NFL Training Camp Report: Darren Waller Signs With Carolina + Fantasy Football Training Camp News for Every Team
July 31, 2026 · Updated August 13, 2026

Updated: August 13, 2026
This report refreshes every morning throughout training camp with the previous day's biggest fantasy football training camp news for all 32 NFL teams, collected around the clock from the nearly 300 beat writers and insiders we track across every camp in the league. Bookmark this page — the URL never changes, and we publish a new edition here before your first coffee every day of camp.
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Yesterday's Five Biggest Stories
1. Carolina Signed Darren Waller
The biggest roster move of Wednesday belonged to the Panthers. Adam Schefter reported that the former Pro Bowl tight end and Carolina had reached agreement on a one-year deal (@AdamSchefter), Jordan Schultz had it from multiple sources within the same hour (@Schultz_Report), and the team's own site posted the report shortly after (@Panthers).
Per Mike Kaye's story at ESPN, the fit is a coaching relationship as much as a depth-chart one: Waller will be working again with Darrell Bevell, now Carolina's associate head coach and offensive specialist, who was Miami's passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach last season. Kaye also reported, citing a league source, that the move was not made because of an injury to another tight end on the roster (@mike_e_kaye).
The production behind it is the part that changes a draft board. Waller came out of retirement in 2025 to sign with the Dolphins and, in nine games, produced 24 catches for 283 yards and six touchdowns — a scoring rate well ahead of his volume. He is 33, has 374 receptions for 4,407 yards and 26 touchdowns across nine seasons, and made the Pro Bowl with the Raiders in 2020. Per Carolina's own write-up, the deal is not official yet and a corresponding roster move is due Thursday.
How we would price it: the role before the name. A 33-year-old tight end joining a room in mid-August rarely arrives as a full-time starter, and Waller's own 2025 line — 24 catches in nine games — is a part-time volume. What travels is the touchdown rate and the reason he is here: the coach who coordinated the passing game he scored those six touchdowns in is the one who brought him to Carolina. That is a red-zone argument, not a snap-count one, and it is worth more in a touchdown-heavy scoring format than in a PPR one.
2. Atlanta Will Start Tua Tagovailoa on Friday Without Naming a Week 1 Quarterback
Kevin Stefanski said Tua Tagovailoa starts the Falcons' preseason opener against Denver on Friday night (@AdamSchefter). Tori McElhaney's version carries the qualifier that matters: Atlanta will play its starters, Tagovailoa will start the game, and Stefanski said he is not naming him the starter for the season. She added the participation plan — roughly 10 plays, or one series, varying by player (@tori_mcelhaney). Marc Raimondi's ESPN story frames it the same way: starting Friday does not necessarily make Tagovailoa the Week 1 starter.
The other half of the room got good news. Michael Penix Jr. said his doctor told him his ACL is in excellent shape and that he should not have another knee problem for the rest of his career (@marcraimondi, @ByDanielFlick). Underdog's post is what carried it league-wide (@UnderdogNFL) — worth keeping straight that this is Penix relaying what a doctor told him, not a team medical release. PFF's summary of the situation was blunt: the job is still up for grabs (@PFF).
Denver's plan for the same game is set. Sean Payton said the Broncos' starters should play around 15 plays and that Bo Nix will not play in this one, going instead next week (@Broncos).
3. Jonathon Brooks Will Make His NFL Preseason Debut at Buffalo
Schefter reported that Carolina's third-year running back will appear in the first preseason game of his NFL career on Saturday at Highmark Stadium against the Bills (@AdamSchefter).
Per Mike Kaye's ESPN story, Dave Canales said after Wednesday's padded practice that Brooks would absolutely play, describing him as "ready to rock — he's ready to play football." The context ESPN supplies is what makes it a story rather than a transaction note: Brooks is returning from back-to-back ACL surgeries on his right knee and had never taken part in an NFL training camp practice before his first workout on July 23. Saturday is his first NFL preseason appearance, though it is Carolina's second exhibition of the summer.
What to watch: live snaps are the evidence camp reps cannot produce for a back in this spot. We would treat Saturday as a workload read rather than a highlight read — how many series Brooks gets, and whether he stays on the field on passing downs, says more about September than any single carry will.
