NFL Player News

Anderson suggested Friday on Twitter that he doesn't expect to re-sign with the Rams.

While it isn't clear the two events are related, Anderson's tweet was posted about an hour after Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Rams will match Detroit's two-year, $3.25 million offer sheet for running back Malcolm Brown, who missed Weeks 14-17 and all of the playoffs after he suffered a broken clavicle in early December. His injury opened the door for the Rams to sign Anderson, who then took over the starting gig when Todd Gurley (knee) suffered an injury of his own. Anderson's strong performance in December theoretically boosted his value, but Friday's string of tweets suggest he's frustrated with an inability to find a secure workload as a free agent. The 28-year-old running back points out that he's never had the chance to handle a lead role without sharing a significant portion of carries with a younger player. Anderson should't have too much trouble drumming up interest, but he'll likely have to settle for a backup role and/or another opportunity to earn his snaps.

Abdullah is re-signing with Minnesota, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM Radio reports.

Cut by Detroit midway through the 2018 season, Abdullah quickly resurfaced in Minnesota, where he played six snaps on offense and 86 on special teams in seven games. He's never lived up to his second-round draft status, but the ability to return and cover kicks would make him a sensible choice for the No. 3 running back spot. The Vikings recently lost Latavius Murray to the Saints, leaving them with Abdullah, Mike Boone and Roc Thomas as depth options behind Dalvin Cook. With additional competition sure to come later this offseason, Abdullah will need to reprove his value on special teams.

Pressley is the AAF rushing leader through six weeks, with 75 carries for 343 yards (4.6 average) and one touchdown for the Arizona Hotshots.

Pressley also has nine catches for 72 yards and two scores, making a decent case to get another look in the NFL once the AAF season is over. He went undrafted out of New Mexico in 2016 and subsequently bounced around from Minnesota to Green Bay to Atlanta to New York. The 26-year-old has never made an appearance in an NFL regular-season game, though he did land on the Packers' 53-man roster for Week 1 of 2016.

Richardson has 91 carries for 227 yards (2.5 average) and nine touchdowns in six games for the Birmingham Iron of the AAF, adding 26 receptions for 186 yards (7.2 average) and another score.

Richardson leads the upstart league in both carries and touchdowns and also ranks fourth in catches, yet he's producing just 68.8 scrimmage yards per game. His strong work at the goal line might attract some interest from NFL teams, but the ugly mark of 2.5 YPC doesn't exactly beg for the 2012 first-round pick to be viewed as anything more than a camp body this summer.

The 49ers and Mostert reached an agreement on a three-year contract Friday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

With running backs dropping like flies in San Francisco last season, Mostert got an opportunity to show his worth, churning out 7.9 YPC and one touchdown on 33 carries in five games between Weeks 5 and 9. In that latter contest, though, he suffered a gruesome broken right forearm, which prematurely ended his campaign. A restricted free agent entering the offseason, he was tendered last week and eventually came to terms on a longer deal this week. He may have a tough time getting touches in a backfield populated by Jerick McKinnon (knee), Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida (ankle) in the fall, but Mostert's special-teams prowess will help him be active on game days.

Barner signed a one-year contract with the Falcons on Thursday, Will McFadden of the team's official site reports.

Barner played in nine games between the Panthers and Patriots in 2018, carrying the ball 19 times for 71 yards. The six-year pro will provide depth in a Falcons' running back room that includes Devonta Freeman (groin), Ito Smith, Brian Hill and Jeremy Langford. He appears to have recovered after landing on IR with a knee injury Week 17 last season.

The 49ers signed Tevin Coleman to join McKinnon (knee) and Matt Breida (ankle) at running back, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Speaking a couple weeks ago, coach Kyle Shanahan said he expects McKinnon to handle the lead backfield job in 2019, with the prized signing from last offseason making good progress in his recovery from the ACL tear he suffered Sept. 1. The addition of Coleman creates some doubt about the 49ers' confidence in Breida and McKinnon, but there hasn't been any suggestion the latter is in danger of being released before Apr. 1 when his 2019 base salary ($3.7 million) will become guaranteed. Assuming he sticks around and makes a full recovery, McKinnon will be part of a three-way battle for playing time this summer.

The 49ers signed Tevin Coleman to join Breida (ankle) and Jerrick McKinnon (knee) in the backfield, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

It's a bit odd for the 49ers to invest in another B-level running back, considering Breida was excellent in 2018 and McKinnon is entering the second season of a four-year, $30 million contract. To be fair, none of the three running backs has a track record of holding up to a workhorse role, so there's a decent case to be made for throwing numbers at the position. Breida's 2018 mark of 5.3 yards per carry would seem to give him a strong argument for first crack at the lead job, but there's no guarantee it plays out that way this spring/summer. He appears to have avoided offseason surgery for the ankle injury that lingered throughout last season.

Latavius Murray will replace Mark Ingram as Kamara's complement in the New Orleans backfield, ESPN.com's Mike Triplett reports.

The team's willingness to accept a modest downgrade at a lower price is a sign of confidence in Kamara, who has yet to miss a game due to injury through two seasons. He more than held his own with an increased workload in 2018, averaging 4.6 yards on 194 carries and 8.8 yards on 81 catches -- good for 18.3 touches per game. While a modest workload increase for 2019 seems perfectly reasonable, it's quite clear the Saints don't want Kamara in the same range as Ezekiel Elliott (25.4 touches per game) or even Todd Gurley (22.5) and Saquon Barkley (22). Even so, Kamara's phenomenal per-touch production should keep him as an easy top-10 pick for 2019 fantasy drafts.

The Ravens signed Mark Ingram to join Edwards and Kenneth Dixon in the backfield, ESPN.com reports.

Coach John Harbuagh referred to Edwards as his No. 1 running back a couple weeks ago, but it's pretty clear that won't be the case unless Ingram misses time with an injury. The 29-year-old former Saint is coming off four straight seasons with at least 4.6 yards per carry and six rushing touchdowns, and he's also far more proven than Edwards and Dixon in terms of blocking and receiving (228 career receptions). The team should still have a role for Edwards in a run-heavy offense, but he'll presumably be competing for the No. 2 job instead of the starting gig.