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Zamir White RB | NO
Raiders' Zamir White: Coach downplays injury
Coach Josh McDaniels doesn't expect a lengthy absence for White, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury, Hondo S. Carpenter of Sports Illustrated reports.
"He's doing everything he can to get back out there as soon as possible," McDaniels said of White, "And the hope would be that it's not too much longer." Drafted in the fourth round out of Georgia in 2022, White will join a crowded Raiders backfield that also includes Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake and Brandon Bolden once the rookie's cleared to practice.
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Miles Sanders RB | DAL
Eagles' Miles Sanders: Sees second-team work
Zach Berman of The Athletic relays that Sanders worked with the Eagles' second-team offense Friday.
That said, Berman notes that he expects Sanders -- who he says "looks healthy and explosive" at practice -- to be the team's lead back this season, adding that "it's atypical to see Sanders with the second unit." On Friday though, it was Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott who ran with the first team. Subsequent practices will reveal whether Sanders moves back to logging top-unit reps in short order, but for now this is a situation to monitor.
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Antonio Gibson RB | NE
Commanders' Antonio Gibson: Could lose goal-line carries?
Gibson (hamstring) may cede short-yardage work to rookie Brian Robinson, who has been getting a lot of first-team snaps in the opening days of training camp, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports.
Gibson's absence due to the hamstring injury is obviously a factor, but the report suggests Robinson would have a role with the starters even if Washington's No. 1 back didn't have any injury concerns. Gibson has been bothered by his hamstring since June 7/8, with coach Ron Rivera suggesting Wednesday that the 24-year-old will ramp up his workload on the side before rejoining teammates in practice. It sounds like the team still expects Gibson to be fine for Week 1, but we need only look at Curtis Samuel last season to remember that soft-tissue injuries always need to be monitored carefully.
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Brian Robinson Jr. RB | ATL
Commanders' Brian Robinson: Getting first-team reps
Robinson likely will get short-yardage carries this season, and he's already getting extra work in practice while Antonio Gibson recovers from a hamstring injury, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports.
Standig suggests the Commanders want Gibson to get more touches in space and fewer between the tackles, perhaps relying on his excellent athleticism more and his questionable vision less. Robinson could take some of that work off Gibson's plate, with the rookie third-round pick potentially forming a timeshare with J.D. McKissic in the event Gibson's injury woes stretch into the regular season. Robinson reportedly got most of the first-team backfield snaps through the first couple days of training camp.
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Tony Pollard RB | TEN
Cowboys' Tony Pollard: Expects more snaps
Pollard has been taking snaps in the slot at training camp and says he anticipates more playing time this year, The Dallas Morning News reports.
Dual-halfback formations tend to be more summer talking points than fall reality, but it makes sense for a Dallas team with shaky depth at wide receiver and tight end. The Cowboys traded Amari Cooper in the offseason and expect Michael Gallup (ACL) to miss time in September, leaving James Washington and rookie Jalen Tolbert among the favorites to pick up snaps. Given that context, formations with both Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott on the field sound better, especially compared to last season when it often would've mean taking a healthy Gallup off the field. It's also possible Pollard subs in for Elliott more often as the lone back, though Elliott says he feels better this year after playing through a PCL injury last season.
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Elijah Mitchell RB | PHI
49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Healthy to open training camp
Mitchell (knee) worked with the first-team offense at San Francisco's first practice of training camp, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Mitchell underwent a cleanup procedure in his knee after his rookie season, but it's safe to say he's back to full health, as the 49ers would have no reason to rush his return at this stage of the offseason. Per Dieter Kurtenbach of The Mercury News, Jeff Wilson, Trey Sermon and rookie Tyrion Davis-Price all looked impressive as well, but a healthy Mitchell should open the season as the clear top option in San Francisco's deep backfield.
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Isaiah Spiller RB | LV
Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Showcasing receiving chops in camp
Spiller has impressed as a pass-catcher in training camp, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Popper also notes that Spiller has spent some time on the third-team offense early on, but the rookie out of Texas A&M is still in the running to overtake Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree in the competition for the No. 2 spot on the Chargers' running back depth chart. In addition to making an impact in the passing game, Spiller also had the most impressive run out of the three at Wednesday's practice, so he seems to be emerging as the early leader to slot in behind Austin Ekeler on the depth chart.
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Justice Hill RB | BAL
Ravens' Justice Hill: Healthy again
Hill was listed as one of five healthy running backs for the Ravens on Thursday, Clifton Brown of the team's official site reports.
Hill was a limited participant during Baltimore's voluntary workouts in May while recovering from a torn Achilles suffered late last preseason. The 24-year-old running back missed the entirety of the 2021 campaign as a result of this injury, but his status as one of the team's few available tailbacks in training camp should give him a leg up heading into this coming regular season. Hill had just 12 rushing attempts for 60 yards in 2020, and he should compete with Mike Davis, Corey Clement and rookie Tyler Badie for the team's No. 3 running back spot this preseason.
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Greg Bell RB | PIT
Lions' Greg Bell: Suffers possible hamstring injury
Bell was tended to by the Lions' trainers for what appeared to be a hamstring injury Thursday, Jeff Risdon of USA Today reports.
Bell pulled up with apparent discomfort in his upper left leg while running routes in practice. The non-contact nature of this apparent injury seems to indicate some kind of soft tissue injury in the rookie running back's leg. If this injury does indeed prove serious, it could prove catastrophic for Bell's chances to make the Lions' final 53-man roster this coming season.
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Demetric Felton RB | WAS
Browns' Demetric Felton: Gets reps in slot
Felton has taken reps at slot receiver the first two days of camp, Anthony Poisal of the Browns' official site reports.
Felton is part of a crowded running back room but has experience as a wideout. He's getting fill-in reps while David Bell (foot) is on the active/PUP list. Felton could see more reps with Anthony Schwartz sustaining a knee injury Thursday. Bell's injury is not considered serious, and the Browns will evaluate Schwartz, who left under his own power with a trainer Thursday.