NFL Player News

Williams was let go by Washington on Monday, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports.

Williams was considered a long shot to land on Washington's 53-man roster, as he was slotting fifth on the depth chart. The question now is whether the Football Team will keep three or four running backs on the roster. The sixth-year back suited up for five games with the team in 2020, registering just five yards on one carry.

Kansas City waived Thompson on Monday, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star reports.

Thompson failed to reach the 4.0 YPC mark in either of his two seasons with the Chiefs, across which span he logged a total of 26 regular-season appearances. With Jerick McKinnon and Darrel Williams (head) around to provide depth behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle), and Derrick Gore having put together a solid preseason, Thompson's spot on the roster was rendered superfluous. The third-year pro will look for another opportunity elsewhere in the league.

The Ravens placed Dobbins (knee) on injured reserve Monday, Ryan Mink of the team's official site reports.

Dobbins sustained a season-ending ACL tear during Saturday's preseason game against Washington, so his shift to IR doesn't come as any sort of surprise. The transaction officially rules him out for the 2021 campaign. With Dobbins out of the picture this season, Gus Edwards appears slated to kick off Sept. 13's season opener against the Raiders as Baltimore's backfield leader, with Ty'Son Williams and Justice Hill (ankle) also available to share the workload. The Ravens may also still consider adding further running back depth.

Coach John Harbaugh confirmed that Williams will have a spot on the initial 53-man roster, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports. "You do the math, he's there," Harbaugh said Monday. "He'll be out there playing, and he's ready to go."

After making a push this summer to replace Justice Hill as the No. 3 running back, Williams may even enter Week 1 as the No. 2. The Ravens lost J.K. Dobbins to a torn ACL on Saturday, leaving Gus Edwards as the only back on the roster with more than 70 NFL carries. Williams is a 2020 UDFA who spent his rookie season on Baltimore's practice squad, and he'll likely be ticketed for single-digit carries if he does have a part in the game plan Week 1 at Las Vegas.

Mattison (undisclosed) didn't practice Monday, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Mattison may have been injured in the Vikings' second preseason game, as he logged just two snaps and hasn't practiced since. He did watch Monday's practice from the sideline, whereas some of the players with more serious injuries weren't present at all. Assuming he makes it back on the practice field soon, Mattison is locked in as Minnesota's No. 2 back behind Dalvin Cook ahead of a Sept. 12 opener against Cincinnati. Last year, Mattison averaged 4.5 carries and 0.7 targets in the 10 full games he and Cook played together.

Nwangwu (knee) is not practicing Monday, Eric Smith of the Vikings' official site reports.

Nwangwu was forced to sit out Minnesota's final two preseason games due to a knee injury picked up Aug. 14, but his recovery timetable still should put him on track for Week 1. That leaves the rookie fourth-round pick with just under two weeks to resume practicing prior to Sept. 12's season opener in Cincinnati.

Carter's unspecified injury isn't viewed as a serious issue, Connor Hughes of The Athletic reports.

With that, we'll consider the rookie back day-to-day. When healthy, the 2021 fourth-rounder will look will look to carve out a role in a Jets backfield that also includes Tevin Coleman, Ty Johnson and La'Mical Perine. Heading into the regular season, it appears as though the Jets will employ a committee approach, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. For now, look for Coleman and Johnson to lead the way, at least out of the gate, but Cimini notes that Carter "has the most upside, but the rookie might need a little time before he finds a niche."

Carter may be dealing with an injury, as he was in the rehab area at Monday's practice, Connor Hughes of The Athletic reports.

It's been an interesting summer for the fourth-round pick, starting with the first week of training camp when he reportedly got regular work with the first-team offense. Fantasy attention followed, but recent indicators point more toward a Gang Green backfield committee with three or even four players involved. Given his age, draft position and receiving ability, Carter remains the upside play among the bunch, though it isn't clear who out of him, Tevin Coleman, Ty Johnson or even La'Mical Perine (foot) will get the most work. The rookie finished his first NFL preseason with a respectable stat line -- 24 carries for 86 yards and three catches for 15 yards on three targets -- but it seems he may have gotten banged up in Friday's exhibition with the Eagles. Carter has two weeks to get ready for the season opener at Carolina on Sept. 12.

Hasty rushed six times for 55 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 34-10 preseason win over the Raiders.

Hasty made a strong impression in the 49ers' final preseason game as he competes for a roster bid. His main competition, Wayne Gallman, also had a strong outing (13 carries for 60 yards), so the final decision likely will come down to what type of back the team needs at the back end of the rotation. Whoever wins the job battle will likely be used in a reserve/special teams role heading into a Week 1 matchup against the Lions.

Felton had four carries for 15 yards, returned one kickoff for 37 yards and returned one punt for 11 yards in Sunday's 19-10 win over Atlanta in preseason Week 3.

Felton's lone kick return set up the Browns at their own 39 to start a drive that ended on downs at the Falcons' three-yard line. If it were a regular season game, it's likely that would have been three points, but head coach Kevin Stefanski took the gamble in a preseason game. Felton's punt return led to a field goal. The versatile Felton flashed early in camp and showed he was worth a roster spot in all three preseason games. He opened Sunday's game as the first kickoff returner, then played in the slot on the opening series while motioning into the backfield for some plays. It's unclear how the Browns intend to use him on offense, but it looks like he'll be the primary kick returner.