NFL Player News

The Patriots signed Barner on Tuesday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Barner will likely play a depth role at running back, but is more likely to make an impact as a punt returner. While Patrick Chung is the current Patriot in that role, Barner could potentially get some looks.

Edmonds notched four carries for 24 yards and gathered in all four passes for another 24 yards during Sunday's 24-6 loss to the Redskins.

Edmonds didn't receive a touch until the game was out of hand in the second half, but among his 17 offensive snaps, he was utilized on nearly half of them, finishing third in yards from scrimmage behind Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson. In a closer contest, Edmonds likely will be hard-pressed to wrench touches from the workhorse that is Johnson. No matter, Edmonds' pro debut is an encouraging sign for his potential in the event a bigger workload is presented to him.

Kelley took three carries for seven yards in Sunday's 24-6 win over the Cardinals.

Kelley played eight snaps on offense and nine on special teams, serving as the No. 3 running back behind Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson. It isn't clear that Washington would turn to Kelly in the event of a Peterson injury, as Samaje Perine's inactive status theoretically could be attributed to his lack of value on special teams.

Williams rushed only once for no gain and played just seven offensive snaps in Week 1 against the Chargers.

Williams is slated to be the No. 3 back for the Chiefs this season, but it appears that won't result in much playing time behind both Kareem Hunt and Spencer Ware. Williams has proven to be a capable replacement should either of the two backs suffer an injury.

Anderson rushed seven times for 35 yards in Sunday's 16-8 win over the Cowboys.

Anderson played just 12 of 67 offensive snaps despite starting tailback Christian McCaffrey fumbling early on. It's clear McCaffrey will lead Carolina's rushing attack this season, with quarterback Cam Newton another dynamic runner himself. Knowing that, Anderson, a former starter with the Broncos, will likely have to settle for complementary touches with his new team. Although Anderson is especially useful in short-yard situations, fullback Alex Armah was called upon for a one-yard touchdown plunge late Sunday. That represented a missed opportunity for Anderson, but his pedigree and productivity should often make him the top alternative to McCaffrey and Newton on the ground.

Abdullah (coach's decision) is inactive for Monday's game against the Jets, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

The Lions will thus rely upon a trio of LeGarrette Blount, Kerryon Johnson and Theo Riddick to shoulder the workload out of the backfield. With Brandon Powell also a healthy scratch, look for Jamal Agnew to handle returns on both punts and kickoffs.

Rodgers carried twice for one yard and hauled in his only target for two yards in the Buccaneers' 48-40 win over the Saints on Sunday.

Although he was technically listed as the No. 2 running back behind Peyton Barber, Rodgers saw a scant workload over his 15 snaps. Game flow may have played a large part in Rodgers' minimal usage, as the passing game took center stage in the high-scoring affair. While Rodgers figures to see a bump in opportunity in subsequent games, that could certainly be affected by the status of second-round pick Ronald Jones II, who was inactive to open his pro career Sunday.

Murray had 11 carries for 42 yards in Sunday's win over the 49ers.

Murray led the Vikings in rushing over Dalvin Cook (40 yards), but six of his carries came in the final six minutes of the game when the Vikings were clinging to an eight-point lead. Cook had 57 snaps on offense compared to 14 for Murray. Cook held a 19-to-5 touch advantage over Murray midway through the fourth quarter, showing no signs of any workload restriction in his first regular-season action since tearing an ACL in Week 4 last year. Murray should still get a steady role off the bench, but it doesn't look like the near equal time share some envisioned as Cook returns from last year's knee injury.

Patterson logged 16 out of a possible 75 snaps on offense in Sunday's 27-20 win over the Texans.

In the process, Patterson ran three times for 13 yards and caught his only target for six yards. He was predictably out-snapped by both Chris Hogan (68) and Phillip Dorsett (57), but it does appear as though the Patriots will look for ways to get the ball into his hands in the coming weeks. That could result in some occasional big plays for Patterson, who also sees kick return work, but he's not a reliable fantasy lineup option so long as he slots in as the team's No. 3 wideout.

Cook played 57 of 71 snaps (80.3 percent) on offense in Sunday's 24-16 win over the 49ers.

Cook lost a fumble and averaged just 2.5 yards on 16 carries, but he largely made up for it with six catches for 55 yards on seven targets. Latavius Murray took 11 carries for 42 yards on just 14 snaps, with six of his chances coming in the final six minutes of the game when the Vikings were clinging to an eight-point lead. Cook held a 19-to-5 touch advantage over Murray midway through the fourth quarter, showing no signs of any workload restriction in his first regular-season action since tearing an ACL in Week 4 last year. Cook figures to stay busy as the clear leader of Minnesota's backfield Week 2 in Green Bay.