NFL Player News

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.

Thompson is expected to have a role in a committee approach that includes Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy, Adam Teicher of ESPN reports.

Thompson played reasonably well in his limited preseason showing and will presumably see a decent number of looks as a rookie. However, the signing of McCoy has dulled his fantasy outlook more than the trade of Carlos Hyde brightened it Sunday. Both McCoy and Williams have successful track records in the NFL and should receive a fair share of the carries, devaluing each of the trio's individual outlooks.

Elliott and the Cowboys are reportedly in the final stages of a contract extension that would make him the NFL's highest-paid running back, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Of course, the report comes with the caveat that there are "still plenty of issues to hash out," so despite the apparent progress and reported urgency with regard to getting a deal done in short order, the situation is still not settled. In any case, with things trending in the right direction, it's plausible that Elliott will sign in time to be ready for Week 1, while the possibility of a protracted holdout now seems unlikely.

Hood was released from the Jaguars' practice squad Monday, Phillip Heilman of The Athletic reports.

Hood latched onto Jacksonville's practice squad after failing to crack the 53-man roster but he lasted only a day before being released in favor of DT Eli Ankou. The 23-year-old had eight carries for 71 yards and two receptions for 14 yards in the preseason.

Elliott and the Cowboys are reportedly working with "a sense of urgency" to finalize a new contract in the next 24 hours, ESPN.com reports.

Though things are still fluid with regard to this situation, such a scenario would enable Elliott to practice Wednesday and presumably have enough preparation to play in Sunday's season opener against the Giants.

Williams will start at running back for the Chiefs on Sunday against the Jaguars, ESPN's Adam Teicher reports.

Confirmation of his status as the team's Week 1 starter is worth noting in the context of the Chiefs' recent addition of LeSean McCoy, who played four seasons for coach Andy Reid while the two were in Philadelphia. Per the report, McCoy is expected to be available this weekend, and rookie Darwin Thompson also should factor in, but out of the gate, Williams is in line to head the team's backfield. Whether he maintains his hold on the top job will hinge on both his early season results and how quickly McCoy gets up to speed with the Kansas City offense. From there, more of a time-share or "hot hand" approach could be forthcoming.