NFL Player News

The Giants expect Barkley (knee) to pass a physical and begin practicing Monday, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

If things go according to plan, Barkley will be activated from the PUP list after missing the first two weeks of training camp. He'll presumably be limited in practice at first, but he'll have a month to progress toward full participation before the Sept. 12 season opener against Denver. While the 24-year-old running back has avoided commenting on a timeline, a recent report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network suggests Barkley should make his season debut between Week 1 and Week 3.

Huntley has shown great improvement over his rookie season so far in training camp, Mike Kaye of NJ.com reports.

Huntley has flashed his trademark speed in practice and apparently has made a fan of quarterback Jalen Hurts. Fellow running back (and competitor for a roster spot) Kerryon Johnson raved about the 23-year-old's development in pass protection drills, as well. The New Mexico State product also boasts ability in the return game and could carve out a niche for himself there. Huntley still has an uphill battle with Johnson, Kenneth Gainwell and Jordan Howard for one of two roster spots behind Miles Sanders and Boston Scott, however.

Penny was held out of practice Sunday due to a "minor" injury, per coach Pete Carroll, Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio KJR reports.

Carroll clarified the injury as being to Penny's thigh, per John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site. Penny was joined on the sidelines by Robert Nkemdiche and D.J. Reed, but Carroll didn't seem particularly concerned about their injuries. If his thigh issue indeed is minor, look for Penny to put any doubts about his health to rest by dressing for Seattle's Aug. 14 preseason opener in Las Vegas.

Hubbard has been competing with veteran Reggie Bonnafon for the Panthers' backup tailback job during training camp, Joseph Person of The Athletic reports.

Hubbard was selected in the fourth round after a productive college career at Oklahoma State. He wasn't used often in the passing game, however, and has drawn mixed reviews in that department through training camp thus far. After Bonnafon played just two games due to injury last season, it'll be interesting to see whether he or the rookie Hubbard becomes superstar Christian McCaffrey's top understudy prior to Week 1.

Snell (undisclosed) missed his second straight practice Sunday, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The same applies to fellow RB Kalen Ballage, with neither player's absence viewed as a long-term concern. Once he's back in the mix, Snell will look to solidify his role behind top back, rookie Najee Harris. Also in the depth mix in the Steelers backfield are Anthony McFarland, Jaylen Samuels and Ballage.

Dave Spadaro of the Eagles' official site relays that Gainwell -- who the team took in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft -- "has had a lot of touches in camp as the coaches move him around the formation and take advantage of his receiving skills and his open-field ability."

Spadaro adds that beyond top options Miles Sanders and Boston Scott, roles in the team's backfield aren't yet clearly defined. Also in the mix for slotting on the Eagles' RB depth chart are veterans Jordan Howard and Kerryon Johnson, but Gainwell -- who's listed at 5-foot-9, 200 pounds -- is a player to track leading up to Week 1, as he has an opportunity to claim a portion of the team's passing-down work in his first season as a pro.

Gordon, rookie second-round pick Javonte Williams and Mike Boone have mixed in with the Broncos' first-team offense during early training camp practices, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.

Due to experience alone, Gordon should be the leader in the clubhouse to head Denver's backfield, and he at the very least has job security after receiving a $2 million roster bonus when he reported to the team in late July. Still, the Broncos traded up to select Williams, who ripped off 7.3 YPC en route to 1,140 yards and 19 touchdowns in 11 games last season at North Carolina. Meanwhile, Boone arrived this offseason on a two-year deal, and holdover Royce Freeman is adept as both a runner and a receiver. It remains to be seen what kind of workload Gordon can expect this fall, but he may find it difficult to average the 16.5 touches per game that he got in his first year with the team in 2020.

Clement is outperforming Devontae Booker at Giants training camp, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger.

With Saquon Barkley (knee) on the PUP list, Booker has mostly worked as the top running back in practice, as was expected after he signed a two-year, $6 million contract in March. Clement settled for a one-year, $990,000 deal a couple months later, but it sounds like he's now pushing Booker for what could be the Week 1 starting job (if Barkley isn't ready). The Giants also have Alfred Morris and rookie sixth-round pick Gary Brightwell in the backfield, though the latter reportedly hasn't seen many reps on offense at training camp.

Vaughn said Friday that he's feeling more confident heading into Year 2, especially with regard to his role on special teams, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Coach Bruce Arians highlighted special teams as a necessary area of improvement for Vaughn back in June minicamp, and the second-year running back appears to have taken those words to heart. As Greg Auman of The Athletic reports, Vaughn has also prioritized improving his consistency as a pass catcher. The 24-year-old won't have an easy path to offensive snaps in the upcoming campaign, with veteran Giovani Bernard now also in the mix behind Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones, but a strong preseason could at least help him be more involved than he was as a rookie (31 touches in 10 appearances).

Snell didn't record any touches in the Steelers' 16-3 win over the Cowboys in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game.

Najee Harris is in line to serve as the Steelers' lead back to begin the regular season, and he started Thursday's contest and recorded eight touches. Jaylen Samuels, Kalen Ballage and Anthony McFarland all recorded carries behind Harris, but Snell was left out of the offensive mix in the preseason opener. The 2019 fourth-rounder had the chance to secure a larger role in James Conner's absence last season but is in danger of losing his spot on the 53-man roster ahead of Week 1, Brooke Pryor of ESPN reports.