NFL Player News

Boone had 13 carries for 91 yards, including a one-yard touchdown, in Saturday's preseason loss to Jacksonville.

Boone was the first of the candidates for the No. 3 RB job to get carries in the game, and he had a strong performance. Roc Thomas also played well (5 carries for 25 yards) and had a big game in the first preseason contest. The competition between Boone and Thomas for the No. 3 job remains close, with Mack Brown falling behind due to a poor first game and missing the second game with an injury.

McNichols rushed 10 times for 28 yards and secured three of four targets for 19 yards in the 49ers' 16-13 preseason loss to the Texans on Saturday.

As expected with Jerick McKinnon (calf) and Matt Breida (shoulder) sidelined, McNichols drew the start and saw a robust workload. His overall production -- 47 yards on 13 touches -- was serviceable yet unspectacular, but he certainly didn't hurt his chances, especially considering he faced the Texans' first-team defense for part of the night. McNichols played into the third quarter before giving way to Joe Williams, who actually had an even tougher time finding running room (eight carries, 18 yards). Even with the newly signed Alfred Morris projected to play in next Saturday's preseason game against the Colts, McNichols is likely to see plenty of touches with which he can continue making a case for a roster spot.

Sims suffered a left knee injury Saturday at Tennessee and won't return to the game, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Sims was nicked up on the opening kickoff, which could hurt his standing in the backfield with roster cuts due in exactly two weeks. At the moment, Peyton Barber is fending off rookie Ronald Jones II for the starting gig, and Sims' injury should open the door for Jacquizz Rodgers to make an impact on offense Saturday and perhaps beyond.

Daniels signed a contract with the Packers on Saturday, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Daniels will receive a chance to make a name for himself in the Packers' backfield after Akeem Judd called it quits, but he will have a shortened training camp to do so. Daniels' best bet at earning a spot likely comes as a special teams contributor.

Williams (shoulder) didn't play in Friday's preseason game against the Falcons.

Williams suited up for the contest but didn't play. With Spencer Ware (knee) and Charcandrick West (concussion) also held out, Williams probably didn't lose any ground in the competition for backup work.

Vereen caught each of his three targets for 14 yards in Friday's preseason game against Arizona.

Vereen logged 14 snaps on offense, with his first reception coming shortly before halftime. Though he hasn't generated any buzz since signing with the Saints a month ago, the 29-year-old could land on the 53-man roster if the team doesn't trust Jonathan Williams or Boston Scott to handle passing downs in the event of an Alvin Kamara injury. Williams seems to be winning the battle for the No. 2 running back job during Mark Ingram's four-game suspension.

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.