NFL Player News

Ward tallied 29 yards on six carries and caught two of three targets for 45 yards and a touchdown in a 42-10 exhibition win against the Patriots on Thursday.

New York rested top back Tyrone Tracy and veteran backup Devin Singletary for the team's preseason finale, giving Ward a chance to get more reps. Ward did well with the opportunity, notching the team's longest run by a running back (13 yards) and averaging 4.8 YPC on his six rushes. He also scored a 41-yard receiving TD on a screen pass from Tommy DeVito late in the third quarter. With Tracy, Singletary, Cam Skattebo and Dante Miller all likely ahead of Ward on the Giants' RB depth chart, there doesn't seem to be room for the latter on the team's initial 53-man roster. However, Ward may have earned a spot on the Giants' practice squad with his solid performance Thursday.

The Steelers cut Woodside on Friday, Teresa Varley of the team's official site reports.

Woodside inked with Pittsburgh in early August but was never a strong candidate to make the 53-man roster with the team already having all of Mason Rudolph, Will Howard (hand) and Skylar Thompson available behind starter Aaron Rodgers. The 30-year-old quarterback will need to look for a reserve opportunity elsewhere in the league.

Miller rushed 11 times for 41 yards and caught all three of his targets for 12 yards in Thursday's 42-10 preseason win over New England.

Miller was handed an opportunity to showcase his skills in New York's final exhibition, as he logged 48 percent of the team's offensive snaps and handled more carries than the Giants' other running backs combined. The results were mixed for Miller -- while he led New York with 41 rushing yards, he averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, and his longest run went for a modest eight yards. However, Miller's most impressive work during the preseason has been as a receiver out of the backfield, as he nabbed all 14 of this targets for 135 yards over the Giants' three games. Tyrone Tracy is locked in as New York's RB1, with Devin Singletary and Cam Skattebo slated to handle the bulk of the backup work. That leaves Miller battling with Eric Gray (undisclosed) for one of the team's final roster spots. Gray didn't play in any preseason contests, as he's been on the active/PUP list throughout training camp. Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post projects Miller to make New York's initial 53-man roster with Gray potentially remaining on the PUP list when the regular season kicks off.

Zavala (knee) played 22 offensive snaps during Carolina's 19-10 preseason loss to the Steelers on Thursday, Kassidy Hill and Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site report.

Zavala missed much of training camp due to a knee injury, but he's managed to meet the goal that coach Dave Canales had previously set of returning in time for Carolina's preseason finale. The 2023 fourth-round pick is set to handle a backup role at guard this season, and he could be tasked with stepping up immediately if Damien Lewis (guard) is less than 100 percent for Week 1.

Cherelus suited up for Carolina's 19-10 preseason loss to the Steelers on Thursday, Kassidy Hill and Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site report.

Cherelus played 17 defensive snaps during Thursday's preseason finale, so it looks like he's fully recovered from the groin injury that forced him to sit out Carolina's prior exhibition matchup against Houston. He's expected to contribute on special teams while handling a depth role on defense this season.

New York waived Bly on Friday, Dan Salomone of the team's official site reports.

Bly signed with the Giants in April after going undrafted out of Gardner-Webb, but he won't make the team's initial 53-man roster. If New York is interested in continuing Bly's development, however, he could get a chance on the team's practice squad.

The Giants waived Washington on Friday, Dan Salomone of the team's official site reports.

Washington spent the entire offseason with New York, so he could be a candidate to resurface on the team's practice squad. The 2022 fifth-round pick spent most of last year on the Chiefs' practice squad and suited up for one regular-season game with the team.

New York released Pascal on Friday, Dan Salomone of the team's official site reports.

Pascal inked a one-year contract with the Giants back in March, but he won't make the team's initial 53-man roster. The veteran wideout is an experienced depth option, having suited up for all 17 regular-season games with the Cardinals last season, though he wasn't targeted. That gives him a solid chance to resurface in a reserve role at some point this season, whether in New York or with another club.

The Patriots waived Lutz on Friday, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Lutz inked with New England in mid-August to provide the team some depth at wideout during the preseason, but he never had a realistic chance to make the 53-man roster. The undrafted rookie out of Delaware will likely need to hone in on practice squads around the league in order to find an opportunity in the NFL this season.

Croskey-Merritt's impressive summer contributed to Washington's decision to trade Brian Robinson to the 49ers on Friday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.

A trade was rumored all week, with Robinson even held out of Monday's preseason loss to Cincinnati. RB Chris Rodriguez started that game and had a 40-yard run on the second snap, before Croskey-Merritt stepped up on the second drive with a 27-yard TD. Those two are the favorites to replace Robinson when a power runner is needed, but Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols are also candidates to take over some of the snaps Robinson handled last year. It'll be one of the key backfields to monitor Week 1, with no guarantee that Croskey-Merritt's rising ADP leads to a fantasy-friendly role in the opener. The usage in September won't necessarily be the same as that later in the season, of course, and positive reports on Croskey-Merritt throughout the summer suggest he has a shot to emerge as the lead runner.