NFL Player News

Jefferson started to come on strong at the end of the offseason program, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Jefferson apparently was most impressive in the passing game, and it sounds like he has distanced himself from Michael Warren and Dedrick Mills for the Lions' No. 3 running back job ahead of training camp. However, it's hard to imagine that the seventh-round rookie will be challenging D'Andre Swift or Jamaal Williams for a significant role with the first-team offense anytime soon.

Barkley (knee) said Monday that he doesn't know if he'll be ready to practice next week when the Giants start training camp, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

Barkley said he doesn't intend to be evasive, yet he's still avoiding any discussion of a timeline for return to practice/play. When asked about Week 1, he echoed his response from earlier in July, reiterating that he still doesn't know. Common sense dictates that he'll be either limited or absent when the Giants begin camp, but that doesn't necessarily mean he won't be ready for the regular-season opener. Barkley is returning from late-October surgery to repair an ACL tear that was accompanied by meniscus and MCL damage in his right knee.

Breida, signed by the Bills to a one-year deal as a free agent this offseason, will need to fend off challenges from Antonio Williams and Christian Wade for the last open spot in the Bills' backfield, Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News reports.

Devin Singletary and Zack Moss are expected to serve as the 1-2 punch to lead the backfield, while Taiwan Jones is expected to make the team simply by way of special teams prowess. Breida is one of the NFL's fastest running backs and has more experience than Williams and Wade, so the No. 3 job would appear to be his to lose. Breida also has more special teams experience than anyone else in the running back corps aside from Jones. With good hands to go with it all, Breida is at least worth keeping an eye on if he does make the team and injuries should strike Singletary or Moss, as was the case last season.

Bears coach Matt Nagy told the Under Center podcast that he'd like Montgomery to get 20 carries per game.

It's a highly optimistic number, given that Montgomery averaged 16.5 last season -- fourth most in the league -- while playing most of the year with Cordarrelle Patterson and Ryan Nall as his (seldom-used) backups. The Bears now have Tarik Cohen coming back from an ACL tear and Damien Williams signed to a one-year contract, but even with the improved depth, Montgomery's strong finish to 2020 leaves no doubt about his status as the starter and lead ballcarrier. His workload on passing downs is more of a question mark, as Cohen has handled most of those snaps whenever he's been healthy throughout his time with the Bears.

Akers said he understands the playbook and blocking schemes better heading into his second season, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN reports.

Being more comfortable heading into Year 2 only strengthens the case for Akers. He's projected to be the primary ball carrier for Los Angeles and finished the 2020 season with 645 rushing yards, 147 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the final seven games of the campaign, including the postseason. The upgrade of having Matthew Stafford under center should also help the entire offense. Akers' numbers could even take a slight hit from the noted seven-game stretch and he'd still be a solid fantasy contributor. Of course, there's also the possibility that's just his floor.

Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has stated that he'll go with the hot hand when assigning playing time between Singletary and Zack Moss, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports. "Whoever's back there is playing good," Daboll said. "Sometimes that happens. Let's say you're in a game and you just get a sense one guy's got it going a little bit more than the other guy and that's the guy you ride with a little bit."

Singletary is reportedly in fantastic shape following an offseason of hard work, while Moss is coming off offseason ankle surgery but expects to be close to 100 percent for training camp. It's anyone's guess as to whether Singletary or Moss will provide the better value in 2021. Moss is a much bigger back than his teammate and has the ability to earn more between-the-tackle and goal-line runs, while Singletary has more experience, isn't coming off an injury, and has apparently used the offseason to get himself into great shape while Moss has been busy rehabbing.

Moss, who wasn't able to participate in minicamp following offseason ankle surgery, is expected to be ready for training camp and has been posting videos of his workouts on social media, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports.

Moss's injury is definitely cause for concern for fantasy managers eyeing a roster spot for someone in the Buffalo backfield, especially given his limited NFL experience, but if he can return to full-go for training camp, those concerns would be mostly out the window. It's also anyone's guess as to whether Moss or Devin Singletary will provide the better value in 2021. Moss is a much bigger back than his teammate and has the ability to earn more between-the-tackle and goal-line runs, while Singletary has more experience, isn't coming off an injury, and has apparently used the offseason to get himself in fantastic shape while Moss has been busy rehabbing. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has even gone so far as to let the public know he'll have an eye on riding the hot hand on a game-to-game basis.

Barkley (knee) declined to answer Thursday when Rich Eisen asked him if he'd be ready for Week 1.

Barkley went with the "one day at a time" line -- essentially the same response he had a month earlier when reporters asked a similar question. His refusal to discuss a timeline might not be ideal, but Barkley has shown signs of progress throughout the offseason, with his recent workouts including agility drills on sand at full speed. While it's a safe bet he's limited or absent at the beginning of training camp, Barkley should make it back to practice at some point this summer. He had knee surgery in late October to repair an ACL tear that was accompanied by meniscus and MCL damage in his right knee.

Carter has impressed head coach Robert Saleh so far, Ethan Greenberg of the Jets' official site reports. "Michael's got tremendous vision," Saleh said. "He's got tremendous speed, burst. He's got the ability to make people miss. He's good on third down, coming out of the backfield in the pass game, and he's pretty stout in protection."

Saleh's praise of Carter's ability in pass protection is especially notable, as a lack of that skill often limits young running backs' playing time. The rookie fourth-round pick may not have the size to take on a workhorse role at 5-foot-8 and 201 pounds, but Carter could work as the Jets' third-down back from from the get-go, playing a similar role to Nyheim Hines in Indianapolis. Having averaged 8.0 yards per carry at UNC last season, Carter has the highest ceiling in the crowded Jets backfield, and Greenberg points out Carter has played in an outside-zone rushing scheme since high school, making him an excellent fit for offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur's scheme.

Snell isn't assured a spot on the Steelers' roster to begin the 2021 season, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Snell had the chance to secure the starting job at running back last year while James Conner was sidelined, but the 23-year-old averaged just 3.3 yards per carry during the 2020 campaign. The 2019 fourth-rounder enters training camp as a clear backup after the Steelers drafted Najee Harris with the 24th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he could be in danger of losing his roster spot if newcomer Kalen Ballage is able to carve out a role in the team's offense. Also battling for backfield slotting will be Anthony McFarland and Jaylen Samuels.