NFL Player News

Gordon said Tuesday that he's discussing a new contract with the Chargers, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reports.

Gordon is scheduled for a $5.6 million salary in 2019 under the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. He's participating in mandatory minicamp this week, but he sounded a bit hesitant when asked about the idea of playing in games without a new contract on deck. Gordon mentioned Todd Gurley and David Johnson as examples of running backs that have received long-term extensions. Both players have been more efficient than Gordon in terms of yards per carry and yards per target, but the 26-year-old displayed major progress in that area last season -- 5.1 YPC, 7.4 YPT -- after the Chargers finally improved their persistently troublesome offensive line.

Williams is competing with Spencer Ware and Jordan Wilkins for a role spelling Marlon Mack on early downs, Kevin Bowen of 1070 The Fan Indianapolis reports.

Williams is the early underdog, with Wilkins offering recent draft-pick status (2018 fifth round) and a rookie-year mark of 5.6 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Ware has an interesting combination of size, experience and pass-catching ability. Of course, the nature of the competition could change if the Indianapolis backfield deals with injuries during training camp and the preseason.

Wilkins is competing with Spencer Ware and Jonathan Williams for the No. 3 running-back job, Kevin Bowen of 1070 The Fan Indianapolis reports.

Coach Frank Reich said Marlon Mack will retain the lead role while Nyheim Hines continues to handle passing-down work. Wilkins was a fifth-round pick in 2018 and averaged 5.6 yards on 60 carries during his rookie season, but Ware has the edge in terms of size, experience and pass-catching acumen. Wilkins averaged just 5.3 yards on 16 receptions and lost two fumbles on 76 touches last season.

Coach Frank Reich said Tuesday that Mack is the Colts' "main guy" in the backfield, Kevin Bowen of 1070 The Fan Indianapolis reports.

Reich said Nyheim Hines will retain his role on passing downs, while Jordan Wilkins, Spencer Ware and Jonathan Williams are all competing for a job to spell Mack on early downs. It sounds like the same plan as last season, when Mack averaged 16.3 carries for 75.7 rushing yards per game, with 10 touchdowns (nine rushing) but just 17 receptions in 12 appearances. The 23-year-old running back seems to have made a full recovery from the hip injury he suffered during the playoffs, as he participated in mandatory minicamp this week.

Head coach Doug Pederson said Sanders (hamstring) will not practice this week, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News reports.

This announcement confirms that Sanders will miss spring workouts in their entirety after being drafted by the Eagles in the second round. Sanders has been tending to a strained hamstring, and his next opportunity to take the practice field will be when training camp starts up in late July.

Coach Jon Gruden said Perine has been Washington's most impressive running back this spring, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Regardless, the third-year pro will be battling for a back-end roster spot in a position group that includes Derrius Guice (knee), Chris Thompson, Adrian Peterson and fourth-round pick Bryce Love (knee). There's a good chance the team stashes Love on injured reserve or the PUP list, potentially creating an opening for Perine to land the No. 4 spot if it exists.

Edwards said he still takes practice reps with the starters on offense, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Despite averaging 5.2 yards on 137 carries as an undrafted rookie, Edwards will need to fight for his work after the Ravens signed Mark Ingram and used a fourth-round pick on Justice Hill. The team also returns Kenneth Dixon, who averaged 5.6 yards on 60 carries last year and has shown some pass-catching utility in the past. Edwards said he reduced his body fat from nine percent to six percent in an effort to become more versatile for his second pro campaign, per Clifton Brown of the Ravens' official website. He was strictly an up-the-middle grinder in 2018, catching two passes in 11 games while leading all qualified rushers with 90.2 percent of his carries going between the tackles.

Yurachek (undisclosed) was waived by the Raiders on Thursday with an injury settlement, per the NFL transactions page.

As it goes with undisclosed injuries, it's unknown what exactly the injury is and how long it will take Yurachek to recover and be able to eye another opportunity with an NFL squad. Regardless, the Marshall product's injury is seemingly serious enough that the two parties will part ways, and Yurachek will head into the limbo of being an injured free agent.

Clement (knee) was seen working on a side field during Wednesday's practice, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Clement has largely been out of commission since suffering an undisclosed knee injury Dec. 9 of last season. Six months later, he's apparently beginning to ramp up his activity level. Clement has roughly another two months to heal up before the start of training camp, where he'll look to maintain his hold on the No. 3 tailback job behind offseason pickup Jordan Howard and rookie Miles Sanders (hamstring).

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said Penny looks slimmer and in better shape than he did at minicamp last season, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports. "It's been cool to watch Rashaad, watch him grow up, watch him mature, watch him learn to kind of be a pro,'' Schottenheimer said. "I'm really pleased with the way he is attacking practice right now."

With Chris Carson recovering from a procedure on his knee, Penny has been operating as the No. 1 running back at spring practices. Coach Pete Carroll mentioned Penny's improved conditioning earlier this offseason, noting that he expects the second-year back to be part of a "one-two punch" with Carson. Penny got off to a slow start as a rookie but then ran for 5.8 yards per carry from Week 4 through the end of the season, ripping off nine gains of 15-plus yards in the process. He also had 10 carries that lost yards on 85 attempts, with his positive run percentage (78.8) ranking only 52nd among the 81 NFL players that took at least 50 carries. Carson was more consistent, ranking 27th at 83.8 percent.