NFL Player News

Latavius Murray led Raiders running backs in snaps last week at San Diego, and he's expected to at least split time with Darren McFadden on Thursday against the Chiefs, reports ESPN's Adam Caplan. Murray got more work than normal in practice this week, according to Kaplan.

Murray ran four times for 43 yards and caught three passes for 16 yards against the Chargers. He played 27 snaps, while McFadden played 22 and Maurice Jones-Drew played 10.

Vikings running backs Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon did not practice on Wednesday.

Asiata is dealing with a concussion. McKinnon has a back injury. The team also claimed Ben Tate off waivers Wednesday, which could signal the team is concerned about the current injuries to Asiata and McKinnon. The status of both players will be determined based on how much work they can put in over the next two days. 

The Vikings have claimed deposed Browns featured back Ben Tate off waivers in the wake of the suspension that has sidelined Adrian Peterson for the rest of the season, according to multiple reports.

Tate proved disappointing after signing a free agent contract with Cleveland. He expressed dissatisfaction after losing playing time to rookies Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell. He had just two carries for minus-9 yards in the Sunday loss to Houston, which led to the Browns placing him on waivers.

Another rookie now stands in his way of significant reps. It remains to be seen how much Tate plays with Minnesota, which has been featuring Jerick McKinnon in the backfield. McKinnon is averaging 4.9 YPC this season. Tate has just 90 yards in his last 53 carries for a 1.7 YPC average during that stretch.

A nagging foot issue that has kept Cardinals running back Andre Ellington out of Wednesday practices this season will not do the same this time around per ESPN. He is set for limited work Wednesday as the team prepares for its Week 12 game at Seattle.

Ellington has struggled recently after a strong run. He has just 65 yards rushing in 37 carries over the last two weeks for a 1.7 YPC average.

Colts running back Trent Richardson, who's staring at a heavy workload with Ahmad Bradshaw sidelined, did not practice Wednesday due to an illness, reports The Herald Bulletin. Indy hosts the Jaguars on Sunday.

The Vikings' Cordarrelle Patterson has disappointed as both a receiver and kick returner, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Patterson has 28 catches for 332 yards and a touchdown in what was supposed to be his breakout season.

He ranks 10th among 18 qualifying kickoff returners with an average of 24.4 yards. Last year he led the NFL by averaging 32.4 yards per return and scoring two touchdowns. His longest return this season is 49 yards.

Down to two healthy running backs, the Colts have "begun researching running back Ben Tate -- including his character and potential fit in Indy's scheme -- and appear interested in possibly claiming him off waivers from the Browns," reports ESPN.com.

Cleveland waived Tate on Tuesday as the Browns opted to move forward with rookies Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West. Tate averaged 3.1 yards per carry but scored four touchowns in eight games.

Indy just lost running back Ahmad Bradshaw to a fractured fibula. Trent Richardson and Dan Herron are the only remaining backs on the Colts' active roster.

Patriots running back Jonas Gray has been credited with 2 more rushing yards in his mammoth performance Sunday night at Indianapolis, reports NFL.com. Gray's stat line now reads 37 carries, 201 yards, four touchdowns.

A league official blamed a record-keeping error. Early in the fourth quarter, Gray lost 2 yards on a rush. But a facemark penalty was enforced from the line of scrimmage, which should have erased Gray's carry, per NFL.com.

Gray becomes the third rusher in Patriots history to surpass 200 yards in a game, joining Tony Collins (212 yards, 1983) and Jim Nance (208 yards, 1966).

The 49ers officially opened the practice window for linebacker NaVorro Bowman and  three other players on Tuesday, according to Pro Football Talk. Bowman, along with tight end Garrett Celek, offensive lineman Brandon Thomas and cornerback Keith Reaser will have three weeks to be added to the 53-man active roster or their seasons will be lost.

An earlier report had Bowman in danger of missing the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee that he suffered during last season's NFC Championship game. He's expected to be a limited participant in practice all week leading up to Week 12 against Washington.

The Browns have struggled to find playing time for all three members of their crowded backfield recently, and Ben Tate was open about his unhappiness with his role. The team took care of that problem by waiving him Tuesday, which should open things up in Cleveland at least a little more.

Isaiah Crowell got the start in the team's most recent game against the Texans in Week 11, rushing for 61 yards on 14 carries, while Tate got just two carries and Terrance West received just five. Additionally, Crowell received 66 percent of the snaps Sunday, while West actually had a smaller role than Tate, seeing the field on just 10 percent of the team's plays. However, West is also just two weeks removed from getting his own start and rushing for 94 yards on a team-high 26 carries, so it's hard to say where the team will go from here.

Crowell has been the best back in Cleveland on a per-carry basis, leading the team in yards per carry, first downs and rushes of longer than 20 yards. Of course, he is also the only Browns back to put the ball on the turf so far, with three fumbles in 78 carries. Coaches can be fickle about running backs with fumble histories, which makes Crowell somewhat risky, even if he looks like the best back of the two right now.

In the short term, Crowell looks like the back to own in Cleveland if you can only have one. However, West should still get plenty of carries down the stretch, and has plenty of Fantasy value of his own.