NFL Player News

Chiefs GM Brett Veach told Pro Football Talk that Williams will retain his spot atop the depth chart while sharing the backfield workload with Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Veach may be referring to training camp -- whenever that happens -- rather than making any promises for Week 1. After all, Veach may have referred to Williams as his starter, but the GM then referred to the rookie as a "franchise running back" and "special and unique." The Chiefs presumably will allow Williams and Edwards-Helaire to compete for touches, giving the first-round pick an opportunity to emerge as the lead back even if the veteran technically remains the starter. Given the immense potential for backfield fantasy production in an offense led by Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, the breakdown between Williams and Edwards-Helaire is sure to be a heavily discussed topic throughout the summer and into fall.

Gibson is expected to be utilized primarily as running back for the Redskins in 2020, ESPN's John Keim reports.

This comes directly from coach Ron Rivera. From a fantasy perspective, Gibson's positional classification could be a major sticking point among different platforms. The 6-foot, 228-pounder's versatility is something to monitor regardless, particularly when Rivera suggests the team's 2020 third-round pick "has a skill set like Christian (McCaffrey)." A wide receiver-only designation for Gibson would likely hamper his fantasy utility, save for deeper leagues. Should he qualify as a running back, however, it doesn't take much imagination to project similar production to that of current free agent Chris Thompson, who piled up 206 receptions and 1,745 receiving yards across five seasons with Washington.

Laird is joined by offseason acquisitions Jordan Howard and Matt Breida in the Miami backfield, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald reports.

Salguero projects Laird for the third spot at running back, ahead of Kalen Ballage, Myles Gaskin (ankle) and De'Lance Turner. While he averaged only 2.7 yards on 62 carries last season, Laird showed some skill in the passing game with 23 catches for 204 yards on 30 targets (6.8 YPT), and he also finished seventh on the team with 259 special-teams snaps. Laird fits the mold of what NFL teams usually like for the final RB spot on a 53-man roster.

Clement signed a one-year contract with the Eagles on Wednesday.

Philadelphia opted not to tender the 25-year-old a contract as a restricted free agent in March, but the team is now bringing him back on a more affordable deal. Clement had a solid rookie campaign as an undrafted free agent in 2017, but he's been limited by injury to 15 games over the past two seasons. The Eagles didn't add any running backs during the 2020 NFL Draft, so the Wisconsin product figures to compete for the backup slotting behind No. 1 option Miles Sanders.

Marshall was waived by the Chiefs on Tuesday, freelance NFL writer Howard Balzer reports.

The 23-year-old spent the 2019 season on Kansas City's practice squad and signed a reserve/future contract after the end of the regular season. Marshall went undrafted out of James Madison last year and is still looking to make his NFL debut.

Perine was claimed off waivers by the Bengals on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The 2017 fourth-round pick was waived by Miami over the weekend and will now make his way back to Cincinnati. Perine began the 2019 campaign with the Bengals but played only five offensive snaps in six games before being let go, and he eventually signed with the Dolphins. He's struggled to find his footing to this point in his career, and he has only 13 rushing attempts for 48 yards over the past two seasons.

McKinnon could have a role on third downs this upcoming season, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The San Francisco backfield became a bit less crowded when Matt Breida was traded to Miami on the third day of the 2020 NFL Draft. Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman are left as the clear favorites for carries, but McKinnon could be the top pick for the third-down role if he can prove he's back at full strength after missing the past two seasons with knee injuries. He accepted a pay cut in April to stay with the 49ers, one month after GM John Lynch declared the veteran running back healthy. The 49ers also have third-year pro Jeff Wilson in the backfield, and their class of undrafted rookies includes Salvon Ahmed and JaMycal Hasty.

Edmonds has some competition for backfield reps after the Cardinals drafted Eno Benjamin in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Scott Bordow of The Athletic reports.

A fourth-round pick in 2018, Edmonds could feel some heat for reps behind starter Kenyan Drake, who received the transition tag this offseason and is in talks with the Cardinals on a long-term contract. As evidence, Edmonds only received two touches in the five games in which both he and Drake were on the roster during the 2019 campaign. Additionally, Edmonds has averaged just 24.8 yards from scrimmage per game in 29 pro appearances, while Benjamin accrued 3,335 yards from scrimmage over his final two seasons at Arizona State.

Feaster signed a contract with the Jaguars on Monday, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.

Feaster joins a crowded Jacksonville backfield behind top option Leonard Fournette (neck), setting him up to compete for a potential reserve or special-teams role. The UDFA out of South Carolina carried the ball 124 times for 672 yards and five scores as a senior in 2019.

Mostert's projected starting role strengthened after Matt Breida was traded to the Dolphins in a draft-day deal, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Mostert was already expected to be the lead dog in a starting tandem with Tevin Coleman following a record-setting postseason run, but the departure of Breida clears up the backfield picture even more. Jerick McKinnon (knee) still is in the mix after restructuring his contract to stay in San Francisco, but the serious nature of his injury and utter lack of playing time since joining the team will likely land him in a reserve role. Mostert will have the most upside in the 49ers' backfield due to his breakaway speed, while Coleman is likely to provide a decent floor if he continues to get double-digit touches in a shared workload.