NFL Player News

Drake (foot) "appeared explosive and sharp in his cuts as he ran through drills" during his return to practice Monday, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports.

The running back had missed two weeks worth of action with a foot injury that led to him donning a walking boot, but his return to practice Monday gets him right back into the team's starting Week 1 running back equation. At this stage, we'd expect Drake to head a timeshare with Kalen Ballage, an arrangement in which Drake likely would see more touches than his counterpart, but one in which Ballage would presumably be the team's goal-line back.

Perine (undisclosed) was spotted at practice Monday, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Perine slots in behind Derrius Guice, Chris Thompson and Adrian Peterson on Washington's running back depth chart, which limits his fantasy utility for now, but his return to practice Monday will at least allow him to attempt to secure his role as a depth option in the team's backfield.

Drake (foot) has returned to practice, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports.

It remains to be seen how the Dolphins will classify Drake's participation level, but his return to the field, in any capacity, bodes well for his chances of being available for Week 1 action. Assuming he's healthy, Drake is in line to team up with Kalen Ballage to head Miami's rushing attack this season.

Barnes carried the ball nine times for 32 yards in the team's third preseason contest against the Steelers on Sunday. He also added two catches for five yards.

Barnes entered the game in the second half, with Logan Woodside under center. He tied for the team-lead with nine carries, and his longest rush of the day went for 10 yards. Barnes' work in the passing game is also noteworthy, as he excelled as a receiver out of the backfield in his final season at Kansas State. He has an outside shot to make the team, though with Dalyn Dawkins (undisclosed) and David Fluellen (knee) currently sidelined, he is getting his chance to make an impression on the Titans.

Conner rushed eight times for 41 yards and added 15 receiving yards on two catches in Sunday's 18-6 preseason win over Tennessee.

Conner did that damage in just one quarter of action as head coach Mike Tomlin didn't want to take a chance and leave his starters out there too long. The 24-year-old looked even better after gaining 28 yards in his last preseason appearance. Conner is lined up to lead the Steelers' backfield for the second straight season, but he may cede some receiving work to Jaylen Samuels after racking up 55 catches and 497 receiving yards in 2018.

Henry (calf) is not among the group of running backs warming up ahead of Sunday's preseason matchup with the Steelers, John Glennon of The Athletic reports.

Henry appears to be making progress in his return from a calf injury, but the Titans are playing it safe with their starting running back and holding him out once again. He's back to practicing, so Henry's Week 1 status doesn't look to be in doubt at this point.

Snell (groin) isn't expected to suit up for Sunday's preseason contest at Tennessee, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Snell suffered a groin injury in the Steelers' second exhibition on Aug. 17 and hasn't practiced in the interim. Despite this fact, Dulac called Snell's health concern "an undisclosed injury that is not expected to be serious." Snell likely is dealing with the former, so the fact that it's minor bodes well for a return to practice in the near future.

The Patriots signed Martin to a contract Sunday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Martin's latest stop was with the Giants this offseason, but he found a new home as training camp winds down. The Rutgers product faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster but could make an appearance in the final two preseason games.

Coach Kyle Shanahan expects McKinnon (knee) to practice this week, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

When he suffered a setback in early August, McKinnon received a platelet-rich plasma injection, which was intended to relieve discomfort in the right knee that sustained a torn ACL last Sept. 1. There was an expectation he'd return to drills within a couple weeks, and he seemingly will do just that in the near future. The tougher prediction is whether McKinnon will be available for a Week 1 visit to Tampa Bay. Even if he is, the 49ers likely will place RB reps in the hands of healthier bodies like Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida.

The Raiders placed Martin on injured reserve Sunday due to a shoulder injury, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

Coach Jon Gruden didn't acknowledge Martin's injury until Sunday, with the move to IR implying some degree of severity. After rushing for 723 yards in his first year with Oakland in 2018, Martin looked in line for the No. 2 role in the Oakland backfield behind Josh Jacobs, but he'll now be sidelined for at least the first half of the upcoming campaign. If the Raiders are comfortable with Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington as depth options behind Jacobs, it's possible Martin receives an injury settlement that would allow him to pursue work elsewhere.