NFL Player News

West took two carries for 26 yards in Friday's preseason game against Arizona.

West bounced back from a five-carry, 10-yard effort in the first week of the preseason, but his lack of involvement prior to the fourth quarter suggests he's on the outside looking in. Jonathan Williams is making a strong case to work alongside Alvin Kamara while Mark Ingram serves a four-game suspension, and it probably doesn't make sense to keep a third- or fourth-string running back in the mold of West, who doesn't offer much as a pass catcher or special teamer. Williams, Shane Vereen and Boston Scott are all better fits behind the explosive Ingram-Kamara duo.

Scott took six carries for 28 yards but didn't draw any targets in Friday's preseason game against the Cardinals.

Jonathan Williams rotated in behind Mark Ingram throughout the first half, while Scott and Terrance West didn't get any work on offense until late in the game. Scott did pick up 87 yards on three kickoff returns and 13 yards on one punt return, making his case for a spot on the 53-man roster even if he doesn't have a significant role in the backfield.

Crawford once again struggled to get anything going on the ground, compiling five yards on three attempts amidst a 28-14 loss to Kansas City on Friday night.

The Big 12's fourth-leading rusher from a year ago has been an absolute non-factor in the running game thus far, with a measly eight yards on eight attempts at the midway point of the exhibition slate. Crawford has shown signs of life as a pass-catcher (four receptions for 29 yards against the Jets last week), but that modest production as a receiver will likely fail to help him earn him a spot on the 53-man roster if he fails to drastically improve his rushing efficiency over the latter half of the preseason.

Cook (knee) will not dress for the Vikings' exhibition matchup with the Jaguars on Saturday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports.

Cook will go through warmups with the team, but the Vikings simply do not want to rush him back onto the field just yet. By all accounts he has looked great at practices in return from knee reconstruction and is on track to play Week 1. The main question out of the gate will be how the team manages touches between him and Latavius Murray, who filled in after Cook went down last season. Cook figures to be the workhorse in the long term, but touches could be more evenly split early on as he works his way back into the swing of things.

Barner took five carries for 72 yards in Friday's preseason game against the Dolphins.

Despite finishing without a target or any touches on special teams, Barner was able to make his case for a spot on the 53-man roster. He's competing for the No. 3 running back job with Cameron Artis-Payne, who took seven carries for 18 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers might consider keeping both players, as Artis-Payne can provide insurance for C.J. Anderson's power role while Barner provides pass-catching insurance for Christian McCaffrey. Barner also has experience returning kicks and punts, but the Panthers seem to be in good hands with some mixture of McCaffrey, Damiere Byrd, Curtis Samuel and D.J. Moore handling those duties. Barner isn't even listed on the special teams portion of the Panthers' preseason depth chart.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he will split carries evenly amongst his available running backs Saturday against the Texans, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Mostert was initially expected to start Saturday's contest, but the addition of Alfred Morris and the recent first-string playing time of Jeremy McNichols during practice this week suggests otherwise. Regardless of who starts, it seems all of the players competing for the 49ers' third-string running back role this year will share carries against the Texans. Mostert made the most of his opportunity in last week's preseason opener against the Cowboys, ripping off 57 yards on eight carries, but he did lose a fumble as well.

Williams rushed for 23 yards on eight carries to go along with four catches on five targets for 27 yards in Friday's preseason win over the Falcons.

In his return from a head injury that knocked him out of the Chiefs' preseason opener last Thursday, Williams led the team in rushing versus Atlanta despite averaging just 2.9 yards per carry. Williams' versatility was on display as he battles for a reserve role at running back behind Kareem Hunt and Spencer Ware (knee).

Wilkins received the start at running back in Friday's practice, but the Colts rotated Christine Michael and Nyheim Hines with the first-team offense as well, ESPN 1070 AM Indianapolis reports.

With Marlon Mack sidelined with a hamstring injury and Robert Turbin hampered by an ankle issue, Wilkins has an opportunity to showcase his talents in the next two preseason games. It's possible he could figure early into the regular-season mix if Mack is sidelined past the preseason, considering Turbin is set to miss the first four games due to a suspension. However, Michael and Hines could still figure into the mix, with the latter likely having particular upside on passing downs.

Williams gained 37 yards on eight carries and lost two yards on one reception in Friday's 20-15 preseason loss to the Cardinals.

Following a 4-26-1 rushing line in the preseason opener, Williams operated as the clear No. 2 behind Mark Ingram in Friday's game. Boston Scott and Terrance West did eventually get some work, with the former taking six carries for 28 yards and the latter gaining 26 yards on just two carries. Alvin Kamara was held out of the game, helping the Saints get a better look at the players who might join him in the backfield while Ingram serves a four-game suspension. Williams seems to lead the group, but Scott and West won't go down without a fight.

Chubb took 11 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for no gain in Friday's preseason loss to the Bills.

Chubb took a big step forward from last week with gains of 17 and 14 yards, but it was Carlos Hyde who got most of the carries early in the contest on his way to a 9-64-1 rushing line. The rookie still has time to continue making his case for some work, but the Browns likely will give Hyde and Duke Johnson most of the playing time to start the season.