NFL Player News

Drake has been removed from the NFL's concussion protocol, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Drake only needed a week to make it through the protocol and should be back at practice Tuesday. He's competing against Damien Williams for backup work, with Thursday's exhibition in Philadelphia representing an excellent opportunity for both players to make their cases. The winner of the No. 2 job likely will see most of his snaps on passing downs so long as Jay Ajayi stays healthy.

Texans coach Bill O'Brien said Foreman still has a long way to go in his development, John McClain of The Houston Chronicle reports.

Foreman has been impressive while mostly working with the third-string offense through two preseason games, carrying 16 times for 93 yards and a touchdown while also catching each of his four targets for 72 yards. After breaking off a 41-yard run in Houston's preseason opener, he flashed again with a 63-yard reception in Saturday's game against New England. While he's making a case to have some kind of role early in the year, Foreman merely worked as the No. 4 back in Saturday's game, with Lamar Miller, Alfred Blue and Tyler Erivin all getting reps ahead of the third-round rookie. O'Brien is already reining in the hype, perhaps hinting that Foreman's knowledge of the offense isn't yet strong enough for the team to use him as anything more than an occasional change-of-pace back to start the year. Blue can't match Foreman's athleticism and raw running ability, but the veteran has ample experience in O'Brien's offense and is comfortable with the team's pass protections.

Jones carried the ball twice for four yards in Saturday's preseason loss to the Packers.

Jones managed to squeeze in some reps late in the fourth quarter, but failed to turn heads with his two opportunities. It appears as if Washington is fully committed to moving ahead with the likes of Rob Kelley, Chris Thompson and Samaje Perine as its top three backs, perhaps leaving Jones -- the team's starter a year ago at this time -- on the outside looking in for a roster spot.

Williams was claimed off waivers Monday by the Broncos, Mike Klis of 9 News Denver reports.

Williams was let go by the Bengals a day earlier, but it didn't take long for him to find a new home. The undrafted rookie faces some stiff competition in Denver with veterans Jamaal Charles and Stevan Ridley still battling for roster spots behind the projected top two options on the depth chart, C.J. Anderson and Devontae Booker (wrist).

Williams has racked up seven carries for 25 yards and a touchdown through the Cardinals' first three preseason contests.

The Cardinals more or less know what they have in David Johnson, Chris Johnson and Williams, so coach Bruce Arians turned over the backfield to Andre Ellington (26 offensive snaps) and Elijhaa Penny (24) during Saturday's exhibition against the Bears. Williams was thus afforded just four snaps on special teams, where he's fighting for both return jobs. So far, he's notched one 35-yard kick return and fielded two punts for a combined 13 yards. Due to a career mark of 17.1 yards per kick return and no punt returns on the ledger, he appears to be a better bet to land the former gig.

Pierce (hamstring) was waived Monday by the Broncos, Mike Klis of 9 News Denver reports.

Pierce was sidelined with the hamstring injury about a month ago and never was able to make it back to the field. The team expected him to miss a few days once he suffered the injury, but Pierce's recovery evidently didn't progress as quickly as the club had hoped. Pierce, a six-year veteran, could find a new home given his prior experience, but not until he proves he's healthy.

Sims carried just twice for six yards and wasn't targeted in the passing game for the second straight week in Thursday's 12-8 preseason win over the Jaguars.

Although Sims' 13 snaps on offense were just three less than Doug Martin and one more than Peyton Barber, the aforementioned pair saw three and seven more carries, respectively. Despite Sims' quiet preseason thus far, there seems to be little-to-no doubt about his standing with the club, given his proficiency as a pass-receiving threat out of the backfield. Due to his role as more of a situational piece, Sims' usage isn't expected to change -- save for maybe seeing a few extra carries -- while Doug Martin finishes serving out his suspension over the first three weeks of the regular season.

Oliver carried the ball seven times for 10 yards in Sunday's preseason loss to the Saints.

Oliver was the first running back to enter the contest fort he Chargers after starter Melvin Gordon was removed, taking carries for the majority of the second quarter. It echoes the line the Chargers' coaching staff has been saying since the opening days of training camp: the No. 2 job is Oliver's to lose. It probably helps that Oliver's main competition, Kenneth Farrow (ankle) and Kenjon Barner (concussion), have been hurt, while Andre Williams has been wholly uninspiring. Oliver could be a useful fantasy asset as a handcuff to Gordon, but he's not expected to bring much fantasy value unless the former first-round pick succumbs to an injury.

Gordon carried the ball five times for eight yards in Sunday's preseason loss to the Saints.

It was a dismal performance for the Chargers offense as a whole, as the team failed to score an offensive touchdown the entire game. Gordon played the first three drives of the contest, at one point juking out a defender to the ground on a carry to the outside that netted 11 yards. But with many of the starters along the offensive line resting due to minor injuries, Gordon and the rest of the Chargers' running backs couldn't find much separation up front, leading to just 66 rushing yards total and a dreadful 2.3 yards-per-carry average. The Chargers' upcoming preseason contest against the Rams will be the true measuring stick for Gordon and the rest of the first-team offense, as the team is expected to play the majority of their starters as they look to establish a rhythm heading into the regular season.

Patterson caught one of two targets for seven yards while playing 13 snaps during Saturday's preseason loss to the Rams.

Patterson also appeared for a pair of snaps on special teams during the Raiders' second preseason tilt, though he never had the chance to return a kick or punt. He'll continue to compete with slot receiver Seth Roberts for targets in the Raiders' aerial attack behind Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and tight end Jared Cook, but it's worth noting that Roberts was sidelined Saturday with an undisclosed reason. At this point, it appears Patterson would be the primary candidate to start on the outside if either Cooper or Crabtree were to go down with an injury.