NFL Player News

Barkley said there's no number of touches that's too much for him to handle, NJ.com's Matt Lombardo reports.

Pat Shurmur said he doesn't plan to give Barkley more touches than the 352 he handled last season, but the coach didn't say anything about a reduction. The context surrounding the 22-year-old changed drastically this offseason, with Big Blue swapping out Odell Beckham Jr. for Golden Tate at wide receiver while also acquiring upgrades at right guard (Kevin Zeitler) and right tackle (Mike Remmers). The big problem is the quarterback room, where first-round pick Daniel Jones is expected to spend his rookie year serving as Eli Manning's backup. To have any shot at staying competitive, the Giants will need Barkley to be healthy and spectacular.

Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said Williams is the Chiefs' starting running back, John Sleezer and Brooke Pryor of The Kansas City Star report. "Williams is our starter," Bieniemy said. "We expect him to excel in that role."

Bieniemy seems to be shutting down any idea of a competition with Carlos Hyde or sixth-round pick Darwin Thompson, but that doesn't mean Williams will be the only running back with a significant role in the offense. Coach Andy Reid has a well-established history of giving his lead backs sizable workloads in terms of both carries and targets, typically relying on one player to log at least 60 percent of the snaps. Williams isn't anything special in terms of running ability, but he's a good receiver and capable blocker.

Yurachek (undisclosed) reverted to IR on Thursday after clearing waivers.

Yurachek was waived with an injury designation Wednesday, and now will seemingly spend an extended period of time on injured reserve. The Marshall product won't count towards Oakland's 90-man roster, opening up a spot for the team to grab D.J. Killings off waivers Thursday.

Jones reduced his body fat from more than 11 percent last season to 5.3 percent this offseason, adding muscle to maintain his playing weight of 205 pounds, ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reports.

These stories are a dime a dozen every spring, but we can at least give Jones credit for putting specific numbers to the "best shape of my life" narrative. Packers GM Brian Gutekunst and QB Aaron Rodgers both commented on the running back's questionable conditioning earlier this offseason, with Rodgers referring to Jones as "the most athletic, fast guy with a little bit of a belly." The 24-year-old apparently got the message and cut candy out of his diet, hoping to improve his durability after suffering three MCL sprains in two seasons. Jones also mentioned that he expects to catch more passes and run more outside zone under new coach Matt LaFleur, who rose up the NFL ranks under Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. The Packers intend to create more chances for their backfield this season, though actual execution of the plan partially depends on the success of an offseason overhaul on defense. The team dropped back to pass on a league-high 71.5 percent of snaps last season, often choosing to abandon the run while playing from behind.

The Raiders waived Yuracheck on Wednesday with an injury designation.

It's not clear what injury Yurachek might have sustained during OTAs, but he'll revert to the Raiders' injured reserve list in the likely event he goes unclaimed by the league's other 31 teams off waivers.

The NFL likely will review a May 19 incident involving Elliott and a concert security guard, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reports.

Briefly handcuffed after bumping the security guard, Elliott ultimately wasn't arrested or charged with any crime. His history of league discipline could be a complicating factor, but Cowboys executive Stephen Jones said the incident won't impact the team's negotiations with the running back on a long-term contract. Dallas recently exercised its fifth-year option to keep Elliott under team control through 2020. The running back will turn 24 in July and appears headed for another busy campaign after the Cowboys declined to make backfield depth an offseason priority. Rod Smith was allowed to leave in free agency and was replaced by fourth-round pick Tony Pollard -- who was mostly a gadget player at Memphis -- and seventh-round pick Mike Weber.

Jacobs took some first-team reps during Tuesday's practice, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

The Raiders are easing Jacobs into practice after he dealt with a minor hamstring injury earlier in the month. It's unclear if the issue was related to the groin injury that he was reportedly dealing with during the pre-draft process, but either way, it doesn't seem to be a major concern at the moment. The 24th overall draft pick doesn't have much competition for the lead role in Oakland, though Jalen Richard is still around to handle passing-down snaps. Doug Martin may also mix in with the first-team offense, at least during offseason practices.

Sanders has been held out of OTAs with a strained hamstring, but he could return to practice as soon as Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Jordan Howard and Wendell Smallwood presumably have been getting the first-team backfield reps, as Corey Clement (knee) and Josh Adams (shoulder) also are recovering from injuries. It sounds like Sanders will be healthy long before the start of training camp, giving him plenty of time to compete for a Week 1 role on offense.

Dayes signed a contract with the Saints on Tuesday, Josh Katzenstein of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Dayes most recently appeared in seven games for the 49ers last season but didn't receive a single offensive touch. If Dayes does manage to make the Saints' final roster, it will likely be as a special teams player.

Sanders is yet to participate in OTAs due to an undisclosed injury, Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Sanders was present last week but remained on the sideline, and now the rookie tailback is completely absent as the team kicks off the second week of voluntary practices. It's definitely a situation worth monitoring, as Sanders was drafted in the second round by the Eagles and has a chance to play a key role in the team's backfield this season.