NFL Player News

Breida will have additional competition for carries behind Saquon Barkley this season in rookie Eric Gray, whom the Giants took in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Barkley was given the franchise tag in the offseason, though New York plans to continue contract talks with the star running back in hopes of coming to an agreement on a contract extension. If that doesn't come to fruition, Gray may immediately be viewed as Barkley's future replacement, which could prompt the team to get him a few more carries along the way during his rookie campaign. Breida figures to remain the primary backup to Barkley, though the latter was such a workhorse last season -- he tallied 295 carries (fourth-most in the league) and 76 targets (sixth-most among RBs) -- that no ball carrier behind him received substantial playing time. Breida posted modest production with 54 rushes for 220 yards and a touchdown along with 20 catches for 118 yards and no TDs. Barring an injury to Barkley, Breida likely will be in line for similar usage in 2023, though that could drop if Gray impresses the coaching staff enough to merit expanded opportunity.

Reynolds has been joined on the depth chart by rookie first-rounder Jahmyr Gibbs following the 2023 NFL Draft, Scott Thompson of Fox News reports.

Reynolds ended last season stuck behind D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams on the depth chart, but he now finds himself behind even bigger investments at running back in Gibbs and David Montgomery. While Reynolds at least has the inside track to the No. 3 role now that Justin Jackson is looking for a new opportunity, such a role only has fantasy value as a modest insurance policy in deep leagues.

Williams will be accompanied by 2023 third-round pick Kendre Miller (knee) as the primary contenders for New Orleans' No. 2 running back spot, John Sigler of USA Today reports.

Williams arrived in New Orleans as one of the team's splashiest additions of the offseason, signing with the team after he tallied a career-best rushing season with the Lions in 2022. The 28-year-old's arrival was very significant for the Saints backfield, as the team lacked a consistent No. 2 running back behind Alvin Kamara for much of last season. Williams' path to a role as the team's secondary rusher is much murkier now that Miller has been added to the mix. The 215-pound rookie out of TCU was a key cog in the Horned Frogs' run to the College Football Playoff last season, accumulating 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns across 224 carries. Miller will be limited to begin the Saints' offseason program while he recovers from an MCL injury suffered in December. Nevertheless, he's still expected to be cleared for full participation prior to training camp, per Sigler, which could lead to an intriguing positional battle between Miller and Williams. Kamara is also still set to begin trial July 31 after he was charged with conspiracy to commit battery and substantial bodily harm stemming from a February 2022 incident. Should Kamara be forced to miss games in the 2023 campaign because of this case, then both Williams and Miller could vie for roles as the Saints' primary rushers.

Thompson is slated to sign with the Saints as an undrafted free agent Sunday.

Thompson finished with at least 500 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in each of his final four seasons at Texas Tech. During that stretch, he complied 38 touchdowns with double-digit touchdown campaigns in 2019 and 2021. Thompson joins Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller as new arrivals to a running back group led by Alvin Kamara, who is set for trial this summer stemming from a February 2022 incident. Until that case concludes, it's difficult to project what New Orleans' backfield will look like.

Walker will be joined in the backfield by 2023 second-round running back Zach Charbonnet, Gregg Bell of The News Tribune reports.

A second-round pick in 2022, Walker started the season injured and didn't take over as the starter until Rashaad Penny went down with a broken leg Week 5. Walker never looked back once being handed the reins, as he finished the regular season with 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns on 228 carries (4.6 YPC) and 27 catches (on 35 targets) for 165 yards. Notably, he posted 100-plus rushing yards in each of the final three games. Despite the dominant effort, it's not surprising that the Seahawks added to the backfield on Day 2. In fact, adding depth was necessary at some point during the draft. Head coach Pete Carroll's offense requires a heavy run game, and Walker frequented the injury report last year despite missing just two games. Charbonnet is an excellent prospect that should do well when he's on the field. However, Carroll will almost certainly make Walker the clear starter as long as he continues last year's effort.

The Chiefs are expected to sign Prince as an undrafted free agent, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Prince rushed 314 times for 1,723 yards and 14 touchdowns over his final three seasons at Tulsa, including a career-high 729 rushing yards during the 2022 campaign. The 6-foot running back barely made an impact in the passing game, but he did finish his senior year with nine receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs' running back depth chart is set at the top with Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, but Prince could carve out a depth role with a strong showing during training camp.

Peoples is in line to sign with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Peoples led the Sun Belt Conference in rushing yards in 2020 but operated as a part-time starter in his final season at Appalachian State, as he rushed for 593 yards and five touchdowns on 101 carries in the 2022 campaign. He finished top 10 in school history in career rushing yards (2,830) and rushing touchdowns (33). He's a physical runner who can contribute immediately on early downs, but his lack of experience as a receiver and special teamer could hurt his chances of sticking on an NFL roster.

In his post-draft news conference Saturday, coach Zac Taylor relayed his support of Mixon's standing on the Bengals' roster, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

There's been offseason speculation that Mixon, who carries a $12.8 million hit against the salary cap in 2023, could be on the move, but Taylor noted Saturday that the running back's "future is here with the team. ... I like Joe Mixon." Following the draft, Mixon, who has been participating in the Bengals' voluntary workouts, remains atop an RB depth chart that also includes fellow returnees Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans, as well as fifth-round rookie Chase Brown. Meanwhile, last year's No. 2 back Samaje Perine signed with the Broncos in free agency. During the 2022 campaign, Mixon carried 210 times for 814 yards and seven TDs to go along with 60 catches for 441 yards and a pair of receiving scores in 14 games.

The Eagles traded for D'Andre Swift on Saturday to join Penny in their new-look backfield, NBC Sports Philadelphia's Dave Zangaro reports.

The Eagles gave up a 2025 fourth-rounder and a 2023 seventh-round pick swap (No. 219 for No. 249) in exchange for Swift, who missed either three or four games each year with the Lions and has one season remaining on his rookie contract. Penny's career also has been massively impacted by injuries, which is why the Eagles got away with paying only $1.35 million (on a one-year contract) for a 2018 first-round pick with a career average of 5.7 YPC. Penny typically has missed large chunks of time -- including last season after he suffered a fibula fracture Week 5 -- whereas Swift has dealt with less serious, nagging injuries that have sometimes impacted his workloads even when active. The two should complement each other well for however long they're both healthy, with Penny relying on size, speed and power while Swift gets it done with agility and receiving. In fact, Swift caught at least 46 passes each season in Detroit, nearly double Penny's career total of 27 receptions in 42 games. There's room for both to have fantasy value in a prolific offense like Philadelphia's, though QB Jalen Hurts took 48.8 percent of the inside-the-five carries last season even while missing two games. Penny should be a participant in OTAs this May, having declared himself fully healthy shortly after he signed in mid-March.

Tucker is expected to sign with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

Tucker sat out the NFL Scouting Combine and Syracuse's main Pro Day due to an undisclosed injury, but he hosted his own pro day April 24 after being medically cleared for football activities. Perhaps due to the injury concerns, the 5-foot-9 running back went unselected during the 2023 NFL Draft, but he quickly landed an UDFA deal with the Buccaneers, who'll likely have an open competition for running back depth after the departure of Leonard Fournette this offseason. Over his final two seasons at Syracuse, Tucker rushed 452 times for 2,556 yards and 23 touchdowns while securing 56 receptions for 509 yards and four additional scores.