NFL Player News

Asiata had six carries for six yards, including a one-yard touchdown, and two receptions for 12 yards in Monday's win over the Giants.

Asiata had fewer carries and snaps than Jerick McKinnon (who had 18 carries and played 46 snaps to Asiata's 29 snaps), but still got a goal-line carry. However, McKinnon also had a one-yard touchdown, which means Asiata isn't the exclusive goal-line option. Asiata will continue to get touches in the backfield, but McKinnon will get the majority of opportunities.

Johnson (groin) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.

While each team can bring one player back from injured reserve after a minimum stay of eight weeks, it isn't entirely clear that Johnson is a candidate, as the Cardinals are also placing safety Tyvon Branch on IR with a groin injury. Branch has arguably been a more important contributor than Johnson so far, but the two players' relative value would change in a hurry if David Johnson were to suffer an injury. In any case, the younger Johnson will now be backed up by Andre Ellington, Kerwynn Williams and Stepfan Taylor, with Ellington easily carrying the most appeal as a handcuff.

Martin (hamstring) was not at the portion of Tuesday's practice open to the media, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Martin is also unlikely to attend the closed portion of practice, as it's already been reported that he'll probably be out until after Tampa Bay's Week 6 bye. The bigger question pertains to Charles Sims, who missed Tuesday's practice with a knee injury that he played through in Sunday's loss to Denver. If the Bucs don't have either Martin or Sims, they'll have to turn to Jacquizz Rodgers and Peyton Barber against the Panthers on Monday.

Patterson played a season-high 36 offensive snaps Monday against the Giants, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Patterson comfortably out-snapped Charles Johnson (22) and even came close to matching Adam Thielen (39). The 2013 first-round selection had five catches for 38 yards on six targets, adding one carry for two yards. Given how little Johnson has done this season, it wouldn't be surprising if Patterson were to stay involved in the offense, though rookie Laquon Treadwell could also emerge as a factor. Above all else, it's quite clear Stefon Diggs will be far more valuable than any of his position mates in Minnesota.

West's teammate Justin Forsett was informed of his release Tuesday morning, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports.

Forsett was a surprise healthy scratch Sunday against Oakland, allowing West to get his first start in a Baltimore uniform. With West turning in a strong outing (113 rushing yards) and rookie Kenneth Dixon (knee) set to make his NFL debut, the Ravens opted to shed Forsett's sizable contract. Javorius Allen could also be involved, but the Baltimore backfield will likely be led by some combination of West and Dixon, with the latter the clear favorite to start in Week 5 against Washington. Even after Forsett's release, this backfield requires close monitoring.

Sims is absent from Tuesday's practice due to a knee injury, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Sims suffered the injury during the first quarter of Sunday's loss to Denver, but he was still able to finish out the rest of the contest, ultimately playing 58 percent of his team's offensive snaps. The injury may help explain why he managed just 35 yards on 17 touches, though Denver's excellent defense surely also played a role. With Doug Martin (hamstring) considered unlikely to return until after a Week 6 bye, Sims will be under some pressure to get ready for Monday's game against Carolina. If the injury were to prevent Sims from playing, Jacquizz Rodgers and Peyton Barber would handle the backfield work.

McKinnon rushed 18 times for 85 yards and a touchdown, while also catching three passes (on five targets) for 10 yards in Monday night's win over the Giants.

McKinnon put together a strong overall performance Monday night, showing his ability to replace some of the production lost from Adrian Peterson's (knee) absence. He averaged close to five yards per carry and caught a trio of passes, but his four-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown rush was probably the most satisfying part of his Week 4 showing. Yes, teammate Matt Asiata vultured a one-yard touchdown plunge to start the game, but McKinnon's 21 total touches once again trumped Asiata's eight, and McKinnon proved he too can score in the red zone, which could open even more opportunities going forward.

Henry rushed three times for nine yards Sunday in Houston.

Henry got a season-low number of carries while DeMarco Murray scored two touchdowns on a season-high 25. The rookie out of Alabama had been spelling Murray for 8-to-10 carries per game prior to this, but the veteran's strong play has made it difficult to justify taking him off the field. Henry's problem is a lack of opportunities more so than a lack of skill.

Cunningham (hamstring) may be able to practice this week, Myles Simmons of the Rams' official website reports.

While Cunningham doesn't have much stand-alone value, his absence from the second half of Sunday's game in Arizona helped Todd Gurley set career-high marks in receptions (five) and receiving yards (49). Cunningham had been getting most of the work on obvious passing downs, albeit with just three receptions to show for it this season. Other than boosting Gurley's value, a Cunningham absence wouldn't have much impact on either the Rams or fantasy teams.

Johnson (groin) didn't take part in Monday's practice, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic reports.

The manner in which Johnson went to the ground Sunday was worrisome, to say the least, so the fact he's dealing with a groin concern was welcome news. Nevertheless, the Cardinals have three days to prepare for Thursday's contest at San Francisco, making a complete rehab difficult to comprehend. In order to fill the potential void in the backfield, the team has re-signed Kerwynn Williams to serve as a depth RB option behind starter David Johnson and primary reserve (for now) Andre Ellington.