NFL Player News

Gillislee (hamstring) didn't travel with the Patriots for joint team practices with the Texans this week, Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald reports.

Gillislee missed the preseason opener and likely will be held out for Saturday's exhibition in Houston. He's been limited or absent from practice for more than a week, while backfield mates Rex Burkhead, James White, Dion Lewis and Brandon Bolden all have been healthy. Burkhead represents Gillislee's main competition for the early down work and goal-line carries that LeGarrette Blount handled last season. There's still time for the former Bill to lock down a key role, but all the missed work isn't helping his cause.

Pierce (hamstring) has yet to return to Broncos' practice, Andrew Mason of the Broncos' team website reports.

After spending the majority of 2016 on the injured reserve, Pierce signed a reserve/future contract with the team during the offseason. It is unclear when Pierce suffered the hamstring injury, but it has kept him absent from the first three weeks of training camp. At this point, he figures to have a tough time earning a spot on the final roster.

Rawls didn't take part in the team portion of practice Tuesday or Wednesday, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribunereports.

While no injury has been reported, Rawls probably wouldn't be skipping practice if he were completely healthy, as he's a third-year player coming off a disappointing sophomore campaign. He does seem to be ahead of Eddie Lacy in a battle for the starting job, albeit with a three-way timeshare also involving C.J. Prosise the most likely outcome. The Seahawks likely will provide an update Wednesday or Thursday if Rawls is in any danger of missing Friday's preseason game against Minnesota.

Elliott's appeal of his six-game suspension will take place Aug. 29 in front of arbiter Harold Henderson, ESPN.com's Todd Archer reports.

Henderson was also the arbiter for appeals from Greg Hardy and Adrian Peterson, with Hardy getting a reduction from 10 games to four, while Peterson's indefinite suspension was upheld. The battle already has become heated, with the NFL accusing the NFLPA of "spreading derogatory information" about the alleged victim to the media, which caused the NFLPA to fire back with a tweet stating that "the public statement issued on behalf of every NFL owner is a lie." While the star running back could file a federal lawsuit if his suspension is upheld, there's no real precedent for a player having success with that approach when it comes to violations of the league's personal conduct policy. Tom Brady was able to delay serving a suspension for a year, but his case was unique in its complexity.

Pressley signed with the Falcons on Wednesday.

Pressley still remains a long shot to make the 53-man roster, but at least he'll have the opportunity to prove his worth during the preseason. The 25-year-old hails from New Mexico and most recently suited up as a member of Green Bay.

Conner (shoulder) is listed fourth on the Steelers' latest depth chart, behind Fitzgerald Toussaint, Knile Davis and Terrell Watson, Dave Lolley of the Washington Observer-Reporter reports.

Noticeably absent is starter Le'Veon Bell, who still hasn't signed his franchise tender. The preseason depth chart should be taken with a grain of salt, as Davis and Watson are squarely on the roster bubble, whereas Bell, Conner and Toussaint should all be safe. Conner and Toussaint are the real competitors for the top backup job, with a workload split the most likely scenario in the event of a Bell injury. The 2017 third-round pick fell behind early in training camp while nursing an AC joint sprain in his shoulder, but he's been a full practice participant this week and should be ready for Sunday's preseason game against Atlanta.

Murray hasn't yet participated in a full practice as he returns from ankle surgery, and it's not clear if he'll play in Minnesota's second preseason game this week against Seattle, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Murray did some work with the first- and second-team offenses Tuesday, but he's still not fully practicing. He underwent surgery in March to remove bone spurs from his ankle and was only activated from the PUP list last week. His slow return to full speed has allowed Dalvin Cook to become the starter at running back, and it's not clear how much of a workload Murray will get early in the season. Murray still has time to win a role in the offense this preseason, however.

Mack (shoulder) returned to practice Tuesday, the Indianapolis Star reports.

Mack missed several practices last week and the Colts' first preseason game, though the shoulder injury isn't thought to be serious. Head coach Chuck Pagano has raved about his performance in training camp, but Mack will likely need to showcase his talents in a preseason game if he's going to climb the depth chart early in the season. He's currently battling Robert Turbin and Josh Ferguson for touches in the backfield behind Frank Gore.

Draughn (ankle) was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list Tuesday.

Draughn is returning from summer ankle surgery. The 29-year-old journeyman is competing for a roster spot, so his participation in training camp will be essential for his chances. Paul Perkins, Shane Vereen (leg) and rookie Wayne Gallman are all expected to make the team, so Draughn is mainly competing with Orleans Darkwa for the final roster spot.

Barner is currently going through the NFL's concussion protocol, Jack Wang of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

It's unclear exactly when Barner suffered his concussion. Given the nature of the beast, he'll likely miss close to a week, meaning his status for Sunday's preseason contest against the Saints is questionable at best.