NFL Player News

Dobbins (Achilles) said he feels 100 percent healthy heading into the offseason program, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

"I've had these injuries, and it's been a storm," Dobbins said. "But I think the storm is over with, and I think I'm going to take off now. There's going to be no setbacks, and the 'injury prone' thing will be gone out of the window." Since being drafted in the second round by the Ravens in 2020, Dobbins has missed a whopping 43 games to various significant injuries, including a torn ACL, torn LCL, severe hamstring strain and a torn Achilles tendon. To say the injury-prone label is behind him might be wishful thinking, as his body has yet to cooperate with him to this point. The 25-year-old Dobbins joined Gus Edwards in following offensive coordinator Greg Roman from Baltimore to the Chargers, so he will at least be in a familiar scheme.

Brown appears primed to work as the top backup to Zack Moss following the 2024 NFL Draft, Paul Dehner of The Athletic reports.

The Bengals didn't select a single running back across 10 picks in this year's draft, so even if the team brings in a handful of talented UDFAs, Brown looks like a notable winner for fantasy purposes. He flashed across 12 appearances as a rookie last season, and while Moss' experience with a large workload and on third downs may make him the favorite for the No. 1 role, Brown's short-area burst could make him an effective complementary option. If Brown can put together a solid offseason and push for increased touches, he could be an interesting late-round sleeper in 2024 drafts.

Moss retains his position atop the Bengals' backfield depth chart following the 2024 NFL Draft, Paul Dehner of The Athletic reports.

Moss inked with Cincinnati as a free agent back in March, and though the team will certainly add some UDFAs to the mix, he has to be considered a huge winner for fantasy after the Bengals opted not to spend a single draft pick on the running back position. Coming off a breakout season with the Colts, Moss looks primed for a high-volume role considering his experience between the tackles and on third downs, while Chase Brown could act as a more explosive complement out of the backfield. Both could be intriguing fantasy sleepers in 2024 drafts.

Sanders faces competition from rookie second-round pick Jonathon Brooks (knee) for backfield work during the 2024 season, Joseph Person of The Athletic reports.

Sanders was overtaken by Chuba Hubbard down the stretch of the 2023 season, in which he logged a career-low 129 carries for 432 yards (3.3 YPC) and one touchdown, so the arrival of Brooks could impact his opportunities. First-year coach Dave Canales said the Panthers plan to deploy all three backs, and Brooks is working his way back from an ACL tear, so Sanders' primary competition for touches could be Hubbard to begin the year. It's easy to imagine a scenario, though, where Brooks earns himself a more solidified role atop the depth chart once he's fully healthy.

Rams coach Sean McVay said Saturday that third-round pick Blake Corum reminds him a lot of Williams (hand), Stu Jackson of the team's official site reports.

McVay isn't the first to make that comparison, and while it's arguably a compliment that the Rams sought out a similar player, it also means Williams could cede more work to backups than he did last year. The comparison between the two players is imperfect, with Corum being an inch shorter yet 11 pounds heavier (based on combine measurements) and having enjoyed a far more prolific college career in terms of rushing stats. On the other hand, Williams was much more active as a pass catcher in his college days, and he's since proven to be a quality player at the NFL level, scoring 15 TDs in 12 games last season while averaging a league-high 95.3 rushing yards per game. He thus figures to remain the lead back, though he now has much lower odds to match the massive snap shares he handled last season (90 percent or higher five times, 77 percent or higher nine times). The hand fracture Williams suffered in a playoff loss to Detroit shouldn't impact his preparation for 2024.

Following the recent NFL Draft, Edwards profiles as the Chargers' lead back as the 2024 season approaches, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

In the wake of the offseason departure of prior lead back Austin Ekeler, the Chargers backfield has undergone an overhaul, with Edwards and J.K. Dobbins -- both former Ravens -- arriving via free agency and Kimani Vidal through this year's draft, joining returnee Isaiah Spiller, a 2022 fourth-rounder. In that context, Popper suggests that Edwards, who GM Joe Hortiz described as a "bell cow" back in March, is in line to get the bulk of the team's work out of the gate this season as Dobbins bounces back from his Achilles' injury and Vidal and Spiller make their cases to carve out complementary roles in the Los Angeles offense.

The Cowboys are signing Ezekiel Elliott to join Dowdle in a backfield that otherwise lacks experienced players and early draft picks, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

The Zeke reunion has been in the works for weeks, but most people still expected the Cowboys to add at least one running back during the 2024 NFL Draft. They ultimately didn't select one, leaving Royce Freeman, Malik Davis, Snoop Conner and 2023 sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn as the competition behind Elliott and Dowdle. An undrafted free agent or two likely will be added to that mix, but it should still be a favorable situation for Elliott and Dowdle to earn playing time.

Cook is slated to be joined by rookie fourth-rounder Ray Davis in the Bills backfield this coming season, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

Cook is coming off a 2023 regular season in which he carried 237times for 1,122 yards and two TDs to go along with 44 catches for 445 yards and four more scores in 17 games. With veteran backs Latavius Murray and Damien Harris no longer in the mix, Davis should have an opportunity to step into a complementary role behind Cook, while potentially claiming a share of the team's short-yardage work. Also in the team's backfield mix are Ty Johnson, Darrynton Evans and reported UDFA signing Frank Gore Jr., though none is likely to prevent Cook from maintaining steady enough volume in his third pro season.

Following the 2024 NFL Draft, White continues to profile as the Raiders' top backfield option, Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic report.

Since the end of last season, the Raiders notably bid adieu to Josh Jacobs, who had served as the team's top RB since 2019. Following free agency and the draft, White remains projected to pace the team's rushing corps in 2024, with newcomer Alexander Mattison on hand to work in a complementary role, while Ameer Abdullah and rookie sixth-rounder Dylan Laube profile as change-of-pace options. Though it remains to be seen how much volume White yields to his teammates, the 2022 fourth-rounder nonetheless appears poised to see a significant enough uptick in touches (after recording 104 carries and 15 catches in 17 regular-season games in 2023) to maintain weekly fantasy utility this coming season.

The Panthers are slated to sign Shirden as an undrafted free agent, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Shirden is on the small side at 5-foot-8 and 187 pounds but was named a first-team All-American in both of his final two seasons at Monmouth, rushing 427 times for 3,200 yards and 23 touchdowns in that span. He didn't do much in the pass game, catching just 25 career passes. Shirden is likely going to need to make an impression on special teams to stick in Carolina.