4. J.J. McCarthy Wants to Stay in Minnesota After Losing the Job
McCarthy spoke Wednesday about Kyler Murray being named the Vikings' starting quarterback this week, and the headline out of it was that he wants to remain in Minnesota (@AdamSchefter, @UnderdogNFL). His own framing, via Will Ragatz: "a decision was made that was out of my control," followed by the line that the job now is to keep working and stay ready (@WillRagatz). Per Kevin Seifert's ESPN story, when McCarthy was asked why he thought the outcome was out of his hands, he answered by listing things nobody controls, down to the heat at that day's practice.
Minnesota also released its first unofficial depth chart the same day (@Vikings), and the readout on it is where the fantasy consequence sits: Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason are listed as co-starters at running back, Ben Yurosek is ahead of Gavin Bartholomew at tight end, and Jamal Adams is down as a second-team safety (@TheRealForno). The Vikings signed running back Jermar Jefferson and waived Jordan Mims on the same day (@AdamSchefter).
What to watch: the rep split behind Murray, not McCarthy's status. A co-starter listing at running back in mid-August is not a tiebreaker — it is a team telling you it has not picked one, which is exactly how our projections have been holding that backfield. The Jefferson signing on the same day is the tell that the room below Jones and Mason is unsettled too.
5. Emeka Egbuka's Toe Scare Came Back Minor
Mike Garafolo watched the Buccaneers receiver limp off with athletic trainers during Wednesday's practice, get examined on the sideline table for a while and not return (@MikeGarafolo). Underdog pushed the alarm out to a wider audience while it was still unresolved (@UnderdogNFL).
The follow-up a couple of hours later is the one to file. Garafolo reported the injury is a toe issue considered minor, per a source, and that it matched what Bucky Irving had said in an interview earlier in the day — that Egbuka "just got rolled over on" (@MikeGarafolo).
Toe injuries earn caution in August because they linger, but a same-day source-level "minor" with a teammate's account matching it is about as clean as an in-camp injury sequence gets. Nothing about it needs to move a draft board today.
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Team-by-Team Camp Notes
Arizona Cardinals
Quiet day in Cardinals camp — nothing notable to report.
Atlanta Falcons
- Tua Tagovailoa starts Friday night against Denver, and Kevin Stefanski went out of his way not to attach a Week 1 label to it (see the top five) (@tori_mcelhaney, @AdamSchefter).
- The starters are on a short leash for it: roughly 10 plays, or one series, varying by player (@tori_mcelhaney).
- Michael Penix Jr. relayed his doctor's verdict on the surgically repaired knee — that the ACL is in excellent shape and should not trouble him again (@marcraimondi).
- Atlanta's first preseason depth chart is out (@AtlantaFalcons), and the local preview of Friday's game frames it as a position-battle showcase (@FalcoholicKevin).
Baltimore Ravens
- Ja'Kobi Lane is the name coming off the Ravens' practice field on repeat. Brian Wacker had him bodying TJ Tampa out of the way for a deep touchdown from Tyler Huntley in the one-on-one period (@brianwacker1), Underdog ran a daily Lane highlight (@UnderdogNFL), and the team feed posted another (@Ravens).
- Marlon Humphrey left practice about an hour in with members of the training and medical staffs. Jeff Zrebiec noted it came a play after Humphrey forced a deep incompletion to Lane, and that what was bothering him was not clear (@jeffzrebiec).
- Zrebiec's non-participation list: Rasheen Ali, Rashod Bateman, Carl Jones Jr. and Teddye Buchanan (PUP), Nate Wiggins, Jahquez Robinson and Rayshaun Benny. Dayton Wade returned to practice (@jeffzrebiec).
- Baltimore placed quarterback Skylar Thompson on injured reserve and signed Austin Reed (@Ravens). Field Yates' reminder of what the offense is built around: Derrick Henry has finished second in the NFL in rushing yards in each of the last four seasons (@FieldYates).
Buffalo Bills
- Saturday's visitor supplies Buffalo's biggest story: Jonathon Brooks makes his NFL preseason debut at Highmark Stadium (see the top five) (@AdamSchefter).
- The Bills also drew the second half of Cleveland's quarterback plan — Shedeur Sanders starts the Browns' second preseason game against Buffalo (@AdamSchefter, @RapSheet).
