NFL Player News

Smith (undisclosed) was activated from the physically unable to perform list Wednesday.

Smith signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent, so he certainly has some work to do in training camp in order to make the final roster. Thus, his activation from the PUP list was necessary if he hopes to obtain that goal. The running back is currently pretty far down on the depth chart but will attempt to turn some heads as training camp progresses.

West has a stronger grip on the lead job after Kenneth Dixon (knee/suspension) underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus, Sarah Ellison of the Ravens' official website reports.

Dixon took a big chunk out of West's workload down the stretch last season and loomed as a major threat to do the same upon returning from a four-game suspension this season. With the second-year back expected to miss most (or all) of the upcoming campaign, Danny Woodhead represents West's only serious competition for snaps and touches, as Javorius Allen, Bobby Rainey and Taquan Mizzell don't seem like real threats to challenge for the lead ball carrier role.

McNichols has recovered from offseason shoulder surgery and will be a full participant at the start of training camp, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

McNichols has reported to the Buccaneers' facility and passed his physical, making him available immediately for the start of training camp. The Boise State product slipped to the fifth round of the draft due to concerns with his surgically repaired shoulder, but it appears he'll be at full health when competing against Doug Martin (suspension), Charles Sims and Jacquizz Rodgers for playing time out of the backfield.

Pumphrey is emerging as a favorite target for his quarterbacks early in training camp,Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Philadelphia's fourth-round pick in this year's draft has been beating linebackers out of the backfield and has not dropped a pass in camp so far, per McLane. While things could change once the pads are on, Pumphrey seems poised to carve out a role for himself in the Eagles' offense if he keeps this up.

Taliaferro has been moved to fullback, which helps his chances of breaking camp on the Ravens' 53-man roster, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Kyle Juszczyk's departure this offseason left Baltimore with a hole at fullback, but Taliaferro (6-foot, 225 pounds) is a logical replacement at the position given his size and backfield experience. Still, a move to fullback negates much of Taliaferro's fantasy value as he's never shown to have the pass catching acumen that Juszczyk brought to the fullback spot. Hensley adds that Taliaferro will have to beat out Ricky Ortiz to lock up what will likely be the only fullback spot available on the roster.

Perine enters training camp behind Robert Kelley on the Redskins' depth chart at running back, but the team's intention to roll with the "hot hand" in dividing carries could at times earn the rookie a substantial workload, Stephen Czarda of the Redskins' official site reports.

Perine, who was drafted in the fourth round this spring after finishing his college career as Oklahoma's all-time leading rusher, should have ample opportunity during camp to make a run at unseating Kelley for the top spot on the depth chart. Beyond Perine, none of the remaining backs the Redskins have on hand look like viable challengers to the starting role, as Chris Thompson is more of a pass-catching threat and Matt Jones was wildly disappointing in 2017 and could be on the outs for a roster spot. Fortunately for Perine, if he gets going in a given game, the Redskins are prepared to reward him with more touches, which would inevitably boost his fantasy stock. In the meantime, though, the rookie will aim to gain more familiarity with Washington's offense as camp begins.

Kelley will open training camp as the Redskins' starting running back, Stephen Czarda of the Redskins' official site reports.

Kelley went from an undrafted rookie to Washington's top tailback by the end of his first season, finishing with a team-high 704 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns. In doing so, Kelley had nearly 250 more yards on the ground than his next closest teammate while averaging a commendable 4.2 yards per carry along the way. Kelley has rightfully earned his place atop the depth chart entering camp, but he'll have to outperform rookie fourth-rounder Semaje Perine during the preseason to lock down the starting role heading into Week 1. Along with entering camp with a clear edge, Kelley should benefit from transforming his body this offseason. Despite having January surgery to clean up his knee, Kelley reportedly dropped from 18 to 13 percent body fat and appeared more muscular in offseason workouts.

Murray (ankle) was placed on on the Vikings' preseason Physically Unable to Perform list Monday prior to the start of training camp, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Murray signed a three-year, $15 million contract in March and underwent surgery to address bone spurs shortly thereafter. He was expected to be ready for the start of training camp, so this news isn't particularly encouraging. If he's slow to participate in full practices, Murray could quickly fall behind Dalvin Cook in the competition for touches at running back. However, the decision to place Murray on the PUP list could be a temporary one, and he could very well be activated early in training camp.

Mathews (neck) has been excused from training camp, Dave Spadaro of the Eagles' official site reports.

This all but confirms Mathews will be sent packing once he passes a physical to prove he's recovered from the neck injury that curtailed his 2016 season, since cutting the 2010 first-rounder would save Philadelphia roughly $4 million in cap space. However, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News reported that Mathews likely won't be re-evaluated until "sometime in August," so it still may be awhile until that comes to fruition. For now, the Eagles will open training camp with LeGarrette Blount, Darren Sproles and Wendell Smallwood leading the charge at running back.

Jones could emerge as the team's third-down running back, ESPN's Mike Clay reports.

Though one would think that ex-wide receiver Ty Montgomery would be the team's preferred option on passing downs, the reality is that Montgomery is now the starter and will need to come off the field at times in order to stay fresh. While the Packers drafted three running backs in April's draft, Jones (5-foot-9, 208 pounds) is viewed as the pass-catching specialist of the bunch and may have the most favorable odds of carving out a regular role on offense with Montgomery set to handle early-down work.