NFL Player News

Mattison had 10 carries for 41 yards in Sunday's preseason win over Seattle.

With Dalvin Cook likely to sit out the entire preseason as the Vikings play it safe with their starting running back, Mattison has been the starter in the first two preseason games. His 4.1 YPC on Sunday were a positive sign as he could gain a significant role off the bench and emerge as the goal-line back. He looks set to win the No. 2 running back role.

Jones (knee) did not practice Monday, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Auman additionally reported that Jones didn't have any sort of limp and that head coach Bruce Arians attributed Jones' absence strictly to soreness. The second-year back got plenty of work throughout training camp and logged a pair of carries in Friday's preseason win over the Dolphins, but Kevin O'Donnell of Fox13 tweeted a screen shot of a potential hyperextension that Jones may have suffered in his left knee while returning the opening kickoff of that contest. Jones should be considered day-to-day for the time being, with his next opportunity to practice coming Tuesday.

Boone had 21 carries for 66 yards in Sunday's preseason win over Seattle.

Boone has had two strong preseason games, which should help his case considering he's on the roster bubble. He's in the battle for the No. 3 RB role, but Ameer Abdullah likely has an edge for a roster spot due to his role as the kick returner. Still, it seems likely Boone will secure a reserve running back role.

Ellington rushed six times for 15 yards and brought in all four targets for 14 yards in the Buccaneers' 16-14 preseason win over the Dolphins on Friday. He also lost a fumble.

Ellington couldn't get much going in the running game and fumbled on the third play of the Buccaneers' second possession. However, he atoned to an extent with his sure hands. Ellington didn't see any reps in the return game as he had in the exhibition opener, but he otherwise got a fairly long look again by preseason standards. However, Dare Ogunbowale, who's battling for a backup running back job himself, outdid the veteran through the air with a 41-yard reception on his way to a 3-54 line, making next week's third preseason game against the Browns a potentially pivotal one for Ellington.

Newsome carried the ball five times for 17 yards and caught his only target for five yards in Sunday's preseason loss to the Saints.

The second-year back didn't look hampered by the minor leg injury he suffered in practice last weekend, but Newsome also didn't do much to make a positive impression on the coaches, posting pedestrian numbers for the second straight game. Troymaine Pope, however, did, ripping off an 81-yard score on a punt return. Even if Melvin Gordon's holdout drags on into the regular season, if the Week 1 roster allows for only one other running back behind Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson, Newsome may need to find a way to make an impact in the Chargers' remaining exhibition tilts to hang onto his spot.

Ekeler carried the ball three times for nine yards and caught his only target for six yards in Sunday's preseason loss to the Saints.

He got the starter treatment in this one, seeing minimal snaps with the first-team offense before giving way to other backs the coaching staff wanted to get a better look at. Ekeler remains on track to be the No. 1 RB for the Chargers in Week 1 if Melvin Gordon is still holding out or not yet up to speed, but whether he would see the bulk of the backfield touches in that scenario, or be first among equals in a committee with the likes of Justin Jackson, isn't yet clear.

Ozigbo carried the ball eight times for 30 yards and caught all three of his targets for 23 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's preseason win over the Chargers.

The undrafted rookie out of Nebraska was on the receiving end of a one-yard toss from Taysom Hill in the fourth quarter. That successful red-zone conversion for Ozigbo could have been crucial to his chances of making the team -- one of his main competitors for a roster spot, Dwayne Washington, muffed his own red-zone target earlier in the game, resulting in a Chargers INT. Ozigbo has now made a positive impression in each of the first two preseason games, but he remains something of a long shot to find his way onto the Saints' 53-man roster for Week 1.

Washington carried the ball five times for 30 yards and failed to bring in his only target in Sunday's preseason win over the Chargers.

While the 25-year-old led all Saints running backs with a 6.0 YPC on the day, he also committed a major gaffe in the red zone, letting a very catchable Teddy Bridgewater pass clank off his hands for an interception. Washington is currently the No. 3 RB behind Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray, but he can't afford too many more mental errors if he wants to keep that spot.

Yurachek (undisclosed) played 28 snaps during Saturday's preseason game against the Rams.

Yurachek signed a deal with the Cowboys after reaching an injury settlement with the Raiders, though the details of his injury were never revealed. Despite this, he appears to have returned to health, as he was on the field for 19 special-teams plays and nine offensive plays Saturday.

Kamara carried the ball four times for 15 yards and failed to catch his only target in Sunday's preseason win over the Chargers.

The third-year back got the start but made a quick exit after receiving a handful of snaps with the first-team offense, a repeat of his workload in the Saints' preseason opener against the Vikings. Coach Sean Payton has downplayed notions that Kamara will see significantly more touches this year with Latavius Murray replacing Mark Ingram as his backfield partner, but after topping 1,500 scrimmage yards with at least 13 TDs in each of his first two campaigns, even just a repeat performance would still rank him among the fantasy elite at RB.