NFL Player News

By general manager Steve Keim's estimation, Cardinals running back Andre Ellington gained eight to 10 pounds in the offseason. Keim said so during a radio interview with Fox Sports 910. 

These remarks make sense considering Arizona is expected to give Ellington short-yardage work this season. Ellington, one of the faster running backs in the league, weighed in at about 200 pounds last season and rushed for 652 yards on 118 carries. 

With Ray Rice suspended for the first two games of the season, the Ravens have to figure out who will start at running back in his absence, reports ESPN.

The top choice to fill in for Rice is Bernard Pierce. He was limited all offseason after having shoulder surgery, but he looked to be in good shape as the Ravens opened training camp this week. 

"I'm very confident in Bernard. I've always liked Bernard," coach John Harbaugh said. "He's a heck of a player. He’s worked very hard, he’s 217 pounds, [and] he's in the best shape of his life. He looked good out here the last couple of days. We'll know more by Tuesday once we get the pads on and seeing him move with the pads on and how the shoulder holds up -- that'll be important."

Outside of Pierce, the Ravens have Justin Forsett and rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro, but Pierce is the likely starter with Rice out.

"I have a lot of confidence in all of our guys," Harbaugh said.

The Boston Herald has noticed that Patriots running back Brandon Bolden has had two bad practices to begin training camp. He's fumbled twice and had a bad drop. Fumbles were a part of Bolden's rookie training camp as well. 

It's believed Bolden is in the running for the backup running downs job behind Stevan Ridley in camp, but if he keeps fumbling he could be released. 

Jets running back Chris Johnson, who had offseason knee surgery, "looked light on his feet, and fast" at practice Thursday, reports ESPN.com. "I haven't really [gone] 100 percent with the team since I have been here so being able to go out there and run and do all the team periods felt good," Johnson said.

The Jets used him on rushing plays and also lined him up wide as a receiver. Johnson fumbled on a running play but overall "seemed right at home," the website said. "I felt good," Johnson said. "I felt no pain or anything like that."

His main competition for carries, Chris Ivory, sat out with a hamstring problem.

Colts running back Trent Richardson revealed Thursday that he played last season with a chipped collarbone and a separated AC joint, reports ESPN.com. The AC joint is where the collarbone meets the shoulder.

"Toward the end of the season I felt a lot more comfortable, but the other time I was more injured," said Richardson, who had offseason shoulder surgery.

Coach Chuck Pagano said Richardson not only is healthier, but has a much better grasp of the playbook this year.

"He’s a lot more comfortable," Pagano said. "Basically it was survival for him at first, memorization. Now he has a better understanding scheme-wise, why we’re doing things, why we’re calling certain things, how we run plays. He has a better feel for guys he’s playing with, the line, guy in front of him, the fullback. He’s obviously in a much better place."

The Browns added rookie running back Terrance West, offensive linemen Chris Faulk and Jeremiah Warren, and defensive linemen Jacobbi McDaniel to the active roster one day after placing all four on the non-football injury list.

Colts coach Chuck Pagano said he'd like to have a "bell cow" running back this season, but he's not against having a running back by committee, reports ESPN.

The Colts are expected to use Trent Richardson as the starter, but it sounds like if he struggles again then Ahmad Bradshaw or Vick Ballard could have a bigger role.

Even though Browns rookie running back Terrance West landed on the non-football injury list Wednesday because of his conditioning test, he's expected to be on the practice field Friday, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

The report says West is "100 percent healthy'' and will be practicing without restrictions when camp officially opens to the public on Saturday morning.

West, the third-round pick from Towson, will battle Ben Tate for the starting running back in what promises to be a heated battle.

"The best competition might be Ben Tate and our guy from Terrance West from Towson, who I really like," coach Mike Pettine said.

Jets running back Chris Johnson (knee) was medically cleared recently by Dr. James Andrews to participate in training camp, reports ESPN. And he was back on the field Wednesday.

Coach Rex Ryan said Johnson was "flying" in the mandatory conditioning run. The Jets practice Thursday for the first time.

Johnson had surgery this offseason to repair a torn meniscus. As a precaution, the Jets kept him on the sideline in the spring. 

"I'm pretty good," he said of his knee. "I'm ready to do whatever they ask me to do."

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said the team wants receiver Cordarrelle Patterson to touch the ball as often as possible, which includes continuing to return kicks, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

"We want our best players to get their hands on the ball as much as possible. We're not going to keep him from returning kicks because he is such a dangerous weapon there," Zimmer said. "He's been a very hard worker, he has improved his route running since we've been here and things are going to change for these guys in training camp when we are able to start playing bump-and-run. For him to take the next step, we're going to have to see how he gets off a jam and the things that people will try to do to take him away."