Who Should I Start? Kenneth Gainwell or Dameon Pierce

Friday, August 9, 10:24 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell took four carries for 23 yards and was the first back on the field with the second-string unit against the Baltimore Ravens Friday night. Rookie Will Shipley soon came in to take over for the 25-year-old but was not nearly as efficient on his seven carries. Shipley was able to find the end zone at the end of the first quarter, catching a seven-yard pass from quarterback Kenny Pickett. Gainwell seems to have the inside track on the No. 2 job behind Saquon Barkley, but Shipley is proving that he can carve out his own role in the passing game and has been paired with Gainwell for kickoff returns.

Tuesday, August 27, 2:46 PM

It was clear early last season that running back Dameon Pierce wasn't a fit in the Houston Texans' zone-blocking system, making Year 2 a frustrating one for the power back. Things haven't changed this preseason for Pierce, who won't start now that Joe Mixon is back at practice, and Cam Akers has impressed in recent action in his bid to make the roster. Dare Ogunbowale seems like a lock for his special-teams and third-down value, and Houston might still want to develop rookie Jawhar Jordan rather than lose him to the waiver wire. While it's unlikely the Texans would release Pierce, he remains a trade candidate and still could be a solid reserve. The 24-year-old was approaching 1,000 rushing yards as a rookie before his season-ending injury in 2022. If an RB-needy team such as the Dallas Cowboys offered a late-round pick for him, it wouldn't be shocking to see Houston pull the trigger.