NFL Player News

Artis-Payne gained 28 yards on nine carries and 12 yards on one reception (one target) in Friday's preseason game against the Patriots.

Artis-Payne was far better than his stat line suggests, bouncing off would-be tacklers to provide one of the few bright spots for an otherwise toothless Carolina offense. He got all of his touches while most of the starters were still in the game, clearly working ahead of Fozzy Whittaker and Brandon Wegher. While both figure to make the roster, Artis-Payne seems to be ahead of Whittaker in the battle to serve as Jonathan Stewart's top backup. Whittaker did get a bit more playing time with the starters through the first two weeks of the preseason, but he mostly seems to be an option for passing downs, as he's only taken four carries for three yards in three exhibition appearances. Artis-Payne is the preferred Stewart handcuff.

Williams left Friday's matchup with the Redskins due to a rib injury, Vic Carucci of WGRZ-TV repots.

Williams had recorded 42 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries prior to being forced out of the game. He currently projects as the fourth running back on the team's depth chart, so he is competing for a spot on the final roster. The severity of the injury is not known at this time.

Elliott carried seven times for 49 yards against the Seahawks and looked quick and nimble running outside the tackles, the Dallas Morning News reports.

He also showed physicality and blocking ability. With the hamstring injury ostensibly behind him, Elliott's looking like one of the top running back options in the league.

Michael finished with 58 yards on seven carries against the Cowboys Thursday night, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Michael has 157 yards on 24 carries this preseason (6.5 YPC.) At this point, he's shown enough that even if Thomas Rawls proves 100 percent healthy, there's likely to be some kind of timeshare on early downs. And if Rawls has a setback with his ankle, Michael has major upside.

Rawls' teammate Christine Michael has looked fantastic this preseason.

Rawls was great last year as a rookie and is ostensibly still the team's starting back. But given he's returning from an ankle injury and Michael has looked so good this preseason, there has to be some concern about the potential for a timeshare on early downs.

Gillislee (concussion) will be held out of Friday's game against Washington.

Buffalo's injury attrition throughout training camp has led the coaching staff to be extra cautious for Friday's game as Gillislee joins a lengthy list of inactive players for Friday. With Gillislee and LeSean McCoy sitting out, Reggie Bush, Jonathan Williams and James Wilder all figure to see a bump in carries.

Mostert (hamstring) is unlikely to play Friday against Tampa Bay, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The speedster out of Purdue has been slowed by a hamstring injury of late. His absence will primarily be felt on special teams Friday, but reserves such as Glenn Winston, Rajion Neal, and Jahwan Edwards could all see some carries in the second half with Mostert sitting.

Pead suffered a hamstring injury Thursday but it is believed to be minor, Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post reports.

According to Lieser, Pead could have to returned to action Thursday if it were a regular season game. However, given that it was a preseason game, the Dolphins took the cautious route and held out Pead for the remainder of the game after he injured his hamstring. Pead only had one carry for one yard Thursday, but he was solid as a pass catcher out of the backfield as he caught all three of his targets for 14 yards. He figures to return to practice in the near future.

Williams gained 17 yards and scored a touchdown on five carries while securing both of his targets for two yards in Thursday's 17-6 preseason victory over the Falcons.

The reserve back actually outgained both Arian Foster and Jay Ajayi on the ground, while getting into the end zone for the second straight week. Williams should once again fill a complementary role in the backfield in 2016 if he survives final cuts, after having played in all 16 games in each of his first two Dolphins seasons. With some serviceable receiving skills, the OU product offers some third-down value in particular.

Wilds suffered a knee injury Thursday and did not return, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the AJC reports.

The rookie running back suffered the injury late in Thursday's contest, so the fact that he did not return does not necessarily mean that he's dealing with anything serious. Still, any additional missed time for Wilds could be problematic for a running back fighting for a roster spot with cuts looming. Prior to leaving the game, Wilds actually led the Falcons in rushing Thursday, taking three carries for 11 yards against a Dolphins defense that allowed just 31 yards on the ground.