NFL Player News

Toussaint is "locked in a battle" to emerge as the Steelers' No. 3 running back, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Toussaint, who was pressed into added action at the end of last season due to injuries in the Steelers' backfield, faces competition from Daryl Richardson on that front, with the back who claims the job worth keeping in mind, given that the team's top back Le'Veon Bell's faces a potential four-game suspension to start the 2016 season. Meanwhile, veteran DeAngelo Williams remains the Steelers' clear-cut No. 2 back.

Patterson (shoulder) won't take part in Saturday's team scrimmage, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Patterson took a hard fall in the first practice of training camp, missing about a week of practice before participating in Thursday's walkthrough and Friday's session. However, the Vikings won't risk contact at this point in training camp, with a likely eye toward full health for the exhibition schedule, which begins Friday at Cincinnati.

McKinnon (back) won't participate in Saturday's team scrimmage, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Although McKinnon returned to practice Friday, the Vikings will continue to keep his contact limited for the time being. As he mentioned Friday, his twisted back was unrelated to the lower back surgery that resulted in an abbreviated 2014 rookie season. Once he's cleared for all activity, he'll commence building up his expected pass-catching role out of the backfield.

Abdullah (shoulder) may be held out of joint practices with the Steelers on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Abdullah's practice reps have been monitored closely in the first week of training camp with the aim of full health by the time Week 1 arrives. The Lions are concerned with his shoulder, which required offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum, and avoiding hits against a punishing Pittsburgh defense will likely play into the imminent decision.

Drake (hamstring) sat out of Saturday's practice, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reports.

Drake was forced out of Friday's practice early when he sustained the hamstring injury. There is no word yet on the severity of it, but the team will likely be cautious with him in order to avoid a lingering issue.

Patterson (shoulder) returned to practice Friday, ESPN reports.

Patterson missed about a week of practice after landing hard on his shoulder. Patterson will try to win a regular role in the offense in training camp, but he more likely will see almost all his action as a kick returner.

McKinnon returned to practice Friday and said the back ailment that caused him to miss a few days of practice wasn't related to the low back surgery he had in 2014, ESPN reports.

McKinnon's injury was initially reported as a head injury, but either way it sounds minor. McKinnon will serve as Adrian Peterson's backup, but there have been signs in training camp he could see an increased role in the passing game.

Drake suffered what looked to be a hamstring injury in training camp Friday, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Drake suffered the injury after breaking down the right side for a long run. There is no word yet on the severity of the injury but Drake was visibly upset. Hamstring injuries can be difficult to overcome and it's important to note that Drake also had a hamstring injury during minicamp. The Dolphins have suffered a slew of injuries to their running back corps during training camp and unfortunately for Drake owners, he is once again a part of that group.

Barner has drawn positive reviews from coach Doug Pederson to start training camp, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Barner is currently transitioning from the fast-paced offense of Chip Kelly, his college and former pro coach, to Pederson's West Coast-based scheme, but has impressed his new coach with his open-field and pass-catching ability during camp thus far. Such praise has resulted in part from Barner receiving more reps in wake of recent injuries to fellow running backs Ryan Mathews (ankle) and rookie Wendell Smallwood (quad). Nonetheless, Barner's positive first impression comes at a time when the Eagles' backfield depth chart is relatively fluid, making him an interesting player to monitor during the course of the preseason.

Michael has impressed in training camp as he has handled most of the reps because of injuries to Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise, the Seattle Times reports.

Rawls is close to returning from his season-ending ankle injury. Prosise was expected to be out 7-10 days after suffering a first-degree hamstring strain on the first day of training camp July 30. Michael has been carrying most of the load in camp, drawing praise from coach Pete Carroll. "Christine Michael is doing a great job," he said. "We have to be careful not overworking him. He's just been on the money throughout." With Prosise out, there's concern over the third-down role. Michael isn't particularly suited for it, considering he's caught 11 career passes. Rookie Alex Collins could fill the role after catching 95 passes at Arkansas last season. Michael, though, has a leg up on Prosise for the backup role to Rawls.