NFL Player News

Eagles running back DeMarco Murray (hamstring) practiced in full Thursday.

In line to play in Week 3, Murray was eventually ruled out, so owners shouldn't stop monitoring his status in advance of Sunday's game at Washington. On the other side of the coin, a full practice is encouraging for his prospects and could indicate a return to the top of the RB pecking order.

However, the performances of Ryan Mathews (24 carries for 108 yards, two catches for 20 yards and a receiving touchdown) and Darren Sproles (11 rushes for 17 yards, four receptions for 19 yards and two total touchdowns) with Murray out of the picture speak for themselves.

The Colts have announced that they have promoted running back Zurlon Tipton from their practice squad.

He'll bolster the backfield depth in advance of Week 4 with Tyler Varga having missed the last two practices with a concussion.

Dolphins running back Jonas Gray (calf) missed practice Thursday.

Gray, who recorded 49 rushing yards on nine carries Sunday against Buffalo, was limited in practice Wednesday. But his downgraded participation Thursday is hinting that Gray's for Sunday's game against the Jets could be in peril.

Buccaneers featured back Doug Martin didn't practice Thursday, reports Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.

The reason for his absence wasn't immediately known, but the Buccaneers should reveal the culprit in short order. Through three games, Martin has only picked up 49 percent of the offensive snaps, versus 45 percent for Charles Sims.

Buccaneers running back Charles Sims was on the field for 30 snaps in Week 3 against the Texans, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Sims' and Doug Martin's snaps were virtually identical, with the former's playing time likely receiving a boost by virtue of the Bucs having to play from behind in the fourth quarter. Sims still carried the ball only six times, with his pass-catching prowess clearly the biggest asset he brings to the field at this early stage of his career.

As it did in Week 3, game flow will likely be one of the strongest factors in the amount of Sims' snaps on most Sundays.

Buccaneers running back Doug Martin's 31 snaps against the Texans was only one more than backfield mate Charles Sims, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

While it may sound somewhat alarming to Martin's fantasy owners on the surface, the division of snaps appeared to be more of a function of game flow and the desire to use Sims as a pass-catching threat out of the backfield in certain formations.

Martin still was the workhorse back on the ground, carrying the ball on 14 of the Bucs' 20 rushing plays against Houston. Martin appears to be firmly entrenched in the starting tailback role at this time, and will likely have a more abundant snap count in the majority of games.

Cardinals running back Andre Ellington (knee) was limited at practice Wednesday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

As expected, Ellington is kicking off preparation for Sunday's game against the Rams with a limited practice, which may forecast his activity level throughout the week. As his recovery from a sprained PCL continues, his practice reps may not give a good indication of his potential to play in Week 4.

If he remains sidelined, Chris Johnson will head the backfield yet again, with David Johnson filling a change-of-pace role.

Texans running back Jonathan Grimes (knee) did not practice Wednesday, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Grimes was dealing with a minor knee issue during practice last week, so his absence Wednesday may simply be maintenance-related rather than indicative of a setback. More on his status after Thursday's practice.

Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls will start Monday against the Lions if Marshawn Lynch does not play because of a hamstring injury, the Seattle Times reports.

Fred Jackson is second on the depth chart, but coach Pete Carroll said the team views him as a third-down back. Rawls had a big game in place of Lynch on Sunday, rushing for 104 yards. But more important than results was how he played.

"He's very aggressive," Carroll said. "He was looking for hits downfield. He's not looking to make a guy miss him as much as run right at you. At the line of scrimmage, he's got a nice wiggle and all that, but he's got an attitude that he wants to let you know he's coming, and that's what I got excited about."

The Seahawks have not released results of an MRI on Lynch, but he is reportedly "50-50" to play.

Dolphins running back Jonas Gray (calf) was limited at practice Wednesday.

Gray recorded 49 yards on nine carries in Sunday's loss to the Bills, making his status worth tracking in deeper formats. It's worth noting top back Lamar Miller, who was listed as questionable heading into Week 3, does not appear on the Dolphins' Wednesday practice participation/injury report.