NFL Player News

The Saints waived Scott on Wednesday, Nick Underhill of The New Orleans Advocate reports.

After Jonathan Williams was jettisoned during roster cuts, Scott was left as the sole running back behind Alvin Kamara as the Saints prepared to proceed without Mark Ingram (suspension) for the first four games of the season. On Sunday, however, the team inked Mike Gillislee to a deal, then listed him as the No. 2 back on its initial depth chart. With the writing on the wall for little to no touches, Scott has now been subjected to waivers with the hope he won't be plucked by another organization. If the preceding comes to pass, he'll land on the Saints' practice squad.

Breida is listed as the top running back on San Francisco's depth chart ahead of its Week 1 matchup against Minnesota.

With Jerick McKinnon (knee) out for the season, Breida will serve as the speed-oriented/pass-catching option in a timeshare with veteran power back Alfred Morris, who currently is listed as the second stringer. Despite their respective positions on the depth chart, it won't come as any surprise if Morris technically gets the Week 1 start, given that his skill set is conducive to early downs. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area expects head coach Kyle Shanahan to adjust his running-back usage on a week-to-week basis, with the workload division likely depending on the matchup and game flow. Week 1 seems to favor Breida over Morris, as the Niners are road underdogs against a Vikings defense that allowed just 83.6 rushing yards per game (and 3.7 per carry) last season. Breida seems to have made a full recovery from his preseason shoulder injury after gaining medical clearance this past weekend.

The Lions added Pumphrey to their practice squad Wednesday, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

A 2017 fourth-rounder, Pumphrey was did not appear in a single regular-season game during his injury riddled rookie season. Pumphrey provides additional depth to a Lions running back room already consisting of Kerryon Johnson, LeGarrette Blount, Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick. The 23-year-old's 5-foot-9, 176-pound frame likely limits his potential as an every-down back, but Pumphrey could tentatively find a spot behind Riddick if he shows well as a pass catcher.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger noted Wednesday that he's preparing for the Steelers' Week 1 matchup with the Browns as though Conner will start at running back, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

That's a logical approach, given that Le'Veon Bell (contract dispute) has yet to sign his franchise tender with the team. With Bell still away from the team and just two practices remaining after Wednesday's session before the Steelers' season gets underway, the likelihood that Conner starts Week 1 continues to grow with each passing day. Expect Conner to handle the bulk of the backfield carries against the Browns, though he could cede some duties on passing downs to rookie Jaylen Samuels.

Despite making the Lions' 53-man roster, Abdullah isn't certain to be active for most game days this season, Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Abdullah currently sits No. 4 on the depth chart behind LeGarrette Blount, Kerryon Johnson and Theo Riddick, and the Nebraska product doesn't offer anything the others can't provide from a rushing, blocking or receiving standpoint. With Jamal Agnew already around to handle punt returns, that leaves Abdullah without a clear path toward anything but a role as a return man on kickoffs. Since Agnew could also serve in that capacity, it wouldn't be surprising if Abdullah is made a healthy scratch on more than one occasion this fall.

Mack (hamstring) won't practice Wednesday, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.

With Mack's status uncertain for Sunday's game against the Bengals, it looks like Jordan Wilkins and, to a lesser degree, Christine Michael, could end up handling the team's early down work. Meanwhile, Nyheim Hines will be on hand to serve in a change-of-pace role.

Martin was waived by the Giants on Wednesday, Michael Eisen of the team's official site reports.

Martin was one of five running backs to make the Giants' initial 53-man roster, but he didn't last long once the team needed to clear room for linebacker Nate Stupar, who was recently let go by the Saints. The undrafted rookie will now return to the free-agent market if he passes through waivers unclaimed.

Rodgers is listed as the second running back ahead of second-round pick Ronald Jones II on the initial version of the Buccaneers' regular-season depth chart, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The veteran has seen his fortunes improve significantly since late last month after his roster spot appeared far from guaranteed in the early part of preseason. The first domino to fall was backfield mate Charles Sims' season-ending knee injury, which created an opening for a pass-catching back. That's a description that dovetails well with Rodgers' skill set, but the fact he's also now slotted in ahead of Jones to open the season is particularly noteworthy. Rodgers carried out a traditional running-back role on multiple occasions in 2016 while filling in for the since-departed Doug Martin, even logging 56 carries over a two-game period at one point. Therefore, his No. 2 designation appears legitimate, with Rodgers seemingly in line for a modest, yet steady workload behind starter Peyton Barber that should include more than just short-yardage targets out of the backfield.

Jones is listed as the Buccaneers' third running back behind Peyton Barber and Jacquizz Rodgers on the initial version of the regular-season depth chart, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The inauspicious start to Jones' career continued Tuesday with the depth-chart release, as his slotting was more or less commensurate with his preseason performance. The rookie second-round pick carried 28 times for 22 yards over four exhibitions, with a two-yard touchdown run in the preseason opener against the Dolphins serving as one of the only positives this summer. How long into the season the initial backfield pecking order endures would seemingly hinge on the pace of Jones' development. The better he performs with whatever opportunities he's presented, the quicker he'll likely surpass Rodgers in playing time, given the gulf in raw talent between the two.

Scott was listed as the Saints' No. 3 running back on the team's first regular-season depth chart, reports Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

With the surprising release of Jonathan Williams, Scott seemed poised for a key early-season role with Mark Ingram suspended for the first four games of the year. On Tuesday, however, Mike Gillslee, who signed with the Saints just a few days ago after being released by New England, was named the No. 2 running back behind Alvin Kamara. While both Scott and Gillislee should see work, Gillslee appears to have first crack to carve out a role during Ingram's suspension. Meanwhile, the 5-foot-6, 203-pound Scott could serve as a change-of-pace option and contribute as a returner.