- Color from the team feed, which spent the day on DJ Moore (@BuffaloBills).
Carolina Panthers
- Darren Waller signed a one-year deal, reuniting him with Darrell Bevell (see the top five) (@AdamSchefter, @Schultz_Report).
- The move is not injury-driven. Mike Kaye reported on a league source that no other tight end on the roster prompted it (@mike_e_kaye), and Carolina's own post notes the deal is not official until a corresponding move Thursday (@Panthers).
- Jonathon Brooks plays Saturday at Buffalo, his first NFL preseason game after back-to-back ACL surgeries (@AdamSchefter).
Chicago Bears
- The Bears host Cleveland on Saturday, and the visitors named their starter: Deshaun Watson opens the game, with Todd Monken planning to give him a half (@AdamSchefter, @MaryKayCabot).
- Ben Johnson set the offensive bar publicly. Per ESPN's write-up of Dan Pompei's story at The Athletic, Johnson wants Chicago to be the highest-scoring offense ever, naming the 2013 Broncos and their 37.9 points per game as the target (@AdamSchefter, @UnderdogNFL). The Bears were sixth in total offense and ninth in scoring last season.
- The injury rundown, per ESPN and Courtney Cronin: Coby Bryant is out four to six months after knee surgery, Johnson said Luther Burden III is hopefully ready for the opener, and left tackle Ozzy Trapilo could come off the PUP list by the end of camp (@CourtneyRCronin).
Cincinnati Bengals
- Nothing off the Cincinnati beat on Wednesday. The only Bengals material on the wire was the team feed counting down to Thursday's preseason meeting with Detroit (@Bengals).
Cleveland Browns
- Todd Monken told the quarterbacks in meetings that Deshaun Watson starts Saturday's opener in Chicago and Shedeur Sanders starts the second preseason game against Buffalo (@AdamSchefter, @DanielOyefusi). Monken plans to give the starter a half, with the other taking the third quarter (@MaryKayCabot).
- Per Daniel Oyefusi's ESPN story, Saturday is Watson's first game since he tore his right Achilles in October 2024, and the two quarterbacks have been alternating first-team practice reps throughout the competition — Monken's framing was that it is still a competition and that he will assess it week by week.
- The rookie receiver is the fantasy thread worth pulling. An ESPN roundup carried by Underdog has Denzel Boston moved into the starting lineup at "X" with plans to move him around, and a Browns source comparing his profile to Drake London (@UnderdogNFL).
- Sanders' day included a two-minute-drill third-down completion to Isaiah Bond on a diving catch (@DanielOyefusi), and he said the earlier change in the quarterback rotation did not bother him because the group was informed the right way (@DanielOyefusi). Cleveland also worked out veteran edge Tyus Bowser (@AdamSchefter).
Dallas Cowboys
- Sportico again named Dallas the most valuable franchise in sports at $15.5 billion, with the Rams ($12.7B), Giants ($12B), Patriots ($10.4B) and Jets ($10.35B) rounding out the top five (@AdamSchefter, @AdamSchefter). The average NFL team is now worth $9.34 billion, a 31% year-over-year gain (@AdamSchefter).
- Jon Machota's takeaways from Tuesday's joint practice with the Rams — three team-drill periods' worth — went up Wednesday (@jonmachota).
- Nate Atkins' read from the other sideline is worth knowing if you are projecting the Dallas offense: the Rams defense has faced two of the league's better offenses in the past week and largely shut both down (@NateAtkins_).
Denver Broncos
- Sean Payton's participation plan for Friday at Atlanta: starters for about 15 plays, and Bo Nix does not play in this one — he goes next week (@Broncos).
- Denver released its initial unofficial depth chart (@Broncos).
- The team also published its 2026 uniform schedule, with full combinations to be announced the week of each game (@Broncos).
Detroit Lions
- Detroit's wire went silent a day before the preseason opener at Cincinnati, which the team feed spent the day counting down to (@Lions).
Green Bay Packers
- Green Bay plays Thursday at Pittsburgh, and the team feed treated it as the end of a long wait (@packers, @packers).
- The Packers angle on the game is on the other sideline. Aaron Rodgers, on a Zoom with Wisconsin media, said he had been "really hoping" the game would be in Green Bay (@RobDemovsky).
