NFL Player News

Demercado has frequently subbed in for James Conner with the first-team offense during training camp, according to Tyler Drake of Arizona Sports.

Michael Carter has taken most of the second-team reps, with 2024 third-round pick Trey Benson coming in behind Carter. There's still time for Benson to make his move, but this is at least a reminder that Demercado is in good position for a roster spot, and potentially a regular role in passing situations. Demercado made the team as an undrafted rookie last year and ended up starting two games Weeks 7-8, taking 38 touches for 154 yards. He then missed three game with a toe injury and got most of his playing time in obvious passing situations once he returned, while Conner put up big numbers as Arizona's workhorse runner down the stretch. Demercado was never the lead back in five seasons at TCU and is already 25 years old, but his physical tools seem up to snuff, considering he ran a 4.44 40-yard dash (at 213 pounds) at his pro day last spring.

Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said Tuesday that Robinson's backfield mate Tyler Allgeier will "have a big role" and be leaned on at "certain points" during the season, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.

Allgeier's significant role last year was a big factor in Robinson's rookie season being a disappointment from a fantasy standpoint, with the former taking just 28 fewer carries than the latter (186 to 214) despite playing less than half as many snaps (360 to 771). The rushing split figures to shift more toward Robinson now that he's not a rookie and isn't coached by Arthur Smith, but it sounds like the extent of that change won't automatically be what fantasy players are hoping for when they select Bijan in the first round of a draft. That said, it's reasonable enough to bet on his talent winning out over whatever the initial plan might be, considering Robinson is an eighth overall draft pick who scored 41 TDs in 31 college games and ran a 4.46 40-yard dash at 215 pounds.

Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said Tuesday that Allgeier "certainly is going to have a big role" again, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.

It's not what Bijan Robinson drafters want to hear, following a rookie season in which the 2023 eighth overall pick got only 28 more carries (214 to 186) than his backfield mate. Allgeier wasn't as efficient as he had been during his own rookie season the year prior, dropping from 4.9 yards per carry in 2022 to 3.7 YPC in 2023, but it sounds like the new coaching staff in Atlanta nonetheless views him as a big part of their plan on offense. While the workload figures to shift more in Robinson's favor this year, it might not be quite to the extent people are hoping for when they use a first-round fantasy pick on the 22-year-old.

Jordan Mason may challenge Mitchell for the No. 2 RB role, Jordan Elliott of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Mitchell was still viewed as the clear No. 2 running back as recently as minicamp in June, but Mason's continued development may be complicating things. San Francisco's strong backfield depth behind Christian McCaffrey could even make Mitchell a trade target heading into the final year of his rookie contract, although the 49ers would probably feel better about that if fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo was practicing rather than nursing a hamstring injury. Mitchell still makes sense as a late-round pick in fantasy drafts, as it's hard to know if the camp hype surrounding Mason really matters relative to Mitchell's solid track record when tasked with a lead role. There's even potential for Mitchell's value to rise considerably between now and Week 1, either via a trade or a McCaffrey injury.

Mason has made a strong impression on coach Kyle Shanahan this summer and could challenge Elijah Mitchell for the No. 2 RB role, Jordan Elliott of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Mason initially made the team as an undrafted rookie in 2022 and has since seen action in 33 of 34 regular-season games, logging 181 snaps on offense and 494 on special teams. He's thus far remained behind Mitchell when both have been healthy, but it's possible the Niners would prefer Mason in the backup role due to his advantages in size (5-foot-11, 223 pounds), durability and blocking. Mitchell is much faster but also smaller (5-foot-10, 200 pounds), and he has nearly as many missed games (24) as receptions (28) through three NFL seasons. The addition of rookie fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) means a trade could even be in play, with Mitchell being the main candidate as he heads into the final season of his rookie contract. Of course, none of them will play much on offense unless Christian McCaffrey misses time with an injury.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that Lloyd (hip) will participate in individual drills during Tuesday's practice, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Lloyd has yet to take part in team work during training camp while he manages a hip issue, but his return to individual drills offers hope that he'll soon be back on the field as a full participant. The 2024 third-round pick out of USC will likely head into the Packers' Aug. 10 preseason opener versus the Browns third on the depth chart at running back behind Josh Jacobs and AJ Dillon. However, given his superior explosiveness as well as the draft capital invested in him, Lloyd has a good chance at supplanting Dillon as the preferred complement to Jacobs if the rookie can quickly move past his hip concern.

Johnson will miss practice Tuesday with a hamstring injury, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

Johnson departed Monday's practice early and was evaluated by trainers, leaving rookie Ray Davis as the most likely RB to rotate in behind James Cook with the starting offense. Johnson and Davis reportedly had a near-even split of first-team reps Sunday when Cook was absent for personal reasons, with Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic noting a slight advantage in Johnson's favor. Missed time due to a hamstring injury could improve Davis' odds of taking over the No. 2 RB role that Johnson handled late last season.

The Panthers placed Penny on the reserve/retired list Tuesday, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

There are always a few retirements this time of year, with players realizing they're unlikely to earn a roster spot and don't have much of a future in the league. Penny was a first-round pick for Seattle back in 2018 but played only 45 games over six NFL seasons amidst a slew of injuries. He had a memorable stretch at the end of the 2021 campaign, amassing 135 or more rushing yards four times over the final five weeks, but his 671 rushing yards during that stretch represent 34.4 percent of his career total.

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones suggested Monday that Freeman is in good position for a roster spot and backup role, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

Jones said Freeman is "a great 2-3 combination in terms of what he can do as a backup" and "a great complement to [Ezekiel Elliott]". Jones then mentioned Rico Dowdle and Malik Davis having to "battle it out," which could be taken as a sign that Freeman's roster spot is more secure than Dowdle's even though the latter was the No. 2 RB in Dallas last season. It's only the first week of training camp and a lot could change before Week 1, but it seems Freeman is at least making an impression with his combination of size, special teams experience and passing-down competence. Explosive running isn't something he really offers, but that's also probably true of most of the other Dallas running backs.

Pierce is expected to see a lot of action in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against Chicago, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston reports.

Joe Mixon (hamstring) will not play in the preseason opener, and was probably not going to play even if healthy. Pierce will get a chance to build off the good work he's shown in practice sessions. After struggling with Houston's zone-blocking scheme in 2023, the third-year back has received good reviews since the start of training camp.