NFL Player News

Taylor, who didn't play in Saturday's preseason loss to the Bills, is unlikely to see game action in the Colts' remaining two exhibition contests according to coach Frank Reich, JJ Stankevitz of the team's official site reports.

"That's really what Chris (Ballard) and I talked about," Reich noted of the likelihood that the Colts would play it safe in the preseason with their franchise back. "I can't see that changing for any reason. So, he's looked good, he's in shape, I feel like we're getting good work in practice versus our defense." With Taylor entrenched as Indy's lead back and Nyheim Hines in line to serve as the squad's primary change-of-pace option, depth slotting behind them is up for grabs, leaving Phillip Lindsay, Ty'Son Williams, Deon Jackson, D'Vonte Price and CJ Verdell currently competing for roster spots ahead of Week 1.

Cook is not in line to play in Sunday's preseason opener against the Raiders.

Cook, along with the majority of the Vikings' top offensive players, will be held out of Sunday's exhibition game. Expect Alexander Mattison and Kene Nwangwu to handle the majority of the running back duties during the first half, while Ty Chandler and Bryant Koback may get some work after halftime.

Carter rushed three times for five yards and caught his only target for seven yards in Friday's 24-21 preseason win over the Eagles.

Carter was used sparingly, as was rookie second-round pick Breece Hall, who mustered 15 yards on five carries. The two young running backs are expected to operate in a timeshare led by Hall once the games start to count.

Knight rushed six times for 13 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 24-21 preseason win over Philadelphia. He also returned two kickoffs for 63 yards, with a long of 52 yards.

Knight is a long shot to make the Jets' roster, but the undrafted rookie from NC State helped his case with a strong preseason debut. He moved the pile to score from two yards out in the third quarter and also showcased his abilities as a return man on special teams. Knight should get plenty of playing time in New York's next preseason game Monday, Aug. 22 against the Falcons.

Perine rushed 10 times for 51 yards in Friday's 24-21 preseason win over Philadelphia.

Perine is on the roster bubble, but the 2020 fourth-round pick out of Florida put forth a solid effort in the preseason opener to help his case, topping his totals in rushing attempts (eight) and yards (31) from the entire 2021 regular season. Breece Hall and Michael Carter are locks to make the Jets' roster, leaving Perine, Tevin Coleman, Ty Johnson (hamstring) and undrafted rookie Zonovan Knight to battle it out for another 1-to-2 roster spots.

Thompson rushed three times for 15 yards and caught his lone target for two yards in Saturday's 32-25 preseason loss to the Steelers. He also returned one kickoff for 14 yards.

Thompson didn't play on offense until the fourth quarter, as Kenneth Walker, Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas all took the field before him. He wasn't effective in his limited reps. The 2019 sixth-round pick is on the roster bubble.

Dallas rushed 10 times for 73 yards and caught his lone target for a 17-yard touchdown in Saturday's 32-25 preseason loss to the Steelers. He also returned two kicks for 41 yards.

Dallas didn't play on offense until the second half, as he was the third Seahawks running back to take the field after rookie Kenneth Walker and Travis Homer. As it stands, Dallas and Homer are competing for the No. 3 running back spot, which will focus mostly on third downs, and Homer seemingly has the edge because of his pass-blocking ability. Fantasy managers shouldn't depend on either back, however, as Walker and Rashaad Penny (groin) should take the bulk of the workload when healthy.

Homer rushed four times for 41 yards and caught two of three targets for 33 yards in Saturday's 32-25 preseason loss to the Steelers.

With Rashaad Penny (groin) sitting out, Homer was the second Seahawks running back to take the field after rookie second-round pick Kenneth Walker and before DeeJay Dallas. Homer was highly efficient on the ground and through the air. Dallas also was quite impressive, running for 73 yards on 10 carries and catching his lone target for a 17-yard gain. Homer is the superior pass blocker and appears to have the edge in the competition with Dallas for the No. 3 running back spot, though neither player will have much fantasy utility as long as Penny and Walker are healthy.

Blackshear rushed six times for 11 yards with two scores in Saturday's preseason win over the Colts. He also caught four of five targets for 60 yards.

Blackshear is a long shot to make the roster as an undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech, but he certainly had a nice start to his pro career and can perhaps keep himself in the conversation should injuries strike the players ahead of him on the current depth chart.

Hines got the start at running back with Jonathan Taylor sitting out and had eight carries for 26 yards and two receptions for 13 yards in Saturday's preseason loss to Buffalo.

The Colts plan to hold out Taylor from preseason games to play it safe, so Hines got the starting nod. The offense overall was sluggish, meaning it's difficult to read too much into Hines' performance, other that it could be an indication that the coaching staff plans to follow through on talk this summer that he'll get more touches. However, it's also worth remembering that head coach Frank Reich made similar proclamations about designing plays and making sure Hines was part of the game plan last summer.