- Rob Demovsky also posted Rodgers' answer on what he is most thankful for from his career (@RobDemovsky).
- Context on how Green Bay approaches these games: Jason Wilde noted the torn ACL Jordy Nelson suffered in Pittsburgh in August 2015 changed the Packers' preseason approach, and that Matt LaFleur still believes the early-season rewards outweigh the risks (@jasonjwilde).
Houston Texans
- One Houston item cleared the wire all day, and it was the team feed marking Derek Stingley Jr.'s two first-team All-Pro seasons (@HoustonTexans).
Indianapolis Colts
- No Colts beat reporting reached the wire on Wednesday; the team feed handled the day's content on its own (@Colts).
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quiet day in Jaguars camp — nothing notable to report.
Kansas City Chiefs
- The availability note is the one that matters for a draft board: Ian Rapoport reported Rashee Rice is not expected to face further discipline from the NFL following his jail sentence (@UnderdogNFL).
- Rice's reps are already being contested in practice — Mansoor Delane covered him closely in seven-on-sevens (@UnderdogNFL).
- Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are still connecting on the stuff that shows up in a stat line: Mahomes went underhand to Kelce on a tight end screen, and Kelce fought off a tackler for the end zone (@Jacobs71).
- Kansas City brought back a Super Bowl winner in Emmanuel Ogbah (@Chiefs), and the team feed spent the day on Kelce talking about Mahomes (@Chiefs).
Las Vegas Raiders
- The rookie quarterback gets a real look in the preseason opener. Klint Kubiak said Fernando Mendoza will get "plenty of reps" so the staff can evaluate how his camp translates against another opponent (@samwarren83).
- Las Vegas signed offensive lineman Braeden Daniels and waived/injured guard Justin Pickett (@Raiders).
- Rookie guard Niklas Henning, a tight end convert who was drafted second in the CFL Draft the same week he tried out for the Raiders, is headed for his first NFL game (@theleviedwards).
- Greg Biekert will light the Al Davis Memorial Torch before the opener (@Raiders).
Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles produced no beat reporting a day out from its opener. The team feed carried a Justin Herbert throw and the countdown to Thursday (@chargers, @chargers).
Los Angeles Rams
- Cam DaSilva's standouts piece from Tuesday's joint practice with Dallas led with tight end Terrance Ferguson among a handful of Rams who had good days (@camdasilva).
- The defensive story is the more durable one. Nate Atkins wrote that the Rams defense has faced arguably the two best offenses in the NFL over the past week and largely shut both down (@NateAtkins_).
- Los Angeles is next up in Kansas City for its preseason opener (@RamsNFL), and Sportico values the franchise at $12.7 billion, second in the NFL (@AdamSchefter).
Miami Dolphins
- Caleb Douglas is the usage story in Miami. Jeff Hafley called the third-round rookie one of the team's most consistent players in camp, and Douglas was listed as a starter on the first depth chart (@Marcel_LJ). David Furones went further after the joint practice with Washington: on a day the offense struggled to move, Douglas was the one making plays, and he is establishing himself as Malik Willis' top target (@DavidFurones_).
- Hafley plans to play Willis in the preseason opener, and said defensive tackle Zach Sieler will miss time (@DavidFurones_).
- The joint practice belonged to the visitors. Furones had Jayden Daniels having his way with the Miami defense, with Terry McLaurin catching a downfield sideline ball and Chig Okonkwo getting open up the seam (@DavidFurones_).
- Darren Waller, who scored six touchdowns for Miami in nine games last season, signed with Carolina to work with his former Dolphins passing game coordinator (see the top five) (@mike_e_kaye).
Minnesota Vikings
- J.J. McCarthy said he wants to stay in Minnesota after Kyler Murray won the starting job, calling the decision one that was out of his control (see the top five) (@AdamSchefter, @WillRagatz).
- The first unofficial depth chart lists Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason as co-starters at running back, Ben Yurosek ahead of Gavin Bartholomew at tight end and Jamal Adams as a second-team safety (@Vikings, @TheRealForno).
- Minnesota signed running back Jermar Jefferson and waived Jordan Mims (@AdamSchefter).
- Alec Lewis' name to file away from camp: Dallas Turner, who he wrote has looked motivated and been a blur off the edge (@alec_lewis).
