NFL Player News

Jones is facing additional backfield competition from Leonard Fournette, who joined the Buccaneers on a one-year contract Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Jones has put together a strong offseason and appeared to have earned coach Bruce Arians' confidence, but the Buccaneers nonetheless felt it necessary to pursue Fournette once he hit free agency. Arians commented earlier Wednesday that Jones "looks like he can be an all-around back," per Greg Auman of The Athletic, but Fournette's past production (two of three seasons with 1,000-plus rushing yards) surpasses the career-best 724 rushing yards that Jones churned out in 2019. With veteran LeSean McCoy and rookie third-round pick Ke'Shawn Vaughn also both in the mix, Tampa Bay likely will start the season with committee backfield that also includes Dare Ogunbowale as the favorite to handle passing-down work.

Kamara, who returned to practice Wednesday, recently had an injection to help calm some joint inflammation in his back, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Rapoport relays that the back issue is "not considered a big deal at all," a notion supported by Kamara's return to work Wednesday. Assuming his back doesn't flare up again, the main storyline regarding Kamara going forward will be the state of his contract negations. When asked about that matter Wednesday, coach Sean Payton noted that the Saints are actively negotiating with Kamara while remaining focused on him being part of the team's game plan Week 1 against the Buccaneers, according to Field Yates of ESPN.

Kamara returned to practice Wednesday, Amie Just of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

The running back -- who is looking for a new deal -- didn't participate in the team's last three practice sessions, but as expected, he was back at work Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com notes that following a "rift in the negotiations," the two sides "are not that far apart" on a long-term contract extension for Kamara. Though a trade still can't be entirely ruled out, things seemed to have settled down to the point that it appears probable that Kamara will be on the field for the Saints in their regular-season opener Sept. 13 versus the Buccaneers.

Coach Bruce Arians said Wednesday Jones had one bad day of drops but otherwise showcased improved hands and pass blocking throughout training camp, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

The drop-filled practice got a lot of attention, though things simmered down once it was reported that the Bucs' other running backs also were having issues in the passing game. Jones appears to have cleaned things up over the past couple weeks, with Arians noting that the third-year pro "looks like he can be an all-around back," per Greg Auman of The Athletic. If nothing else, Jones should enter Week 1 as the starter and lead runner, opening his season with a road matchup against a Saints defense that limited running backs to 3.7 yards per carry and 64.9 rushing yards per game in 2019.

Kamara and the Saints are "not far apart" in contract negotiations, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Kamara has quickly become the center of attention in the NFL, with his absence from practice initially attributed to an epidural injection in his back but later revealed to be unexcused. The Saints can fine him up to $200,000 for the absences, so he'll return to practice Wednesday while his agent continues negotiations for a contract extension. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network believes the gap between the two sides isn't all that large, noting that the recent fines can be canceled out by the new contract. Jeff Duncan of The Athletic reports the Saints are open to a trade and would want a first-round pick in return, though Duncan also acknowledges that the team's preference is to work out a long-term deal with Kamara.

Kamara will be fined $200,000 for his unexcused absences through the last four days of practice, Josina Anderson of ESPN reports.

Kamara's absence was attributed to an epidural shot in his back by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, which seemed to put the blame on an injury, but the fact he's being fined confirms his days off were unexcused by the team. The 25-year-old is expected to rejoin teammates on the field Wednesday, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Kamara and the team will continue to discuss a new contract.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury said Tuesday that Drake (foot) is close to a return to all activity at practice, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

As a precaution, Drake spent much of last week in a walking boot due to the "normal nicks and bruises" from camp. While he didn't return to drills Friday, he was seen jogging without the aforementioned protective boot. In the end, the goal is to have Drake as healthy as possible and "comfortable with the game plan" before Week 1, so his practice reps could be capped when he returns to the practice field.

Huntley impressed as a between-the-tackles runner during Saturday's scrimmage, Rob Beard of The Detroit News reports.

Given the presence of Kerryon Johnson, D'Andre Swift and Bo Scarbrough, a role in the passing game remains Huntley's easiest path toward seeing the field on offense in 2020. However, Saturday's performance suggests it might not be accurate to pigeon-hole the 5-foot-9 rookie as a scatback, especially after Huntley topped 1,000 yards rushing at 7.1 yards per carry during his final season at New Mexico State in 2019. Should the injury bug strike the top of the depth chart, it's seemingly increasingly possible Huntley could gain fantasy relevance at some point this year.

Kamara is expected to return to practice Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Kamara has not participated in practice since Friday due reasons that were initially called contract-related, but Pelissero now notes that his absence was due to an epidural shot in his back. In any case, if Kamara does rejoin teammates Wednesday it could indicate that he and the team have made some progress in talks. The star running back's decision to resume practicing follows a report by Josina Anderson of ESPN that the Saints would be open to trading Kamara if the two sides can't agree on a long-term deal.

Homer (undisclosed) participated in practice Tuesday, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Just two days removed from sitting out Sunday, Homer rejoined his backfield mates, or at least the healthy bodies in Chris Carson and DeeJay Dallas. Homer himself may be limited, so it's difficult to say whether he can make inroads on Carlos Hyde, who also is dealing with an unknown injury at the moment.