NFL Player News

Blue left the field with an apparent lower-leg injury during Friday's preseason game against the Falcons, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Blue remained on the turf after a six-yard catch early in the fourth quarter, and after making his way to the sideline under his own power, he was looked at by trainers before visiting the medical tent. The rookie fifth-round pick is vying for a role in a Cowboys backfield that's also occupied by Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, both of whom sat out Friday.

Dillon isn't in line to play in Friday's preseason game at the Jets, EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

After sitting out the 2024 season due to complications stemming from a stinger, Dillon joined the Eagles on a one-year contract in March. He then suited up for both of the team's first two exhibitions, totaling eight carries for 34 yards and four catches for 13 yards. He's been listed as Philadelphia's third RB on the unofficial depth chart behind Saquon Barkley and Will Shipley during training camp, which may not afford him much more than short-yardage work once Week 1 rolls around.

Pittsburgh cut Hull on Friday, Teresa Varley of the team's official site reports.

Hull inked a reserve/future contract with the Steelers back in January, but despite spending the entire offseason with the team he couldn't secure a spot on the initial 53-man roster. He may be a candidate to resurface on the practice squad, however.

Ward tallied 29 yards on six carries and caught two of three targets for 45 yards and a touchdown in a 42-10 exhibition win against the Patriots on Thursday.

New York rested top back Tyrone Tracy and veteran backup Devin Singletary for the team's preseason finale, giving Ward a chance to get more reps. Ward did well with the opportunity, notching the team's longest run by a running back (13 yards) and averaging 4.8 YPC on his six rushes. He also scored a 41-yard receiving TD on a screen pass from Tommy DeVito late in the third quarter. With Tracy, Singletary, Cam Skattebo and Dante Miller all likely ahead of Ward on the Giants' RB depth chart, there doesn't seem to be room for the latter on the team's initial 53-man roster. However, Ward may have earned a spot on the Giants' practice squad with his solid performance Thursday.

Miller rushed 11 times for 41 yards and caught all three of his targets for 12 yards in Thursday's 42-10 preseason win over New England.

Miller was handed an opportunity to showcase his skills in New York's final exhibition, as he logged 48 percent of the team's offensive snaps and handled more carries than the Giants' other running backs combined. The results were mixed for Miller -- while he led New York with 41 rushing yards, he averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, and his longest run went for a modest eight yards. However, Miller's most impressive work during the preseason has been as a receiver out of the backfield, as he nabbed all 14 of this targets for 135 yards over the Giants' three games. Tyrone Tracy is locked in as New York's RB1, with Devin Singletary and Cam Skattebo slated to handle the bulk of the backup work. That leaves Miller battling with Eric Gray (undisclosed) for one of the team's final roster spots. Gray didn't play in any preseason contests, as he's been on the active/PUP list throughout training camp. Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post projects Miller to make New York's initial 53-man roster with Gray potentially remaining on the PUP list when the regular season kicks off.

Croskey-Merritt's impressive summer contributed to Washington's decision to trade Brian Robinson to the 49ers on Friday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.

A trade was rumored all week, with Robinson even held out of Monday's preseason loss to Cincinnati. RB Chris Rodriguez started that game and had a 40-yard run on the second snap, before Croskey-Merritt stepped up on the second drive with a 27-yard TD. Those two are the favorites to replace Robinson when a power runner is needed, but Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols are also candidates to take over some of the snaps Robinson handled last year. It'll be one of the key backfields to monitor Week 1, with no guarantee that Croskey-Merritt's rising ADP leads to a fantasy-friendly role in the opener. The usage in September won't necessarily be the same as that later in the season, of course, and positive reports on Croskey-Merritt throughout the summer suggest he has a shot to emerge as the lead runner.

New England waived Bernard on Friday, Evan Lazar of the team's official site reports.

Bernard initially inked with the Titans after going undrafted out of Utah this offseason, and though he found a new opportunity with the Patriots early August, he won't make the team's initial 53-man roster. The rookie running back will work to find an opportunity on a practice squad this season.

Guerendo may open the season as San Francisco's No. 2 running back even though the team is trading for Brian Robinson, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

The 49ers presumably wouldn't trade for Robinson, even at the cost of just a sixth-round pick, unless they thought he could become their No. 2 running back. That doesn't mean he'll simply be handed the gig, however, nor does it mean he'll be comfortable with the playbook in time for Week 1 at Seattle. Still, the trade takes a chunk out of Guerendo's fantasy value, adding another legitimate competitor for backup roles after the Niners drafted Jordan James (finger) in the fifth round this spring. Guerendo is the fastest and most athletic of the bunch, but his injury history dating back to college is concerning, to say the least.

The Commanders are trading Robinson to the 49ers, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Christian McCaffrey has remained healthy all summer, but nearly all of the 49ers' other running backs have missed time with injuries, including Isaac Guerendo (shoulder). Guerendo did return to practice earlier this week, but there's now risk he drops down the depth chart with San Francisco trading for Robinson, who has 40 starts and 22 TDs to his name in the NFL (including playoffs). The Commanders, meanwhile, are left with Austin Ekeler, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols in the backfield. Washington reportedly will receive a sixth-round pick and eat some of Robinson's $3.4 million base salary, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

New England waived Watts on Friday, Evan Lazar of the team's official site reports.

Watts is among the first of what will be a slew of roster cuts for the Patriots, as next week's deadline to cut down to 53 players looms. The undrafted rookie out of Fort Hays State will work to secure work on a practice squad this season, whether with New England or elsewhere in the league.