New England Patriots
- New England signed veteran running back Hassan Haskins and waived/injured rookie Myles Montgomery (@AdamSchefter, @Patriots). Doug Kyed's framing: the veteran replacing him was once drafted by Mike Vrabel (@DougKyed).
- The Patriots opened their new New Balance Athletics Center, and the team feed toured it (@Patriots, @Patriots).
- New England is a day from game action (@Patriots), and Sportico values the franchise at $10.4 billion, fourth in the NFL (@AdamSchefter).
New Orleans Saints
- New Orleans is signing defensive tackle Khalil Saunders, per a source (@nick_underhill).
- Otherwise a light day on the New Orleans wire, with the team feed marking Jordyn Tyson's birthday (@Saints).
New York Giants
- The first unofficial depth chart reads Malik Nabers at WR1, Darius Slayton opposite him, Darnell Mooney second string and Odell Beckham Jr. third, with running back listed as Cam Skattebo OR Tyrone Tracy Jr. (@JordanRaanan).
- Dan Duggan's read on that OR is the useful part: he thinks the staff has been managing Skattebo's workload recently, and he flagged the outside linebacker OR as misleading because Abdul Carter has taken only first-team reps while Kayvon Thibodeaux has been with the twos except on passing downs (@DDuggan21, @DDuggan21). More below.
- Beckham is expected to play in the preseason opener (@UnderdogNFL).
- Rookie Arvell Reese keeps making plays — Jordan Raanan described a self-tipped interception in the flat on Tuesday and called him a camp star (@JordanRaanan). John Harbaugh, on cornerback Terrion Arnold's visit, said the Giants want to be aggressive in every way they can (@MikeGarafolo).
New York Jets
- David Bailey was the standout of the joint practice with Tampa Bay. He opened the day beating Luke Goedeke with a spin move in one-on-ones (@ZackBlatt, @Connor_J_Hughes) and later sacked Baker Mayfield in team work before Mayfield could set to throw (@ZackBlatt).
- The passing game had its moments. Cade Klubnik hit Arian Smith for a roughly 50-yard touchdown (@Connor_J_Hughes), and Geno Smith found tight end Mason Taylor on a third-and-goal slant after connecting with him on an earlier third-and-9 (@Connor_J_Hughes).
- Connor Hughes' verdict after watching both days: he thought Tampa Bay won them, but that the Jets competed (@Connor_J_Hughes).
- Sportico values the franchise at $10.35 billion, fifth in the NFL (@AdamSchefter).
Philadelphia Eagles
- Philadelphia released its depth chart ahead of the first preseason game (@BrandonGowton).
- Jimmy Kempski updated his Eagles 2026 opponent injury, suspension and holdout tracker, which is the cleanest running record of who Philadelphia's schedule will actually face (@JimmyKempski).
- The team feed carried the day's practice color (@Eagles, @Eagles).
Pittsburgh Steelers
- The usage rundown is the most actionable Steelers item on the wire. Per Mike DeFabo's camp notes, Roman Wilson is "firmly" in the WR3 role, Pat Freiermuth appears to be a more central piece of the offense than last season and has been a go-to target in the two-minute drill, and Kaleb Johnson is still contending for the RB3 job while rarely creating more than what is blocked (@UnderdogNFL).
- Pittsburgh reached agreement with linebacker Elandon Roberts on a one-year deal, a reunion after his 2023-24 seasons there (@AdamSchefter, @FarabaughFB). Ray Fittipaldo's framing: if healthy, Roberts competes for a 53-man spot, and run defense is his specialty (@rayfitt1).
- Aaron Rodgers said he was bummed the Packers game is in Pittsburgh rather than Green Bay (@mattschneidman), and Matt Schneidman's follow-up notes that hosting it means Rodgers finishes his career never having been a visitor at Lambeau Field (@mattschneidman).
San Francisco 49ers
- San Francisco signed former Raiders running back Zamir White (@AdamSchefter).
- Matt Maiocco's roster sweep from the same day: the 49ers waived 2025 draft pick Junior Bergen, ended the punter competition by waiving Jack Bouwmeester and handing the job to Corliss Waitman, signed cornerback Eli Apple and defensive lineman Xavier Thomas, and waived/injured K.J. Henry (@MaioccoNBCS).
