NFL Player News

Jaguars rookie running back Storm Johnson is focusing more on special teams than worrying about his role on the depth chart behind Toby Gerhart, reports the Florida Times-Union.

Johnson is expected to be No. 4 behind Gerhart, Jordan Todman and Denard Robinson, but he's OK with that.

"I'm happy to help my team any way I can – kickoff return, punt coverage, punt return, whatever," said Johnson, a University of Central Florida product, who was drafted in the seventh round. "I'm just trying to get my foot in the door."

Johnson ran for 1,139 yards and 14 touchdowns last season for UCF.

Colts running back Trent Richardson continues to make strides in his progress of getting the offense down pat, a problem he had last season after he was traded to Indy from Cleveland. The official team website reports Richardson is feeling more comfortable. 

"I feel way more fluid, even with the timing," said Richardson on Wednesday. "I didn't know the snap count last year until the fourth week. ... I didn't have the chance to learn 'Why are we doing this? What am I looking at this linebacker, or that linebacker on the backside?' I just had to know where I was running. I didn't know the full reasons. With the timing, it's way easier now. ... I needed this from the beginning."

Teammate Matt Hasselbeck, who saw Marshawn Lynch struggle to adapt to the Seahawks during a midseason trade years ago, said he "would definitely expect his numbers to look better this year."

Buccaneers running back Doug Martin might not be a workhorse for Tampa Bay this season under new offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford, reports the Tampa Bay Times.

Tedford said he believes in alternating running backs, and behind Martin is rookie Charles Sim, Mike James and Bobby Rainey.

"I think you have to alternate," Tedford said Tuesday. "I don’t believe that one back can carry the load. It’s just too physical. I think you probably need to have two to three guys to bring different things to the table. But I think you at least need to have two to be able to spell them here and there and keep them healthy and tat type of thing. That's the goal to try and create some depth right there where there's not a dropoff when one guy comes in and another guy goes out. There's no dropoff. We just keep going."

Martin played in only six games last season before suffering a shoulder injury against Atlanta that eventually landed him on injured reserve. James and Rainey were both productive as replacement backs. Sims, at 6-foot, 214-pounds, is a bigger back who caught more than 200 passes in college.

The Falcons' official team website reports that there will be "no sweeping changes" to the team's run game after finishing 32nd in the league in rush yards in 2013. Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said there wouldn't be an uptick or a downswing in the number of run plays he calls. Instead, he's expecting new players on the O-line and in the backfield to mesh with the old strategy. 

"We're going to be a better running football team, starting with the offensive line and progressing throughout the team," Koetter said. "We'll be more committed to it."

Steven Jackson is expected to be the starter with rookie Devonta Freeman and vet Jacquizz Rodgers behind him. After having a down year that included missing time with an injury, he says he'll be ready. 

"I've always prided myself on being able to go stronger through the game," he said. "With having favorable boxes, which I anticipate, I think we'll be quite OK."

Colts running back Trent Richardson wore a red jersey during the team's OTA practice on Thursday, a precaution after having shoulder surgery this offseason. Richardson also said he weighed as much as 230 pounds last offseason and gained even more before dropping 15 pounds to get to 225 pounds. He worked with the first-team offense in practice. 

"I'm feeling pretty good, it's just up to the coach on whenever I should take the jersey off," Richardson said per ESPN.

Packers running backs DuJuan Harris and Johnathan Franklin were going in different directions on Thursday. Harris was practicing again according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel while Franklin was sidelined. 

The official website of the Buccaneers lays out a scenario where rookie Charles Sims will take "a handful of carries in [Doug Martin's] place and perhaps also (serve) as the third-down back."

This gels with what coach Lovie Smith said about Sims earlier this month, complimenting his hands and saying he "gives us a little more in the passing game than what we've had." 

Sims caught 45 passes for 401 yards and three touchdowns at West Virginia last season. 

Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase made it clear that running back Montee Ball is the starter, but everyone behind him on the depth chart is competing to be the No. 2 guy. 

"I would say everybody behind Montee right now is competing for the second spot. It's wide open," Gase said via a Denver Post video. "Whoever wants to step up and take that spot, that's what we're looking for."

C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman are the primary candidates for the job, though Jerodis Williams , Brennan Clay , Juwan Thompson and Kapri Bibbs are also on the roster. 

Jets running back Chris Johnson, who had January surgery to fix a torn meniscus, will miss all of OTAs but has not been ruled out of the mandatory minicamp June 17-19, reports The Star-Ledger.

"We’ll let it play out," Ryan said. "I know he’s been rehabbing and our trainers have been extremely impressed. (Head trainer John) Mellody had a couple things. One comment was: ‘Oh my goodness, is he fast.’ That’s a good sign. But yeah, I kind of figured that out when he had the fastest time ever (in the 40-yard dash) at the combine. So I knew we’ve got that one checked off."

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians described Andre Ellington as a No. 1 back and said he expects Ellington to receive 25-30 touches per game, reports Fox Sports. While those numbers are surely hyperbole, they're an indication Arians believes Ellington can handle a major workload.

Ellington got 157 touches as a rookie, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and 9.5 yards per catch.