NFL Player News

Laird was waived by the Buccaneers on Wednesday, Brianna Dix of the team's official site reports.

Laird signed a reserve/future contract with the team in January after spending last season on the Bucs' practice squad. The 28-year-old hasn't seen NFL action since 2021 with the Dolphins, but he'll now look to secure another opportunity elsewhere ahead of training camp.

Williams (knee) participated in OTAs on Tuesday, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

Williams missed the entire 2023 campaign after tearing in his ACL in an offseason workout, but he looks to have made a full recovery from knee surgery. Since entering the NFL in 2021, Williams has primarily operated as a return man, accumulating 445 punt-return yards and 803 kick-return yards across two seasons. Now that Williams has returned to the field, he's expected to compete for a role on special teams and as a depth option in the backfield.

McIntosh (thumb) will get the opportunity to compete with DeeJay Dallas for Seattle's third-down running back role this offseason, Nick Lee of SI.com reports.

McIntosh dealt with a thumb issue that held him out of the Seahawks' 2023 season finale against the Cardinals, but he seems to be back to full health for OTAs. The 2023 third-round pick appeared in just three games last season, failing to record a single carry while playing 13 total snaps (all on special teams). Heading into Year 2, McIntosh will get a chance to become the Seahawks' primary third-down back, a role that likely won't afford him much usage while both Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet are healthy.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday that Mitchell (knee) won't be ready for the start of training camp but is "on schedule" in his recovery from an ACL tear sustained Week 15 last season, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Harbaugh said Mitchell isn't expected to be ready until "sometime during the season." That's unsurprising given the timing of Mitchell's injury, but fantasy managers should brace for the eventuality that the second-year back isn't available Week 1, or at least not at full strength. Derrick Henry will work as Baltimore's clear No. 1 backfield option, but given that he's 30 years old, the team could want to keep him from the sort of league-leading workload he's handled in the past. If Henry ends up headlining a committee rather than serving as a true workhorse, more opportunities could be available to Mitchell, once healthy. At least to begin the regular season, Justice Hill and rookie fifth-round pick Rasheen Ali (biceps) may serve as the primary complementary options to Henry.

Williams, who is dealing with a foot injury that he sustained while training this spring, per Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register, won't take part in the Rams' offseason program, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

That said, Barshop adds that coach Sean McVay has downplayed Williams' foot issue, noting that it's "nothing to worry about. He'll be ready to go for training camp." As the coming season approaches, the 2022 fifth-rounder remains atop the Rams' RB depth chart, with rookie third-rounder Blake Corum, Boston Scott, Ronnie Rivers and Zach Evans providing the team with backfield depth. Of the aforementioned backups, Corum could be the most notable threat to the 2024 workload of the 5-foot-9, 194-pound Williams.

Coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that Jacobs (hamstring) isn't practicing but should return to the field before too long, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Jacobs was limited during OTAs on Tuesday, but it doesn't sound like the Packers are too concerned about his health. In the meantime, rookie third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd and returning veteran AJ Dillon will get extra backfield reps until Jacobs is ready to go. Jacobs at least worked on the side Tuesday, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, so he's already getting acclimated to his new offense.

Robinson (ankle) is on schedule to be ready for the start of the veteran minicamp June 10, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Robinson suffered an ankle injury during OTAs last Tuesday, but he's only dealing with a minor issue and will be back on the practice field June 10-12. In the meantime, Tyler Allgeier should take most of the starting reps in the backfield, while rookie Jase McClellan (foot) could benefit from expanded opportunities if he's able to get healthy before Robinson. With Kirk Cousins (Achilles) now at the helm of Atlanta's offense, Robinson will be a popular Year 2 breakout candidate in 2024 fantasy drafts.

The Steelers signed Ward to a one-year contract Tuesday.

Ward mainly played special teams across eight regular-season appearances with the Titans in 2023. He'll get a chance to compete for a similar role in Pittsburgh, where Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson stand above him on the backfield depth chart.

Vaughn (ankle) is a candidate to earn more work out of the slot this offseason, Reid Hanson of USA Today reports.

Vaughn only suited up for seven games as a rookie before landing on IR, across which he totaled just 80 yards from scrimmage without a touchdown. Now presumably healthy, the 5-foot-6 running back could have a clearer path to backfield opportunities with Tony Pollard having moved on to Tennessee, even with Ezekiel Elliott now back atop the depth chart. The slot could be a more natural fit for Vaughn, though to emerge as an actual fantasy contributor in Year 2, he'll need to earn more than the occasional designed play.

Perine was waived by the Chiefs on Friday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Kansas City is parting ways with Perine after he rushed for 77 yards on 22 carries while adding three catches for 33 yards in 2023. The 2020 fourth-round draft pick of the Jets spent his first two seasons in New York. Perine will look to latch on with another team prior to training camp.