NFL Player News

Ford has received a steady dose of reps at running back over the first few practices at training camp, Anthony Poisal of the Browns' official site reports.

This should not come as a surprise, as the Browns let Kareem Hunt and D'Ernest Johnson walk during the offseason, paving the way for Ford to become the top backup to starter Nick Chubb. Of note, Poisal points out Ford is getting a chance to show off his receiving ability out of the backfield. "A big reason that we drafted him in '22 was because of his ability as a receiver, and we think that he'll be able to play that role really well," Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry said. Ford also worked with kick returners Tuesday.

Carter is optimistic that he will bounce back in 2023 after a tough sophomore season, Andy Vasquez of NJ.com reports.

Carter worked in a change-of-pace role behind Breece Hall early in 2022 but failed to step up after Hall suffered a season-ending ACL tear. The Jets faced stacked boxes due to their poor quarterback play, and Carter found minimal room to showcase his speed, dropping from 964 scrimmage yards in 14 games as a rookie to 690 in 16 appearances in his second season. Hall's still recovering from his knee injury but the Jets drafted Israel Abanikanda in the fifth round in 2023 as additional depth alongside second-year back Zonovan Knight. Even if Hall is healthy by Week 1, Carter's receiving ability should keep him involved in the game plan.

Taylor (ankle) was placed on the active/PUP list Tuesday, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.

The 24-year-old missed six games last season, including the final three, and had arthroscopic debridement surgery on his right ankle in January. It was thought that Taylor would be ready for the start of training camp, so this could be just a procedural move to ease him back into action. However, GM Chris Ballard did not mention Taylor as a PUP candidate earlier Tuesday, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports, so there could be something more at play.

The Bills placed Hines (knee) on the reserve/non-football injury list Tuesday.

Hines was injured in a jet ski accident last weekend and is expected to miss the season after suffering an ACL injury. It's a horrible break for Hines. In the wake of the injury, the Bills have signed veteran RB Darrynton Evans to compete for a job behind James Cook, Damien Harris and Latavius Murray.

Pollard (ankle) is medically cleared for the start of training camp, Patrick Walker of the Cowboys' official site reports.

The Cowboys were confident enough in Pollard's recovery to give him a $10.1 million franchise tag in early March, less than two months after he'd suffered a broken fibula and high-ankle sprain. The running back signed his tag a couple weeks later and doesn't sound too upset that subsequent negotiations never yielded a long-term contract, essentially betting on himself to rebound from the injury and have another big year. The Cowboys certainly seem to be counting on it given that Ronald Jones is the only veteran RB they've brought in since releasing Ezekiel Elliott, who had 231 carries and 12 TDs last year even as Pollard took on a larger role. The Cowboys hope the Memphis product can now take on more volume without losing too much off his excellent efficiency stats (career averages of 5.1 yards per carry and 8.3 yards per catch).

Saints coach Dennis Allen said Tuesday that he doesn't know if or when Kamara will be suspended, Jeff Duncan of The Athletic reports.

A suspension has long been expected for Kamara's involvement in a Feb. 2022 incident, and it could be coming fairly soon after the running back agreed July 11 to plead no contest to a misdemeanor in exchange for having felony charges dropped. Then again, the NFL isn't always quick to decide these things even after a legal case wraps up, so the Saints will need to be prepared for various scenarios this summer. They signed Jamaal Williams in March and then drafted Kendre Miller in the third round in April, devoting significant resources to backfield depth for the first time since Kamara's first couple years in the league.

The Bills have signed Evans, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Evans provides the Bills with added backfield depth in the wake of Nyheim Hines having sustained a knee injury that is expected to sideline him this season. James Cook, Damien Harris and Latavius Murray currently head the team's running back corps, so Evans doesn't have a clear path to steady carries, but the 2020 third-rounder does at least have a chance to absorb some of the change-of-pace work that Hines was slated to handle.

Head coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday that Tucker (cardiac) has been cleared for training camp, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Tucker sat out the NFL Scouting Combine and Syracuse's main Pro Day due to a congenital heart condition, but despite the medical concerns, Tampa Bay signed him as an undrafted free agent at the end of April. The running back remained sidelined during offseason workouts, but the Buccaneers' brass seemed confident he'd be available for training camp. The 22-year-old will indeed be able to practice and play during the preseason and will look to carve out a role in an unproven backfield that includes Rachaad White, Chase Edmonds, Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Patrick Laird and fellow undrafted rookie Ronnie Brown.

Barkley's new one-year, $10.1 million contract with the Giants does not include a "no franchise tag" clause, meaning he could be tagged again after the 2023 season, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Barkley's new one-year deal is worth $10.1 million fully guaranteed, including a a $2 million signing bonus and $1 million of incentives for reaching the marks of 1,300 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns and 65 receptions, per Schefter. Effectively, the deal compensates Barkley the amount of the franchise tag while including $1 million in opportunities to outperform. He met all the specified incentive marks last season, except for 65 receptions (57 in 16 games). While New York could technically tag Barkley again next offseason, the team could also ultimately hesitate to further push the issue of the star running back's frustrations with his lack of a long-term deal. For the 2023 campaign, at least, Barkley is once again locked into a huge do-it-all workload as a focal point in the Giants' offense.

Barkley and the Giants agreed to terms on a new one-year deal worth up to $11 million on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Barkley's new contract includes a $2 million signing bonus and gives him an opportunity to outperform the $10.1 million franchise tag that New York placed on him back in March. Though Barkley and the Giants weren't ultimately able to agree on a long-term contract, this new short-term resolution will be enough to get the star running back to report to training camp, and it guarantees his presence Week 1. Beyond the 2023 season, Barkley's tenure in New York remains clouded. For the immediate future, though, the 26-year-old is locked in for another elite workload as the focal point in this Daniel Jones-led offense. Barkley averaged a career-high 18.4 carries per game last year.