NFL Player News

Vereen (lower leg) is working off to the side at Thursday's practice, Newsday's Art Stapleton reports.

Vereen will miss a third straight practice, but his ability to do some individual work suggests his lower leg injury isn't serious. He's slated for his usual role as the passing-down back, after missing most of last season with a triceps injury.

Lions running backs coach David Walker said Washington has "done a 180" after inconsistent play landed him on the bench as a rookie, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Washington was thrust into a significant role as soon as Week 3 of his rookie season last year, matching Theo Riddick for the team lead with 10 carries in a game against the Packers. Of the two, Washington was the more productive, rushing for 38 yards compared to nine for Riddick. However, after that, Washington struggled with the rigors and the speed of the professional game and was ultimately relegated to a special-teams role. With his first full offseason training program under his belt, Washington should be more prepared for action if injuries strike the Lions' lead runners again. He certainly has the physical tools -- 6-foot-2, 226 pounds with a 4.44 40, 21 reps in the bench press, 37-inch vertical and 127-inch broad jump. Moreover, Washington played WR in high school and converted to running back in college, when he received only 223 attempts over three years. There's room to grow for Washington, and if he can capitalize on his physical talent, he might wrest the No. 3 RB job away from Zach Zenner.

McNichols' workload is increasing as camp unfolds, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

The rookie is getting rave reviews for his hands, unsurprising given that he compiled 103 receptions and 11 receiving touchdowns at Boise State. However, McNichols is starting to get more work in the ground game as well, and has proven to be a patient runner who waits on his blocks and is a load to bring down. The 21-year-old's excellent hands and similar all-around skill set to Doug Martin could certainly pave the way for a solid allotment of playing time while the latter finishes his suspension in September, as well as for the balance of the campaign if McNichols proves too effective to keep off the field.

Conner has been diagnosed with an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports. "Appears to be minor - days," head coach Mike Tomlin said Wednesday.

Conner injured his shoulder at Monday's practice, and what was expected to be a short stay on the sideline was confirmed by both player and coach Wednesday. While he rehabs the ailment and Le'Veon Bell remains away from training camp, Knile Davis and Fitzgerald Toussaint represent the most experienced options in the RB room.

Vereen didn't practice Wednesday due to "lower leg soreness," Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

What was deemed a "lower-body" injury Tuesday has been clarified as a sore lower leg, but the key here is Vereen taking a seat for a second straight day. On a positive note, he worked on the side with trainers, per James Kratch of NJ.com, so he may be approaching an appearance on the practice field soon. Once healthy, Vereen will be the primary pass catcher out of the Giants backfield.

Williams is the most likely among Green Bay's three rookie running backs to push Ty Montgomery for snaps, ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reports.

Offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett said Williams has already earned some first-team work at training camp because of his ability in pass protection, which seems to be the Packers' biggest concern when it comes to Montgomery. The converted wideout produced 5.9 yards per carry last season and is unsurprisingly one of the most dangerous receiving backs in the league, but he still doesn't have much experience as a pass blocker. The Packers were hoping they'd get help in that department from one of their three draft picks, and it seems the first of those, Williams, has made the strongest impression early on. The fourth-rounder will still have to fend off fifth-round pick Aaron Jones and seventh-rounder DeVante Mays. Jones is regarded as the best pass catcher of the bunch, while Mays had the best workout numbers and arguably possesses the most long-term upside as a pure runner.

Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said he absolutely trusts Cook in pass protection, ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert reports.

Struggles in protection have kept many a rookie running back off the field, but Cook could prove to be an exception after handling passing-down work throughout much of his time at FSU. Latavius Murray (ankle) does have a strong reputation as a blocker, but he hasn't practiced since signing with the Vikings and still doesn't have a timetable to return. While he likely will have to share the first-team work in practice now that Jerick McKinnon is healthy, Cook is trending in the right direction to earn the lead back job for Week 1. The rookie has the highest ceiling among the trio as a pure runner, and he arguably also has the most potential to develop into a well rounded passing-down back capable of both picking up blitzes and gaining big chunks through the air.

Johnson (foot) returned to practice Wednesday, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports.

Johnson reportedly injured his foot Monday, but given the limited severity of the injury, he was able to be get back to practicing quickly. While the quick turnaround does bode well for the 25-year-old competing for a final roster spot, he still has his work cut out for him moving forward.

Conner, whose shoulder injury is deemed minor, is a candidate to return to practice later this week, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Since he was drafted in the third round of this year's draft, Conner has missed time due to a hamstring strain and now a shoulder injury. Luckily, the latter isn't serious and should allow him to reclaim reps with the first team, assuming he's cleared for action in the near future and Le'Veon Bell's holdout continues. In the meantime, though, Knile Davis and Fitzgerald Toussaint are the most experienced running backs on the 90-man roster.

Anderson is getting more involved in the Broncos' passing game, the Broncos' official site reports.

As the post notes, Anderson broke onto the scene in 2014 with a 51-yard grab and dash against the Raiders, a game that vaulted him into a prominent place in the Broncos' offense. He's averaged just two catches per game in his career but has been dangerous at times with eight catches of 20 or more yards. With Devontae Booker, a strong pass catcher in his own right, a question mark to start the season, Anderson should have plenty of opportunities to assimilate to the Broncos' passing attack. Most interestingly, Anderson has reportedly shown good chemistry in the red zone with both Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. There have been times over the years in which Anderson has done the heavy lifting on a drive only to have his reward vultured by Demaryius Thomas or Emmanuel Sanders in the form of a goal line fade. If Anderson can transfer his performances on the practice field to games, the shoe might be on the other foot this year.