NFL Player News

Yurachek (undisclosed) signed a contract with Dallas on Wednesday, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Yurachek was waived by the Raiders on June 6 after agreeing to an injury settlement. The nature of Yurachek's injury was never revealed, but the fact that he put pen to paper on a new deal with Dallas implies he was able to pass a physical. Yurachek will likely have to beat out Jamize Olawale in training camp in order to nail down the the team's only fullback spot heading into 2019.

Washington will try to fend off competition for the No. 3 running-back job from Javorius Allen, Matthew Dayes and undrafted rookie Devine Ozigbo during training camp, Rod Walker of The New Orleans Advocate reports.

Washington is the incumbent, coming off a 2018 campaign in which he logged 173 snaps on special teams and 46 on offense in 13 games. The highlight of his season was an 11-carry, 108-yard performance against the Panthers in Week 17, when New Orleans rested most of its starters to get ready for the playoffs. The experience on special teams certainly helps, but Allen and Dayes probably can offer more in the passing game, while Ozigbo has more potential for development as a runner. This should be a fierce competition throughout training camp and preseason.

Harris saw added reps during the Patriots' recent minicamp due to the absence of fellow running back Sony Michel (knee), Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald reports.

Michel was unavailable for the workouts after undergoing an arthroscopic knee procedure. Though Michel should be good to go for training camp, his history of knee woes is something the Patriots will have to consider when plotting their top back's workload. While Harris shouldn't be viewed as a short-term threat to supplant Michel, he does figure to see some carries out of the gate with an eye toward not wearing Michel out. In the event that Michel suffers any additional injury setbacks, Harris -- who profiles as a physical downhill runner -- would likely see an uptick in early-down work, with James White entrenched as the team's top pass-catching back and versatile Rex Burkhead in the mix to see complementary touches out of the New England backfield.

Edmonds is confident he'll have a regular role in the Cardinals offense in his second season, Kyle Odegard of the team's official site reports. "Me and Dave are definitely pushing for (two-back looks)," Edmonds said during OTAs. "It opens up his dynamic ability and mine as well. Whether it's two-back sets or Dave in the slot, me in the slot, it doesn't really matter."

Edmonds is referencing backfield mate and 2016 All-Pro David Johnson, who has averaged 94.5 yards from scrimmage per game and scored 42 offensive touchdowns in 49 regular-season appearances. Clearly a bell cow, Johnson's noted ability as a receiver allows him to line up just about anywhere in the formation, whether its out of the backfield, in the slot or outside. This versatility should give Edmonds, a 2018 fourth-round pick, more chances to get on the field this fall. In a dreadful offense last season, he managed 311 scrimmage yards and two TDs on 80 touches, numbers that should increase with a corresponding boost in offensive snaps within new coach Kliff Kingsbury's scheme.

Wilson (shoulder) participated in spring practices, Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee reports.

Wilson latched on with the 49ers as an undrafted rookie last year, ultimately starting two games in December and suffering a shoulder injury Week 17. He'll now face an uphill battle to stay on the 53-man roster, with Tevin Coleman, Jerick McKinnon (knee), Matt Breida (pectoral) and Raheem Mostert (forearm) all expected to have spots on the team. Wilson could land the No. 4 job if one of the aforementioned players suffers a rehab setback that forces him to injured reserve or the PUP list.

Mixon has high hopes for the Bengals under new coach Zac Taylor, SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

The Cincinnati defense doesn't look much different, but there's legitimate cause for optimism on Mixon's side of the ball after both he and Tyler Boyd enjoyed breakout seasons in 2018. With Andy Dalton, Tyler Eifert (ankle) and A.J. Green (toe) all expected to be ready for training camp, the Bengals have a strong group of skill-position players for Taylor and offensive coordinator Brian Callahan to work with. The offensive line appears less promising, though first-round pick Jonah Williams and free-agent signing John Miller do give the unit some potential to take a step forward. In any case, Mixon wasn't too bothered by the shaky line play last season, averaging 4.9 yards on 237 carries to finish fourth in the NFL in rushing (1,168 yards) despite missing two games. Giovani Bernard still is around to handle passing downs, but his role wasn't a huge problem last season for Mixon, who caught 30 passes for 214 yards in the 10 games both running backs played.

McCaffrey said one of his individual goals is to become the third player in NFL history with 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving in the same season, Bryan Strickland of Panthers.com reports.

This has become a talking point every offseason, whether its brought up in conjunction with McCaffrey, David Johnson, Le'Veon Bell or Todd Gurley. It isn't hard to imagine Johnson or McCaffrey making a real push in 2019, especially after the latter fell just 133 receiving yards shy last season. Coach Ron Rivera said he wants McCaffrey to play fewer snaps this year, but Rivera also noted that a reduction in playing time wouldn't necessitate a corresponding drop in carries/touches. In any case, the Panthers didn't do much to upgrade their backfield depth, re-signing Cameron Artis-Payne and then drafting Jordan Scarlett in the fifth round. A diverse rushing attack that also utilizes Cam Newton, D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel should free up rushing lanes for McCaffrey.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said McKinnon (knee) has a chance to be full-go at the start of training camp, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

McKinnon was held out of OTAs and minicamp to focus on rehab from the torn ACL he suffered Sept. 1 of last year. The 49ers apparently have confidence in his ability to contribute this season, as they kept him on the roster past April 1 when his $3.7 million base salary became guaranteed. Shanahan did caution that the 27-year-old running back may have his reps limited even if he's cleared for all activities at the start of camp. McKinnon will compete for snaps in a crowded backfield with Matt Breida (pectoral) and Tevin Coleman.

Williams was let go by the Chiefs on Thursday.

Williams joined the Chiefs on April 28, but apparently didn't impress enough to earn a roster spot heading into training camp. The Washington State product was eying a backup role in Kansas City, and may be limited to the same situation if he finds another team prior to or during training camp in late July.

Bawden (knee) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Bawden is still recovering from a torn ACL that kept him on injured reserve all of last season. The 2018 seventh-rounder missed OTAs as well as the team's minicamp. It's unclear if Bawden will be good to go come training camp in late July, but for now, he's the only fullback on the Lions' roster.