NFL Player News

Perine is listed as the Redskins' No. 3 running back for their first depth chart of training camp, Stephen Czarda of the Redskins' official site reports.

Chris Thompson seems to be locked in as the Redskins' third-down back thanks to his skills as a pass catcher, so Perine and Rob Kelley, who is listed atop the depth chart, are effectively battling for a starting role. While Kelley impressed last season as an unheralded undrafted rookie out of Tulane, he lacks the breakaway speed of Perine, who also offers plenty of power between the tackles. The performances of both backs in the preseason will ultimately dictate who retains starting duties in Week 1, but Perine is seemingly the higher-upside target of the two players.

Gordon (knee) carried the ball "decisively" in the Chargers' joint practice with the Rams on Saturday, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reports.

Gordon has reportedly looked sharp during the beginning stages of training camp, making all the necessary cuts as he continues to work his way back from season-ending knee and hip injuries. The 24-year-old is expected to build on his breakout 2016 season and will likely be one of the first handful of running backs taken in re-draft formats.

Oliver appears to have the edge for the backup job at running back behind starter Melvin Gordon, Eric. D Williams of ESPN.com reports.

Oliver profiles as a solid complement to Gordon, as he's capable of taking a beating between the tackles while also being able to contribute as a pass catcher. Now healthy after tearing his Achilles last preseason, Oliver will still need to continue stringing together positive practices in order to secure the gig, but it looks like it's his to lose at this point in training camp.

McCaffrey appeared comfortable operating a wildcat offense during Sunday's practice, Max Henson of the Panthers' official site reports.

This isn't the first time offensive coordinator Mike Shula has experimented with McCaffrey in the wildcat, as Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer reports the Panthers played around with him in that formation during June's minicamp as well. In fact, McCaffrey's experience running the wildcat at least dates back to his days at Stanford, where the Cardinals often sent a receiver in motion on a jet sweep to open lanes for McCaffrey to run. It isn't clear how proficient a passer he might be, but given the first-rounder's multitude of talents, it wouldn't come as a surprise if he was effective in that role.

Pumphrey (hamstring) is back at practice Sunday, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The fourth-round rookie hasn't practiced since at least Monday after impressing in the opening days of training camp while getting some looks with the first-team offense. The Eagles have given him snaps with the starters dating back to the offseason program, but it's unclear if that will continue into the regular season. Darren Sproles is once again projected to serve as the primary passing down back, while Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor figure to handle slot work. If nothing else, the pint-sized rookie clearly is being groomed as the eventual successor to Sproles.

Williams has shared first- and second-team reps with veteran Mike Tolbert behind LeSean McCoy though the early stages of training camp, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports.

Williams was thought to be emerging as the clear No. 2 behind McCoy, a position that holds value due to the Bills' strong rushing game. However, Tolbert has always had tremendous short-yardage and goal-line capability, enough that he's had modest value in deeper leagues because of his ability to score. While we think Williams would still get most of the carries should anything happen to McCoy, Tolbert would probably see a bigger role too. Williams' currently projects to occasionally spell McCoy to the tune of maybe 7-10 carries a game -- some of them around the goal line -- but it sounds like Tolbert could be entering that equation as well.

Kelley (neck) is practicing in full-team drills Saturday after being limited the past two days with a sore neck, ESPN's John Keim reports.

Kelley has been dealing with neck soreness for about a week now and was held out of team drills Thursday and Friday in order to rest. It seems the time off did him well, as Kelley should be good to go moving forward.

Zenner worked with the first team in goal-line situations over Ameer Abdullah in Friday's practice, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Zenner tallied two touchdown runs in four plays with the first-team offense. Even with Theo Riddick on the roster and the return of a healthy Abdullah, Zenner could still have a role in the Lions' offense. The 25-year-old tallied 290 total yards and three touchdowns over the final three games in 2016 after both Abdullah and Riddick went down with injuries. Although he averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, those numbers were heavily skewed by his early-season struggles. Albeit limited, it looks like Zenner may have a role as a touchdown hawk in goal-line situations entering the season.

After a sluggish start to camp, Williams finally showed some life during Friday's practice, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

After having a talk with running backs coach Bobby Turner during the team's off day Wednesday, Williams has looked like a different player over the past couple of practices. The highlight of the 23-year-old's day was when he made a decisive cut that led to a huge gain during 11-on-11 drills. Williams even drew praise from head coach Kyle Shanahan: "I thought [Williams] had his best day yesterday and then it seemed like today was better than that." The rookie appears to have reentered the conversation for meaningful touches, though he'll need to maintain the momentum he's gained over the past couple days.

Mixon (heel) returned to practice Friday, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com reports.

Mixon was forced into a premature exit from Thursday's session after being kicked in the heel. Although he had his left foot checked out by Cincinnati's medical staff afterward, Mixon's problem was always thought to be minor, which his return for Friday's practice confirms.