NFL Player News

McKinnon (lower leg) sat out of Saturday's practice, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press reports.

Saturday marked McKinnon's second consecutive practice absence as he continues to work his way back from an early camp leg injury. With Latavius Murray (ankle) also sidelined, rookie Dalvin Cook figures to continue seeing work with the first-team offense. There's no word yet on when McKinnon will be ready to return to practice.

Pierce is expected to miss a few days of practice due to a hamstring injury, Mike Klis of 9News reports.

PIerce signed a reserve/future contract with the Broncos in January after spending the year on injured reserve. The severity of his hamstring injury is unknown, but he figures to be cautious in order to avoid a lingering issue. However, he is competing for a role providing depth at running back on the final roster, so a return sooner than later will be in his best interest.

Wilds signed with the Browns on Friday, Cleveland.com reports.

The Browns opted to waive running back George Atkinson and add Wilds in a corresponding roster move. The 24-year-old played in four games for the Jets last season, tallying 27 yards on 10 carries in the process. He figures to be a long shot to land on the final roster, but will compete for a role providing depth at running back.

Atkinson was waived by the Browns on Friday, Cleveland.com reports.

The 24-year-old failed to make much of an impact in 16 games with the team last season. He tallied 34 yards, one touchdown and one fumble on seven carries. He figured to play a role in the kick return game if he made the final roster, but he will now look for a new landing spot.

Harrison is currently dealing with lower body soreness, Jordan Raanan of ESPN reports.

Coach Ben McAdoo does not believe the issue is because Harrison is not in shape. The 28-year-old defensive linemen reportedly went through a similar situation last training camp, but went on to start all 16 games for the Giants. Look for the team to exercise caution with Harrison's training camp workload in order to ensure his full health entering the start of the regular season.

Dareus suffered a hamstring injury late in Friday's training camp practice, Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com reports. "Anytime players miss time you get concerned," said coach Sean McDermott. "But I'm going to stay positive and he's done a great job of being in shape at this point in camp and has really handled things well. We'll see how this unfolds."

Dareus will sit out Saturday's practice, though he's doing work off to the side. The DT may be the most important player in McDermott's new defense, given his skill set and ability to make a mess of the offense's interior, though injuries and and off-field distractions have stolen some of his value in the past.

McKinnon (leg) is not taking part in Friday's practice, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

McKinnon was forced into an early exit from Thursday's session, but he subsequently took the field with a sleeve on his right leg during Minnesota's Friday morning walkthrough. In addition, McKinnon stated he was fine following Thursday's premature departure, seemingly quelling any concern regarding his status. While it seems likely that he's only dealing with something minor, McKinnon proceeded to miss Friday's practice, making way for Dalvin Cook to run with the starters. With Latavius Murray (ankle) still on the PUP list, Cook figures to remain there until McKinnon can return, gaining valuable reps in his quest to earn the Vikings' first-string gig.

Elliott will not receive a decision this weekend on potential punishment stemming from the NFL's investigation into his personal conduct, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Elliott was the subject of a league investigation into a 2016 domestic violence allegation, and although his response to the NFL's findings was submitted a couple weeks ago, there's yet to be a formal announcement on whether he'll face discipline. For what it's worth, the Cowboys added depth to their backfield by signing Ronnie Hillman earlier this week, when owner and general manager Jerry Jones thought a decision on Elliott's case was imminent. With an announcement not expected over the weekend, however, Dallas will have to continue to wait and see whether the star tailback will be fully available for the regular season.

Williams figures to challenge Carlos Hyde for the 49ers' starting running back job this season, Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area reports.

Williams was drafted in the fourth round to bolster San Francisco's backfield, where Hyde has reigned as the team's unquestioned top option in recent seasons. Of course, that's only when Hyde has been healthy, which has been an issue over the last three years. Entering this campaign, the veteran is reportedly in fantastic shape, yet his knee injury from last season figures to allow Williams ample opportunities to carve out a role. With Tim Hightower and Kapri Bibbs also around, the rookie tailback is part of a suddenly stocked San Francisco group where touches will need to be earned.

McCaffrey lined up in a variety of positions with the Panthers' first and second stringers during the opening day of training camp, NBC Charlotte's Jeremy Igo reports.

McCaffrey was seen running the ball between the tackles, out wide, and into the flats during his first day of camp. This year's eighth overall pick is clearly someone the Panthers intend to use in multiple ways this season, and his ability to line up all over the field figures to let him play concurrently with starting tailback Jonathan Stewart often. Although McCaffrey is still getting up to speed with Carolina's playbook after missing virtually all of OTAs while finishing classes at Stanford, the rookie is already drawing promising reviews from his first appearance on the practice field and seems destined to rise up fantasy draft boards in the buildup to the regular season.