NFL Player News

Coach Ron Rivera said Wednesday that he hopes to have McCaffrey play fewer snaps in 2019 but still receive more total touches than he earned a season ago, David Newton of ESPN.com reports. "We want the ball in Christian's hands,'' Rivera said. "When he's on the field, there's no reason for him to be a decoy or swing guy. Why not figure out the best thing, and that's what [offensive coordinator Norv Turner] wants to do."

McCaffrey was on the field for 91.3 percent of the Panthers' offensive snaps last season, leading all running backs by a comfortable margin. That heightened involvement helped him amass 326 touches and 1,965 scrimmage yards en route to a second-team All-Pro selection. While Turner -- who doled out heavy workloads to Emmitt Smith and LaDainian Tomlinson in the past -- aims to get McCaffrey's hands on the ball even more this term, he and Rivera have acknowledged a plan to pluck unnecessary snaps from the tailback's weekly count. If all goes well, that initiative would improve the efficiency of McCaffrey's usage while ideally strengthening his overall impact in a given game.

Gillislee worked out for Raiders on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Gillislee has flashed at times in his career, most notably turning in a 577-yard, eight-touchdown effort on the ground in 2016. However, the past two years have been fraught with injuries and a lack of opportunity between stints with New England and New Orleans. The Raiders have a presumed one-two punch of rookie Josh Jacobs and pass-catching maven Jalen Richard plus two other veteran running backs (Doug Martin and DeAndre Washington) on the roster, but the team is still keeping an eye on other depth options with most of training camp and the entire preseason slate to come.

Penny has looked noticeably more agile early in training camp after slimming down to under 230 pounds during the offseason, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

After reporting to his first NFL training camp out of shape and struggling with his conditioning early in 2018, Penny entered this year's camp with a new mindset. The 27th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft has been making plays during the first few days of camp and even worked as a slot receiver on a few occasions. Penny's versatility in the passing game could come in handy as he looks to maintain a steady snap count behind Chris Carson, who looks set to enter the campaign as Option 1A on the ground. Penny will still need to also improve his pass protection if he wants to earn opportunities on all three downs, however, as J.D. McKissic looms as a more established third-down option if Penny can't get the job done.

Williams (hamstring) didn't practice Wednesday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Williams has been held out of drills since Saturday. On this occasion, though, he was joined by fellow running back Aaron Jones, who is tending to a hamstring injury of his own. Per Demovsky, Williams' issue is more severe than Jones', leaving the former with an undetermined timetable for a return. With the duo on the sidelines Wednesday, 2019 sixth-round pick Dexter Williams got run with the first-team offense.

Jones stood out with two big plays in Tuesday's live-tackling practice session and remains a legitimate contender for the lead-back role, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports. "He's an explosive player," coach Bruce Arians said of Jones. "He's going to be a happening player. He's going to make big plays like that."

Jones made waves with both a catch and run on third down and a big run up the middle during 11-on-11 work, plays that allowed him to flash both his trademark speed and the strength he's added over the offseason. The first play was particularly notable, with Smith relaying that Jones jumped over one defender and then broke two tackle attempts on his way to what appeared to be close to a 50-yard gain. The second-year back continues to receive plenty of accolades from the coaching staff, and after Tuesday's session, Arians made it a point to say that while he envisions a "1-2 punch" at running back with Jones and Peyton Barber, he's far from deciding which of the two will receive the larger share of snaps.

Henry (calf) wasn't sporting a walking boot while he was sidelined during Wednesday's practice, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

This encouraging nugget arrives just one day after Adam Schefter of ESPN relayed that Henry's strained calf had left the running back in a boot and could sideline him for about two weeks. Henry's injury isn't considered serious and the prevailing belief is that the Titans are simply being cautious with a player who is being counted on for big things this season after a very strong finish to his 2018 campaign.

Harris has impressed with his running between the tackles through the first handful of training camp practices, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports.

Additionally, Howe notes that the 2019 third-rounder "has also shown good awareness while slipping out into the flats on passing downs." Any aptitude that Harris displays as a receiver helps his chances of seeing more snaps and touches in a deep backfield, but as things stand, James White profiles a the Patriots' change-of-pace ace, while Sony Michel remains the team's lead back when healthy. With that in mind, Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com suggests that most of Harris' usage as a rookie could come in short-yardage situations. At 5-foot-11, 213 pounds, Harris possesses the frame to handle such duty, and the toughness between the tackles he's flashed thus far in camp support such a notion. Keep in mind that Michel has had his share of knee issues in the past, and if the incumbent starter has any in-season setbacks on that front, Harris could step into a big role in the New England offense.

Jones won't practice Wednesday due to hamstring tightness, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

The extent of Jones' injury is uncertain, but the report notes it is "not expected to be anything long term." With that in mind, Jones may be withheld from action for a few more days, but the hamstring issue doesn't look like anything that will affect his status for Week 1. With both Jones and Jamaal Williams -- also dealing with a hamstring injury -- banged up, rookie Dexter Williams will have an opportunity to see more snaps with the first team.

Zenner reported to training camp "in the 220-to-225-pound range," Mike O'Hara of the Lions' official site reports. "I think this is the biggest I've been," Zenner said. "Not by a lot. It sort of just happened with the training."

Zenner drew plenty of attention last offseason for his visually noticeable physical transformation that saw the running back reportedly dip to 8 percent body fat. Zenner said he's only continued on with the same training program since then. While it's encouraging to hear that he has continued to make noticeable progress, of larger importance to Zenner's future is the Lions' recent decision to part ways with Theo Riddick, whose proficiency on passing downs would have made it particularly difficult for the former to see the field in 2019. Now, Zenner only has to compete with C.J. Anderson and Ty Johnson for snaps behind Kerryon Johnson.

Sanders has shown playmaking ability and versatility since rejoining his teammates in practice, Mike Kay of NJ.com reports.

The Eagles are integrating him more and more into the offense as the rookie completes his recovery from a hamstring injury that sidelined him in the spring. Sanders has shown off his power and speed with some impressive plays so far in practice. Perhaps more importantly, he has also been catching the ball well, which would help him solidify his role in the offense if it continues. While the Eagles have long preferred the committee approach with their backfield, Sanders is showing three-down ability early but still has to compete for carries with Jordan Howard, who is also receiving good reports this preseason.