NFL Player News
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MarShawn Lloyd RB | GB
Packers' MarShawn Lloyd: Green Bay adds in third round
The Packers selected Lloyd in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 88th overall.
Lloyd had an out-of-control fumbling problem in college at both USC and South Carolina, dropping the ball 11 times on just 291 career touches from scrimmage. If he keeps doing that at the NFL level he quite simply will not play. The good news is that if Lloyd can manage to fix his fumbling problem, then he would have a lot of upside as one of the draft's toolsiest running backs. Lloyd packs memorable explosiveness and anchor onto a dense 5-foot-9, 220-pound frame, and when you pair his 4.46 speed with his low and dense center of gravity, you have a running back who's very difficult to tackle. With Josh Jacobs around there won't be much for Lloyd to do in the near future, but the Packers have an interest in developing Lloyd so that he might hit his upside scenario, even if years down the road.
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Blake Corum RB | LAR
Rams' Blake Corum: Adds competition for Kyren Williams
The Rams selected Corum in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 83rd overall.
This is an interesting pairing as Los Angeles found a diamond in the rough in Kyren Williams in 2022, but Corum was likely the best player available at this stage. Corum had a storied career at Michigan with 3,736 yards on 675 rushes (5.5 YPC) and a whopping 58 scores on the ground, including 27 in his senior season. He's a stout back at a shade under 5-foot-8 and 205 pounds who doesn't have blazing speed but has tremendous vision and runs with exceptional toughness to pick up yards. Pass catching won't be his meal ticket in the NFL, but it doesn't need to be with Williams picking up that part of the offense. Corum is a threat to take carries from Williams right out of the gate, and while this strengthens the Rams backfield significantly, handicapping this backfield will be a headache for fantasy managers.
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Trey Benson RB | ARI
Cardinals' Trey Benson: Lands with Arizona in third round
The Cardinals selected Benson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 66th overall.
Benson (6-0, 216) is the second running back off the board but has a good chance to prove superior to second-round pick Jonathon Brooks of the Panthers. Benson and Brooks have the same height/weight but Benson is significantly faster, boasting a 4.39-second 40-yard dash. Before Benson dominated at Florida State he initially enrolled at Oregon, but he transferred after struggling to return from a late-season ACL, MCL and meniscus tear in 2020. Benson needed the 2021 season to recover and get right again, but he did exactly that and blasted his way to 1,896 yards and 23 touchdowns on just 310 carries over two years with Florida State (6.1 YPC). Benson runs a bit high and durability might always be a concern with him, but there aren't many running backs who combine the power and long-range speed that Benson possesses. He should quickly establish himself as Arizona's primary backup to James Conner.
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Jonathon Brooks RB | CAR
Panthers' Jonathon Brooks: Carolina picks up in second round
The Panthers selected Brooks (knee) in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 46th overall.
All indications are that the recovery is going well, but the most pressing question for Brooks (6-feet, 216 pounds) is how soon he might be 100 percent healthy after suffering an ACL tear November 11. Once he's healthy, the Texas standout will likely be favored for playing time at running back for Carolina, though evidence of him having more ability than either Chuba Hubbard or Miles Sanders is a bit scarce in the meantime. Where Brooks might carve out most of his immediate fantasy value is on passing downs, as he definitely has better pass-catching ability than either Hubbard or Sanders. That skill could particularly serve as a path to snaps, considering the Panthers should spend plenty of time trying to catch up in the second halves of games again in 2024.
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Ezekiel Elliott RB | LAC
Ezekiel Elliott: Meeting with Dallas
Elliott's agent will meet with the Cowboys in Dallas on Wednesday, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports.
The two sides have been connected throughout the offseason, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported last month that Elliott and the Cowboys had mutual interest in a reunion. The Cowboys lost Tony Pollard to the Titans in free agency and only added end-of-roster types Royce Freeman and Snoop Conner to a running back room that includes Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and Malik Davis. Elliott played in all 17 games for the Patriots last season, carrying 184 times for 642 yards and three touchdowns while adding a 51-313-2 receiving line on 65 targets.
