NFL Player News

Buccaneers running back Charles Sims missed practice Thursday due to a sprained ankle. He was spotted on the sidelines with a walking boot on his right leg, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Broncos running back C.J. Anderson was cleared for practice Thursday, according to The Denver Post. He suffered a concussion last week.

Redskins coach Jay Gruden told reporters Thursday he's most comfortable with Roy Helu in pass protection out of all the team's running backs, according to The Washington Post.

The Cardinals would like running back Andre Ellington to get 20 touches per game but want to limit his carries inside the tackles, reports the Arizona Republic. "He's more dangerous 'in space' as a receiver, plus they want to keep him healthy the entire season," the paper said.

The Buccaneers often overused running back Doug Martin under coach Greg Schiano, but that won't be the case in the Lovie Smith era, reports ESPN.com. The website expects Martin to remain a feature back but the Bucs "will rotate in some other backs to keep him fresh," mentioning rookie Charles Sims, Bobby Rainey and Mike James.

The Texans released a depth chart Tuesday showing Jonathan Grimes as the No. 2 running back behind Arian Foster. Alfred Blue is on the third string. Grimes went over 100 all-purpose yards in the preseason opener.

The Charlotte Observer named second-year running back Kenjon Barner one of its training camp disappointments. With Jonathan Stewart sidelined early and the Panthers limiting DeAngelo Williams' reps, Barner "had a great opportunity to make a mark," the paper said. "But he did little with the touches and also showed he's a liability in pass protection."

The Cardinals don't want to take chances with starting running back Andre Ellington. According to the team's website, Ellington might see a little more work in the second preseason game but the overall goal is to get him to the regular-season opener fresh and healthy.

"Andre is not going to see a whole lot of action this preseason," coach Bruce Arians said. Ellington had two carries in the preseason opener.

Texans coach Bill O'Brien clarified the competition at backup running back. Jonathan Grimes is in the lead, and Andre Brown is barely in the discussion. As of now it's Grimes, Alfred Blue and Brown, in that order, behind Arian Foster.

"Grimes’ experience overall probably has him a little ahead of Alfred," O’Brien told the Houston Chronicle. "But Alfred’s doing a good job for a guy that just got here."

Asked about Brown, O'Brien said: "He’s battling out there. … He’s out there. He’s involved with special teams and things like that. But that’s a challenging position, it’s a competitive position."

Jaguars rookie running back Storm Johnson has a legitimate chance to overtake Jordan Todman for the No. 2 job behind Toby Gerhart, reports Fox Sports. Neither was overly impressive in the preseason opener.

Johnson ran nine times for 21 yards (2.3 ypc) and was targeted once without a catch. Todman gained 5 yards on five carries and caught his lone target for 6 yards.