NFL Player News

Henry signed his franchise-tag tender Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Henry's decision to sign the tender hints at confidence in working out a multi-year contract before the July 15 deadline, though Titans general manager Jon Robinson suggested Wednesday that the two parties will wait until summer to hammer out details. Any concern about a holdout can probably be put to rest, as there's no advantage to signing the tender if Henry would consider missing games in the absence of a long-term deal. Players that opted for the holdout route in past seasons declined to sign their franchise tenders, thus avoiding any fines for missing practices and other team activities.

General manager Jon Robinson said Henry and the Titans will wait until summer to discuss a long-term contract, Paul Kuharsky of 104.5 The Zone Nashville reports.

A previous report made it sound like negotiations were imminent, but it now appears the Titans will wait until after the draft and possibly longer. The team placed a franchise tag on Henry in mid-March, providing four months to discuss an extension before the July 15 deadline. If no deal is worked out by that time, Henry could decide to leave the tag unsigned and miss part or all of training camp without sacrificing any of his $10.3 million franchise-tag salary. Most players that choose the holdout path rejoin their teams before Week 1, but Le'Veon Bell in 2018 was a notable exception.

General manager John Robinson said Wednesday that he wants to sign Henry to a long-term contract, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

The two sides have three and a half months remaining before the July 15 deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions. Henry has made it clear he wants to stay in Tennessee, where his late-season 2018 breakout carried over to a massive campaign in 2019. Big contracts for running backs have mostly turned out disastrous in recent seasons, but Henry has the advantage of starting his pro career with lighter workloads in offenses that also featured DeMarco Murray in the backfield.

Gordon anticipates working in a "one-two punch" with Phillip Lindsay (wrist) in the Denver backfield, ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold reports.

Broncos GM John Elway used the same terminology earlier this week, suggesting both Gordon and Lindsay will have key roles in the offense. Gordon's two-year, $16 million contract suggests he'll be the "one" in that one-two punch, though it's Lindsay who owns the impressive career average of 4.9 yards per carry. Gordon's mark of 4.0 YPC has been oft-cited as a criticism, and while there is some merit to the argument against him, it's also true that he's spent most of his career running behind subpar offensive lines. The breakdown of snaps and carries appears uncertain, but Gordon should at least have the advantage when it comes to pass-catching and goal-line work.

Coach Bruce Arians said the Bucs would "love to have a pass-catching back" to complement Jones in the backfield, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

This might be taken as a hint that the Bucs are comfortable with Jones as their lead runner, but it also could be interpreted as a critique of his blocking and receiving skills. The offseason priorities in Tampa Bay were to add Tom Brady and re-sign key players in the defensive front seven, while RB Peyton Barber and WR Breshad Perriman were permitted to leave without much of a challenge. The backfield depth chart now looks paper-thin behind Jones, featuring Dare Ogunbowale, T.J. Logan (thumb) and Aca'Cedric Ware -- a trio with 16 combined NFL carries. Tampa figures to add running backs in the coming weeks, and while that may include an early draft pick, Arians doesn't seem too worried about the position.

The Vikings have re-signed Abdullah.

The 26-year-old logged 23 carries for 115 yards to go along with 15 catches for 88 yards and a TD in 16 games for the team last season. Now that he's back in the fold, Abdullah will continue to serve as a depth option in Minnesota's backfield and should also reprise his role as the squad's primary kickoff returner in 2020.

The acquisition of Melvin Gordon leaves Freeman on the outside looking in at Denver's 1-2 punch of Gordon and Phillip Lindsay, Sean Keeler of The Denver Post reports.

There were whispers that Denver was looking for an upgrade over Freeman in free agency, but the investment in Gordon is even more than expected. Freeman hasn't lived up to his billing as a big, savvy bell-cow back, averaging just 3.9 yards per carry in two seasons. His uber-efficient 2018 season aside, Gordon has averaged just 3.80 yards per carry during his career, but he's a more dynamic receiver and has at least shown the ability to be a big-time runner in spurts. Gordon's contract leaves little hope for Freeman to win back the RB2 role in camp, and it wouldn't be a total shock to see Freeman traded if Denver adds another back in the draft.

Drake signed his transition tag tender Saturday according to the Cardinals organization.

This shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering the transition tag allowed for the Cardinals to match any sort of offer Drake might have received on the open market. The former Dolphins tailback will headline a new-look offense that now features explosive wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and, perhaps more importantly in terms of Drake's potential production, one that will be absent David Johnson, who was sent to the Texans in the deal that netted the All-Pro wideout.

The Broncos have signed Gordon to a two-year deal worth $16 million that includes $13.5 million guaranteed, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Gordon will be joining a Denver backfield that also includes Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman, with Rapoport adding that the "lure of playing in the same division as the Chargers" appealed to the 2015 first-rounder, who reportedly had a better offer from another team.

The 49ers are tendering Breida at the second-round level, Dianna Russini of ESPN reports.

This means the team will receive a second-round pick if it declines to match an offer sheet for the restricted free agent. Breida has made a strong impression through three NFL seasons, but not strong enough for any team to give up a second-round pick for the right to sign him to a large contract. Barring a trade, he'll be back with the 49ers in 2020 as part of a backfield that also has Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson under contract.