NFL Player News

Walker is expected to start Saturday's preseason game against the Steelers, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Rashaad Penny is dealing with a slight groin injury and will likely sit out Saturday's game, though he wasn't expected to play much even if he was healthy. Head coach Pete Carroll spent time Thursday raving about the rookie's abilities in the passing game, specifically as a pass blocker, which was a major question mark coming out of college. Walker will get a chance to prove himself in his first NFL action Saturday, and if he shows the necessary improvements in the passing game, he could have a chance to get on the field often when the games start to count. However, Penny's finish to the 2021 season should lock him in as the No. 1 back as long as he's healthy.

Badie had six carries for 19 yards and added one reception for nine yards in Thursday's preseason opener against the TItans.

Baltimore deployed five different running backs Thursday as it looks to identify depth behind its presumptive starters who were not in action for the first preseason game. Badie, a rookie, got the most carries on the team but managed just 3.2 yards per carry. The volume was encouraging in that Baltimore clearly wants to see what it has in the rookie out of Missouri, but Badie's output will need to improve as the preseason progresses. Veterans Mike Davis and Corey Clement stand as Badie's biggest hurdles for a reserve role behind J.K. Dobbins (knee) and Gus Edwards (knee).

Strong rushed six times for 25 yards and caught his only target for no gain in Thursday's 23-21 preseason loss to the Giants.

Strong has reportedly shown good receiving ability in camp, which could be his ticket to a complementary role in the wake of James White's retirement, but he failed to make much of an impact in that regard Thursday. It's also a bit worrisome that he was deployed after both J.J. Taylor and rookie sixth-round pick Kevin Harris, which suggests that Strong could be below both in New England's backfield pecking order, but the 2022 fourth-rounder has time to make up some ground on that front. On the bright side, Strong's average of 4.2 yards per carry was the highest among Patriots rushers Thursday, which gives him some momentum to build on for the second preseason game against Carolina next Friday.

Harris rushed six times for nine yards and a touchdown while catching one of two targets for minus-2 yards in Thursday's 23-21 preseason loss to the Giants.

It would have been a forgettable NFL debut for the rookie sixth-round pick out of South Carolina if not for his three-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Harris notably saw the field before fellow rookie Pierre Strong but after J.J. Taylor. Even with James White having announced his retirement, Harris is still locked in a battle with Taylor and Strong to make the roster behind Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson in a deep New England backfield. He'll look to bolster his case in the second preseason game, Aug. 19 against the Panthers.

Taylor rushed five times for 16 yards and caught his only target for 11 yards in Thursday's 23-21 preseason loss to the Giants.

Taylor got the start at running back ahead of rookies Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong with both Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson getting the night off, but he didn't do much with the opportunity, rushing for just 3.2 yards per carry. Strong averaged a more robust 4.2 yards on his six attempts, while Harris was the only one of the three to score a touchdown. Even with James White no longer in the mix after announcing his retirement, Taylor could find himself on the outside looking in when final cuts come around if he allows both rookies to outplay him, so he'll be looking for a bounce-back performance when New England continues preseason play Aug. 19 against the Panthers.

Hill rushed three times for 11 yards and didn't draw a target during the Ravens' 23-10 preseason win over the Titans on Thursday night.

Seeing his first game action in just under a year, Hill put together modest numbers, but the biggest takeaway was his ability to get back on the field following the Achilles tear that wiped out last season. Hill has reportedly looked quick and back to pre-injury form in training camp practices, and he could see a bump in workload in a road exhibition matchup against the Cardinals a week from Sunday night as he aims to lock in a spot as a speedy change-of-pace option behind the presumptive top running back duo of J.K. Dobbins (knee) and Gus Edwards (knee).

Barkley rushed four times for 13 yards and caught his only target for eight yards in Thursday's 23-21 preseason win over the Patriots.

Barkley only played the first series but worked as the focal point of New York's offense, accruing five touches during his brief time in the game. He's likely to see plenty of volume as both a rusher and pass catcher when the games start to count, but the Giants will likely continue to limit Barkley's playing time throughout the preseason. He'll probably see a similar workload when the Bengals come to town Aug. 21 for the team's next preseason game.

Haskins rushed six times for just 19 yards but brought in three of four targets for 29 yards in the Titans' 23-10 preseason loss to the Ravens on Thursday night.

The rookie fourth-round pick, who is looking to cement a complementary/backup role in a backfield that also includes Derrick Henry and Dontrell Hilliard, was outperformed by undrafted free agent Julius Chestnut on the ground, but Haskins did a nice job showing off his receiving chops. The Michigan product saw one fewer carry than Chestnut, but he outpaced fellow depth backs Jordan Wilkins and Trenton Cannon by five rush attempts apiece. Haskins should get another fairly extensive look when the Titans face the Buccaneers in their second preseason game a week from Saturday night.

Chestnut rushed seven times for 44 yards and secured his only target for 12 yards in the Titans' 23-10 preseason loss to the Ravens on Thursday night. He also lost a fumble.

Chestnut's efficiency on a per-touch basis was impressive, although he did short-circuit the Titans' second drive with a fumble that ultimately led to the Ravens' first touchdown. The undrafted free agent has an uphill battle for a roster spot, but the miscue aside, Chestnut largely was able to carry over the momentum he'd generated in camp practices, and Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports head coach Mike Vrabel was pleased with how well the rookie bounced back from the early mistake. The Sacred Heart alum will look to continue making his case in the Titans' exhibition clash against the Buccaneers a week from Saturday night.

Taylor isn't expected to play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Bills, George Bremer of The Anderson Herald Bulletin reports.

The report notes that starting QB Matt Ryan is expected to play about one quarter in the contest. However, coming off a huge 2021 campaign, Taylor doesn't have anything to prove in the preseason, and the Colts seem likely to play it safe with their star back this weekend and quite possibly in their next two exhibition outings as well.