NFL Player News

General manager Jason Licht said the Buccaneers expect Jones to be even better in 2020, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

While far from spectacular this past season, Jones undoubtedly took a big step forward from his washout rookie campaign, leading the Tampa backfield in rushing yards (724), yards per carry (4.2), receiving yards (309) and yards per target (7.7). There's potential for a larger workload with Peyton Barber scheduled to become a free agent on the heels of an underwhelming season, but it won't come as any surprise if the Bucs replace the veteran with an early draft pick or superior free agent. Jones likely will have competition for carries in one form or another, plus the Bucs still have passing-down specialist Dare Ogunbowale.

Penny (knee) is a candidate to begin training camp on the Seahawks' preseason PUP list, Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio 950 KJR Seattle reports.

That's not surprising considering Penny tore his ACL in Week 14 of the 2019 season and subsequently had surgery later in December. Given the timing of his injury, coupled with reports that the running back's knee woes went beyond his ACL tear, Penny's status for Seattle's season opener remains murky. On the plus side with regard to the team's Week 1 backfield composition, Chris Carson (hip) is on track to be ready for the start of the coming campaign, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Colts owner Jim Irsay denied reports about Mack discussing a contract extension with the team, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.

This doesn't mean an extension isn't in play, but it does suggest the Colts have bigger offseason priorities, including a potential quarterback upgrade and convincing left tackle Anthony Castonzo not to retire. Mack is entering the final season of his rookie contract, after averaging 75.7 and 77.9 rushing yards per game the past two years. His work on the ground has been solid, but he's missed multiple games in each of his three seasons, and his PFF grades for pass blocking and receiving have consistently been poor. The Indianapolis offense could benefit from adding a running back with a more balanced skill set, rather than rotating between Mack and passing-down specialist Nyheim Hines. It remains to seen if the Colts actually take that step, as there is a lot to be said for deploying a dirt-cheap rotation instead of using significant cap space or an early draft pick on the position.

Williams (hamstring) carried 41 times for 141 yards (3.4 YPC) and caught 15 of 19 targets for 167 yards across 12 games before the Chiefs placed him on injured reserve in December.

Prior to being shut down with the hamstring issue, Williams had shown improvement in his second professional season, taking on a greater role on passing downs while also seeing action on special teams. Williams should be fully recovered from the hamstring issue by the time training camp arrives, putting him on track to enter the final season of his rookie deal in optimal health. He'll likely return to a similar depth role in the backfield in 2020, as both Damien Williams and Darwin Thompson remain under contract.

Drake and the Cardinals have engaged in contract talks, with GM Steve Keim saying he hopes to re-sign the running back, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Keim also commented on David Johnson, whose $10.2 million base salary for 2020 is fully guaranteed. Specifically, Keim said Johnson won't be released this offseason, adding that the 28-year-old should still have a key role on offense even if he isn't the starter. There aren't many teams in the modern NFL giving large contracts to multiple running backs, but the Cardinals arguably could make it work while they have QB Kyler Murray on a rookie deal. Drake certainly made his case for a handsome payday, averaging 80.4 rushing yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry in eight appearances for the Cardinals. He was limited to a 6.1-yard average on 28 catches, but that's largely because his average depth of reception was 3.2 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Johnson, on the other hand, had an average depth of 4.1 yards beyond the LOS on his 36 receptions, producing 10.3 YPR.

Penny (knee) used a stationary bike Tuesday, taking a step forward in his rehab from a torn ACL, NFL.com's Kevin Patra reports.

Penny tore up his knee Week 14 and had surgery later in December. Coach Pete Carroll said the injury involved damage beyond an ACL tear, but Carroll also mentioned in early January that the Seahawks were pleased with Penny's early progress. The 24-year-old faces a challenge to make it back on the field for the early part of the 2020 campaign, while backfield mate Chris Carson is expected to recover from a hip fracture without needing surgery, potentially returning to practice as soon as May or June.

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert still views Conner (quadriceps) as a starting running back, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. "We hope James can regain it," Colbert said. "And, if he's healthy, there's no reason he shouldn't. We don't want to say we don't have a starting running back because we feel we do."

Colbert said Conner was a disappointment in 2019 but also acknowledged that the running back was one of the top players at his position the year prior. There were still some flashes of good form last season, namely a four-week stretch from late September to late October in which Conner produced 449 total yards and five touchdowns. His season-end mark of 4.0 yards per carry fell a half-yard shy of his 2019 number, but it was still better than what Benny Snell (3.9 YPC) and Jaylen Samuels (2.7 YPC) managed in the same broken offense. Conner is entering the final season of his rookie contract in 2020, while Snell and Samuels both are signed beyond the upcoming season. There hasn't been any substantiative update on the quad injury that prevented Conner from playing Week 17.

Thompson had two carries for seven yards during three postseason appearances with the Chiefs. He also drew two targets, but failed to record a reception.

Thompson was relegated to a depth role behind Damien Williams during the Chiefs' postseason run, culminating in a Super Bowl victory over the 49ers in which the rookie was held to zero yards on his lone carry. He didn't find much success on the ground in the regular season either, logging 37 carries for 128 yards and one touchdown across 12 games while hauling in nine of 10 targets for 43 yards. Given that Williams is still under contract for 2020, Thompson lacks an immediate clear path to fantasy relevance.

Wilson had 27 carries for 105 yards and four touchdowns, adding three receptions for 34 yards and another score in 10 games this season.

Wilson began the year on the 49ers' practice squad for the second season in a row, and he was quickly promoted to the main roster in Week 2 after Tevin Coleman suffered a multi-week injury. The 24-year-old was effective early on as a goal-line back, scoring all four of his touchdowns in the first two games following his promotion. Wilson saw his role reduced significantly as the backfield returned to full strength, and he should find himself in a similar situation to begin the 2020 season with all three of the backs ahead of him on the depth chart under contract.

Breida finished the 2019 season with 123 carries for 623 yards and a touchdown, also contributing 19 receptions for 120 yards and another score in 13 games.

Breida did most of his damage through the first nine games of the season as a co-starter (542 rushing yards and 110 receiving yards) before going down to injury against Seattle in Week 10. The 49ers' backfield landscape had shifted upon his return in Week 14, as Raheem Mostert had emerged as the team's top option with Tevin Coleman serving as the "1B" option. Breida suffered a case of fumbleitis down the stretch, coughing the ball up three times despite touching the ball just 23 times over five games following his injury layoff. The 24-year-old's talent as a rusher is unquestioned (5.1 yards per carry this year), but the combination of his ball security issues and the breakout performance of Mostert kept the speedy back as a healthy scratch during the team's unsuccessful Super Bowl run. All three of San Francisco's contributing backs in 2019 are under contract for 2020, so Breida figures to begin next season third on the depth chart barring any unforeseen changes this upcoming offseason.