NFL Player News

McKinnon agreed Wednesday with the 49ers on a four-year, $30 million contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

McKinnon was set to be a second or third option if he returned to the Vikings with Dalvin Cook (knee) set to return in 2018 and Latavius Murray still in the fold, but now he'll at least have a shot to compete for the primary job in the San Francisco backfield. The size of the contract suggests McKinnon will enter camp as the favorite for lead-back status, ahead of Matt Breida, Joe Williams, Jeremy McNichols and Raheem Mostert (knee). Of course, there's still time for the Niners to supplement their running-back stable in free agency or the draft.

The Jaguars placed a second-round tender on Grant, a restricted free agent, John Oehser of the Jaguars' official site reports.

Grant went undrafted back in 2015, which means the Jaguars wouldn't have received compensation if they'd used an original-round tender and failed to match an offer sheet. The $2.9 million second-round tender seems like a lot to pay for a third-string running back, but it makes sense after accounting for Grant's value on special teams, where he's been particularly useful on trick plays from the punt protector spot. He's also done well with his limited opportunities on offense, perhaps setting him up to challenge T.J. Yeldon for backup work now that Chris Ivory is out of the picture.

The 49ers have tendered a one-year contract to Mostert (knee), an exclusive-rights free agent, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Primarily a special teamer, Mostert had six carries for 30 yards in 11 games last season, ultimately landing on injured reserve in late November due to a knee injury. He should be back to compete for a spot at the bottom of the depth chart, but there's not much reason to think he'll be a factor in the backfield, regardless of what happens with impending free agent Carlos Hyde.

Ekeler's broken left ring finger has healed, allowing him to go through a daily offseason workout regimen while completing his degree at Western State Colorado, ESPN.com's Eric Williams reports.

Signed as an undrafted rookie last year, Ekeler earned a role on passing downs in October and made the most of his limited opportunities from that point on. He finished with 47 carries for 260 yards (5.5 average) and two touchdowns and caught 27 of 35 targets for 279 yards (8.0 YPT) and another three scores, despite being limited to special teams work while nursing a broken finger Weeks 16 and 17. Melvin Gordon has proven to be a useful receiver in his own right, but Ekeler figures to enter the offseason as the favorite for playing time in obvious passing situations. Anything more feels like e a stretch, given that Chargers coach Anthony Lynn recently mentioned he'd like to add another running back to help alleviate Gordon's workload on the ground, Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times reports. Ekeler's efficient work last season may not have been enough to convince the Chargers that he can develop into something more than a passing-down specialist.

Martin made a good impression in a recent face-to-face meeting with Raiders coach Jon Gruden, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Martin had two huge seasons and four clunkers in his six years with Tampa Bay, plagued by a mixture of off-field issues and on-field inefficiency. He managed just 2.9 yards per carry and three touchdowns on 138 carries last season, eventually losing the lead-back job to Peyton Barber down the stretch. As expected, the Bucs released Martin in February, allowing him to negotiate with other teams before the start of the free agency period March 14. It's no surprise that he remains unsigned, as back-to-back ugly seasons leave him somewhere in the middle of the crop of available running backs. Gruden apparently has some interest, but he's also expressed a desire to retain incumbent Marshawn Lynch. It's hard to see how the two would fit together, unless Martin were merely brought in on the cheap as a clear backup. The 29-year-old presumably hopes to find a team that will give him a shot to compete for its lead role. Oakland would become a strong fit if Lynch were to retire or be released in the coming weeks.

With news that the Titans will release DeMarco Murray, Henry is in line to head the Titans backfield in 2018.

Henry now tops a running back depth chart that also includes David Fluellen and Khalfani Muhammad, with the Titans likely to add further depth at the position in free agency and/or the draft. With Murray no longer around to contend with, Henry -- health permitting -- should easily eclipse the 176 carries (for 744 yards) that he logged in 2017. At 6-foot-3, 247 pounds, the 2016 second-rounder should have no problem handling the added workload in store. With the increased opportunity now at hand, Henry's fantasy prospects are clearly on the rise in advance of the coming NFL season.

Green could remain a part of the Lions' backfield mix in 2018, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

An undrafted rookie last season, Green make his NFL debut until December, at which point he took 42 carries for 165 yards and two touchdowns over the final five weeks of the season. The Lions likely hope to find an upgrade in the backfield during the offseason, but it isn't out of the question that they devote resources to other positions and simply allow Green, Ameer Abdullah and Dwayne Washington to compete for carries in training camp. The 220-pound Green is more powerful than Abdullah, but Green's lack of pass-catching skills will make it tough to earn anything more than a bit role in the Detroit offense.

Gillislee may be a cap casualty for the Patriots during the offseason, Jake Levin of NBC 10 Boston reports.

Signed to a two-year, $6.4 million contract last April, Gillislee opened 2017 as the Patriots' lead runner and scored four touchdowns the first two weeks, but averaged only 3.7 yards per carry on the season and mostly served as a healthy scratch from October onward. The 27-year-old does have a couple things working in his favor, with his front-heavy contract carrying a modest 2018 cap charge of approximately $2.2 million, while teammates Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead are set to become unrestricted free agents. Even if both players head elsewhere and Gillislee is retained, the Patriots likely will find a draft pick or free agent to provide competition for carries. James White is locked in as the Patriots' pass-catching specialist and is signed through 2020.

Ogunbowale was waived by the Redskins on Tuesday.

Ogunbowale spent the final two weeks of the regular season on Washington's 53-man roster but was not active for either game. The former Wisconsin Badger will look for a new landing spot heading into his sophomore professional season.

McCaffrey likely will have a new backfield partner in 2018, though he could see more touches as a result of Jonathan Stewart's recent release, Max Henson of the Panthers' official website reports. "I think you do need to have that in the NFL today," Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine. "It's tough to have one guy that just dominates a game. You have to have guys that have similar characteristics but also do something special that can separate them."

McCaffrey had nearly as many targets (113) as carries (117) in his rookie season, with 59.9 percent of his 1,086 scrimmage yards and five of his seven touchdowns coming through the air. His mark of 3.7 yards per carry may not seem to beg for an expanded role in the rushing attack, but he at least was more effective than the recently released Stewart, who managed just 3.4 yards per tote. The Panthers likely want McCaffrey to take on a portion of Stewart's vacated carries, with the rest going to Cameron Artis-Payne, a draft pick or a free-agent signing. The No. 8 overall pick from last year's draft figures to take on more work in Year 2, but a regular three-down role shouldn't be assumed.