NFL Player News

Dillon didn't do any team work during Wednesday's practice due to a calf injury, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Schneidman described the running back's limitations as "mostly precautionary." When available, Dillon is in line to serve as Aaron Jones' top backup this season, with Jamaal Williams having headed to the Lions via free agency during the offseason.

Williams (hamstring) will not face Washington during Friday's exhibition matchup, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Williams will miss his second straight preseason game due to a hamstring injury, making Aug. 29's match against the Dolphins his next chance to suit up. The 2019 sixth-round pick has reportedly put together a strong offseason, but he's facing competition from Samaje Perine, Chris Evans, Jacques Patrick and Pooka Williams for a roster spot.

Head coach Brian Flores mentioned Ahmed alongside Malcolm Brown and Myles Gaskin when describing the Dolphins' backfield plans for 2021, Barry Jackson and Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald report.

Ahmed and Gaskin both worked behind Brown during Saturday's preseason loss to Chicago. With regard to the regular season, though, Flores said that "Gaskin can play first, second, third down," but that Ahmed and Brown could be rotated in "depending on the situation." Flores clearly described Brown's role as "a power back" and lauded Gaskins' "change of pace" skills, while keeping it vague by only praising Ahmed's "speed coming out of the backfield." That may indicate that Ahmed currently sits in the No. 3 spot, as was reflected by his usage in last weekend's preseason game. Still, the Dolphins' current backfield plan appears far from being set in stone. The situation could even have the makings of the type of three-man committee dreaded by fantasy managers, with the hot hand during a particular week potentially earning the bulk of the snaps.

Head coach Brian Flores said the Dolphins will employ Gaskin, Malcolm Brown and Salvon Ahmed "situationally as best fits their skill set and what's best for the team," Barry Jackson and Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald report. "Gaskin can play first, second, third down, but depending on the situation, we may put another player in there," Flores said.

Additionally, Flores labeled Gaskin as a "change of place" player as compared to "a power back" in Brown. As for Ahmed, Flores said he simply "has good speed, coming out of the backfield." In last weekend's preseason loss to Chicago, Brown made the start at running back, with Gaskin and Ahmed coming off the bench. In the regular season, the Dolphins will almost certainly head into Week 1 with a three-man backfield committee, but the actual workload split will warrant close monitoring. Flores' comments still make it seem as though Gaskin will operate as the starter, but he may not be able to repeat the near-every-down usage he saw in 2020 if Brown and Ahmed indeed carve out regular weekly roles.

Gainwell has been getting more first-team snaps in practice recently, Eliot Shorr-Parks of Sports Radio 94 WIP Philadelphia reports.

The rookie fifth-round pick is still working behind Miles Sanders and Boston Scott but he at least mixes in with the starters from time to time. If nothing else, Gainwell appears on track for a roster spot, especially after the Eagles waived Kerryon Johnson (knee) earlier this week. Gainwell had two carries for 14 yards and two catches for 16 yards in Philly's preseason opener, and he should see more work Thursday against New England. Gainwell, Jordan Howard, Jason Huntley and Elijah Holyfield are competing for what likely will be two spots behind presumed roster locks Sanders and Scott.

Snell (undisclosed) returned to practice Tuesday, Dale Lolley of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Snell had been working on an exercise bike last week and participated in individual drills recently, but Tuesday's practice marked the first time he received carries. While it's still not clear what injury kept the 23-year-old sidelined, he appears to be over the issue. Expect Snell to be active for Saturday's preseason game against Detroit as he competes for a backup role behind first-round draft pick Najee Harris.

Walker (undisclosed) was waived/injured by the Jets on Tuesday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Walker was claimed off waiver by the Jets in May and was working as a depth tailback in camp. He appeared in four games for the 49ers last season, rushing once for three yards and catching one pass for 27 yards. The 25-year-old will revert to New York's injured reserve if he goes through waivers unclaimed.

Coach Pete Carroll hopes Penny (thigh) is able to suit up and play during Saturday's preseason game against the Broncos, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Due to draft pedigree alone, the 2018 first-round pick should be the favorite to back up starter Chris Carson, but Penny has appeared in just three regular-season games since tearing his ACL in December 2019. He underwent a cleanup procedure on his knee in the offseason and has missed more than a week of practice recently with a thigh concern. Penny will need to get on the field soon to play Saturday, but even if he doesn't he'll have one more exhibition game Aug. 28 versus the Chargers to prove he should be the No. 2 RB in Seattle. Travis Homer (calf), probably Penny's primary competitor, is on the PUP list, leaving DeeJay Dallas, Alex Collins and Josh Johnson to vie for slotting on the depth chart.

Brightwell (undisclosed) is practicing Tuesday after being sidelined early in training camp, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

It's unclear what's kept the rookie sixth-round pick off the field, but he's returned to practice after missing the first preseason game. The next few weeks of the preseason could be big for Brightwell, who's competing with Corey Clement for No. 3 on the depth chart behind Saquon Barkley (knee) and Devontae Booker.

The Broncos waived Bellamy (ankle) with an injury designation Tuesday, Ryan O'Halloran of The Denver Post reports.

Bellamy is nursing an ankle injury with a multiweek recovery timetable, so the Broncos are opting to free up a roster spot. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, Bellamy will revert to the team's injured reserve.