NFL Player News

Gordon (knee) was clearly more comfortable in the Chargers' offense during the team's opening day of training camp, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Gordon is coming off a disappointing, touchdown-less rookie year, but according to both he and quarterback Philip Rivers, appears more confident and comfortable with the Chargers' playbook going into his second season. Such development comes even after Gordon underwent microfracture surgery in January. Since then, Gordon trained this offseason with Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, an enlightening experience that also pushed him physically to prepare for the campaign. Now, with minimal thought about his knee, Gordon is well-prepared for an improved 2016 season as the lead back in San Diego's offense, which also figures to feature Danny Woodhead, particularly in the pass game.

Williams (undisclosed) is expected to be activated from the PUP list and practice Tuesday, the Miami Herald reports.

Williams' clearance to practice is an important development, as his roster spot is under threat going into this season. With Jay Ajayi (knee), Arian Foster and rookie Kenyan Drake leading Miami's backfield options, Williams is expected to compete with Daniel Thomas and Isaiah Pead for a depth role throughout training camp.

Abdullah (shoulder) increased his activity on both Saturday and Sunday, MLive.com reports.

During the opening of training camp Friday, Abdullah was seen in a red no-contact jersey, likely due to his offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum. Head coach Jim Caldwell sidestepped the state of Abdullah's health in a media session, but the running back has subsequently taken the field as the Lions' No. 1 running back and as a punt returner. It's unclear if Abdullah has been cleared for a full session through three days, though.

Patterson (shoulder) was held out of Sunday's practice, Judd Zulgad of ESPN.com reports.

Patterson left Friday's practice with a shoulder injury after taking a hard fall while making a leaping grab over a teammate. While original expectations indicated the injury wasn't believed to be serious, the Vikings will stay cautious with their 25-year-old wideout. He'll get the day off Sunday and continues to be without a timetable to return, although it wouldn't be surprising to see him back on the practice field later in the week.

Martin enjoyed the Bucs' first fully-padded practice Sunday, breaking through the line of scrimmage for a pair of would-be touchdowns, the team's official site reports.

The Pro Bowl running back has hit the ground running in training camp and looked particularly razor-sharp Sunday. Martin broke through the line on multiple occasions, including one where he would have scored untouched had it been live game action. Armed with a new five-year, $35.75 million deal, the fifth-year tailback encouragingly appears to be running with as much passion in the first several camp practices as he did throughout his 2015 contract year.

Hillman injured his back during Sunday's practice, Troy Renck of 7News Denver reports.

Hillman took a hard hit from linebacker Zaire Anderson and promptly went to the locker room. While the ailment could force some limitations in the short term, the Broncos are sure to do their due diligence and keep Hillman upright at this early stage of training camp.

Sims was split out wide on several plays in Saturday's practice, the team's official site reports.

The third-year back is highly proficient as a pass-catcher, so his deployment away from the line of scrimmage is neither surprising or new. However, it does speak to the uptick in involvement that Sims may see in 2016 with former offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter now running the entire show in Tampa. Sims was able to take a bubble screen into the end zone from a formation that featured him lined up as a receiver, providing a glimpse of one of many ways that the Bucs will look to utilize him this season.

The Raiders are attempting to secure an injury settlement with Helu (hip), who won't be available until approximately midseason, Adam Caplan of ESPN reports.

With his recovery from offseason hip surgeries ongoing, Helu was released Friday in order to open up a spot on the 90-man roster. If another organization doesn't take a chance on the oft-injured running back, he still appears to be in the Raiders' plans. Nevertheless, Latavius Murray is poised to head the backfield, while DeAndre Washington was plucked in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft to augment the RB depth in Oakland.

McFadden (elbow) has no timetable for a return to practice, Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News reports. "I'm just working, strengthening it and getting everything back together," McFadden said Sunday.

Although a recent bone scan yielded positive results, a broken elbow is not to be trifled with. As a result, rest and rehabilitation will dominate McFadden's upcoming schedule, with an unfortunate consequence that he won't be able to stake a claim to the top backup running back job behind Ezekiel Elliott. As long as McFadden is sidelined, free-agent pickup Alfred Morris is the favorite to hold down the fort behind Elliott.

Rawls (ankle) will begin training camp on the PUP list, Curtis Crabtree of ProFootballTalk.com reports.

The Seahawks are likely being cautious with their young running back in order ensure he is fully healthy before returning to the field. His status as the starting running back for Week 1 is not in question.