NFL Player News

Pollard enters the regular season as the top backup to Ezekiel Elliott, who is expected to be available Week 1 against the Giants after reaching a six-year contract extension with the Cowboys on Wednesday, Jane Slater of NFL Network reports.

Pollard could still be looking at a significant role during the regular-season opener, as Elliott only expected to play about 20-to-25 snaps after missing training camp and the preseason, according to Slater. Once Elliott answers any concerns about his conditioning, he'll presumably reclaim the overwhelming share of backfield snaps for Dallas, leaving few left over for Pollard. At the point, the rookie fourth-round pick could still end up making an impact for Dallas as a gadget player, slot receiver and return man.

Coach Doug Pederson confirmed Wednesday that Sanders will have a role in Philadelphia's offense right away in Week 1 against the Redskins, Daniel Gallen of The Harrisburg Patriot-News reports.

Sanders enters the season as part of a crowded backfield that includes more experienced options in Jordan Howard, Darren Sproles and Corey Clement, all of whom bring unique skill sets to the table. The division of labor among all the backs is difficult to predict at this point, but it's reassuring for Sanders' investors to some degree that he won't be buried on the depth chart, even if he doesn't draw the Week 1 start. The rookie second-round pick could gradually claim a larger snap share if he makes the most of his initial opportunities.

Elliott is present for Wednesday's practice, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

Elliott's contract dispute came to an end earlier Wednesday, when the star running back agreed to terms with the Cowboys on a six-year, $90 million contract extension that includes $50 million guaranteed. The new deal puts Elliott on track to play in Sunday's regular-season opener against the Giants, during which he could play 20-to-25 snaps, according to Jane Slater of NFL Network. That estimated snap count would afford rookie Tony Pollard room to get some backfield work, but it's a safe bet Elliott will dominate carries as soon as he proves to be in proper shape.

Coach Brian Flores expects Drake to get "a lot of touches" Sunday against the Ravens, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports.

Drake returned to practice last week after battling a foot injury throughout much of August. With fellow running back Kalen Ballage averaging just 2.2 yards on 18 preseason carries, it shouldn't come as any surprise to see Drake listed as the starter on Miami's first depth chart of the regular season. Both running backs will likely get touches in Week 1, especially after Flores confirmed Wednesday that Drake has regained his health. The blocking is a bigger problem than the ballcarriers, considering the Dolphins recently traded their best lineman, left tackle Laremy Tunsil, to the Texans.

Gordon has drawn trade interest from one team, but a deal doesn't seem likely to happen in the near future, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Josina Anderson of ESPN relayed something similar, noting that an unnamed team has engaged in preliminary talks with the Chargers. It'll be difficult to work out a trade with significant compensation, as any acquiring team would also need to extend Gordon a contract that meets his demands. The Chargers know the 26-year-old is unlikely to sit out an entire season, as doing so could push his fifth-year option to 2020 instead of 2019. Scheduled for a $5.6 million base salary, Gordon will miss out on $330,000 for each week his holdout extends into the regular season. The Chargers are preparing to use Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson in the backfield for Sunday's opener against the Colts.

The Cowboys plan for Elliott to play about 20-to-25 snaps Week 1 against the Giants, though the plan could change before Sunday's game, Jane Slater of NFL Network reports.

Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported earlier Wednesday that Elliott and the Cowboys agreed to a six-year, $90 million contract that includes $50 million guaranteed. The timing allows Elliott to practice Wednesday for the first time since the offseason program, which would put him on track for an appearance in the regular-season opener. The Cowboys still plan to use Tony Pollard and fullback Jamize Olawale in some capacity, with the latter potentially getting some snaps on passing downs to take advantage of his blocking ability. It's a safe bet Elliott touches the ball on a high percentage of his snaps, but the 20-to-25-play estimate would be a big drop from last year's mark of 59.3 per game. Of course, the plan could change in a hurry if Elliott proves his conditioning is as good as ever.

Elliott and the Cowboys agreed Wednesday on a six-year contract extension, a source told Todd Archer of ESPN.com. The extension is worth $90 million and includes $50 million guaranteed, Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

With the new deal in place, Elliott's holdout looks like it will end. Assuming he is in fact back at practice Wednesday, there's a good chance he'll be able to play Week 1 against the Giants, though how much depends on his conditioning. If Elliott's workload is at all restricted in the season opener, rookie Tony Pollard would likely be the main beneficiary for added snaps.

The Raiders have released Martin (shoulder) with an injury settlement, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Martin had been on IR with a shoulder issue, but now that he's been let go, he'll be able to try to catch once with another team once he's healthy. How soon that might be remains to be seen, but Martin could resurface at some point this season, once injuries require teams to seek backfield help.

Breida is listed ahead of Tevin Coleman on the 49ers' posted depth chart.

Regardless of the 49ers' depth chart order on paper, it's clear that Breida and Coleman will be both see their share of touches out of the gate, with Jerick McKinnon (knee) on IR. Though at this stage the arrangement may slightly tilt in Breida's favor, Coleman figures to see enough work to merit fantasy consideration out of the gate, as this is shaping up to be a true timeshare that could eventually tilt toward either back if one of them gets on an early-season roll.

The Bills' posted running back depth chart lists Singletary behind Frank Gore and ahead of T.J. Yeldon.

That said, with LeSean McCoy no longer in the picture, Singletary is poised to be a big part of the team's rushing attack this season and carries the most upside of the three backs, who are now in line to work as a committee out of the gate this season, per the team's official site. As is the case in any time-share, a "hot hand" approach could tilt things toward one back or another, but while Gore's status as an experienced veteran probably helps his case early on and certainly gives him any depth-chart tiebreaker for appearance purposes, we'd expect Singletary's responsibilities to grow as the season progresses. There's also a chance the speedy, shifty Singletary may be used on kick returns as well.