NFL Player News

Edward took part in 11-on-11 drills for the first time in training camp Tuesday, splitting reps evenly with J.K. Dobbins, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Dobbins previously got most of the first-team reps while Edwards was eased into camp after undergoing an undisclosed procedure this offseason. Both backs picked up five snaps with the starting offense in full-team drills Tuesday, potentially setting the stage for a timeshare come Week 1. Rookie sixth-round pick Kimani Vidal still has time to make an impression but has been working with the backups so far.

Edwards-Helaire (illness) returned to practice Wednesday, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.

Edwards-Helaire is the only running back behind Isiah Pacheco with considerable NFL starting experience, but reports from the first week of training camp suggested that 2023 undrafted free agent Deneric Prince was repping ahead of Edwards-Helaire during run periods. While it remains to be seen if Prince is truly pushing ahead of Edwards-Helaire on the depth chart, it should at least be taken as a hint that the latter wouldn't take over all of Pacheco's workload in the event Kansas City's starting back missed time with an injury. In any case, missing a couple practices with an illness shouldn't have any impact on the depth-chart slotting.

Bawden was released by the Jets on Tuesday.

Bawden was just activated off the PUP list Monday after dealing with an undisclosed injury but will now head to free agency. The 2018 seventh-round pick will look to catch on with another team after carrying the ball two times for four yards and a touchdown across 16 games for the Jets last season.

Jordan and Dameon Pierce are expected to play extensively in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Bears, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston reports.

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans plans to sit several key starters, including lead back Joe Mixon, who is dealing with a hamstring injury. Wilson adds that Jordan has had a string of good practices in which he's shown some skill as a pass-catching back. His background and feel for a zone-scheme rushing attack from his college days could push Pierce, who had difficulty adjusting to the offense in 2023, for the second spot on the depth chart.

Sanders and Chuba Hubbard both have taken a lot of first-team reps at training camp, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Sanders became a forgotten man in fantasy circles following a disastrous first year in Carolina, with his value taking yet another hit in April when the Panthers drafted Jonathon Brooks (knee) 46th overall. Kaye refers to Hubbard as "the leader in the clubhouse" for the starting job but also notes that there's "legitimate competition" for backfield roles. Brooks is still on the non-football injury list after an ACL tear brought his college career to an early conclusion, while Sanders is back at full strength after a heel injury limited him during June minicamp. As bad as Sanders was last season, the Panthers have incentive to give him a second chance in light of his 2024 base salary ($4.02 million) being fully guaranteed. There's no major financial incentive to part ways with Sanders before next offseason, so a new coaching staff and front office in Carolina will at least give him a fair shake rather than handing things over to Hubbard (and eventually Brooks) without a challenge.

White is entrenched as the Raiders' top running back, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

He won't necessarily keep the role long if he struggles come September, but every indication out of Las Vegas this spring and summer has been that White will enter Week 1 as the team's lead runner. It helps that the Raiders don't have much behind him, with the most noteworthy alternatives being Vikings castoff Alexander Mattison, 2024 sixth-round pick Dylan Laube and third-down specialist Ameer Abdullah. Laube apparently has been mixing in with the first-team offense during camp, but only in clear passing situations. White started the final four games of last season, averaging 21.0 carries for 99.3 yards and 0.25 TDs plus 2.3 catches for 5.0 yards on 3.3 targets.

Shipley and Kenneth Gainwell split first-team reps Monday when Saquon Barkley missed practice for personal reasons, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Gainwell was the first to sub in for Barkley at the start of training camp and the first to take first-team reps Monday, but it sounds like the split between him and Shipley was pretty even throughout practice. The two are competing for the second spot on the depth chart, which presumably won't entail many snaps or touches unless Barkley suffers an injury. Shipley is the upside play for fantasy as a 2024 fourth-round pick, with Gainwell already having an extensive NFL track record that suggests he's no better than mediocre as a ballcarrier. That said, Gainwell has ample experience under coach Nick Sirianni, including a history of taking snaps in clear passing situations.

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.