NFL Player News

Draughn (ribs/back) wore a blue jersey at Sunday's practice to signal that he's exempt from being hit, The Sacramento Bee reports.

Draughn hasn't played in either of the 49ers' past two preseason games due to a rib injury he suffered during a practice scrimmage with the Broncos. While that condition requires the protection associated with a blue practice jersey, starting running back Carlos Hyde's concussion suffered Friday against Green Bay makes protecting Draughn's health even more important. At the moment, Draughn projects as the Niners' No. 2 running back, so if Hyde is unavailable, he represents the team's next option at the position, where the alternatives don't appear too attractive. It's also worth noting that Draughn was involved with returning punts during Sunday's session.

Fowler carried once for two yards while playing 15 snaps in Saturday's preseason win over the Raiders.

Fowler received some competition in camp from Sam Bergen, but seems to have solidified his role as the Titans fullback after playing 15 snaps in the regular season dress rehearsal compared to Bergen's three. The 2015 fourth-rounder out of Alabama brings some extra skill at the position, but is usually overlooked in favor of more traditional weapons.

Grimes didn't get any touches in Sunday's preseason game against the Cardinals.

Fourth-round rookie Tyler Ervin, also a capable pass-catcher, had two carries for 13 yards and one reception for 20 yards, even getting some snaps with the first-team offense. If Ervin has indeed passed Grimes as the top backup for passing downs, it would appear Grimes is merely competing with Akeem Hunt and Kenny Hilliard for the possibility of one roster spot.

Oliver (Achilles) is expected to miss an extended period of time, the Chargers' official site reports.

Previously slated to work as San Diego's No. 3 running back, Oliver may have suffered a torn Achilles during Saturday's preseason game against the Vikings. Despite his spot on the depth chart, he actually had a important role in the San Diego offense, capable of replacing both early-down runner Melvin Gordon and passing-down back Danny Woodhead. The Chargers will now look to Dreamius Smith and/or Kenneth Farrow at the bottom of the depth chart. Smith had 13 carries for 31 yards and three catches for 30 yards (four targets) in Sunday's game, whereas Farrow didn't record a touch.

Gillislee remains in the concussion protocol, but has begun the Return-to-Participation process, BuffaloBills.com reports.

Gillislee was in pads for Sunday's practice and participated in the media viewing portion, so we wouldn't be surprised if he returns to practice fully this week. He still has a decent chance of landing the No. 2 running back job behind LeSean McCoy.

Head coach Adam Gase expects Pead (hamstring) to be sidelined for at least two weeks, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Pead had roughed up his hamstring during Thursday's preseason tilt against the Falcons, but it was initially thought to be minor. That is evidently not the case anymore, and the Dolphins now have a tough decision to make regarding Pead's future with the team. Though he enjoyed a solid preseason, Miami's RB depth chart is a gallery of tailbacks susceptible to injury and there simply may not be room for an already-injured body.

Drake (hamstring) will play in the Dolphins' preseason finale Thursday versus the Titans, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post reports.

Drake has not played in any of the Dolphins' preseason games due to a lingering hamstring injury. However, participation in Thursday's contest bodes very well for his health entering the regular season. Still, he remains firmly behind both Jay Ajayi and Arian Foster on the team's depth chart and, barring injury to those ahead of him, may struggle to gain any sort of fantasy relevance during his rookie campaign.

Magee rushed three times for 78 yards in Saturday's preseason game against the Broncos.

Magee ripped off a game-long run of 73 yards during the fourth quarter, but is currently behind Todd Gurley, Benny Cunningham and Malcolm Brown in the Rams' backfield. It's unclear just how many running backs Los Angeles will keep going into the regular season, but Magee made the most of his touches Saturday.

Gordon had four carries for 51 yards and a touchdown and one catch for five yards on his only target in Sunday's preseason game against the Vikings.

As expected, Gordon split first-team work with Danny Woodhead, who had three carries for zero yards and one catch for 25 yards (two targets). With two long touchdowns in three preseason games, Gordon has proved that his surgically-repaired knee is no longer a major concern, leaving him as the unquestioned lead rusher in a San Diego offense that should be much-improved. Of course, Woodhead is still going to poach a lot of snaps in passing situations, which could lead to some ugly stat lines for Gordon if the Chargers have to play catch-up in certain games.

McKinnon gained 56 yards on eight carries and nine yards on two receptions (two targets) in Sunday's preseason game against the Chargers.

With Adrian Peterson rested, McKinnon dominated the first-half workload, getting 10 touches to Matt Asiata's two. However, the VIkings did sometimes use Asiata as a pass-blocker, which narrowed McKinnon's snap advantage to 21-15 according to Pro Football Focus. In any case, McKinnon is the clear handcuff to Peterson, though his Week 1 role probably won't involve much work on early downs.