NFL Player News

Williams continues to make plays as a pass-catching running back during his first training camp as an offensive player, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

The 2021 fifth-round pick was drafted out of Boise State as a defensive back, but as a rookie, he made the biggest impact as a return man, totaling 490 kick-return yards and 152 punt-return yards. The Falcons are hoping to capitalize on Williams' return skills by transitioning him to offense during his second NFL season, similar to how Atlanta revitalized Cordarrelle Patterson's career last year. So far, the move appears to have worked out, as Williams continues to make plays in training camp. However, it's important to note that the 24-year-old's early success in camp may be a product of Atlanta's poor linebacker corps, which is trying to recover from the loss of Foye Oluokun in free agency.

Scott will not practice Saturday after suffering a concussion Thursday, Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com reports.

The versatile back evidently suffered a concussion from a big hit during Thursday's practice and will thus miss some time. Expect the likes of Jason Huntley and Kennedy Brooks to see more practice time so long as Scott is unable to play.

Shampklin (illness) returned to Cowboys' practice Friday after undergoing COVID-19 quarantine, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Shampklin apparently received a negative COVID-19 test Friday, allowing him to return to Dallas' training camp. The undrafted running back should help provide additional depth this preseason with Rico Dowdle also sidelined with COVID-19 on Friday.

Mack said he fully trusts his Achilles and did not get a chance to show how healthy he was in 2021 with the Colts, Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reports.

Mack suffered an Achilles injury that wiped out most of his 2020 season, and by the time he was healthy last season, the lead-back job in Indianapolis was in the capable hands of Jonathan Taylor. Mack played just six games and had 28 carries for 101 yards last season, but the five-year veteran gets a chance to show off his health as the perceived lead back for Houston, which is expected to run often in 2022. Along with Mack, Rex Burkhead and Dameon Pierce round out the top of the depth chart.

Knight's making a case to land on the Jets' roster with a strong start to training camp, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

Knight has worked primarily with third-string quarterback Mike White, but the undrafted free agent out of NC State has impressed the coaching staff with his performance in that role, including a 65-yard touchdown run to cap Friday's practice. "He's having a nice camp," coach Robert Saleh said of Knight. While Knight's still fighting an uphill battle against Tevin Coleman and Ty Johnson (hamstring) for the third-string running back spot behind Breece Hall and Michael Carter, a factor working in Knight's favor is his ability to contribute as a return man on special teams.

Jones is competing with Devine Ozigbo, Abram Smith and Dwayne Washington for a roster spot as a backup running back, Luke Johnson of nola.com reports.

The third-year back has impressed thus far throughout training camp by gashing the Saints' defense for multiple nice runs, which is especially notable given he sits on the roster bubble. If Jones can continue catching the coaching staff's eye, the 5-foot-11, 224-pound back could carve out a rotational role alongside Mark Ingram and the recently acquired Malcolm Brown. However, all reserve running backs could receive a heavier workload depending on how Alvin Kamara's legal situation plays out.

Harris has logged work with the Patriots' second unit during training camp, Evan Lazar of the team's official site reports.

Lazar notes that the 2022 sixth-rounder's "lower-body build catches the eye immediately; the guy is built like a Mack truck." Down the road, Harris -- who is listed as 5-foot-10, 225 pounds -- has a chance to become an early-down factor in the Patriots' backfield, but for now he slots in behind returnees Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson. As a result, the South Carolina product doesn't have a clear path to steady touches as long as that context remains in play.

Cook has taken some reps with the wide receivers in camp to work on his route running and footwork, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

The Bills are enthralled with Cook's pass-catching ability out of the backfield, so the rookie second-round pick's likely to carve out a role as a change-of-pace complement to Devin Singletary. Spending some time with the receivers coaches should help Cook hone his skill set, though he's still likely to play primarily at running back in games.

Raiders coach Josh McDaniel suggested Jacobs played in Thursday's preseason opener because it's difficult for running backs to simulate game action in practice, NFL.com reports. "I always think it's good for backs to carry the ball in the preseason," McDaniels said. "There's a lot of things that happen when you're getting tackled and hit that you can't simulate in practice."

It reeks of coach-speak, but that doesn't mean Jacobs' appearance in the Hall of Fame Game is cause for total panic. For one thing, the Raiders didn't rest all their starters the way the Jaguars did, instead selectively sitting players based on age and/or status. And while Jacobs may be one of the Raiders' most prominent players from a fantasy standpoint, he doesn't compare all that favorably to other starting RBs around the league. He does compare favorably to the other guys on the Vegas depth chart, however, and he showed it Thursday night with seven touches for 44 yards. Rookie fourth-round pick Zamir White also made his case for a role with 11 carries for 52 yards, getting all his work after Jacobs was done for the night. Austin Walter and Ameer Abdullah also had their moments, but they're probably more in the mix for passing-down work, as is Brandon Bolden (who was rested). Last and perhaps least, Kenyan Drake had a rough Thursday night, managing only nine yards on five carries and working behind both Jacobs and White. McDaniels may not intend to use Jacobs as a workhorse, but the fourth-year pro remains a favorite to take most of the carries and a portion of the RB targets.

Elliott isn't expected to suit up for any of the Cowboys' preseason games, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports. "This is my seventh year (in the NFL). I've seen a lot of football. I don't think I need a preseason game, especially with the joint practices (with the Broncos and Chargers)," Elliott said this week.

The decision to hold Elliott out of exhibition action isn't a surprising one, especially considering he played through a knee injury most of last year. The 27-year-old appears to be fully healthy in camp and ready to rebound after posting a pedestrian 4.2 yards per carry and a career-low 58.9 rushing yards per game in 2021, but Zeke is only 62 touches short of 2,000 for his career and it's fair to wonder exactly how much tread he has left on his tires.