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Dare Ogunbowale RB | HOU
Texans' Dare Ogunbowale: Returning to Houston
Ogunbowale re-signed with the Texans on a one-year deal Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
After stints in Washington, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville, Ogunbowale will enter his third straight season in Houston. Primarily used on offense as a third-down back, the journeyman tallied 53 total yards in 2023 while also notably converting on a 29-yard field goal attempt. He will presumably compete for the No. 3 spot on the running back depth chart behind Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce.
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J.K. Dobbins RB | DEN
Chargers' J.K. Dobbins: Should be ready for training camp
Dobbins (Achilles), who agreed to terms with the Chargers on Thursday, "should be" ready for training camp according to GM Joe Hortiz, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network relayed last month that Dobbins -- who suffered a torn Achilles in Baltimore's regular-season opener in 2023 -- has been cleared for football activities, with previous reports having noted that the running back had resumed running this offseason. Based on the assessment of Hortiz on Thursday, Dobbins is still working his way back from his injury; however, if the 2020 second-rounder is able to return to form, he and Gus Edwards (who also came over from the Ravens in free agency) have a chance to provide an effective 1-2 punch in the Chargers' backfield in 2024 under the guidance of offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who both players worked with in Baltimore.
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Nick Chubb RB | HOU
Browns' Nick Chubb: Running on land again
Chubb (knee) resumed running on land within the last week, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Chubb took his rehab to the next level shortly after agreeing last Thursday to a contract alteration that converted a large portion of his scheduled $11.75 million base salary into incentives. He's entering the final season of a three-year extension and still faces a long path to complete his rehab from surgeries in September and November to address ACL, MCL and meniscus injuries in his left knee. It's the same knee in which he suffered a major injury Oct. 2015 -- his sophomore season at Georgia -- and he later had an MCL sprain in the knee Oct. 2020. The Browns hope the 28-year-old is ready for Week 1, but they're also preparing for the possibility of missed time, having added RBs D'Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines (knee) to a roster that still has Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong.
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J.K. Dobbins RB | DEN
Chargers' J.K. Dobbins: Slated to join Chargers
Dobbins (Achilles) agreed Wednesday with the Chargers on a one-year contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
A second-round pick of the Ravens in 2020, Dobbins had two of his first four professional seasons cut short due to an ACL tear in 2021 and then a torn left Achilles in Week 1 of the 2023 campaign. In his 24 career appearances, he's averaged a robust 5.8 yards on 234 carries, gathered in 27 of 35 targets for 177 yards and scored 13 total touchdowns. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache penned a letter to NFL teams in late March noting that Dobbins had received medical clearance to participate in football activities, but his new contract will be contingent on him passing a physical. Once the move west to Los Angeles becomes official, Dobbins will join forces with former teammate Gus Edwards at the top of the depth chart at running back, giving him some fantasy appeal while he works alongside franchise quarterback Justin Herbert.
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De'Von Achane RB | MIA
Dolphins' De'Von Achane: Bulks up during offseason
Achane appears to have added muscle to his frame through his workouts earlier this offseason, Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post reports.
A photo of Achane showing up for OTAs went viral, with some saying he looks much larger than he did during his rookie campaign. It's his second offseason bulking up for football without also considering track and field, though at this point it's unclear how much muscle he's added relative to his weight from the 2023 NFL Combine, where he ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at 188 pounds. Achane averaged 7.8 yards per carry and scored a touchdown per game last season, albeit with injuries (six missed games) and Raheem Mostert's presence (209 carries) limiting the rookie to 103 carries and 27 catches in his 11 appearances. The Dolphins still have Mostert under contract -- along with backups Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed (foot) and Chris Brooks -- but they'll presumably prepare Achane with more of the backfield work in his second NFL season.