NFL Player News

The Cardinals have extended a one-year contract tender to Ward.

With that, Ward, who was poised to become an exclusive rights free agent, is now on track to remain a depth piece in the team's 2022 backfield. Who the 24-year-old will be working behind, however, remains to be seen, with both James Conner and Chase Edmonds both pending unrestricted free agents.

The Dolphins tendered Ahmed, who was an exclusive rights free agent, Tuesday, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

Given his status as an exclusive rights free agent, Ahmed won't be able to negotiate with other teams after being tendered. The 23-year-old running back appeared in 12 contests for the Dolphins in 2021. He totaled 54 carries for 149 yards and added 12 catches on 19 targets for 117 yards. However, he was a healthy scratch for the final four games of the campaign, so it's unclear where he would stand on the depth chart heading into the new league year.

Head coach Pete Carroll wants to re-sign Penny for the 2022 season, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

Penny's situation is unique and possibly unprecedented. After sitting behind Chris Carson (neck) to start his career before suffering a torn ACL in 2019, the 2018 first-round pick finally looked healthy down the stretch in 2022. The 26-year-old recorded 671 yards (7.3 YPC) and six rushing touchdowns over the final five games. Now, he'll be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins March 16. Gregg Bell of The News Tribune believes the Seahawks will prioritize re-signing safety Quandre Diggs and cornerback D.J. Reed before Penny given their clear weakness at defense. The Seahawks have nearly $35 million in salary-cap space heading into 2022, so there is room for all three of them, but it's unclear what type of contract Penny will command given his age. It's worth noting that Carson -- who is on the final year of a two-year, $10.43 million contract -- may be back from a neck injury for training camp, too.

The Giants aren't expected to trade Barkley, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

GM Joe Schoen noted earlier this week that he's at least willing to entertain calls from other teams regarding any player on the team's roster, fueling speculation that Barkley could potentially be dealt. At this stage, it doesn't look like such a move is in the works, with Rapoport reporting Friday that it "doesn't seem like teams have called, doesn't seem like [Schoen] has listened if they have. I don't believe Saquon's going anywhere." Barkley -- the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft -- is in line to earn $7.2 million in 2022 after the Giants exercised the fifth-year option of his rookie contract last April.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said Wednesday that he's "very confident" that Dobbins (knee) will make a healthy return in 2022.

It's unclear at what point Dobbins -- who tore his ACL last August -- will be cleared for full activity, but DeCosta intimated the Ravens have confidence the 2020 second-round pick will eventually re-emerge as the dual-threat running back he was as a rookie. Once Dobbins completes his rehab program, he'll look to reclaim his role in a Baltimore backfield that also has Gus Edwards (knee) and Justice Hill (Achilles) currently under contract for the coming season.

Barkley could be a candidate to get traded this offseason after Giants general manager Joe Schoen said Tuesday that he's at least willing to entertain calls from other teams regarding the running back's availability, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Though they parted ways Wednesday with tight end href="https://www.rotowire.com/football/player.php?id=7246">Kyle Rudolph and running back Devontae Booker, the Giants still have to navigate, some salary-cap issues in advance of the 2022 season. With that in mind, Schoen indicated that he's "open to everything" in terms of roster management. Though any potential transaction involving Barkley is purely speculative at this stage, the 24-year-old's poor durability and waning production following his brilliant 2018 rookie season means that he's not untouchable. Barkley is guaranteed $7.2 million in 2022 after the Giants exercised the fifth-year option of his rookie contract last spring.

Etienne is a bit ahead of schedule in his recovery from left foot surgery, John Shipley of SI.com reports.

Etienne underwent surgery in early September for a Lisfranc injury in his left foot and missed the entire 2021 campaign. Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke didn't provide any specifics regarding the 2021 first-round pick's recovery, but it's nonetheless a good sign Etienne is apparently ahead of schedule. The 23-year-old should have a chance to be ready for the start of training camp this summer, though his outlook is likely to remain a bit uncertain until he's back on the field for some offseason work.

GM George Paton is open to re-signing Gordon, who is poised to become an unrestricted free agent, Field Yates of ESPN reports. "I've had really good discussions with Melvin," Paton noted. "I'd like to have him back."

Gordon, who signed a two-year deal with Denver back in March of 2020, worked in a time-share this past season with 2021 second-rounder Javonte Williams, an arrangement that resulted in both backs logging 203 carries. It remains to be seen if Gordon is amenable to splitting work again in 2022, but if the 2015 first-rounder ends up departing for a chance at a more clear-cut starting assignment, Williams' fantasy stock would get a boost in the process.

Jones restructured his contract with the Packers on Thursday to create roughly $3 million in cap space for the 2022 season, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Green Bay converted $3.85 million of Jones' salary for 2022 into a signing bonus and added two voidable years to the deal. The news comes one day after Kenny Clark agreed to a similarly significant restructure, moves which may signal the team's intention to keep its current roster relatively intact and target another playoff run. Looking ahead to the 2022 campaign, Jones once again stands to be deployed as one of the Packers' top offensive playmakers while sharing backfield work with teammate AJ Dillon.

The Seahawks will sign Thompson to a reserve/future contract Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

After spending time on the Tampa Bay and Kansas City practice squads during the 2021 campaign, Thompson will have a chance to carve out a role in Seattle during the offseason. He appeared in 26 games for the Chiefs during his first two seasons in the league, carrying 64 times for 225 yards and touchdowns and adding 16 receptions for 108 yards and another score.