NFL Notes: Buccaneers, Cowboys, Steelers, Titans

Buccaneers

Buccaneers RT Demar Dotson said he’s being cautious with his groin injury right now, but he doesn’t think it will keep him out of the team’s season opener.

“Maybe if it was the season, you’d find ways to push through it,” said Dotson, via Jenna Laine of ESPN. “But I think with the preseason, they’re taking it precautionary to try and not make it worse.”

Cowboys

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wouldn’t be surprised to see Ezekiel Elliott get some work in next week against the Raiders.

“Wouldn’t surprise me at all if he would get a few snaps,” Jones said Saturday, via Bleacher Report. “We don’t want to put 30 [carries] on him out there. No reason to do that.”

In regards to the team’s backup quarterbacks, Jones said he was glad to see Cooper Rush take advantage of some opportunities last night.

“I’m just glad to see Rush taking advantage of his opportunities out there,” Jones said, via Todd Archer of ESPN. “Wouldn’t want to get ahead of ourselves in any way here. And the other thing is that we … have a lot of confidence in [Kellen Moore], his ability to be able to get in there when we would call on him with the personnel around him and get the ball in the right places. Make no mistake about it, that [with] Rush, it just gets slow when he gets out there, which that’s a compliment. I think Dak’s got it really slowed down.”

Steelers

• Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that Steelers franchise RB Le’Veon Bell is expected to continue his holdout through the team’s third preseason game.
• However, Fowler’s source added that Bell could be back soon after, citing his love for football.

Titans

• Cameron Wolfe considers Eric Decker, Corey Davis, Richard Matthews and Taywan Taylor to all be locks to make the Titans’ 53-man roster.
• Beyond them, Wolfe views Tajae Sharpe, Harry Douglas, Tre McBride, and Eric Weems to be top contenders for the final two roster spots at receiver.
• Depending on his heath, Wolfe could see Sharpe being a candidate to open the year on the team’s PUP list.
• Titans HC Mike Mularkey recently referred to Douglas as being “invaluable” to their team and locker room, which could give him a good shot at securing one of these spots.