NFL Player News

Etienne (foot) told reporters Tuesday that he's 85-90 percent recovered from his Lisfranc injury, Hays Carlyon of 1010 AM WJXL Jacksonville reports.

Etienne also said he wouldn't notice the screw in his foot if he didn't already know it was there, per Gene Frenette of The Florida Times-Union. Two weeks prior, new Jaguars coach Doug Pederson told reporters he expects the young running back to participate in offseason workouts, whereas third-year pro James Robinson (torn Achilles) won't participate in OTAs. The extent of Etienne's participation this spring remains to be seen, but the timing of the injuries does mean he's at less risk than Robinson of missing the beginning of the 2022 season. Both figure to have roles when healthy, with Etienne being a 2021 first-round pick and Robinson sitting on 2,403 total yards and 18 touchdowns through two NFL seasons (28 games).

Ward signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals on Monday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Ward's work at running back has been limited during his first two seasons in the NFL -- nine carries for 33 yards and three catches for 34 yards -- but that could change in 2022 with the departure of Chase Edmonds. Currently, the Cardinals have James Conner, Eno Benjamin and Jaylen Samuels under contract, but they've been rumored to be interested in Darrel Williams and could possibly use the draft to bolster their backfield depth as well.

Gordon and Baltimore are in discussions on a potential contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Gordon is coming off back-to-back efficient seasons in Denver, having exceeded 900 rushing yards with at least 4.5 YPC in both years. The soon-to-be 29-year-old could provide Baltimore with some reliability in the backfield, which stands out as a legitimate need. J.K. Dobbins (knee) and Gus Edwards (knee) are recovering from ACL tears, and coach John Harbaugh recently acknowledged the possibility that both could begin training camp on the PUP list. Adding Gordon to the roster would allow the Ravens not only to ease both Dobbins and Edwards along without much pressure, but it would also free up the team to focus on other positions of need in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Gore officially signed his exclusive rights contract tender Thursday, which will keep him with the Chiefs this season, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Gore should provide depth behind fellow Kansas City running backs Clyde Edwards-Helaire and newly-acquired Ronald Jones. The 27-year-old Gore saw the first regular-season action of his NFL career in 2021, registering 51 carries for 256 yards and two touchdowns along with 21 receptions for 80 yards in 11 contests, with Edwards-Helaire in and out of the lineup throughout last season.

The Texans and Mack agreed to a contract Friday, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

A fourth-round pick of the Colts in 2017, Mack worked his way to the top of the depth chart at running back in his second and third seasons, combining for 1,999 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground between 2018 and 2019. Indianapolis then selected Jonathan Taylor in the second round of the 2020 Draft, which was followed by Mack tearing his Achilles in Week 1 of that campaign. Mack only appeared in six games last year, averaging 3.6 yards on his 28 carries, and otherwise was a healthy scratch after Week 8, a late-season bout on the reserve/COVID-19 list aside. In Houston, he'll vie for slotting in the backfield with Rex Burkhead, Royce Freeman and Dare Ogunbowale.

Hines is a candidate to benefit from the Colts' addition of quarterback Matt Ryan, Nate Atkins of the Indianapolis Star reports.

Per Atkins, look for team to utilize Hines in more creative ways, which could include work out of the slot, a scenario that would boost the running back's touches while working behind top option Jonathan Taylor. Per JJ Stankevitz of the Colts' official site, the notion of Hines seeing more work out of the slot has been echoed by GM Chris Ballard, while coach Frank Reich has also suggested that the team will look to find ways to get the ball into the hands of the 2018 fourth-rounder more often. This past season, Hines logged 56 carries for 276 yards and two TDs in 17 games, while catching 40 of his 57 targets for 310 yards and a receiving score. The 25-year-old's catch and target totals last year while working with QB Carson Wentz represented career lows, but with Ryan at the helm, it's reasonable to expect Hines to see an uptick in both categories, and with that, increased PPR utility in 2022.

Vaughn currently slots in as the Buccaneers' No. 2 running back with the recent departure of Ronald Jones in free agency, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Vaughn saw a slight uptick in involvement over that of his rookie 2020 campaign last season, rushing for 180 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries and adding four receptions for 26 yards. The Vanderbilt product then played a sizable role in the wild-card win over the Eagles, carrying 17 times for 53 yards and a touchdown while also recording a pair of receptions. Looking ahead to 2022, it appears we're on the verge of finding out if Vaughn's two-season, low-volume apprenticeship has laid the proper groundwork for what should be a clear-cut No. 2 role behind Leonard Fournette, barring an unforeseen draft pick or free-agent signing disrupting that plan.

The Chiefs have signed Ronald Jones to work in tandem with Edwards-Helaire this coming season, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.

Signing Jones addresses a void in the team's backfield, with Darrel Williams and Jerick McKinnon still unsigned in free agency. The former Buccaneer will now pair with Edwards-Helaire, creating the potential for a time-share that could hamper the weekly volume of the duo, when both are available. That said, in an offense that will no longer have explosive wideout Tyreek Hill to throw to, it's plausible that the Chiefs running backs, including Edwards-Helaire, will be presented with more receiving opportunities in 2022. Though it's possible that the team will continue to bring in additional skill players via free agency and/or the draft, for now things are set up for Edwards-Helaire and Jones to compete for RB slotting this summer.

Ollison signed a one-year deal with the Falcons on Monday.

Ollison finished the 2021 campaign with 21 rushes for 105 yards and one touchdown, while adding four receptions for 12 yards. With Atlanta returning Cordarrelle Patterson and Mike Davis, Ollison figures to compete with free-agent signee Damien Williams for a reserve role to start the 2022 campaign.

Coach John Harbaugh said Monday that there's a "chance" both Edwards (knee) and backfield mate J.K. Dobbins (knee) begin training camp on the PUP list, Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Edwards and Dobbins both suffered torn ACLs last offseason and subsequently spent the entire 2021 campaign sidelined. Though the backfield tandem may not be ready for the start of training camp, it appears that there's not yet reason for concern about either Dobbins' or Edwards' recoveries. "We'll probably play it safe a little bit with those guys and take our time and just bring them along for the season," Harbaugh said. Assuming neither running back encounters any setbacks, Dobbins would be the favorite to operate as the No. 1 option Week 1 of the 2022 season, while Edwards should be primed for a valuable complementary role.