NFL Player News

Cowboys running back Joseph Randle, who did not practice Wednesday due to a strained oblique, is reportedly facing discipline for violating the league personal conduct policy, ESPN.com reports.

In a best-case scenario, Randle would only be fined, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network suggests that he faces a one or two game suspension stemming from his February arrest. Rapoport further notes that his reported violation of the league's personal conduct policy is "firearm and conduct related."

Randle left the Cowboys' practice facility Wednesday afternoon after being informed of his removal from the starting lineup, but he is expected to return to the team Thursday, DallasNews.com reports.

Randle was clearly not pleased with the Cowboys' decision to replace him in the starting lineup with Darren McFadden, and left the team following Wednesday's practice. Later in the evening Randle was able to speak with Cowboys coaches, who convinced him to return to the team Thursday. While Randle will be back with the team, it remains to be seen if he will practice Thursday after sitting out Wednesday's session due to the oblique injury he suffered last week. Moving forward, he was already looking at a reduced role behind McFadden, and his playing time could be further affected by his injury and Wednesday's unexpected departure from the team facility.

Rawls (calf) didn't participate in practice Wednesday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Rawls sustained a calf contusion in last Thursday's game at San Francisco, finishing with six rushes for 32 yards and two catches for nine yards. His snap count (11) compared favorably with fellow reserve running back Fred Jackson (18), but if Rawls' injury lingers throughout the week, Jackson could act as the primary backup to Marshawn Lynch (hamstring) on Sunday at Dallas.

Thompson (hamstring) practiced fully Wednesday.

Thompson appears poised to return to action Sunday night against the Packers, though as long as C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman remain healthy, Thompson's fantasy value is limited.

Bolden (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Dolphins.

After missing this past Sunday's game against the Jets, Bolden's Week 8 status remains cloudy, which is also the case with fellow RB Dion Lewis. With that in mind, as Thursday's contest approaches, LeGarrette Blount and James White still represent the Patriots' healthiest backfield options.

Randle (oblique) didn't practice Wednesday, Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News reports.

During Sunday's loss at the Giants, Randle came down with what was initially termed a strained lower back, but the Cowboys diagnosed the running back with an oblique in the aftermath of the game. Leaving the game early allowed reserve Darren McFadden to get a head of steam, and when the play clock hit zeroes, he had accrued 29 carries for 152 yards. Head coach Jason Garrett stated Wednesday that McFadden has earned the right to start Sunday against the Seahawks, no matter the health of Randle. In the midst of a four-game losing streak, the Cowboys haven't been opposed to making sweeping changes from week-to-week, but Randle's relevance is clearly on the downswing at the moment.

Cowboys veteran running back Darren McFadden has been named the starter for Sunday versus the Seahawks, per Todd Archer of ESPN Dallas.

McFadden arrived in the offseason to compete with Joseph Randle, but the holdover was afforded the first-team reps to this point in the season. In Week 7, though, Randle sustained an oblique injury that forced McFadden into action. He didn't disappoint, toting the rock a whopping 29 times for 152 yards and gaining the confidence of Jason Garrett, who said that he'll be the preferred back no matter the health of Randle.

If McFadden earns a similar volume of touches, another 100-yard outing could be in the offing, even against a Seahawks defense that has contained running backs this season (3.6 yards per carry and two total touchdowns allowed).

Jones was on the field for 46 snaps while Alfred Morris saw only 10 in Sunday's win against the Bucs.

While the team has struggled to run the ball since Week 2, Jones appears to be the lead back when healthy.

Redskins fading running back Alfred Morris, while still technically the starter, played only 10 snaps in the Sunday win over Tampa Bay.

Matt Jones, on the other hand, saw 45 snaps. While Morris has the starter label it's clear he is behind Matt Jones.

Sims was on the field for 23 snaps in the Week 7 loss to the Redskins, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Sims had a productive outing overall considering his relatively limited playing time. However, he curiously only received two of his 10 carries in the second half. Sims also had the untimeliest of fumbles on his second reception in the game's final drive, snuffing out any hopes of a game-winning field goal attempt by Connor Barth. Despite the turnover, Sims continues to be an important cog of the Bucs offense, and should continue to see 20-25 snaps per game at a minimum.