NFL Player News

Hillman is in danger of losing his roster spot, 9news.com reports.

Hillman was clearly a part of Denver's 2016 plans back in mid-April when he signed a one-year, $2 million contract that included $500,000 in full guarantees -- pretty good money for a backup running back. There actually hasn't been any indication that the team's opinion of Hillman has changed since that time, but he did catch an unlucky break when Devontae Booker fell to the Broncos at No. 136 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Broncos might have even drafted Booker earlier if they didn't already have Hillman on the roster, as GM John Elway said the former Utah standout was the second-ranked running back on his team's board. Unfortunately for Hillman, the fourth-round rookie has lived up to the Broncos' lofty expectations during training camp, emerging as the favorite to serve as C.J. Anderson's top backup. While the Broncos may have valued Hillman at $2 million when he was expected to be the No. 2 running back, his cap hit is rather hefty for a third-stringer, even if the team thinks he's good enough to be the No. 2 on most teams. With $1.4 million of his contract not yet paid and not guaranteed, Hillman is competing for a roster spot against 2014 UDFA Kapri Bibbs, who has a cap hit of just $525,000. The only good news for Hillman is that his (possible) release would appear to be motivated by cap concerns rather than performance issues, which could make it easier to catch on with another team. He might also consider accepting a pay cut to stay in Denver.

Wilder carried the ball 11 times for 31 yards in Saturday's preseason win over the Giants.

The Bills cut Karlos Williams earlier Saturday, which gives Wilder a legit shot to make the team. With Reggie Bush and rookie Jonathan Williams being the two most likely candidates to land the top backup spots behind LeSean McCoy, it may come down to one spot for Wilder, Mike Gillislee, or Boom Herron.

Rawls (ankle) was a full participant at Sunday's practice, and he's on track to get the Week 1 start, ESPN's Sheil Kapadia reports.

Mostly limited to individual work throughout training camp, Rawls returned to team drills at the beginning of the week, albeit with some limitations. The restrictions were lifted Sunday, with the Seahawks allowing Rawls to log his first full-contact practice since he broke his ankle in Week 14 last season, according to seattlepi.com. The second-year running back still isn't sure if he'll play in the preseason, but he does expect to be ready for Week 1, and head coach Pete Carroll seems to agree. However, Carroll also said he views Rawls and Christine Michael as a 1-2 punch, suggesting that the latter has earned a significant role. Further complicating the situation, third-round rookie C.J. Prosise (hamstring) is expected to return to practice Monday, potentially giving him enough time to earn a role on passing downs.

Johnson turned four carries into seven yards during Friday's preseason defeat at San Diego.

Preseason performances for a veteran like Johnson don't mean all that much in the end, as he's merely reacquainting himself with the contact that he's endured for eight NFL seasons. The breakdown of snaps after David Johnson has been more telling. During both of the Cardinals' exhibitions to date, the second-year pro has earned the start, with the veteran immediately following in his wake. At numerous points in the offseason, head coach Bruce Arians has termed David Johnson the bell-cow back in Arizona, but Chris Johnson is still expected to be a regular contributor in the upcoming campaign.

Johnson totaled 27 yards and a touchdown on seven carries and secured both of his targets for 28 yards in Saturday's 27-21 preseason victory over the Jaguars.

The young vet capped off a 10-play, 79-yard drive with a one-yard TD on the first play of the fourth quarter. Johnson also kickstarted that possession with nine-and-17-yard gains on the first two plays, and was productive in the passing game with his two targets. Johnson continues jockeying for a spot on the depth chart behind Doug Martin and Charles Sims and took a positive step towards that goal with his production Saturday.

Draughn (back) was held out of Saturday's contest as a precaution, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Draughn took a shot to his lower back in last week's preseason game against Houston and was held out of Saturday's contest as a precaution. Despite not playing, Draughn appears to have tightened his hold on the 49ers' primary backup job after Mike Davis -- who had a strong showing last week -- took a step back, losing two fumbles Saturday.

Martin (ribs) expects to return to practice Monday, but will likely be limited, Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com reports.

Martin is dealing with bruised ribs, which forced him to miss Saturday's preseason game against the Jaguars. After another day off for rest Sunday, Martin is expected to return to the practice field Monday, although he'll likely be eased into action. Martin is slated to be the Buccaneers' feature back this season and despite this latest injury, doesn't appear to be in danger of missing Week 1.

Anderson rushed for 30 yards and a touchdown off of six carries in Denver's preseason loss to the 49ers. He added one catch for no yards.

Anderson's 19-yard rumble into the end zone will be the main takeaway from Saturday's game, but he also showed a hard nose - grinding for extra yards and inching past down markers. He remains Denver's clear No. 1, but might share more carries than previous bell-cow backs under Gary Kubiak given the emergence of rookie Devontae Booker.

Williams carried eight times for 17 yards with one touchdown and caught two balls for 11 yards in Saturday's preseason win over the Giants.

No one really ran the ball effectively in the game, as the bigger news of the day was the release of Karlos Williams. That leaves the rookie Jonathan Williams with one less tailback to compete against for carries behind LeSean McCoy amongst a group that includes Reggie Bush, Mike Gillislee, James Wilder Jr., and Boom Herron. For what it's worth, Williams was also lined up in the backfield on both Bills first-half goal-to-go possessions.

Drake (hamstring) sat out of practice again Sunday, James Walker of ESPN.com reports.

Drake hasn't practiced in over two weeks, so his absence Sunday comes as no surprise. He remains without a concrete timetable for a return and his availability for Thursday's preseason game against the Falcons appears to be in doubt. With players the caliber of Arian Foster and Jay Ajayi at the top of the depth chart, Drake could struggle to see a significant amount of snaps during his rookie season, even when he's back to full strength.