NFL Player News

Edwards is not on the field for practice Tuesday, freelance NFL writer Jeff Zrebiec reports.

Edwards reportedly departed practice early Monday due to a foot or ankle issue, which is likely the cause of his absence from Tuesday's session. It's certainly a bad time to miss, with roster cuts right around the corner, so he will likely try to return soon.

Wilkins is the frontrunner to replace Marlon Mack (hamstring) in the starting lineup if the second-year pro isn't ready for Week 1, ESPN.com's Mike Wells reports.

Though he didn't provide any specifics, coach Frank Reich mentioned Tuesday that Mack has made good progress the past couple days. Mack is still no sure thing to be available for the Sept. 9 opener against Cincinnati, and the Colts already know they won't have Robert Turbin (suspension) for the first four weeks of the season. Wilkins is one of three healthy, non-suspended running backs on the Indianapolis roster, joined by preseason catastrophe Nyheim Hines and veteran journeyman Christine Michael. It could all add up to a Week 1 start for Wilkins, albeit as part of a likely committee.

Perine (ankle) should be ready for Thursday's preseason game against Baltimore, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports.

Perine had a bit of hype after Derrius Guice suffered an ACL tear, but between his own ankle injury and the addition of Adrian Peterson, it now seems the second-year pro isn't even a lock for the 53-man roster. Washington will probably need to choose two players between Perine, Rob Kelley and Kapri Bibbs, with Thursday's preseason game offering each player one final chance to make an impression. Perine may have the most potential in terms of pure running ability, but Bibbs is the best pass catcher and Kelley the best bet to help out on special teams. Perine returned to practice over the weekend, so he should be close to full strength by Thursday.

Coach Frank Reich noted Tuesday that Mack (hamstring) has made good progress over the last two days, Greg Rakestraw of Colts Radio Network reports.

Mack has been sidelined since injuring his hamstring Aug. 9, so this nugget, however vague, represents a positive indicator as Week 1 approaches. It can be assumed that Mack won't play in Thursday's preseason finale against the Bengals, but his regular-season outlook would brighten in a hurry if he's able to return to practice in short order. Per Mike Wells of ESPN.com, Jordan Wilkins "is the frontrunner to start" if Mack isn't ready for the Colts' Sept. 9 contest against the Bengals.

Pumphrey (hamstring) participated in Tuesday's practice, Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com reports.

This coincides with the expectation that Pumphrey was going to be able to play in Thursday's preseason finale against the Jets. Pumphrey is still considered a long shot to make the Eagles' final roster, with the team boasting quality depth at running back already.

Washington (undisclosed) did not appear in Friday's preseason game against the Buccaneers.

The Lions have yet to reveal what sort of injury has kept Washington sidelined the past couple of weeks. Regardless, the running back is a longshot to make the 53-man roster at this point and it's possible he could be waived and sent to IR before long.

Williams (shoulder) logged two carries for negative-three yards and caught his only target for 12 yards in Saturday's preseason game against the Bears.

Williams missed the team's prior preseason contest due to the shoulder issue, but it appears the injury was relatively minor. He remains in a decent position to hold a 53-man roster spot out of cuts, especially following the release of Charcandrick West.

Coach Pete Carroll said Monday that Penny (finger) has a chance to play in Thursday's preseason game against Oakland, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

There's no real reason to rush Penny back for an exhibition contest, but we can at least take it as a good sign that Carroll thinks the rookie might be healthy enough to play. Of course, Carroll doesn't have the best track record for honesty with the media, so his consistent optimism about Penny's recovery needs to be taken with a grain of salt. In any case, Chris Carson is locked in as the Week 1 starter and lead back, with Penny destined to open the year in a supporting role even if his broken finger is no longer a problem. Given the draft investment they made this offseason, the Seahawks won't hesitate to give Penny more opportunities if Carson gets off to a slow start this year.

Coach Vance Joseph said Freeman will play in Thursday's preseason game against the Cardinals, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.

Freeman has been much better than Devontae Booker in the running game this preseason, making a strong case to get a sizable chunk of the Week 1 workload. The rookie does have a lot of room for improvement as a receiver and pass blocker, which might explain why Joseph wants one of his key players to take some snaps in the final preseason game. In addition to Booker and Freeman, the Broncos gave undrafted rookie Phillip Lindsay some work with the first-team offense in Friday's preseason win over Washington. Freeman profiles as the bruiser and potential lead runner in what could be a two- or three-man backfield.

Green was waived by the Colts on Monday, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.

This is the second time in a week that Green has been waived by the Colts, who seems to have only been considered as a camp body by the team. Green was released to make room or linebacker Brandon Chubb, and the second-year running back will hope to stick elsewhere in the league.