54 yards (including a 33-yard run) and caught one pass for seven yards in Friday's preseason finale against the Raiders.

As long as Damien Harris (who sat out the contest with an unspecified injury) and Rhamondre Stevenson remain in the mix, Kevin Harris doesn't have a path to steady carries. However, the 2022 sixth-rounder's chances of securing a roster spot may have increased Friday, with Ty Montgomery having suffered an ankle injury. Also in the depth mix in the Patriots' backfield are fourth-rounder Pierre Strong and J.J. Taylor.

Strong carried twice for four yards and caught two of his three targets for 13 yards in Friday's preseason finale against the Raiders.

Of more import than the stats Strong logged Friday while logging 14 snaps is that Ty Montgomery -- the favorite to handle the Patriots' top pass-catching/change-of-pace RB role -- suffered an ankle injury in the contest. If Montgomery is forced to miss extended time, Strong would be a candidate to handle an expanded role as the season progresses, while top early down options Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson could see added opportunities in the passing game out of the gate, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site notes.

Dallas carried the ball 13 times for 75 yards and a touchdown and caught both his targets for nine yards in Friday's preseason game against the Cowboys.

The third-year player was the second running back into the game for Seattle after Travis Homer, and while the duo split the workload through the first half, Dallas got the first possession of the second half to himself and made the most of it, racking up most of his rushing production and capping the drive with a one-yard TD plunge. Despite the big performance, he will likely head into the regular season No. 4 on the backfield depth chart, but Dallas could still have a role in the offense Week 1 if either Kenneth Walker (abdomen) or Rashaad Penny (COVID-19) is still less than 100 percent.

Homer gained five yards on three carries and caught both his targets for 11 yards in Friday's preseason game against the Cowboys.

The fourth-year back mixed in with DeeJay Dallas through the first half, although Dallas wound up posting better numbers on the night. Homer still seems set as Seattle's No. 3 RB heading into the regular season, a role that could provide him with more volume than expected in Week 1, as neither Rashaad Penny (COVID-19) nor Kenneth Walker (abdomen) are fully healthy at the moment.

Blackshear carried the ball 13 times for a team-leading 47 yards in Friday's preseason loss to the Panthers.

The 3.6 YPC isn't great, but Blackshear had a nice preseason after arriving as an undrafted free agent signing out of Virginia Tech. The Bills don't have room for six running backs on the final roster, and that's likely where Blackshear sits considering Taiwan Jones will probably make the team as a special-teams ace. You can bet the Bills will try to stash Blackshear on the practice squad if the cuts go as planned.

Foreman carried the ball three times for six yards in Friday's preseason win over the Bills. He also added two receptions for 10 yards and a touchdown.

Foreman followed Chuba Hubbard into the game, but two of his three carries came at the goal line. Foreman also punched in one of the team's two touchdowns with a two-yard reception midway through the first quarter. The battle between Hubbard and Foreman for the backup running job in Carolina is worth monitoring early in the season -- particularly given Christian McCaffrey's recent injury history.

Hubbard carried the ball four times for four yards in Friday's preseason win over the Bills. He also tallied three receptions on six targets for 25 yards.

Hubbard served as the team's kick returner and also earned the first touches out of Carolina's backfield -- with Christian McCaffrey resting. Hubbard wasn't effective on the ground, but he did tally receptions of 11 and eight yards. Though Hubbard served as the starter, D'Onta Foreman got three straight touches at the goal line midway through the first quarter. The battle between Hubbard and Foreman will be worth monitoring throughout the season, particularly given McCaffrey's recent injury history.

White rushed five times for 17 yards and a touchdown and wasn't targeted in the passing game during the Raiders' 23-6 preseason win over the Patriots on Friday night.

With Josh Jacobs among the Raiders' key players rested in the contest, the rookie drew the starting assignment and logged all his touches during the team's first two drives. White capped off the second of those possessions with a four-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter, his second trip to the end zone in the last two exhibitions. White has performed impressively overall this summer, seemingly setting him up for the No. 2 running back role behind Jacobs beginning with a Week 1 road AFC West battle against the Chargers on Sunday, Sept. 11.

Cook carried the ball three times for 13 yards in Friday's preseason loss to the Bills. He also had one reception that went for no gain.

Cook started the game, though Devin Singletary didn't tally any statistics in the team's preseason finale. Cook was stymied on the team's first drive, gaining no yards on a carry and reception. He also was called for chop block penalty, though the foul was declined. Cook rebounded for gains of nine and four yards on the ground during the team's second drive, his only action of the contest. He figures to work behind Singletary to begin the season, though Cook's role could expand if he impresses early on.