- Eagles running back DeMarco Murray reportedly feels good about potentially making his team debut on Saturday against the Ravens. Murray has been dealing with an undisclosed injury that has led head coach Chip Kelly to hold him back during training camp and out of the Eagles' preseason opener. Murray led the league in yards from scrimmage in 2014 with 2,261. Those yards came at a price, however, as Murray's body endured the grind of 449 carries and receptions. Two competing factors will determine how Murray's 2015 season compares to 2014. On one hand, he was handpicked by Kelly, a noted run-game guru, to lead Philadelphia's downhill attack. On the other, the Eagles also signed Ryan Mathews to tote the rock and bring back Darren Spoles who had 97 touches last season, both potentially limiting Murray's workload. The end product will likely leave Murray with a sizable drop in yardage in 2015, but give the Eagles a fresher lead back come December.
- Keeping with the Eagles' match up with the Ravens, Baltimore's 2015 first-round pick, Breshad Perriman, watched Thursday's practice from the sidelines with a brace on his right knee. Perriman is believed to be nursing a sprained PCL. The Ravens lost two of their top three receivers from 2014 this offseason, receiver Torrey Smith and tight end Owen Daniels. Perriman's combination of size and speed makes him a logical choice to take over Smith's role as No. 2 receiver and team deep threat while replacing some of the 11 touchdown receptions Smith hauled in last season. It's just a matter of finding the field. As a bit of good news, head coach John Harbaugh has reported that a recent MRI of Perriman's knee came back "normal."
- Speaking of injured rookie receivers, Devin Funchess will miss Carolina's preseason game on Saturday against Miami after tweaking his hamstring on Wednesday. Saturday had the potential to be Funchess' first crack at an expanded role in the Panthers' offense following Kelvin Benjamin's season-ending knee injury. Tight end Greg Olsen, who led the Panthers with 84 receptions and tied Benjamin with a team-leading 1,008 yards in 2014, figures to remain the focal point of Carolina's passing attack. There still could be plenty of opportunities for Funchess. The 2015 second-round pick currently sits behind Corey Brown, Ted Ginn Jr., and Jerricho Cotchery on the team's depth chart, but no member of that threesome is so good that Funchess doesn't have the capability of leapfrogging them. The three combined for 83 receptions in 2014, or just 21 more than Funchess reeled in last season at Michigan.
- San Diego Chargers first-round pick Melvin Gordon returned to practice on Thursday after having nursed an ankle injury. Gordon is reportedly looking to play in Saturday's preseason match up against Arizona. Gordon failed to impress in his preseason debut, an 11-yard effort against the Cowboys, but has otherwise had a strong camp. After racking up 2,587 yards last year at Wisconsin, Gordon is in line to be the Chargers' lead back in 2015. Don't expect Gordon to be a bell cow, however. With Danny Woodhead healthy after missing much of 2014 with a broken leg and Branden Oliver coming off of a surprising rookie campaign, Gordon is likely to be spelled at times during the season.
- Joique Bell remains on the physically unable to perform list with knee and Achilles injuries, but is still slated to be the Lions' first-team back, according to rookie Zach Zenner. Bell's beauty for the 2015 season is in the eye of the beholder. On the surface, one can look at Bell's 15 rushing touchdowns over the past two seasons and 87 combined receptions and see a solid No. 2 running back or flex player for their squad. Another could notice Bell's pair of 3.9-yards-per-carry campaigns in 2013 and 2014 and the presence of strong backups like Theo Riddick and rookie Ameer Abdullah and see a back who is destined for a prominent-yet-diminished role in 2015.
- A pair of Morgans have impressed for New Orleans during joint practices against the Patriots. Veteran receiver Josh Morgan caught a pair of touchdowns from Drew Brees during Wednesday's practice, while fellow receiver Joseph Morgan has draw praise from Brees. There doesn't appear to be an obvious hierarchy for the Saints' receiving corps behind Marques Colston and Brandin Cooks, but given that the Morgans combined for just 14 receptions in 2014 and they are competing with younger, up-and-coming options such as Nick Toon and Brandon Coleman, it would be wise to temper excitement in New Orleans for at least a little while.
- Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians would reportedly like to see newly-signed veteran running back Chris Johnson get five or six carries in Saturday's preseason game against the Chargers. Andre Ellington remains the team's top back, but with unproven options behind him, Johnson could get a fair amount of work in Arizona. Though Johnson has never been able to come close to matching his 2,006-yard campaign from 2009, being cursed with poor quarterback play in Tennessee and New York deserves at least part of the blame. Ellington knows all about being hindered by poor quarterbacking, having missed out on a breakthrough 2014 season due, in part, to facing loaded boxes following Carson Palmer's season-ending injury. A healthy Palmer in the air could mean rebounds on the ground for both Ellington and Johnson.
- With Jerome Simpson suspended for the first six games of 2015 and Bruce Ellington fighting a leg injury, third-year receiver Quinton Patton has emerged as the favorite to start the season as the 49ers' slot receiver. Identifying teams' slot receivers is often a shrewd means of finding diamonds in the rough, but Patton hasn't quite earned that level of excitement. Having caught just six passes during his first two seasons in the league and ranking no better than the erratic Colin Kaepernick's fourth-best target, Patton could easily get lost in the shuffle of the 49ers' offense even if he wins the slot job.