NFL Player News

Strong (ribs) was one of two running backs on Cleveland's initial 53-man roster that was released Tuesday, Kelsey Russo of the Browns' official site reports.

Strong's presence on the roster is an indication that his recent rib injury isn't serious, but the Browns are still expected to add a third running back before Week 1, with the most likely option being a re-signing of D'Onta Foreman. For now, Strong and presumed Week 1 starter Jerome Ford are the only backs on the 53-man roster, as Foreman was released Tuesday while Nick Chubb (knee) and Nyheim Hines (knee) were placed on injury lists. Chubb and Hines are ineligible for the first four games of the season.

The Bills re-signed Gore (knee) to their practice squad Wednesday, Jordan Schultz of BleacherReport.com reports.

Gore dealt with a knee injury late in the preseason, but the undrafted rookie out of Southern Miss no longer has an injury designation. The clear top man in Buffalo's backfield is James Cook, with Ray Davis and Ty Johnson locked in for the top reserve spots. Darrynton Evans (hamstring) will also handle a depth role once back from injured reserve, so Gore lacks a clear path to activation from the practice squad, barring injuries. Still, he showed enough during the preseason to warrant a chance to continue his development.

The Rams claimed Schrader off waivers from the 49ers on Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The undrafted rookie out of Missouri was waived by San Francisco a day earlier, after finishing the preseason with 19 carries for 48 yards, two catches for eight yards and four kick returns for 120 yards. Schrader finished eighth in Heisman Trophy during his final season at Missouri in 2023 after rushing for 1,627 yards, but he's more likely to see playing time on special teams early on for the Rams.

The Saints claimed Nwangwu off waivers Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The Vikings waived Nwangwu a day earlier, electing to keep only two running backs on their initial 53-man roster. The Saints have four, at least temporarily, with Nwangwu joining Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams and Jordan Mims while Kendre Miller (hamstring) starts the season on injured reserve. The Saints may view Nwagnwu as a kick returner more so than a running back, considering he has three career touchdowns on special teams.

The Cowboys signed Cook to their practice squad Wednesday, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Cook apparently won't start off on the active roster but can be activated at any time. He averaged 3.2 yards per carry with the Jets and Ravens last season, struggling to earn a significant role with both teams. However, Cook should have a chance at playing more in 2024 now that he's joining one of the weakest backfields in the league. Dallas kept Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn as the three running backs on the 53-man roster after cutdown day, parting ways with Royce Freeman and Malik Davis.

Cook agreed to a contract with Dallas on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Cook averaged just 3.2 yards per carry over 15 games in 2023 between stops with the Jets and Ravens, but the Cowboys will bring the 29-year-old aboard and see if he has anything left in the tank. Despite his inefficiency last season, Cook could still find himself in a position to earn snaps in a Dallas backfield that lacks a clear No. 1 option. Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott currently represent Cook's top threats for playing time in Dallas.

Sermon (hamstring) returned to practice Wednesday, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Sermon injured his hamstring Aug. 11 during the Colts' preseason opener, after reports from the first two weeks of training camp suggested he was the favorite for the No. 2 role in the backfield. He's now one of three backs on the roster after Tuesday's cutdowns, joined by starter Jonathan Taylor and 23-year-old Tyler Goodson. As the roster currently stands, Sermon presumably would get most of the carries in the event of a Taylor injury, with Goodson then handling passing situations and more of the targets.

Brooks made the Texans' initial 53-man roster Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Brooks, an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina, was a long shot to make the roster heading into training camp but ended up securing a spot. Houston cut all three of its fullbacks and kept Brooks, who had a two-touchdown game against the Giants in the second week of the preseason. It's unclear how the Texans plan to use Brooks, as he could find himself as a healthy inactive on game days if he's unable to carve out a role on the Texans' special-teams units.

Nichols was waived by the Eagles on Tuesday, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Nichols signed a reserve/future contract with the Eagles in January, and he compiled 22 receiving yards on six catches while adding 30 rushing yards on 15 carries and 59 yards on three kickoff returns during the preseason. If he clears waivers, there's a good chance he joins Philadelphia's practice squad.

Milton was waived by the Eagles on Tuesday, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Milton signed with Eagles as an undrafted free agent in May, and he compiled 49 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries while adding 18 receiving yards on four receptions during the preseason. Although the running back didn't secure a spot on the initial 53-man roster, it's possible that he sticks around Philadelphia as a member of the team's practice squad.