• LeGarrette Blount and Le'Veon Bell were arrested and charged for marijuana possession Wednesday after Bell was pulled over on suspicion of DUI with Blount in the car. Assuming it's their first infraction, the NFL isn't likely to suspend either (though Bell, who was driving, perhaps triggered a second incident with the subsequent DUI charge). In any event, it's likely the process will go through the legal system first (possession of 20 grams of marijuana is a misdemeanor in the state of Pennsylvania), the results of which we might not know until after the season. The bottom line, I'm not changing the projections for either, and if someone in your league is spooked, consider it an buying opportunity on Bell.

• Incidentally, both played against the Eagles Thursday with Blount being the more productive of the two. While Bell's stock had already taken a hit (no pun intended) in recent days with the announcement that both backs would get carries, Bell is a far better receiver which should keep him on the field more often. Speedy rookie Dri Archer could also get some work, but smallish rookies usually struggle in pass protection, so he's a long shot to receive significant touches from scrimmage so long as Bell and Blount are healthy.

• LeSean McCoy left Thursday's game with a thumb injury after hitting it on a helmet during a carry. Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Jeff McLane weighed in on Twitter:

LeSean McCoy has a sprained thumb, source said. No fractures or torn ligaments but out for the rest of the game. #Eagles

— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) August 22, 2014

This is not an especially helpful tweet for two reasons: (1) We're not told who McLane's source is; and (2) the tweet contradicts itself. He says McCoy has a sprained thumb, which means McCoy tore a ligament, but then assures us there were no fractures or torn ligaments. Which is it? Does he have a sprain, i.e., a tear, or not? Worse, most of the subsequent articles link to McLane's tweet as their source. Why NFL reporters (and McLane is probably among the majority here) won't master the basic injury terminology that's such a huge part of their jobs is beyond me and also the scope of this particular post.

My guess is the sprain is mild, so it's a slight tear and not one that's likely to affect McCoy's status for the regular season. (McCoy himself said he expects to be ready for Week 1, but players aren't always accurate in their prognoses). Because of the unclear reporting, it's hard to know. McCoy did play through the injury for a series (and a caught a touchdown) before leaving the game, but that's not necessarily dispositive. We'll ask ESPN's Stephania Bell about this tomorrow on the Sirius XM show (XM 87, Sirius 210 11-2pm ET).

• Jeremy Maclin had a scare when he crumpled to the ground after making a cut on his twice surgically repaired knee, but he walked off under his own power and returned to the game shortly thereafter. It's the second scare he's had already this summer, and you wonder how much confidence he has in the leg and whether he'll be thinking about it too much, especially early on.

• LaMichael James returned to practice Wednesday after missing a month with an elbow injury. With Kendall Hunter done for the year, Marcus Lattimore's status uncertain and Frank Gore now 31 and with 2187 career carries, the San Francisco RB depth chart is thin. Rookie Carlos Hyde would almost certainly handle the bulk of the work should Gore go down, but in that case James could have a significant role.