NFL Player News

Drake (undisclosed) returned to practice Friday, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Drake landed on the active/non-football injury list Wednesday with an undisclosed issue, though the Raiders didn't appear to be particularly concerned. He was considered day-to-day with a chance of returning to practice Friday, and he has indeed done so.

Stevenson (undisclosed) been removed from the active/NFI list, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

The fourth-rounder was back on the field Friday after missing Patriots' first two training camp practices and will now look to carve out a role in the team's backfield. How much work the Oklahoma product sees as a rookie will depend on several factors, notably roster composition and injuries, but at this stage Stevenson profiles as a complementary option behind projected top back Damien Harris. Also in the mix are Sony Michel, James White, Brandon Bolden, J.J. Taylor and Tyler Gaffney, but Stevenson's listed 6-0, 227-pound frame suggests that the 23-year-old could emerge as a viable early-down/short-yardage option for New England this coming season.

Elliott's workload and touch volume will be monitored closely to begin the season, DallasCowboys.com reports.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, coach Mike McCarthy said the coaching staff had to "be cognizant of the long road" when it came to the team's bell cow running back. "We've got Tony Pollard, and Rico [Dowdle] has looked good," McCarthy said. "We've got some younger guys who can play and produce, so it's not necessary for Zeke to run the ball 25-30 times a game. When you get to December, January football, you want him to be in top form to be able to run the ball 25-30 times if needed." Elliott averaged 20.9 carries and 24.3 touches a game through his first four years in the NFL while Jason Garrett was in charge, but only 16.3 carries and 19.7 touches a game in 2020, McCarthy's first season at the helm for Dallas. Based on these comments, it doesn't sound like Elliott will be getting that lost volume back any time soon, but a healthier offensive line and more efficient offense around him should still allow him to rebound from last year's disappointing production.

Scott appears to be Philadelphia's No. 2 running back through the first few days of training camp, Eliot Shorr-Parks of Sports Radio 94 WIP Philadelphia reports.

The Eagles have a deep group of running backs, with Scott and starter Miles Sanders joined by Kerryon Johnson, Jordan Howard and fifth-round pick Kenneth Gainwell. The latter is arguably the biggest threat to Scott's backup role, but the veteran will at least get a chance to defend it, following a 2020 campaign in which he averaged 5.0 yards on 80 carries and 8.5 yards on 25 receptions. Gainwell is also a smaller back with promising receiving skills, so it'll be hard to find find steady roles for both him and Scott unless Sanders is injured or benched.

Felton worked out with Cleveland's receivers during Thursday's practice session, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Whether Felton working with the receivers was by design or need is not clear, as a few pass-catchers were not on the practice field Thursday. The 2021 sixth-rounder is a hybrid back/receiver that practiced with the running backs Wednesday. The 5-foot-9, 189-pounder could have a hard time making the final roster in either lane, but the Browns are expected to give him many opportunities in preseason games and the joint practices with the Giants on Aug. 19 and 20. Felton could hook on as a returner as well.

Penny indicated Thursday that he's down to 223 pounds after playing at around 234 pounds during his time at San Diego State, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports. "I feel fast. I feel amazing," said Penny

Penny hasn't lived up to his first-round billing in the 2018 NFL Draft thus far and will likely have to settle for a supporting role behind Chris Carson, but he did post reasonably good per-carry averages in his first two seasons at 4.9 and 5.7. He's in the fourth year of his deal with Seattle and it will be a contract year following the team's decision to decline his fifth-year option. It appears he's healthy and would be the likely candidate to step into the lead role should Carson falter or miss time.

Igwebuike is being moved to running back during the start of training camp, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

After bouncing around the league as a safety since going undrafted in 2018, Igwebuike is not only getting a look at running back but kick returner as well. However, the Northwestern product is buried on the depth chart at both positions and Igwebuike remains a long shot to make the final roster out of training camp.

Zack Cox of NESN.com views Harris as the clear favorite to serve as the Patriots' No. 1 back this coming season.

While coach Bill Belichick isn't normally the type to detail player's projected roles, he did note that the third-year back is someone "that improved a lot from Year 1 to Year 2," while acknowledging that the 2019 third-rounder "has an opportunity to compete for a lead spot, and he's embraced that." Also in the Patriots' backfield mix are Sony Michel, James White, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brandon Bolden, J.J. Taylor and Tyler Gaffney. For now, Michel profiles as Harris' main competition for early-down work, while White retains his change-of-pace role in the New England offense. Down the road, Stevenson -- who began camp on the active/non-football injury list -- has a chance to compete for complementary touches, but at this stage Harris looks like the best bet fantasy-wise among the team's running backs.

Mostert (knee) fielded some punts at Wednesday's practice, Keiana Martin of 49ers.com reports.

The main takeaway is that Mostert returned healthy for the start of training camp after dealing with a minor knee injury during OTAs. He's never returned a punt in a regular-season game and isn't likely to take on such a role at this point in his career, though he was largely valued for his work on special teams prior to a late-2019 breakout. Mostert then made eight starts for the Niners in 2020, but he left two of those games early and missed eight others, held back by knee and ankle sprains. He did put up 65.1 rushing yards per game and 5.0 YPC, and he displayed his trademark speed on an 80-yard TD run and a 76-yard receiving score in September. While the explosiveness may keep Mostert atop San Francisco's depth chart, Tim Kawakami of The Athletic suggests rookie third-round pick Trey Sermon "already seems to be pretty much 1B to [Mostert]'s 1A at the tailback spot."

Sermon appears to be "1B to Raheem Mostert's 1A" in the San Francisco backfield, according to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic.

Mostert averaged 13 carries and two receptions in eight starts last season, so there's room for another runner to make an impact even if the speedy 29-year-old keeps his starting job and stays healthy. Sermon already got some work with the first-team offense during the 49ers' offseason program and is now continuing that at training camp, while fellow back Jeff Wilson (knee) remains in danger of missing the first half of the upcoming season. Wayne Gallman is the lone veteran behind Mostert in the San Francisco backfield, with the other options being 2020 UDFA JaMycal Hasty and 2021 UDFA Elijah Mitchell.