NFL Player News

Coach Bruce Arians said Jones is still "our guy" in the Tampa Bay backfield, suggesting the team added Leonard Fournette to provide depth at a position where "nicks and bruises can really add up," Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

The words and actions don't really align, as the team first brought in Ke'Shawn Vaughn and LeSean McCoy to compete with Jones during the offseason, and now they're adding Fournette on a one-year, $2 million contract that can go up to $3.5 million with incentives (per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). Arians claims "nothing has changed" for Jones, but it's pretty clear the Tampa backfield will be messy, with no guarantee Fournette won't eventually emerge with the lead role. What's more, the team is expected to use LeSean McCoy or Dare Ogunbowale for third downs and the two-minute drill, so the target upside for Jones and Fournette appears limited. Jones is still the favorite to start Week 1 at New Orleans, but his workload won't necessarily be satisfying for fantasy managers.

Coach Doug Marrone said Robinson is capable of playing on all three downs, Gene Frenette of The Florida-Times Union reports.

This might be interpreted as a hint that the undrafted rookie out of Illinois State will have a spot on the team's Week 1 roster. The practice squad seemed more likely as recently as a few days ago, but things opened up after the Jaguars waived Leonard Fournette. While Ryquell Armstead, Chris Thompson and Devine Ozigbo are all better bets to get playing time on offense early in the season, it won't come as any surprise if Robinson gets a shot at some point this year.

Ogunbowale's special teams value could keep him on the roster even after the Buccaneers signed Leonard Fournette, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Fournette, Ronald Jones and third-round rookie Ke'Shawn Vaughn are roster locks, and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network suggests LeSean McCoy is still expected to have a role, potentially handling the passing-down work that went to Ogunbowale last season. It's rare for a team to carry five running backs, but it wouldn't be an unreasonable choice if Vaughn is starting the season as a healthy scratch and Ogunbowale is taking snaps on multiple special teams units.

Harris recently had surgery on his pinky finger, leaving his status in doubt for Week 1 against Miami, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The report doesn't explicitly rule out Harris from the season opener, but it does say he'll need "a few weeks" to heal. ESPN.com's Mike Reiss confirms Harris is in danger of missing Week 1, following back-to-back absences from practice Monday and Tuesday. This could leave Sony Michel with a bigger workload against Miami, or it might open things up a bit for Rex Burkhead and/or Lamar Miller. Coach Bill Belichick and running backs coach Ivan Fears both praised Harris recently, noting that the 2019 third-round pick was showing progress and looking comfortable in the passing game. There's been discussion of Harris potentially usurping Michel as the lead runner in New England, and while that could still end up happening at some point this year, we may have to wait a bit longer to find out.

Vaughn has another veteran running back to contend for playing time with in the form of Leonard Fournette, whom the Buccaneers signed to a one-year deal Wednesday, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

The rookie third-round pick was already looking at an uphill climb for touches with Ronald Jones having previously been deemed the lead back to begin the season, and with decorated veteran LeSean McCoy also around to handle plenty of change-of-pace work. The addition of Fournette takes the logjam at the position to a completely different level, considering the fourth-year pro arrives with a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons already on his resume and a 76-catch tally in 2019 to boot. Laine speculates the running back room is now crowded to the extent Vaughn could conceivably be a practice squad candidate to start the year, considering that unit has been expanded considerably for the 2020 season due to the unique circumstances surrounding the campaign. The exact hierarchy of the Buccaneers backfield is likely to become clearer in the days approaching the team's Week 1 tilt against the Saints.

Jones is facing additional backfield competition from Leonard Fournette, who joined the Buccaneers on a one-year contract Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Jones has put together a strong offseason and appeared to have earned coach Bruce Arians' confidence, but the Buccaneers nonetheless felt it necessary to pursue Fournette once he hit free agency. Arians commented earlier Wednesday that Jones "looks like he can be an all-around back," per Greg Auman of The Athletic, but Fournette's past production (two of three seasons with 1,000-plus rushing yards) surpasses the career-best 724 rushing yards that Jones churned out in 2019. With veteran LeSean McCoy and rookie third-round pick Ke'Shawn Vaughn also both in the mix, Tampa Bay likely will start the season with committee backfield that also includes Dare Ogunbowale as the favorite to handle passing-down work.

Kamara, who returned to practice Wednesday, recently had an injection to help calm some joint inflammation in his back, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Rapoport relays that the back issue is "not considered a big deal at all," a notion supported by Kamara's return to work Wednesday. Assuming his back doesn't flare up again, the main storyline regarding Kamara going forward will be the state of his contract negations. When asked about that matter Wednesday, coach Sean Payton noted that the Saints are actively negotiating with Kamara while remaining focused on him being part of the team's game plan Week 1 against the Buccaneers, according to Field Yates of ESPN.

Kamara returned to practice Wednesday, Amie Just of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

The running back -- who is looking for a new deal -- didn't participate in the team's last three practice sessions, but as expected, he was back at work Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com notes that following a "rift in the negotiations," the two sides "are not that far apart" on a long-term contract extension for Kamara. Though a trade still can't be entirely ruled out, things seemed to have settled down to the point that it appears probable that Kamara will be on the field for the Saints in their regular-season opener Sept. 13 versus the Buccaneers.

Coach Bruce Arians said Wednesday Jones had one bad day of drops but otherwise showcased improved hands and pass blocking throughout training camp, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

The drop-filled practice got a lot of attention, though things simmered down once it was reported that the Bucs' other running backs also were having issues in the passing game. Jones appears to have cleaned things up over the past couple weeks, with Arians noting that the third-year pro "looks like he can be an all-around back," per Greg Auman of The Athletic. If nothing else, Jones should enter Week 1 as the starter and lead runner, opening his season with a road matchup against a Saints defense that limited running backs to 3.7 yards per carry and 64.9 rushing yards per game in 2019.

Kamara and the Saints are "not far apart" in contract negotiations, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Kamara has quickly become the center of attention in the NFL, with his absence from practice initially attributed to an epidural injection in his back but later revealed to be unexcused. The Saints can fine him up to $200,000 for the absences, so he'll return to practice Wednesday while his agent continues negotiations for a contract extension. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network believes the gap between the two sides isn't all that large, noting that the recent fines can be canceled out by the new contract. Jeff Duncan of The Athletic reports the Saints are open to a trade and would want a first-round pick in return, though Duncan also acknowledges that the team's preference is to work out a long-term deal with Kamara.