NFL Player News

The Jets reinstated Hall (knee) from the active/PUP list Tuesday.

Hall is set to practice on a limited basis, a significant step in his recovery from a left ACL tear suffered Week 7 of his rookie season. New backfield mate Dalvin Cook (shoulder), signed Monday, isn't yet ready to practice due to his own recovery from an offseason procedure, but the hope in New York is that both will be in top form shortly. If Hall's recovery lingers into the start of the regular season, or he needs time to ramp up his workload, Cook's presence could provide the Jets with a highly capable starting option. When both are fully healthy, however, new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett could deploy a scheme similar to the one he used in Green Bay, in which Aaron Jones found success despite being in tandems with first Jamaal Williams and then AJ Dillon.

Hall (knee) is expected to come off the active/PUP list Tuesday, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

Hall hasn't been officially activated quite yet and will be limited at practice initially once he is, but the move will be a huge step forward for the second-year running back, who is working to be available Week 1. The Jets are fresh off agreeing to a contract with Dalvin Cook (shoulder), who isn't yet ready to practice himself. Still, the former Viking's presence provides some backfield insurance for New York and gives the team extra cushion to allow Hall all the time he needs to recover fully from knee surgery. When both Hall and Cook are at 100 percent, how the backfield workload will be divvied up isn't yet clear, but both new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and new quarterback Aaron Rodgers have plenty of experience from their Green Bay days keeping two backs relevant for fantasy purposes.

Cook (shoulder), who signed a one-year contract with the Jets on Monday, is at least one week away from being able to practice with his new team, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Cook is nearing the end of his recovery from February shoulder surgery, and it looks like the Jets want to ensure he's ready to go before he begins participating at camp. Once he enters the fray, the 28-year-old will provide depth to a backfield that includes Breece Hall, who is in the final stages his recovery from an ACL tear suffered Week 7 of last season. Should Hall ultimately not be ready for the season opener, Cook would likely be the team's lead running back, with Michael Carter right behind him.

The Jets and Cook (shoulder) agreed to terms of a one-year contract Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Only hours after Ezekiel Elliott signed with the Patriots, another running back domino has fallen with Cook signing with an AFC East rival. The Vikings officially released Cook on June 9 after being unable to find a trade partner, and after visiting with the Jets early on in training camp, his expected landing spot has come to pass. In New York, he'll join forces with former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and provide depth to a backfield that rosters Breece Hall, who is in the final stages of his recovery from the torn ACL that he sustained Week 7 of last season. If Hall isn't healthy for the season opener, Cook, a four-time Pro Bowler, likely will be the lead runner for the Jets, followed by Michael Carter.

In his return to practice Monday, Dobbins participated in individual drills while also circling out of the Ravens backfield to catch several passes, Clifton Brown of the team's official site reports.

On the heels of missing 14 training camp practices and this past Saturday's preseason opener against the Eagles, the running back was activated off the active/PUP list Monday after passing his conditioning test, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Following Monday's light practice, coach John Harbaugh noted, "We'll probably ramp him up a little bit this week and work him in there and try to be smart in how we do it, but he'll be fine. He's 100 percent healthy. He looks good, [and] he's been training hard, so he's ready to go." While it remains to be seen if Dobbins logs any preseason action, now that he's back on the field, the 2020 second-rounder will look to cement his status as the top option in a Baltimore backfield that also includes Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Melvin Gordon and Keaton Mitchell.

Elliott reached a one-year agreement Monday with the Patriots, which includes a $3 million base salary and a $1 million signing bonus, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports. The contract can be worth up to $6 million factoring in incentives.

After spending the first seven years of his career with the Cowboys, Elliott provides his new team with an experienced complementary option to work behind returning lead back Rhamondre Stevenson. Though the presence of Stevenson figures to cap Elliott's weekly workload, the 28-year-old could see enough early-down and short-yardage touches to merit fantasy attention in deeper formats. Meanwhile, the addition of the veteran back leaves Ty Montgomery (leg), Pierre Strong (undisclosed), Kevin Harris and J.J. Taylor to compete for depth/change-of-pace slotting in New England's backfield.

Williams signed a contract with the Saints on Monday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Williams had his season end early in 2022 after suffering a hip injury while with the Cardinals. Now, he'll come to New Orleans and provide some depth to a backfield that is dealing with multiple injuries. With Alvin Kamara (suspension) set to miss the first three weeks, along with Kendre Miller (knee) and Kirk Merritt (hamstring) currently ailing -- not to mention Eno Benjamin (Achilles) already going on IR -- it's been a rough camp for Saints running backs. Williams at least will provide some veteran depth during practice, while he'll aim to make the team's final roster.

The Patriots have added depth and experience to their backfield behind Stevenson by adding Ezekiel Elliott to the mix, Evan Lazar of the team's official site reports.

Although Stevenson remains to the team's top option at running back, the addition of Elliott gives the Patriots a proven veteran to handle complementary work and help ease their returning starter's workload. From a fantasy perspective, the presence of Elliott could cost Stevenson some work in early-down and short-yardage situations, but the 2021 fourth-rounder still should handle enough touches -- including in the team's passing game, per Lazar -- on a weekly basis to maintain lineup utility. Beyond the aforementioned duo, Ty Montgomery (leg), Pierre Strong (undisclosed) and Kevin Harris are in the mix for depth/change-of-pace slotting in New England's RB corps.

The Patriots are expected to sign Elliott on Monday to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Elliott was released by the Cowboys on March 15 and has been entertaining offers since, but it looks like the veteran running back has finally found a new home. The 28-year-old is coming off the least productive season of his career from a yardage standpoint and found himself as a secondary option behind Tony Pollard to end 2022, but he did record 12 rushing touchdowns, marking the fourth time he's reached double digits in his seven-year career. In New England, Elliott will presumably still be a backup, as Rhamondre Stevenson has established himself as the team's No. 1, but he'll have a chance to carve out a complementary gig ahead of players like Ty Montgomery (leg), Pierre Strong (undisclosed) and Kevin Harris.

Nwangwu (undisclosed) did not practice Monday, Dane Mizutani of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Nwangwu also sat out the team's preseason loss to the Seahawks on Thursday and dealt with an undisclosed injury earlier in camp, although it's not clear if the two are related. The Iowa State product is believed to still be in competition with Ty Chandler for the backup role to Alexander Mattison. However, if Nwangwu continues to miss time, he may fall short in that battle, at least to start the season.