NFL Player News

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.

Hill's depth chart spot is in question after the Ravens drafted J.K. Dobbins in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

The 2019 fourth-rounder had an invisible rookie season, and the Dobbins addition does not bode well for him. At best, Hill is the No. 4 running back on the depth chart behind Mark Ingram, Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Hill will have an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster and could be a trade candidate come training camp.

Edwards' role with the team could take a hit after the Ravens drafted Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins in the second round, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Baltimore placed a tender on Edwards in March, so he's presumably still in the team's plans to an extent, but the Dobbins pick is a strong statement that the Ravens are still looking to beef up the run game. Dobbins, a second-rounder, has a three-down skill set and projects to be the direct backup to Mark Ingram. If the Ravens are looking to reduce Ingram's workload to keep him fresh later in the season, Dobbins would get the first crack at the carries. Edwards is still uniquely effective in short-yardage situations; he's notched a positive run rate of at least 88 percent in both of his two seasons. Edwards can still have that role with Dobbins on the roster, but the path to matching his overall carry volume from 2019 just got a lot more treacherous.

Cook will participate in the Vikings' voluntary offseason program, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Cook presumably hopes to sign a long-term deal before Week 1. His participation in the virtual offseason program suggests his relationship with the team remains good, but it doesn't necessarily mean he'd be willing to put his body at risk in actual practices without the security of a new contract. With little hint as to when NFL teams might be able to practice, the Vikings probably won't feel too rushed to complete a deal.

The Dolphins waived Perine on Sunday.

Miami's acquisition of Matt Breida from San Francisco in exchange for a fifth-round pick appears to have made Perine expendable. Across a six-game stint with the Bengals and one appearance with the Dolphins in 2019, Perine accumulated 16 yards on five carries while mostly contributing on special teams. He'll look to garner another depth role elsewhere in the league.

Hines faces increased competition for playing time in the Indianapolis backfield after the Colts took Jonathan Taylor with the 41st pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Hines operated in a traditional runner/receiver timeshare with Marlon Mack last season, seeing 52 carries and 58 targets while playing 31.5 percent of offensive snaps in 16 games. His snaps could decrease significantly with Taylor now in the mix. However, Hines may still emerge as the primary receiving specialist out of the backfield.

The Cardinals selected Benjamin in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 222nd overall.

Running back isn't a significant need for the Cardinals, with Kenyan Drake and Chase Edmonds set to hold down the backfield for 2020, but the team may have considered Benjamin a value in the seventh round due to his versatility and toughness. As a two-year starter at Arizona State from 2018-19, Benjamin racked up 2,725 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns while showing additional prowess as a receiver, notching 77 catches for 610 yards and an additional four scores. Though he's facing long odds to garner more than a depth role as a rookie, Benjamin's ability to both carry the rock and serve as an aerial weapon may make him worth monitoring in deep fantasy formats and dynasty leagues.

The Lions selected Huntley in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 172nd overall.

Huntley (5-foot-8, 190) is a small running back out of New Mexico State, but he has real skills to work with as an off-the-bench firecracker. As much as the Lions' running back rotation is remarkably small in the light of Huntley's addition, few players possess open-field running skills like his. Huntley torched opponents for 1,090 yards and nine touchdowns on just 154 carries (7.1 YPC)last year , and he scored five touchdowns on kick returns in his career. Huntley went on to run a 4.40-second 40, 39.5-inch vertical and 131-inch broad jump, demonstrating legitimate NFL explosiveness despite his light frame. Unfortunately, it's hard to see him playing many running back snaps behind D'Andre Swift and Kerryon Johnson.