NFL Player News

The Raiders selected Leatherwood in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 17th overall.

This comes as a bit of a surprise given that Virginia Tech's Christian Darrisaw and Oklahoma State's Teven Jenkins were still on the board, but Leatherwood nonetheless fills a need. The Alabama product won the Outland Trophy as the nation's best offensive lineman as a senior in 2020 and has experience at both guard and tackle. His projection to the next level is a bit trickier, though, as there are questions regarding his ability to handle speed rushers. He's still a powerful blocker with size to stick at tackle or guard and is an instant improvement to a revamped Las Vegas line.

The Giants exercised the fifth-year option on Barkley's (knee) contract Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Barkley will earn a shade over $7.2 million guaranteed during the 2022 campaign as a result of the transaction. Currently in the midst of his recovery from a torn ACL suffered Week 2 of last season, Barkley is on pace to be ready for Week 1 of the upcoming campaign. At the moment, Devontae Booker is the primary backup to Barkley, though the complexion of the Giants' running-back room could change following this weekend's NFL draft.

Barkley (knee) is on track to be ready for the start of the upcoming season, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The Giants' star running back tore his ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 season, but his recovery is apparently progressing well enough that he's expected to be available for Week 1 action. As Thursday's NFL draft approaches, Barkley's top backup is Devontae Booker, but it's possible that the team will add further backfield depth with one of its six 2021 selections.

Jones will share backfield duties again with Leonard Fournette in 2021 after the latter re-signed with the Buccaneers on a one-year deal on March 26, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Jones logged a team-high 192 carries in 2020, with Fournette a distant second with 97 attempts while appearing in just one fewer game. However, the latter took off in the postseason, beginning with a wild-card win over Washington that Jones missed after suffering a quadriceps pull in pregame warmups. Given Fournette's productivity at the most critical time of year and his superior pass-catching skills, Jones could find himself in a much closer timeshare arrangement in the coming campaign.

Foreman had a tryout with the Seahawks on Monday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

The 25-year-old appeared in six games for Tennessee last season and totaled 22 carries for 95 yards while also catching a five-yard touchdown. Foreman had 410 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns over 10 games as a rookie for Houston in 2017, but he's failed to have much of an impact otherwise across the past three seasons.

Penny (knee) is healthy and ready for the 2021 season, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Penny made a long-awaited return from an ACL tear Week 15 last season, but he played just three games before getting hurt again. In that three-game stretch, he rushed 11 times for 34 yards. Now that he's healthy again, Penny will have a full offseason to train ahead of the 2021 campaign. Chris Carson, who signed a two-year, $10.43 million contract with the Seahawks in March, is the likely frontrunner for the top job. However, even Carson admitted that Seattle's backfield will likely shape up as a tandem, so Penny could end up as Option 1B if he can return to his 2019 form. He rushed 65 times for 370 yards (5.7 YPC) and three touchdowns in 10 games that year before suffering the season-ending knee injury.

Taylor (foot) will spend his first healthy offseason competing for a depth role in Green Bay's backfield, Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.

Taylor missed much of his senior season at Memphis in 2019 -- and his entire rookie campaign at the NFL level -- due to a serious foot injury. Though he wasn't activated from the Non-Football Injury list last season, he managed to resume practicing back in December, which bodes well for his recovery. He looks set to compete with Dexter Williams and Mike Weber for a limited amount of reserve roles out of the backfield.

Ogunbowale signed his ERFA tender with the Jaguars on Monday, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson reports.

Ogunbowale played a depth role behind James Robinson last season, but with just 199 yards from scrimmage across 14 games, he wasn't a significant factor for fantasy purposes. With the offseason addition of Carlos Hyde, Ogunbowale's path to offensive touches has only gotten more crowded.

Feaster signed a contract with the Cardinals on Thursday.

Feaster will get a chance to participate in Arizona's offseason program while competing for a depth role, though his chances of making the 53-man roster seem slim at best. He spent time on the Giants' practice squad as an undrafted rookie in 2020, and he also worked with the Jaguars last offseason.

Patterson is signing a one-year, $3 million contract with the Falcons, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

The 30-year-old is best known for his work on kick returns but can also provide depth at running back or wide receiver. The Bears used him as a backup RB last season, with Patterson taking 64 carries for 232 yards (3.6 YPC) and catching 21 passes for 132 yards (6.3 YPR). He isn't exactly a natural in the backfield, but Patterson could be in the mix for backup work, especially if the Falcons don't bring in an early draft pick on a back. It's also possible he shifts back to a depth role at wide receiver.