- The team feed spent the day on Brock Purdy (@49ers).
Seattle Seahawks
- Nick Emmanwori's status got an update. Per a Seahawks Roundtable report, the safety has passed his physical after offseason ankle surgery and is cleared to start ramping back up, with the expectation that he is ready for Week 1 (@fishsports).
- Otherwise nothing from the Seattle beat. What traveled was Mike Macdonald, in unprintable terms, making clear on his practice field that nobody is to get near his quarterback and that he is the one running practice (@UnderdogNFL).
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Emeka Egbuka's toe injury was reported as minor after he limped off Wednesday's practice (see the top five) (@MikeGarafolo).
- The joint practices with the Jets are done, and Connor Hughes' read was that Tampa Bay won both days (@Connor_J_Hughes).
- Rookie names from the team feed: Rueben Bain Jr. and Ted Hurst III (@Buccaneers, @Buccaneers).
Tennessee Titans
- Tennessee's only wire item was a camp battles segment from the team feed — no beat reporting behind it (@Titans).
Washington Commanders
- Jayden Daniels ran the joint practice at Miami. Nicki Jhabvala had an 11-on-11 red-zone toe-tap touchdown to Stefon Diggs (@NickiJhabvala), John Keim called him sharp and comfortable (@john_keim), and Ralph Vacchiano and Ben Standig both flagged the downfield accuracy (@RalphVacchiano, @BenStandig).
- The kicking competition is genuinely level: both kickers went 6-for-6, including from 60 yards, and Stevens — the only one John Keim named — cleared his last attempt by about 10 yards (@john_keim).
- Ben Standig's roster-bubble name is Van Jefferson, the 30-year-old receiver whose precision and reliability have people in the building talking (@BenStandig).
- The team feed's practice color included a deep ball to Burks and another red-zone touchdown (@Commanders, @Commanders).
Camp Battles Tracker
Where the NFL camp battles stood after Wednesday's practices, with the receipts.
| Battle | Team | Latest | Fantasy stakes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting QB | Browns | Watson starts Saturday in Chicago, Sanders starts Aug. 22 against Buffalo; Monken says it is still a competition (@AdamSchefter) | Two rookie receivers' target quality rides on it |
| Starting QB | Falcons | Tagovailoa starts Friday, but Stefanski would not name him the Week 1 starter (@tori_mcelhaney) | Atlanta's passing-game ceiling |
| Running back | Giants | Depth chart lists Cam Skattebo OR Tyrone Tracy Jr.; Duggan reads it as a managed workload (@DDuggan21) | Backfield touch split |
| Running back | Vikings | Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason listed as co-starters (@TheRealForno) | A committee Minnesota has not broken |
| WR3 | Steelers | Roman Wilson is "firmly" in the role, per Mike DeFabo (@UnderdogNFL) | Target share behind the top two |
| RB3 | Steelers | Kaleb Johnson still contending, but rarely creating more than what is blocked (@UnderdogNFL) | Handcuff value in Pittsburgh |
| Starting WR | Browns | Denzel Boston moved into the starting lineup at "X" with plans to move him around (@UnderdogNFL) | Rookie receiver volume |
| Starting WR | Dolphins | Caleb Douglas listed as a starter and called one of Miami's most consistent players (@Marcel_LJ) | Malik Willis' top target |
| Kicker | Commanders | Both kickers went 6-for-6, including from 60 (@john_keim) | A live fantasy kicker job |
| QB reps | Raiders | Fernando Mendoza gets "plenty of reps" in the opener to be evaluated (@samwarren83) | Depth behind the starter |
| Outside LB | Giants | Depth chart says "OR," but Carter has taken only first-team reps (@DDuggan21) | Pressure rate against opposing QBs |
| Inside LB | Steelers | Elandon Roberts signs and competes for a 53-man spot (@rayfitt1) | Run defense in Pittsburgh |
| Punter | 49ers | Resolved — Bouwmeester waived, job to Corliss Waitman (@MaioccoNBCS) | Field position only |
New York Giants Running Back Battle: How to Read the Reps
New York's first unofficial depth chart went up Wednesday and listed its backfield as Cam Skattebo OR Tyrone Tracy Jr. (@JordanRaanan). Taking that OR at face value is the trap, and the same beat writer's two threads happen to contain the instruction manual for reading it.
