NFL Player News

Williams is a candidate to lead the Broncos in both rushing attempts and yards this coming season, according to Ryan O'Halloran of the Denver Post.

Assuming returning starter Melvin Gordon turns in a productive training camp, O'Halloran envisions a scenario in which Gordon tends to take Denver's "first snap/series of the game" early on this season, while the team "eases Williams into a bigger role each week." With that in mind, fantasy managers who invest in the rookie may need to exercise a degree of patience out of the gate, but as the 2021 campaign unfolds, Williams' profile in the offense -- and within the looming time-share -- figures to grow. As O'Halloran points out, the Broncos, who traded up in the second round of this past April's draft to take Williams 35th overall "weren't high-fiving and fist-pumping in the draft room because he will watch this year."

Cook told vikings.com's Gabe Henderson that his main goals for the upcoming season are to win a Super Bowl and play in every game.

Team success and durability are the clear areas for improvement, with Cook now safely established as one of the best running backs in the NFL. His 2020 average of 111.2 rushing yards per game prorates to 1,890 over a 17-game campaign, so there's potential for a 2,000-yard season if Cook can avoid multiple absences for the first time in his career. He'll turn 26 in August and will be playing in an offense that looks much the same as last season, albeit with first-round pick Christian Darrisaw replacing Riley Reiff (Bengals) at left tackle.

Henry should have a strong offensive line blocking for him this season, Ben Arthur of The Nashville Tennessean reports.

Henry typically has run behind impressive O-lines in Tennessee, but the unit wasn't quite up to its usual standard last season, as left tackle Taylor Lewan suffered an ACL tear in October and first-round pick Isaiah Wilson played just four snaps. The Titans have since parted ways with Wilson and starting right tackle Dennis Kelly, but they acquired two potential replacements in veteran Kendall Lamm and rookie second-round pick Dillon Radunz. With Lewan on track for Week 1 and WR Julio Jones giving the receiving corps a boost, Henry could end up playing in the most talented offense of his pro career.

Elliott has worked hard this offseason to improve his footwork and get in better shape, and as a result he's looked quicker and more explosive in OTAs and minicamp, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports. "Zeke looks great," Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said this week. "He's in the best shape of his life. Looking fast."

The running back posted career lows of 979 rushing yards and 4.0 yards per carry in 2020, but much of that regression was due to a rash of injuries along the Cowboys' offensive line as well as a sluggish overall attack in the wake of Prescott's season-ending ankle injury. If the unit as a whole returns to form it can only improve Elliott's production, but if he's committed to regaining some of the juice he's lost over the years, the 25-year-old might be able to post huge numbers again without the benefit of a 300-carry workload.

The 49ers restocked the running back cupboard this offseason, putting Hasty in a position where he must fight for a fringe spot on the roster or start the year on the practice squad, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Hasty initially was in line to slot third on the depth chart prior to the acquisitions of veteran Wayne Gallman and rookies Trey Sermon and Elijah Mitchell. Now the shifty receiving back will either have to impress during camp or have injuries open up opportunities to earn snaps to begin the season. Barrows notes the 49ers' poor injury history with backs in recent years could result in the 24-year-old making the main roster at some point, even if he starts on the practice squad. Unless thd team's running back landscape changes, Hasty will head into training camp stripped of fantasy value.

Wilson (knee) is expected to miss at least the first six weeks of the season, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Wilson was already expected to be sidelined for 4-to-6 months following surgery to repair a torn meniscus at the end of May, but this specific timeline report from Barrows indicates that the running back will be placed on the reserve/PUP list once training camp begins. Raheem Mostert is expected to lead the backfield attack in 2021, with Trey Sermon, Wayne Gallman and Elijah Mitchell (possibly in that order) jockeying for position during camp.

Williams is expected to be the No. 2 running back as a complementary piece to D'Andre Swift, Eric Woodyard of ESPN reports.

With Kerryon Johnson out of the picture, Williams' competition for the backup running back job is no better than seventh-round rookie Jermar Jefferson and undrafted rookie Dedrick Mills. Unless Detroit brings in someone like Todd Gurley before the season, the veteran jack of all trades should be secure in the No. 2 role for the foreseeable future. However, those in dynasty leagues should keep in mind that Detroit could cut Williams rather easily after one year if he doesn't prove to be a good fit.

Dallas will compete with Rashaad Penny, Travis Homer and Alex Collins for depth roles behind Chris Carson in the Seattle backfield, Brandon Gustafson of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

A fourth-round pick last spring, Dallas finished his rookie year with 34/108/2 on the ground and 17/111/1 on 20 targets, playing 12 of 16 regular-season games. He even made starts in Weeks 8 and 9 when both Carson and Carlos Hyde (now with Jacksonville) were injured, with those two games accounting for all three TDs on the year. However, Dallas managed just 72 rushing yards and 25 receiving yards between the two starts, and he averaged only 3.2 YPC for the year. He could now compete with Penny and Collins for carries off the bench, while Homer is the top competition for playing time on passing downs.

Dillon is set to step into the backup job behind Aaron Jones this season, and Dillon believes he and Jones "can be the best running back tandem in the NFL," Bill Huber of SI.com reports.

Dillon served as the Packers' third running back behind Jones and Jamaal Williams in his rookie season, but with Williams moving on to Detroit over the offseason, the Boston College product is set to become the No. 2 back in Year 2. The 23-year-old ran the ball just 46 times last season, but he averaged an impressive 5.3 yards per tote, and in the one game he received more than a handful of carries, he put up 124 yards and two scores on 21 attempts. Dillon will need to produce on a consistent basis in order to put the Packers' backfield in the conversation for "best in the league," but he should get ample opportunities to do so. He figures to assume the bulk of the 10.6 touches Williams averaged on a per-game basis after Matt LaFleur took over as head coach in 2019.

Taylor is expected to remain the primary running back for the Colts in 2021, though head coach Frank Reich still plans to ride the hot hand among Taylor, Marlon Mack and Nyheim Hines while also distributing the backfield work based on matchups, Zak Keefer of The Athletic reports.

Keefer speculates that Taylor will get 60 percent of the carries, with Mack checking in at around 25 percent. Much depends on Mack's health, as he's returning from a ruptured right Achilles' tendon. While Reich's comments could just be a matter of coach speak to keep all the backs on the roster motivated, there's a chance Taylor won't get the workload some might expect after he came on strong at the end of his rookie season. Over his final six games, Taylor amassed 741 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.