NFL Player News

Ahmed was cut by the Dolphins on Saturday, Safid Deen and Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel report.

Ahmed will stick with the franchise in a practice squad role, per Josh Tolentino of The Athletic. He'll compete with fellow Washington product Myles Gaskin for the first spot in line should an injury befall any of the running backs on the 53-man roster.

The Cardinals signed Ward to the practice squad Sunday, Tadd Haislop of SportingNews.com reports.

The undrafted rookie out of Central Michigan spent the offseason in Arizona. Though he wasn't able to carve out a spot on the initial regular-season roster, he could end up being called upon as an emergency option down the road.

Dobbins is listed as the No. 4 running back on Baltimore's depth chart.

Fellow 2020 draft pick Patrick Queen is listed as a starter at inside linebacker, so it can't be said that the Ravens are universally deferring to veterans on their initial depth chart. However, reports from training camp suggested Dobbins was both busy and impressive on the practice field, and coach John Harbaugh said last week that he expects the rookie to have a significant role on offense. In all likelihood, Dobbins is still in line to take some carries Week 1 against the Browns, presumably mixing in behind starter Mark Ingram. Just to be safe, fantasy managers should check back Sunday morning after inactive lists are released, as there's a decent chance Baltimore will have one of its four running backs among the healthy scratches. Gus Edwards and Justice Hill are the other options, but it is possible Dobbins could be the scratch if the offensive gameplan revolves around Ingram while the other two guys are scheduled for significant work on special teams. Either way, Ingram is the smarter fantasy choice for Week 1.

Rams head coach Sean McVay said Monday he expects to use a three-man backfield "rotation" consisting of Akers, Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson (hamstring) in Los Angeles' Sept. 13 season opener versus the Cowboys, Kevin Modesti of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. "That's a three-back rotation that you feel really good about," McVay said. "Exactly how those carries will be distributed is something we'll determine really as the week progresses and as the game unfolds."

The three-man committee is contingent on Henderson receiving clearance for Week 1, something McVay said he's "optimistic" will happen. Because Henderson missed extensive practice time with the injury, Akers and Brown appear to be the better bets to handle shares of snaps and touches in the season opener as the Rams transition to life after Todd Gurley. Running backs coach Thomas Brown previously said in August that he would like to see one player emerge as a "clear-cut guy who takes the majority of the reps," but any battle for the lead role will extend into the regular season. Akers, a rookie second-round pick, possesses the physical qualities to eventually claim a three-down job. The Florida State product submitted a 4.47-second 40-yard dash time while checking in at 5-foot-10 and 227 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine, and he proved effective as a receiver during his final year with the Seminoles, hauling in 30 of 42 targets for 225 yards and four touchdowns.

Williams is listed as the backup running back behind Aaron Jones on the unofficial depth chart released by the Packers on Monday night.

There were whispers that -- after the Packers drafted running back AJ Dillon in the second round in February -- Williams could be released to open up salary-cap space for the Packers' impending big-name free agents. However, that turned out to be nothing more than speculation, and Williams -- set to become a free agent himself -- will remain in Green Bay for at least another year. Williams saw the field plenty last year despite playing behind Jones, and he figures to reprise a similar role in 2020.

Dillon is listed third, along with Tyler Ervin, on the unofficial depth chart released by the Packers on Monday night.

Dillon was drafted in the second round of April's draft, but it comes as little surprise that he does not occupy a prominent spot on the depth chart heading into Week 1, as both Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams remain on the Packers' roster. Dillon is not likely to be much of a factor in the offense early on, but he is the most powerful of the team's four running backs, so he could be used in short-yardage situations. His role could certainly expand during the season as he gets more familiar with his surroundings, and at just shy of 250 pounds, Dillon will not be much fun to try and bring down when winter weather rolls around.

Washington listed Gibson as the No. 2 running back on the unofficial depth chart the team released Tuesday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

J.D. McKissic sits atop the depth chart heading into Week 1, but his presence there doesn't necessarily mean he'll take Washington's first snap or lead the backfield in carries and touches in Sunday's season opener versus the Eagles. Instead, Washington is expected to make use of a committee of running backs that includes McKissic, Gibson, Peyton Barber and Bryce Love. The latter two backs will likely see most of their use in pure running situations, while McKissic's skills as a pass catcher could allow him to see steady work on three downs. During his final year at Memphis in 2019, Gibson excelled both as a runner (11.2 yards per carry on 33 totes) and receiver (38 receptions for 735 yards and eight scores), so the rookie third-round pick seemingly has the best potential among Washington's four backs to emerge as a three-down option. The uncertainty regarding Gibson's workload early on will make it difficult to depend on him in Week 1 fantasy lineups.

Kamara and the Saints are "extremely close" to coming to terms on a contract extension, which is expected to be finalized before New Orleans' season opener Sunday versus the Buccaneers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Heading into the final year of his rookie deal, Kamara's contract status has been a hot topic in training camp, though the running back himself indicated that his recent four-day absence from practice wasn't due to any dissatisfaction with his current deal. In any case, a long-term deal with the Saints would erase any lingering concern about Kamara entertaining a holdout or being traded ahead of Week 1, a development that would likely have many fantasy managers feeling better about the first-round pick they invested into the 25-year-old. Kamara is on track to continue heading the Saints' ground game in 2020 while serving as one of the NFL's most prolific receivers out of the backfield, and he'll once again have the luxury of working behind a top-tier offensive line.

Jones is listed as the No. 1 running back in the first edition of the Buccaneers' regular-season depth chart released Monday, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

The third-year back will therefore start the new season in the same slotting in which he finished 2019, but the competition around him has been upgraded significantly. Gone is the willing but often pedestrian Peyton Barber -- Jones' main rival for carries last season -- and a pair of ultra-talented assets in Leonard Fournette and LeSean McCoy are now in the fold and slated to see touches in their own right. While McCoy is likely to primarily handle occasional change-of-pace duty and third-down work, Fournette is about as legitimate a competitor for early-down carries as it gets, and rookie third-round pick Ke'Shawn Vaughn is also waiting in the wings. Consequently, Jones naturally will have to produce in every facet each week to retain his current standing.

Hines will begin the season as Indy's primary kickoff and punt returner. He's also listed as the No. 3 running back on the team's initial unofficial depth chart.

Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni has said that Hines will still be a significant part of the offense, but there will be plenty of competition with rookie Jonathan Taylor joining Marlon Mack and Jordan Wilkins in the Indianapolis backfield. Mack and Taylor are expected to be near co-starters, which could leave Hines with a limited number of snaps per game.