NFL Player News

Coach Doug Pederson said last week that Sanders is ready to be the unquestioned leader of the Philadelphia backfield, Mike Kaye of NJ.com reports.

Sanders capably filled that role late last season, averaging 15.7 carries for 71.7 yards and 4.2 catches for 34.2 yards over a six-game stretch Weeks 11-16. He then suffered an ankle sprain Week 17 and an MCL sprain in the playoff loss to Seattle, but there hasn't been any indication of either injury impacting his offseason routine. The current depth chart holds Boston Scott, Corey Clement and a trio of undrafted young players behind Sanders, albeit with the possibility of the Eagles eventually signing a veteran at the position. The team reportedly reached out to Devonta Freeman, and LeSean McCoy has mentioned having interest in a reunion with Philadelphia.

Jacobs will face competition for pass-catching work from Jalen Richard and rookie Lynn Bowden, ESPN.com's Paul Gutierrez reports.

Jacobs' receiving and blocking skills were oft-mentioned as a positive coming out of Alabama, but he was mostly used as an early down grinder throughout his rookie season, with 242 carries and 27 targets on 460 offensive snaps. He was in the top 10 among qualified rushers in broken tackle rate and average yards after contact, finishing eighth in rushing yards despite missing three games in December with a shoulder injury. Jacobs has had plenty of time to recover during the offseason, but his progression as a fantasy asset could be stalled if Raiders coach Jon Gruden prefers Richard and/or Bowden on passing downs. The team did lose DeAndre Washington's 108 carries and 41 targets from 2019, though half those carries and 46 percent of the targets came in the three games Jacobs missed.

Williams enters camp with Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Damien Williams, Darwin Thompson, DeAndre Washington and Elijah McGuire all challenging for 53-man roster spots at running back, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

With Edward-Helaire and Damien Williams locked in and Darwin Thompson likely safe (he's in the second year of his rookie deal), a fourth (and likely final) running back spot may come down to Darrel Williams versus Washington and McGuire. Darrel Williams may have a slight advantage given his tenure and familiarity with the playbook, but the other two have more significant contributions under their belts over the last few seasons. This competition will likely sort itself out in training camp.

Freeman may need to fend off competition for the Broncos' No. 3 running back job, Ryan O'Halloran of The Denver Post reports.

A third-round pick two years ago, Freeman has been thoroughly unimpressive to this point in his pro career, averaging 3.9 yards on 262 carries and 5.8 yards on 57 receptions. The Broncos gave a vote of no confidence to Freeman when they added Melvin Gordon to a backfield that already had Phillip Lindsay, potentially leaving the Oregon product to duke it out with Khalfani Muhammad and undrafted rookie LeVante Bellamy for the third spot on the depth chart. The team kept three running backs on its 53-man roster last season, with No. 3 man Devontae Booker playing 26 snaps on offense and 195 snaps on special teams.

Moss has signed his four-year rookie contract.

That puts to bed the contracts of all seven Bills rookies from the 2020 draft class. As for Moss, he's certainly an intriguing rookie based on his power and production at Utah. Devin Singletary is the starter, but he's a smaller back and it should be pretty easy for Moss to eke out a meaningful role right away. The quickest path to first-year fantasy value -- barring an injury to Singletary -- would be for Moss to assert himself as the clear guy for tougher carries in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

Elliott is reportedly among the multiple Cowboys and Texans players who have recently tested positive for COVID-19, Grant Gordon of NFL.com reports.

Per the report, Elliott's agent relayed to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport that the running back is "feeling good." Gordon adds that none of the players who reportedly tested positive are thought "to have been in their team facilities and the Cowboys and Texans teams followed proper health protocols." In a statement that Rapoport obtained, the Cowboys noted "due to federal and local privacy laws, we are unable to provide information regarding the personal health of any of our employees."

Titans GM Jon Robinson had a phone call with Henry's agent last week to discuss a new contract, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

The team's use of a franchise tag sets up a July 15 deadline for negotiations on a multi-year deal. Henry's decision to sign the franchise tender suggests he isn't planning a holdout, but there's no question he'll be annoyed if he ends up playing out the season under the tag. Robinson said Henry has been consistently engaged in the Titans' virtual offseason program, attending meetings and helping teammates. The 26-year-old running back has made it clear he prefers to stay with the Titans long term.

Cook announced Monday that he intends to exercise a holdout from team activities until he receives a "reasonable" extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Heading into the final year of his rookie deal, in which he would play under a $1.3 million salary if not extended, it's not surprising to see Cook make use of what leverage he has and hold out from all team-related activities. Schefter reports that the Pro Bowler "will not be showing up for camp or beyond" until the Vikings offer him an extension, a hint that Cook could tentatively carry his holdout into the regular season should it come to that. The 24-year-old was one of the premier ball carriers in the league through 14 regular-season contests last season, accruing 1,135 yards on 250 carries (4.5 YPC), in addition to 13 touchdowns. He also showcased top notch receiving abilities, hauling in 53 passes for 519 yards. Behind Cook, Alexander Mattison and Mike Boone are next up on Minnesota's depth chart.

Coach John Harbaugh said he expects Hill to take a big step forward in his second pro season, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

It's a reasonable expectation, but even an impressive offseason won't necessarily give the 2019 fourth-round pick a path to playing time in a backfield that also holds Mark Ingram, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. It sounds like Harbaugh may carry four tailbacks on the 53-man roster instead of his usual three, especially if Hill and Edwards prove useful on special teams. Hill played 187 snaps on offense and 97 on special teams last year, averaging 3.9 yards on 58 carries, 8.8 yards on eight receptions and 18.9 yards on 12 kickoff returns. Any hope for 2020 fantasy value likely involves a trade or an Ingram/Dobbins injury.

Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell praised Akers' determination as a runner and ability to create yardage on his own, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports. "You really saw the amount of personal grit and determination," O'Connell said of Akers' time at Florida State. "He was running against of loaded looks...you see the upside -- I think it was a great running back draft, there was a lot of depth there across the board -- but for us, and for me personally with Cam, just watching and thinking about where he could possible get to and maximized in our offense, it's really exciting."

Though O'Connell acknowledged Akers faces a longer learning curve because of the unconventional 2020 offseason, there aren't many other obstacles in the rookie's path to a significant workload out of the backfield. Malcolm Brown's 197 career carries are the most among current Rams running backs, and 2019 third-round selection Darrell Henderson's disappointing rookie season consisted of just 95 offensive snaps over 13 games.