NFL Player News

Coach Pete Carroll said Friday that Homer (calf) will come off the PUP list next week, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

Homer finished last year on IR with a knee injury and now has been out since the spring with a calf injury. The Seahawks mostly seem to value his pass blocking, which means Homer could be left without a role if the team decides DeeJay Dallas or another back is a better choice for third downs.

Jim Wyatt of the Titans official site suggests that the team "won't add any wear and tear" on Henry's body in Friday's preseason opener against the Falcons.

Given the amount of carries Henry has racked up over the last couple of seasons, it makes sense to limit his exposure to contact in exhibition games. With Henry likely to see little to no action Friday, Darrynton Evans is in line to draw the the start at running back versus Atlanta, while Brian Hill, Jeremy McNichols and Mekhi Sargent are all candidates to get touches as the contest progresses.

Funk and Xavier Jones should be busy this preseason, as the Rams likely will play it safe with projected starter Darrell Henderson, Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Funk is a sixth-round rookie who took only 135 carries throughout his college career, while Jones is a second-year pro who strictly played special teams after catching on with the Rams as an undrafted rookie last year. The two are listed as co-No. 2s on the team's initial preseason depth chart, ahead of scatbacks Raymond Calais (5-8, 188) and Otis Anderson (5-11, 174). Most reports put Jones in the lead for the second RB spot, but Funk should have plenty of chances to make his case this preseason.

Bills coach Sean McDermott said Friday the team is taking Moss's hamstring injury "one day at a time," according to Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus, who also reports the injury isn't considered serious.

We would guess that McDermott would have a different statement if Moss was going to play in Friday's preseason opener against the Lions, so don't expect the second-year back to be out there. We'll see if he can get in some form of practicing next week as he competes with Devin Singletary -- and to a lesser extent Matt Breida -- for his share of the carries in the Buffalo backfield.

McFarland logged nine carries for 34 yards and a touchdown and hauled in his lone target for seven yards in Thursday's 24-16 preseason win over the Eagles.

McFarland had a limited role in last week's Hall of Fame Game against the Cowboys, but he saw increased looks Thursday with Kalen Ballage (lower body) and Benny Snell (undisclosed) sidelined against the Eagles. McFarland's production trailed Jaylen Samuels' 62 yards from scrimmage, but he was on the field for 25 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps and made an impact as he competes for a backup role ahead of the regular season.

Freeman could see plenty of work in Saturday's preseason game against the Vikings once Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams are done for the day, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports.

Whereas Freeman had potentially been on the roster bubble, he's now looking at starting the coming season as Denver's No. 3 back, with Mike Boone on track to miss time early due to a quad injury. That's an assignment with limited fantasy utility; however, if either Williams or Gordon misses time for any reason, Freeman could subsequently emerge as a factor in deeper formats.

Boone (quadriceps) is expected to be sidelined 4-6 weeks after undergoing an MRI on Friday, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

Boone injured his quad during joint practice with the Vikings on Thursday. Surgery won't be required to address the injury, but Boone's recovery timetable does make him uncertain for the Sept. 12 regular-season opener against the Giants. The 26-year-old was putting together a strong camp and looks set for the No. 3 role behind Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams when healthy.

Patterson took 10 carries for 40 yards and caught three of four targets for 30 yards in Thursday's 22-13 preseason loss to New England.

The undrafted rookie out of Buffalo is competing with Lamar Miller, Peyton Barber and Jonathan Williams for one or two spots at RB behind roster locks Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic. While Barber and Miller scored Washington's touchdowns Thursday night, Patterson was the only back on the team with more than 35 total yards. In terms of playing time, Gibson and McKissic handled the first quarter, followed by Barber early in the second quarter and then a busy drive for Patterson right before halftime (capped off by Barber's one-yard TD). Patterson continued dominating carries in the third quarter before turning things over to Jonathan Williams and Lamar Miller for most of the final frame. It appears that Barber and Patterson are leading the competition for RB depth spots. They'll continue the battle at training camp next week, leading up to an Aug. 20 (Friday) preseason game against Cincinnati.

Gainwell rushed twice for 14 yards and caught two of four targets for 16 yards in Thursday's 24-16 loss to Pittsburgh.

Gainwell got some looks as both a rusher and a receiver, and that type of usage should remain a common theme throughout the preseason for the rookie fifth-round pick. With excellent hands and the ability to make people miss in space, Gainwell profiles as a change-of-pace running back and gadget guy. He could be a weapon on third down if he proves adept enough at pass blocking to be trusted with such a role. Gainwell should see more action in Week 2 of preseason against New England.

Stevenson rushed 10 times for 127 yards and two touchdowns but wasn't targeted in the passing game in Thursday's 22-13 preseason win over Washington.

Stevenson's production came in the fourth quarter against backup defenders, but the rookie fourth-round pick still displayed an impressive mix of power and speed. He scored from one yard out to put the Patriots up 15-7 early in the fourth quarter, then ripped off a 91-yard burst down the sideline to complete the scoring with just over a minute remaining. Look for Stevenson to get plenty of opportunities in Week 2 of preseason against the Eagles as he looks to climb a backfield depth chart that currently lists Damien Harris, James White and Sony Michel ahead of him.