NFL Player News

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said Friday that Elliot (knee) "looks great" during Dallas' offseason workouts, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

Elliot played through a partially torn PCL during the 2021 campaign, but he's expected to be fully healthy by training camp. McCarthy added that the veteran running back was clocked at 22 MPH during a workout Tuesday, but the team hasn't been doing any contact drills. After struggling the last two years, a healthy offseason could bode well for a potential bounce-back season from Elliott in 2022.

Gaskin has further competition for backfield snaps following the Dolphins' signing of Sony Michel, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN reports.

The Dolphins previously added Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert (knee) this offseason, while fellow returnee Salvon Ahmed received a contract tender from the team. Collectively, the moves provide first-year coach Mike McDaniel with a deep backfield with which to work, but in terms of Gaskin's fantasy prospects, steady volume figures to be an issue when all the key RB cogs are available. The 25-year-old led Miami with 173 carries (for 612 yards) in 17 games last season while adding 49 catches for 234 yards and recording seven total TDs in that span.

The Ravens have withdrawn their one-year contract tender previously extended to Williams, making him a free agent, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Williams becomes a free agent after just one season with the Ravens in which he tallied 35 carries for 185 yards and one touchdown over 13 games. The second-year running back will turn 26 years old at the start of this coming season and was likely crowded out of Baltimore's running back room due to the drafting of Missouri running back Tyler Badie and addition of free agent Mike Davis. Williams will likely look to sign with a new active roster or possibly a team's practice squad, where he can compete for running back reps heading into the regular season.

Spiller profiles as the front-runner for the Chargers' No. 2 running back job behind starter Austin Ekeler, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

With last year's top backup Justin Jackson not having been re-signed, there's a path for Spiller to claim the No. 2 role behind Ekeler. To do so, the Texas A&M product will have to beat out both Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree, but that's a plausible outcome, given that Spiller -- who the Chargers list at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds -- supplements his physical and elusive running style with solid enough hands to contribute as a pass-catcher. As long as Ekeler remains healthy, Spiller -- who is bouncing back from a strained adductor muscle -- may not see steady volume, but if he indeed slots in ahead of Kelley and Rountree, the 2022 fourth-rounder would be a candidate to see an uptick in fantasy value in the event that Ekeler misses time for any reason.

The Jets signed Knight as an undrafted free agent Friday, Ethan Greenberg of the Jets' official site reports.

Knight appeared in 12 games at NC State last year and rushed 140 times for 753 yards and three touchdowns while securing 21 of 25 targets for 156 yards. He'll compete for a role with the Jets in 2022, and he could be a candidate to serve as a returner in the NFL.

Drake is bouncing back well from the broken ankle he suffered last year, Tashan Reed and Vic Tafur of The Athletic report.

Drake appeared in 12 games with the Raiders last season prior to undergoing season-ending surgery on his broken right ankle. While it remains to be seen if he'll have any initial limitations in practice, barring any setbacks, the 28-year-old should be well past the injury ahead of Week 1. This coming season, Drake will reprise his complementary role in Las Vegas' backfield, a context that gives him a degree of PPR utility while working behind top early-down back Josh Jacobs. Also in the mix for running back touches are the versatile Brandon Bolden and 2022 fourth-rounder Zamir White. White's role out of the gate figures to hinge on his ability to improve as a receiver and display aptitude as a blocker, but for now we'd expect that Drake's experience and ability as a receiver should give him a place in the team's offense under new coach Josh McDaniels.

The Jets waived Walter on Friday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Walter finished the 2021 campaign with 26 rushes for 101 yards and a touchdown while catching two of three targets for nine yards across four appearances. It's possible New York opts to bring the 25-year-old back on its practice squad, but its running back room is now crowed with the addition of second-round pick Breece Hall.

Dillon (ribs) and Aaron Jones could split the work "50-50" in the Packers' backfield in 2022, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic suggests.

Jones played 52 percent of the snaps to Dillon's 43 percent in 2021, but with Dillon ascending, Schneidman believes those numbers will be even closer in the season ahead. Dillon's 2021 campaign was cut a couple quarters short by a broken rib, but no issues have been reported since, so he should be ready to go when the Packers begin offseason team activities later this month.

Coach Ron Rivera said Thursday he hopes Gibson and rookie third-round pick Brian Robinson will operate as a "potential 1-2 punch," Grant Paulsen of The Athletic reports.

Rivera likened the new backfield tandem of Gibson and Robinson to Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, who operated as a formidable duo during his time as the Panthers' head coach. Gibson was already primed have his receiving upside limited by pass-catching complement J.D. McKissic, who opted to stick around in Washington, and it now looks like he isn't a complete lock to dominate the bulk of work between the tackles. While Gibson remains entrenched atop the depth chart, having rushed for 1,037 yards and seven touchdowns through 16 games last year, his fantasy outlook will take a notable hit if Rivera indeed deploys a three-headed backfield committee for the 2022 season.

Allgeier should have a chance to make an impact as a rookie after the Falcons released Mike Davis earlier this week, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

The Falcons' running back depth chart is currently topped by converted wideout Cordarrelle Patterson, but there's an opportunity for Allgeier to carve out a key complementary role out of the gate. The fifth-round pick showcased an ability to generate yards after contact during his college days at BYU and caught the eye of head coach Arthur Smith leading up to the draft. Damien Williams and Qadree Ollison are also part of Atlanta's backfield mix, but either or both players could be cut prior to Week 1 with limited ramifications. With that in mind, Rothstein suggests the possibility that Allgeier could make a run at the starting job heading into the regular season, but such an outcome would presumably hinge on the 5-foot-11, 224-pound back impressing the coaching staff this summer in addition to Patterson missing time with an injury.