Start with the OR that is not real. On the defensive chart, Dan Duggan flatly rejected the outside linebacker listing: Abdul Carter has taken only first-team reps, Kayvon Thibodeaux has been working with the twos, and Thibodeaux joins the ones only on passing downs (@DDuggan21). That is an OR printed over a settled job — a formality, not a competition. Unofficial depth charts do this constantly, which is why a listing alone is never evidence.
Then look at the OR he did not reject. On offense, Duggan wrote that Skattebo and Tracy get the OR treatment and added the observation that matters: it feels like the staff has been managing Skattebo's workload recently (@DDuggan21). That is a rep-allocation note, not a chart note, and it points the opposite direction from the linebacker case — a split that is being rationed on purpose rather than papered over.
The distinction is the whole skill. An OR that hides a settled job tells you nothing about touches. An OR attached to a workload a staff is actively managing in August is the team telling you the split is real, and that the August number is not the September number.
What to watch: the closing period of Wednesday's practice, per Duggan, was a 10-minute overtime — ones against ones and twos against twos — in which both offenses failed to score on their first two drives, and which ended with Skattebo leading a push from the offensive players to let Dominic Zvada try a 62-yard field goal. John Harbaugh allowed it and Zvada made it (@DDuggan21). Skattebo being the voice in that huddle is a note about standing in the locker room, not about snap share. The snap share shows up in the preseason games, where Odell Beckham Jr. is also expected to appear (@UnderdogNFL).
How we would read it from here: our projections keep both New York backs in a shared band rather than crowning one off a depth chart line, because a managed August workload is the strongest available signal that the staff itself has not decided. For where that leaves them against the rest of the position, our fantasy RB1 board carries the full picture.
Injury Watch
- Emeka Egbuka, WR, Buccaneers (toe): Limped off Wednesday's practice with trainers and was examined on the sideline table without returning; the injury was later reported as a minor toe issue, matching Bucky Irving's account that Egbuka got rolled up on (@MikeGarafolo, @MikeGarafolo).
- Michael Penix Jr., QB, Falcons (knee): Said his doctor told him the repaired ACL is in excellent shape and that he should not have another knee problem in his career (@marcraimondi, @ByDanielFlick).
- Jonathon Brooks, RB, Panthers (knee): Set to play Saturday at Buffalo, his first NFL preseason appearance after back-to-back ACL surgeries (@AdamSchefter).
- Luther Burden III, WR, Bears (groin): Ben Johnson said Chicago is hopeful he is ready for the season opener, per ESPN (@CourtneyRCronin).
- Marlon Humphrey, CB, Ravens: Left practice about an hour in with the training and medical staffs, with no clear indication of what was bothering him (@jeffzrebiec).
- Rashod Bateman, WR, and Rasheen Ali, RB, Ravens: Both among the players Jeff Zrebiec did not see practicing, alongside Nate Wiggins, Jahquez Robinson, Rayshaun Benny and PUP cases Carl Jones Jr. and Teddye Buchanan. Dayton Wade returned (@jeffzrebiec).
- Nick Emmanwori, S, Seahawks (ankle): Passed his physical after offseason surgery and is cleared to ramp back up, per a Seahawks Roundtable report, with Week 1 the expectation (@fishsports).
- Zach Sieler, DT, Dolphins: Jeff Hafley said he will miss time (@DavidFurones_).
- Coby Bryant, S, Bears (knee): Out four to six months after surgery (@CourtneyRCronin).
- Ozzy Trapilo, OT, Bears (patellar tendon): Per ESPN, he could come off the PUP list by the end of training camp, with Johnson saying he is hitting his rehab hurdles (@CourtneyRCronin).
- Skylar Thompson, QB, Ravens: Placed on injured reserve; Baltimore signed Austin Reed (@Ravens).
- Myles Montgomery, RB, Patriots: Waived/injured, with New England signing Hassan Haskins in the corresponding move (@Patriots).
- Justin Pickett, G, Raiders: Waived/injured as Las Vegas signed Braeden Daniels (@Raiders).
- K.J. Henry, DL, 49ers: Waived/injured in San Francisco's roster sweep (@MaioccoNBCS).
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