NFL Player News

Pumphrey (head) said he will be inactive Week 1 against Washington, Dave Zangaro of CSN Philadelphia reports.

This was to be expected with the Eagles seemingly training Pumphrey to serve as the eventual successor to Darren Sproles. It's quite possible the fourth-round rookie will be a healthy scratch all season, as he's too small to contribute on special teams as anything but a return man. Pumphrey left the preseason finale with a head injury but said afterward he wasn't diagnosed with a concussion, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The Patriots have re-signed Bolden, ESPN's Mike Reiss reports.

Bolden, who's been associated with the Patriots since 2012, returns to reprise his depth running back/core special-teamer role. While he's versatile enough to be deployed on any down/in any situation, carries figure to be scarce for Bolden, with Mike Gillislee, Rex Burkhead, James White and Dion Lewis also in the team's backfield.

Bills coach Sean McDermott said the team will use a committee behind LeSean McCoy, mentioning Banyard, Mike Tolbert and Taiwan Jones, Joe Buscaglia of 7 ABC Buffalo reports.

The surprise release of presumed No. 2 back Jonathan Williams seems to have partially been motivated by Banyard and Jones' ability to contribute on special teams. McCoy figures to dominate snaps and touches, but Banyard could have a significant role if McCoy misses some games for a third straight year. Banyard only has 23 carries and 10 receptions since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2012.

Johnson was released by Miami on Saturday, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reports.

Johnson was in a playing-time battle with a handful of other running backs for the right to be the backup to Jay Ajayi but didn't impress the coaching staff enough to stick with Miami. He could be brought back at the end of Week 1 when his salary wouldn't be guaranteed, but that seems unlikely.

Ekeler is on the Chargers' 53-man roster, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ekeler broke out in a big way in the Chargers' final preseason game Thursday, racking up 108 total yards. That performance was enough to outlast fellow running backs Kenjon Barner and Andre Williams for a spot on the team's final roster. He's expected to be the No. 3 running back behind Melvin Gordon and Branden Oliver.

Toussaint (leg) signed with the Steelers' practice squad Sunday, Chris Adamski of TribLive.com reports.

Toussaint was released on Saturday after being buried on the team's running back depth chart, but he'll remain with the organization. Given his versatile skill set, Toussaint is a good tailback for Pittsburgh to keep around in case star Le'Veon Bell goes down with an injury at any point this season.

Daniels was released by the Patriots on Sunday, Paul Perillo of the teams' official site reports.

Daniels was an undrafted free agent out of Iowa who signed with the team in May. He dealt with an undisclosed injury through the second half of August, which may have impacted his chances of making the teams final roster, even as just a special teams contributor.

Hunt (hamstring) was waived by the Texans on Sunday, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Hunt's injuries coupled with the team's expansive depth at running back made him expendable once Houston brought in wide receiver Andy Jones on Sunday. At 24 years old, Hunt could find a new home based solely on his youthful potential, but his fantasy value seems greatly diminished at the moment.

Hood was waived by the Raiders on Saturday, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Hood found himself trapped behind the likes of Marshawn Lynch, DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard on cut day. A 2017 seventh-rounder, Hood might have trouble finding a new home given his inexperience at the professional level.

Williams was waived by the Bills on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

This might be the biggest surprise of cutdown weekend, considering Williams was expected to enter Week 1 operating as the top backup to LeSean McCoy. The 2016 fifth-round pick was limited to 27 carries for 94 yards in 11 games as a rookie, but he impressed this preseason with 21 carries for 121 yards. The Bills may feel comfortable with Mike Tolbert and Joe Banyard behind McCoy, or perhaps the team has another move in the works to acquire a replacement running back.