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  • Seahawks' Damien Martinez: Outplayed by Holani

    Martinez rushed six times for 10 yards and caught both of his targets for 15 yards in Thursday's 23-23 preseason tie against the Raiders. He also totaled 25 yards on two kickoff returns.

    Martinez was the second running back into the game after George Holani, who had 81 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on eight touches. Holani has the early lead in the competition for the third spot on Seattle's running back depth chart behind Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, and the gap between him and Martinez likely grew Thursday. Martinez will try to make up some ground in the next preseason game against the Chiefs on Aug. 15.

  • George Holani RB | SEA

    Seahawks' George Holani: Strengthens case for roster spot

    Holani rushed seven times for 61 yards and a touchdown while catching his only target for 20 yards in Thursday's 23-23 preseason tie against the Raiders.

    Holani made the most of his opportunity as the starter Thursday with the Seahawks resting numerous key offensive contributors, including running backs Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. Holani's production came in just two drives of action, the second of which he capped with a 24-yard rushing touchdown. The second-year pro seems to have the early edge in the competition for the third spot on the depth chart over rookie seventh-round pick Damien Martinez, who mustered only 25 scrimmage yards on eight touches Thursday. Holani will look to keep building momentum in Seattle's second preseason game, Aug. 15 against the Chiefs.

  • Raiders' Ashton Jeanty: No running room in NFL debut

    Jeanty rushed three times for minus-1 yard and wasn't targeted in Thursday's 23-23 preseason tie against the Seahawks.

    Jeanty produced a forgettable stat line in his highly anticipated Raiders debut. His first carry went for three yards on the opening drive, and Jeanty stayed in for the start of the second drive even as Geno Smith gave way to backup Aidan O'Connell under center. Poor blocking contributed to Jeanty being stuffed on his next two carries for a combined minus-4 yards. Jeanty's prolific production at Boise State led to him being drafted sixth overall, but the talented rookie could be held back to some extent by poor offensive line play on a Vegas team that went 4-13 last season, even if Jeanty works in a three-down role out of the gate. He'll look to pick up the pace Aug. 16 against the 49ers in the Raiders' second preseason game.

  • Rasheen Ali RB | BAL

    Ravens' Rasheen Ali: Dealing with injury

    Ali suffered an undisclosed injury during Thursday's preseason game against the Colts, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

    Ali picked up 37 yards and a touchdown on nine carries in the contest, but he worked in behind Keaton Mitchell. That suggests he currently sits fourth on the running back depth chart in Baltimore, placing him on the roster bubble. The nature of the injury is unclear, but head coach John Harbaugh suggested the Ravens may need to add depth at running back, hinting at the possibility of Ali missing additional time.

  • Jaydon Blue RB | DAL

    Cowboys' Jaydon Blue: MRI reveals bruised heel

    Blue underwent an MRI following his early exit from Thursday's practice that revealed a bone bruise in his heel, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

    Blue described it as an ankle injury earlier Thursday, but testing has honed in on its true nature after he was stepped on by a teammate. Fellow RB Miles Sanders has been dealing with a knee bruise, which leaves Javonte Williams as the lone healthy member of the trio vying for most of the backfield work for the Cowboys in 2025. Beyond Williams, Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke and Phil Mafah are the Dallas backs that aren't banged-up at the moment.

  • Tahj Brooks RB | CIN

    Bengals' Tahj Brooks: Held to 29 total yards

    Brooks took 10 carries for 26 yards and caught one of two targets for three yards in Thursday's preseason loss to the Eagles.

    Chase Brown played 11 of 15 snaps for the first-team offense, with Samaje Perine taking the other four snaps but not getting any touches. Neither appeared to play at all thereafter, leaving Brooks in a three-down role for much of the game, getting snaps and touches well into the fourth quarter before Gary Brightwell took over at the end. Brooks didn't find much room to run, with his best play of the night arguably being a touchdown-saving tackle after an interception. The rookie sixth-round pick nonetheless has every chance to earn a Week 1 roster spot, as the Bengals don't have much of note in the backfield beyond Brown and Perine. Even the No. 3 RB role might put Brooks an injury away from fantasy value, seeing as Perine has largely been a passing-down specialist in the NFL.

  • Samaje Perine RB | CIN

    Bengals' Samaje Perine: Takes four snaps with starters

    Perine didn't get any touches but played four of 15 snaps with the first-team offense in Thursday's preseason opener at Philadelphia, Jay Morrison of SI.com reports.

    Chase Brown played the other 11 first-team snaps and took eight touches for 48 yards. Neither Brooks nor Perine appeared to play after the second drive, with rookie Tahj Brooks taking over and dominating carries into the second half. This seems like a decent preview of what to expect during the regular season -- namely, Perine getting some playing time on pass plays but not seeing much of the ball. The question is whether he or Brooks would have more value in the event of a Brown injury.

  • AJ Dillon RB | PHI

    Eagles' AJ Dillon: Gains 54 yards off bench

    Dillon took five carries for 27 yards and three catches for 27 yards in Thursday's preseason opener against Cincinnati.

    Dillon repped ahead of Shipley in the first practice of training camp, but it seems the 2024 fourth-round pick has already moved ahead of the 27-year-old. While Dillon played well and got all his work in the first half, he didn't have any touches until Shipley had already finished his day (with eight touches for 52 yards on the first two drives). If there's any consolation for Dillon's backup case, it's the fact that Shipley didn't have much luck apart from a 38-yard gain on a perfectly blocked play, otherwise getting stuffed near the line.

  • Will Shipley RB | PHI

    Eagles' Will Shipley: Ahead of Dillon in preseason opener

    Shipley started Thursday's preseason game against the Bengals, taking seven carries for 48 yards and one catch for four yards.

    All eight touches came on the first two drives, including a 38-yard carry, before AJ Dillon took over for the third series and played the rest of the first half. Dillon also had a solid night, with five carries for 27 yards and three catches for 27 yards, but both the rotation order and Shipley's strong performance suggest Shipley is on track for the No. 2 RB role in Philadelphia -- a spot that could equate to immense fantasy value in the event of a Saquon Barkley injury.

  • Rasheen Ali RB | BAL

    Ravens' Rasheen Ali: Rotates in behind Keaton Mitchell

    Ali took nine carries for 37 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's preseason game against Indianapolis.

    The stat line looks good, but Keaton Mitchell got the start and put up a 9-68-1 rushing line, taking five carries to Ali's one over the first two drives while second-string QB Cooper Rush was still in the game. Ali then got more work with the third unit, reinforcing the notion that he's stuck behind Derrick Henry, Justice Hill and Mitchell on Baltimore's depth chart. The Ravens may still try to keep Ali around, either on the roster or practice squad, considering Mitchell and Hill both weigh less than 200 pounds.

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