NFL Player News

Jackson will face competition from 2023 fifth-round draft pick Evan Hull for the pass-catching role out of the backfield, The Athletic reports.

While Hull was just a Day 3 pick, he's seen as a skilled receiver with 94 receptions for 851 yards in his college career at Northwestern. Jackson rushed 68 times for 236 yards and one touchdown while catching 30 of 34 targets for 209 yards and one touchdown last season. He returned for the veteran minimum, so he's not a lock to make the roster if Hull wins a larger role. However, Jonathan Taylor should get the vast majority of playing time and leave few touches for the rest of the backfield.

Shampklin was waived by the Colts on Tuesday.

Shampklin's NFL career started with the Cowboys last spring when he was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Harvard. However, after suffering an ankle injury in the preseason the rookie was waived with an injury settlement, and ultimately signed with the Colts' practice squad last December. The 23-year-old failed to make an appearance on the 53-man roster and despite inking a reserve/future deal with the team in January, he'll now need to find a new opportunity with another franchise.

Evans was waived by the Colts on Tuesday.

Evans just signed with the team in March. The 24-year-old appeared in six games for the Bears last season, recording 14 carries for 64 yards and a catch for 33 yards on his only target. A third-round pick of the Titans in 2020, he'll now look for a new opportunity elsewhere.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Monday that Walker and rookie Zach Charbonnet "will be battling", Seattle Sports 770 reports. "We're gonna find out how far [Charbonnet] can take it in terms of the receiving part of it," Carroll said. "We know he's really good at it. But so is Kenneth, so those guys will be battling."

It isn't quite clear from Carroll's comment if he's referring to competing for playing time in general or specifically on passing downs. Charbonnet, an incoming second-round pick, caught 61 passes in two seasons at UCLA, whereas Walker (a 2022 second-rounder) had only 19 receptions in three seasons between Wake Forest and MSU. Walker did catch 27 balls as a rookie, though for only 165 yards (6.1 per catch, 4.7 YPT) while doing nearly all of his damage on the ground to the tune of a 228-1,050-9 rushing line. The impressive running makes him a strong favorite to keep the starting job and lead role, but there's no question a prospect of Charbonnet's caliber poses a threat to Walker's touch volume. A split between the two could be problematic for fantasy managers, especially if the Seahawks settle on DeeJay Dallas or seventh-round rookie Kenny McIntosh as their third-down/hurry-up specialist ahead of Walker or Charbonnet.

Haskins will have competition for the backup running back role after the Titans selected Tyjae Spears in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Titans selected Haskins in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and his primary contribution in his rookie campaign was as a kick returner. He may be limited to that role once again after Tennessee selected Spears, a well-regarded runner out of Tulane, in the third round of the 2023 Draft. Due to his ability on special teams, Haskins' spot on the roster should remain safe even if he's bumped down the running back depth chart.

Laborn is in line to sign with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent.

Laborn found success during his final season at Marshall, totaling 1,513 yards and 16 touchdowns on 302 carries. He also tacked on 16 receptions for 116 yards. Laborn will join fellow undrafted free agent Ronald Awatt as San Francisco adds depth at running back.

Evans signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent Monday, Stu Jackson of the team's official site reports.

After not hearing his name called during the 2023 Draft, Evans will join the Rams for their offseason program. In his lone year at Louisville, Evans caught the ball 83 times for 525 yards and six touchdowns.

Chiefs GM Brett Veach said Monday that he "wouldn't be surprised" if the team re-signs McKinnon soon, Jordan Foote of Arrowhead Report reports.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network expects it to happen, and Veach himself mentioned the possibility less than two weeks ago. McKinnon turns 31 on Wednesday, and while he's lost much of the athleticism that made him a Workout Warrior and third-round pick back in 2014, the Chiefs seem to like what he offers on passing downs. He was the team's primary receiving back at times in 2021, then took over the role on a more permanent basis in 2022 en route to a 56-512-9 receiving line and 72-291-1 rushing line. It'll be a major surprise if he approaches double-digit TDs again, but McKinnon could have some fantasy value if he locks down a similar role, particularly in PPR leagues. Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire again appear to be the primary competition for backfield snaps, as the Chiefs didn't draft any running backs and haven't signed any veterans this offseason.

Following the 2023 NFL Draft, Harris is in line to work in a Buffalo backfield that also includes James Cook, Nyheim Hines and Latavius Murray, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

Given that last season's top rusher Devin Singletary is now with the Texans, the Bills backfield is in transition, with both Getzenberg and Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic indicating that Cook, a 2022 second-rounder, is expected to have an opportunity to carve out a lead role in 2023. That said, as long as Harris remains healthy, he'll have a chance to absorb a decent share of early down and short-yardage touches, with Hines on hand as a change-of-pace option and Murray providing another early down option in the event that Cook or Harris misses any time. Additionally, the team gained further RB depth after the draft by signing UDFA Jordan Mims.

Buffalo signed Murray to a one-year contract Monday.

Murray provides quality veteran depth for the Bills after the team passed on adding a running back in the 2023 NFL Draft. The 33-year-old averaged 4.4 YPC across 12 games with Denver last season, to the tune of 703 rushing yards and five touchdowns, with Javonte Williams (knee) having gone down early in the year. With Buffalo, he profiles as a depth option behind Damien Harris, James Cook and Nyheim Hines.