NFL Player News

Head coach John Harbaugh defended waived RB Trent Richardson (knee) from harsh criticism, noted his release from the team was strictly health-related, and added that there is "still an opportunity [for Richardson] to come back in the future," per ESPN.com.

The former No. 3 overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, Richardson has dealt with knee woes all offseason. Harbaugh acknowledged the team was aware of Richardson's health concerns when they signed him in April, but they needed to pull the plug on the running back in order to make room for a healthy body at the position. "We just couldn't wait any longer," Harbaugh said, per the Ravens' official site. Subsequently, the team signed Stephen Houston, an undrafted rookie out of Indiana.

Patterson (shoulder) says he's "fine," but he can't yet return to practice, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Patterson injured his shoulder last Friday and hasn't practiced since. While he's still without a timetable to return, his saying the shoulder is fine likely means he's being held out for precautionary reasons. Don't be surprised if he returns to practice later this week.

The Bills signed Reggie Bush earlier in the week, and the veteran will likely compete with Williams and others for playing time behind LeSean McCoy.

Despite a recent DWI arrest, Williams will have a fair shot to earn that key No 2 role, a path made easier when Karlos Williams got himself suspended for four games. While it theoretically was made more difficult with Bush coming aboard, his signing may have as much to do with the team's lousy return talent as anything else. As for the first quarter of the season, Williams will compete with Bush, Mike Gillislee, James Wilder, and Dan Herron for RB slotting.

Elliott is dealing with a hamstring issue and will miss some time, Jon Machota of Dallas News reports.

Elliott is slated to be the Cowboy's number one running back after being selected fourth overall in the 2016 draft. While it isn't a positive sign to see that he'll miss some time, it doesn't appear that the injury is too serious. The Cowboys are simply trying to be cautious with the rookie rather than pushing him and making the injury worse. With Elliott out, Dallas' only healthy running backs are Alfred Morris and Darius Jackson, both of whom should see an increase in reps for the time being.

Davis, who's struggled in the past catching the ball out of the backfield, has improved in that area during the offseason, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports.

Davis caught a pass on a wheel route during practice that opened some eyes and special teams coach Dave Toub indicated that he remains the team's No. 1 kick returner despite the presence of De'Anthony Thomas and Tyreek Hill. The fourth-year back out of Arkansas has also worked as a cover guy on punt returns, something that could keep him on the 53-man roster as a fourth-string running back if he proves effective in that role.

Mathews (ankle) continues to miss practice, NJ.com reports.

To date, Mathews has missed all of six of the Eagles' full team practices in training camp, but on the plus side, coach Doug Pederson indicated Sunday that he hoped to have Mathews back by the end of this week. With Wendell Smallwood now dealing with a quad injury, Kenjon Barner and Darren Sproles are seeing the bulk of the team's practice reps at running back, with undrafted rookies Byron Marshall and Cedric O'Neal also seeing some extra touches.

Pead did not practice on Tuesday after leaving Monday's training camp session with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Without a timetable for a potential return, Pead should be considered day-to-day until further notice. With Jay Ajayi (knee) still sidelined, the bulk of repetitions in the Dolphins backfield will be divvied up between the likes of Kenyan Drake, Damien Williams and Daniel Thomas while the newly-acquired Arian Foster remains limited under a snap count.

The Raiders released Helu on Tuesday, the team's official site reports.

After placing Helu on injured reserve Friday, the Raiders have negotiated an injury settlement with the running back, according to CSN Bay Area, confirming his outright release. Once his hips check out in a medical sense, an organization may do its due diligence on Helu. However, there's no guarantee the 27-year-old has anything left in the tank after an injury-plagued career to date.

Pierce (hamstring) sat out of Tuesday's practice, ESPN's Rich Cimini reports.

The 25-year-old missed nine games last year with the Jaguars, mostly due to a calf injury. Pierce is currently looking up at both Matt Forte and Bilal Powell on the Jets' depth chart, but with Forte's injury history, Pierce could be someone to keep an eye on as he heals.

Richardson (knee) was released by the Ravens on Tuesday.

Richardson reportedly showed up for Baltimore's offseason program in the best shape of his career, but suffered hamstring and knee injuries that have prevented him from taking part in training camp. Meanwhile, Terrance West has made a strong impression through the first few days of camp, perhaps positioning himself to join Justin Forsett, Javorius Allen and Kenneth Dixon on the final roster. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Richardson may find it difficult to land an audition before the season begins. Though only 26, it's quite possible he's already played his last down in the NFL after failing to catch on with a team last season.