NFL Player News

Wilds (shoulder) is not likely to play in Thursday's exhibition finale against the Bears.

Wilds isn't likely to hold onto a roster spot as a running back, but there still is a chance he makes it for special teams purposes. However, he appears to have a better of chance of sticking on the practice squad than on the active roster.

The hearing pertaining to Elliott's appeal of his six-game suspension concluded Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The process took three days and more than 25 hours to conclude. While an outcome on the matter has yet to be determined, Adam Schefter of ESPN indicates that Harold Henderson, the appeals officer in the Elliott hearing, "is under pressure to have a decision by Monday." Henderson could thus elect to reduce or uphold the league's initial ruling, after which Elliott can either accept the determination or pursue his case through other legal channels.

Hightower may be on the bubble for a roster spot with the 49ers, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee reports.

Carlos Hyde and 2017 fourth-round pick Joe Williams entered camp as roster locks, and undrafted rookie Matt Breida has also made a strong push for a spot. Hightower may be competing against Raheem Mostert for one roster spot, with the battle potentially playing out during Thursday's preseason finale against the Chargers. Even if he does end up making the team, Hightower won't necessarily have a significant Week 1 role on offense.

Washington isn't expected to play in Thursday's preseason finale against the Bills, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

This confirms the notion that Washington has earned a roster spot, joining Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick and Zach Zenner (undisclosed) in the Detroit backfield. Washington has made a strong push to supplant Zenner for the No. 3 role, a job that could include goal-line and short-yardage work. Matt Asiata and Tion Green are expected to handle the bulk of the carries in Thursday's exhibition.

Bolden appears likely to make the Patriots' final roster, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports.

Bolden's future with the Patriots came into question this offseason when the team added Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead to a backfield that already included James White and Dion Lewis. The team may be able to keep five running backs, as Bolden and Burkhead both have track records serving as major contributors on special teams. Bolden won't have a significant role in the offense, however.

The Cowboys have opted to add depth at running back by bringing in Brown-Dukes on Wednesday, SportsDayDFW.com reports.

Brown-Dukes was waived midway through camp by the Steelers. The 5-foot-9, 200-pound back doesn't have a likely route to the final roster but could be a candidate for the practice squad.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday that Rawls (ankle) and C.J. Prosise (groin) both are healthy enough to play in Thursday's preseason finale against the Raiders, Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio 950 KJR reports.

Carroll declined to specify if the two running backs actually would play, merely suggesting that they are healthy enough to do so. The Seahawks figure to hold out a number of key players in a game that's primarily designed to settle competitions at the back of the roster. Rawls worked ahead of Eddie Lacy throughout most of training camp and returned to practice Tuesday, but it still isn't entirely clear which player will get the start Week 1 in Green Bay. The Seahawks likely will deploy a three-way committee to open the season.

Johnson doesn't expect his two fumbles from Saturday's preseason game against Atlanta to cost him a roster spot, ESPN's Josh Weinfuss reports.

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians and general manager John Keim didn't provide any assurances when asked about the situation, though Keim did refer to Johnson as "a pro's pro." The 31-year-old back doesn't have a history of fumbling issues, but the Cardinals might still consider him expendable if they believe Kerwynn Williams and Andre Ellington can handle backup work. Regardless, the team likely would deploy some sort of committee in the event of a David Johnson injury.

Elliott's appeal of his six-game suspension is scheduled to run through Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The appeal hearing started Tuesday and apparently won't end any sooner than Thursday. The arbitrator in the case, Harold Henderson, is expected to make a ruling before Week 1, though there's already talk that Elliott will challenge that ruling in a federal lawsuit unless the suspension is removed or at least significantly reduced. Should it ultimately come to a lawsuit, Elliott likely would ask the court to grant him an injunction that would allow him to play until his case was heard. He'd still have to serve the suspension immediately if the court didn't grant him an injunction.

The Buccaneers decided to waive Sims on Tuesday, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Sims was never considered a serious threat to land on the final roster, so this move was more of a formality as the team tries to trim its depth chart before final cuts. The 25-year-old will presumably clear waivers and look for an opportunity with another team.