NFL Player News

Strong is a candidate to see added opportunities as a rookie after fellow running back James White announced his retirement from the NFL, NESN's Zack Cox reports.

Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson currently top the Patriots' running back depth chart and appear poised to handle most of the early down work. However, with White no longer in the mix, there will be change-of-pace/pass-catching snaps up for grabs this season, and Strong has a chance to claim a portion of them. Meanwhile, the versatile Ty Montgomery is another player who has a chance to carve out an expanded role in that area, with 2022 sixth-rounder Kevin Harris and J.J. Taylor also competing for depth slotting in New England's backfield.

Montgomery is day-to-day with an unspecified injury and isn't likely to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Chiefs, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Montgomery's absence could free up more snaps for backup Khalil Herbert, who may or may not be headed for a larger role under a new coaching staff. Montgomery played 75 percent of snaps in his active games last year, but Herbert did solid work in relief when Monty missed time, running for 344 yards at a clip of 4.4 YPC in a four-game stretch Weeks 5-8. While his rookie year was otherwise quiet, Herbert at least did enough to have a safe lead over Darrynton Evans and Trestan Ebner for Chicago's No. 2 RB role. A shot at something more may depend on Montgomery's performance or health.

Gordon (foot) remained sidelined at Thursday's practice, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Gordon also sat out Wednesday's session, but coach Nathaniel Hackett downplayed the running back's absence. "We're just taking care of his foot, and we're just making sure he's good," Hackett noted, while adding, "We want to make sure he's primed and ready for the season." Following back-to-back missed practices, Gordon is unlikely to appear in Saturday's preseason opener against the Cowboys.

Brightwell figures to see plenty of action in Thursday's preseason opener versus New England, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

No. 2 running back Matt Breida is dealing with an undisclosed injury and isn't expected to play Thursday, and Saquon Barkley will likely see very limited snaps. That should leave lots of room for youngsters Antonio Williams, Jashaun Corbin and Brightwell to show off their skills. Brightwell was listed as the third-string running back on the Giants' first unofficial depth chart, but Williams has more often been receiving those reps during camp. Only one of Brightwell, Williams and Corbin may make the 53-man roster.

Barkley probably won't see much action in Thursday's preseason opener, but he has shown plenty of burst thus far in training camp, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Barkley isn't accustomed to preseason action, as he's played only six snaps -- will all coming during his 2018 rookie season -- in exhibition games during his career. He's expected to play in the preseason opener, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, though it's unlikely that he'll stay on the field long. There's been buzz around Giants camp that Barkley has looked explosive in early camp practices, but he'll of course need to demonstrate a return to form -- not to mention good health -- when games count for fantasy managers to renew their faith in him after a pair of subpar seasons.

Strong, who had been limited by an undisclosed injury, was a full participant in both practices this week and appears poised to play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Giants, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

Though Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson currently top the Patriots' running back depth chart, if Strong impresses as the preseason rolls along, he could push for a share of work in third-down and passing situations. In a related note, veteran change-of-pace back James White (hip) remains on the PUP list and doesn't appear on track to be ready for Week 1.

Robinson (Achilles) isn't expected to play in Friday's preseason game against the Browns, James Johnson of The USA Today reports.

It's not a surprise that Robinson, who remains in the process of recovering from a torn left Achilles' tendon, will be held out of the contest, as the team continues to manage his training-camp workload. Though the Jaguars' unofficial depth chart lists Robinson as a first-stringer, Travis Etienne -- who is listed as the No. 2 option -- has, according to Johnson, "been arguably the most impressive player in camp." Of the two, Etienne, a 2021 first-round selection, is the upside play from a fantasy perspective, but if/when Robinson returns to 100 percent, he'll look to reclaim a key role in a Jacksonville backfield that he led last season while Etienne was sidelined with a foot injury.

Sermon was busy at Wednesday's practice and could see extensive work in Friday's preseason opener versus the Packers, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Sermon took the spotlight Wednesday with Elijah Mitchell not practicing for yet-to-be-disclosed reasons. Candidates for backup work behind Mitchell include Sermon, Jeff Wilson and Tyrion Davis-Price, with the competition seemingly open as the Niners prepare for the start of the preseason.

Gordon missed Wednesday's practice with a foot injury, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Head coach Nathaniel Hackett doesn't sound too worried, noting that Gordons' injury is something that needs to be managed during training camp. With Gordon missing some practice time, Mike Boone could rotate in with the first-team offense behind Javonte Williams. The real question, of course, is how the Broncos divide work between Gordon and Williams when both are healthy. Reports from Denver beat writers have been varied, though all seem to agree that Williams has at least been getting a slightly larger share of the first-team work during training camp.

Mixon is unlikely to play in Friday's preseason opener against the Cardinals after head coach Zac Taylor said that a majority of the Bengals' starters will sit out the contest, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

Given that Mixon is entrenched as the Bengals' starting running back, the team has no need to overwork the 26-year-old during the upcoming exhibition slate. With that in mind, look for the team's focus Friday to be on finding playing time for younger players and those competing for depth slotting.