NFL Player News

Robinson (Achilles) won't play in Friday's preseason game against the Browns, James Palmer of NFL Network reports.

Robinson is in the process of recovering from a torn left Achilles' tendon, so it's no surprise that he'll sit this one out as the team continues to manage his training-camp workload. At this stage it's unclear if he'll see any reps in either of Jacksonville's next two preseason contests, but once Robinson returns to 100 percent, he'll look to regain a key role in a Jaguars backfield that he led last season while Travis Etienne was sidelined with a foot injury.

Chubb isn't in line to play in Friday's preseason game at Jacksonville.

The same goes for fellow running back Kareem Hunt. Meanwhile, the Browns are expected to have new quarterback Deshaun Watson in the starting lineup, so he won't have the team's top two RBs at his disposal. Instead, D'Ernest Johnson, Demetric Felton, Jerome Ford and John Kelly will occupy the Browns backfield Friday.

Vaughn ripped off a long run up the right sideline in Thursday's joint practice with the Dolphins, Andrew Crane of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The third-year back was part of a successful session for the Buccaneers' ground game against the Dolphins defense, with Vaughn's run described by Crane as a would-be touchdown had it happened in a game setting. Vaughn picked up some valuable experience late last season, including in the wild-card loss to the Eagles, but rookie Rachaad White has also impressed during camp as the two battle to serve as the primary complement to lead back Leonard Fournette.

With Boston Scott (concussion) and Kenneth Gainwell (hip) out, Huntley is expected to garner a heavy workload during Friday's preseason opener against the Jets, Bo Wulf of The Athletic reports.

Miles Sanders may play a series or two, but Huntley will likely see the large majority of snaps at running back Friday. Wulf also notes that undrafted rookie Kennedy Brooks will get mixed in too, but Huntley has the higher upside. The 2020 fifth-round pick appeared in one game for the Eagles last season, totaling 51 rushing yards on 13 attempts.

Perine has been "all over the field making plays" in training camp, according to Jay Morrison and Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.

While Perine is no threat to supplant top back Joe Mixon, he's looking to cement the No. 2 slot in the Bengals' backfield and at this stage it appears as though he has a solid chance to hold off 2021 sixth-rounder Chris Evans on that front. Though neither Perine or Evans profile as reliable fantasy lineup options when Mixon is healthy, if Cincinnati's top back misses time this season, Perine figures to absorb a good chunk of the the team's early-down work, with Evans factoring in as a pass-catcher.

Walker is expected to start Saturday's preseason game against the Steelers, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Rashaad Penny is dealing with a slight groin injury and will likely sit out Saturday's game, though he wasn't expected to play much even if he was healthy. Head coach Pete Carroll spent time Thursday raving about the rookie's abilities in the passing game, specifically as a pass blocker, which was a major question mark coming out of college. Walker will get a chance to prove himself in his first NFL action Saturday, and if he shows the necessary improvements in the passing game, he could have a chance to get on the field often when the games start to count. However, Penny's finish to the 2021 season should lock him in as the No. 1 back as long as he's healthy.

Badie had six carries for 19 yards and added one reception for nine yards in Thursday's preseason opener against the TItans.

Baltimore deployed five different running backs Thursday as it looks to identify depth behind its presumptive starters who were not in action for the first preseason game. Badie, a rookie, got the most carries on the team but managed just 3.2 yards per carry. The volume was encouraging in that Baltimore clearly wants to see what it has in the rookie out of Missouri, but Badie's output will need to improve as the preseason progresses. Veterans Mike Davis and Corey Clement stand as Badie's biggest hurdles for a reserve role behind J.K. Dobbins (knee) and Gus Edwards (knee).

Strong rushed six times for 25 yards and caught his only target for no gain in Thursday's 23-21 preseason loss to the Giants.

Strong has reportedly shown good receiving ability in camp, which could be his ticket to a complementary role in the wake of James White's retirement, but he failed to make much of an impact in that regard Thursday. It's also a bit worrisome that he was deployed after both J.J. Taylor and rookie sixth-round pick Kevin Harris, which suggests that Strong could be below both in New England's backfield pecking order, but the 2022 fourth-rounder has time to make up some ground on that front. On the bright side, Strong's average of 4.2 yards per carry was the highest among Patriots rushers Thursday, which gives him some momentum to build on for the second preseason game against Carolina next Friday.

Harris rushed six times for nine yards and a touchdown while catching one of two targets for minus-2 yards in Thursday's 23-21 preseason loss to the Giants.

It would have been a forgettable NFL debut for the rookie sixth-round pick out of South Carolina if not for his three-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Harris notably saw the field before fellow rookie Pierre Strong but after J.J. Taylor. Even with James White having announced his retirement, Harris is still locked in a battle with Taylor and Strong to make the roster behind Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson in a deep New England backfield. He'll look to bolster his case in the second preseason game, Aug. 19 against the Panthers.

Taylor rushed five times for 16 yards and caught his only target for 11 yards in Thursday's 23-21 preseason loss to the Giants.

Taylor got the start at running back ahead of rookies Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong with both Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson getting the night off, but he didn't do much with the opportunity, rushing for just 3.2 yards per carry. Strong averaged a more robust 4.2 yards on his six attempts, while Harris was the only one of the three to score a touchdown. Even with James White no longer in the mix after announcing his retirement, Taylor could find himself on the outside looking in when final cuts come around if he allows both rookies to outplay him, so he'll be looking for a bounce-back performance when New England continues preseason play Aug. 19 against the Panthers.