NFL Player News

Thomas was charged last week with fifth-degree possession of marijuana, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

The incident stems from January, when officers executed a search warrant on Thomas' apartment. It's expected that he'll face punishment from the league.

Coach Pete Carroll said Penny will push Chris Carson for more playing time and expects the duo to form a one-two punch, John Boyle of the Seahawks official site reports.

Penny had a bumpy rookie season, as he missed most of training camp with a broken finger and fell behind Chris Carson and sometimes even Mike Davis in the backfield pecking order. He was still highly explosive and averaged 4.9 YPC to reach 419 rushing yards and added nine receptions for 75 yards. Carson was dominant and more consistent, however, racking up 1,314 scrimmage yards through 14 games. Penny has the potential to be a lethal running back, but he's facing an uphill battle since Carson is already a proven commodity. However, there's clearly room for Penny to earn a more stable workload, considering the Seahawks ranked second in the league with 33.4 rushing plays per game. The battle for how touches will be divided should go on through the offseason program and training camp.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said the starting job at running back is Williams' to lose, Brooke Pryor of The Kansas City Star reports.

Williams emerged over Spencer Ware after Kareem Hunt was released, scoring 10 touchdowns over the final six games of the season (including playoffs). The Chiefs rewarded Williams with a two-year, $5.1 million extension Dec. 27, while Ware is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March. The team figures to bring in backfield help via the draft and/or free agency, but Williams should still be on track to open training camp with the first-team offense. Given that Tyreek Hill may soon join Travis Kelce and Sammy Watkins atop the team's cap sheet, Kansas City isn't likely to make a splash signing at running back. There's a real chance Williams demands consideration in the early rounds of 2019 fantasy drafts.

General manager Brian Gaine said the Texans are "optimistic about a very positive return" for Foreman in 2019, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

After tearing his left Achilles on Nov. 19, 2017, Foreman wasn't cleared for game action until Week 16 of the past campaign. In what marked his sole appearance of the regular season, he didn't find much success on the ground (seven carries for minus-one yard) but hauled in both of his targets for 28 yards and a touchdown. With Alfred Blue set to be a free agent in March, Foreman is slated to move up the depth chart behind Lamar Miller, who was called a "three-down back" by Gaine in the same media session. Miller is preparing for his age-28 season and has dealt with the occasional injury in Houston, so Foreman should have a chance to make good on the investment made in him in the third round of the 2017 draft, as he continues to put the Achilles' issue in the rearview mirror.

Coach Ron Rivera said the Panthers will seek ways to ease McCaffrey's workload in 2019, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Rivera's comments occurred at the combine, a sign the Panthers are taking an interest in finding a suitable (and cheap) option to supplement the backfield. He added that McCaffrey won't necessarily experience a reduction in touches, but he'll likely defer some snaps to another running back to get the occasional breather. He played at least 90 percent of the team's offensive snaps in 14 games last season -- including all of them eight times -- en route to the third-most touches (326) in the league. The 22-year-old will be well-served in the long term if Carolina brings in some relief this offseason.

General manager Brian Gutekunst said he wants Jones "on the field as much as possible" in 2019, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

This comment is interesting because head coach Matt LaFleur recently said he believes a committee approach is the most effective way to go, per Michael Cohen of the Athletic, which seems like the more realistic statement. While it's true that in an ideal world the Packers could have Jones on the field every single snap, as Gutekunst suggested, the 5-foot-9 runner has missed four games in each of his first two seasons in the league and has yet to show he can truly handle a workhorse role. While we'd still expect Jones to significantly out-snap Williams in 2019 anyway, Williams could siphon enough of the workload away to keep Jones from reaching the uppermost tiers of fantasy running backs.

Coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday that Edwards is the Ravens' No.1 running back "right now," Ryan Mink of the team's official site reports.

Harbaugh made the comment during his media availability at the NFL Scouting Combine, an event Edwards wasn't even invited to one year ago. Edwards went on to lead the team with 718 yards and two touchdowns as an undrafted rookie despite not taking on a major role until Week 11. As it stands, Edwards will be the starter in what projects to be one of the league's most run-heavy offenses. Kenneth Dixon looked good once he got back on the field in 2018 and will warrant his own workload, and the Ravens could still add depth at the position via free agency or the mid-to-late rounds of the upcoming draft. Still, Edwards did enough for himself to earn top billing on the depth chart heading into 2019.

Coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday that he believes a committee approach in the backfield is the best way to deploy Williams and Aaron Jones, Michael Cohen of The Athletic reports.

General manager Brian Gutekunst had a different take, noting that he wants Jones on the field as much as possible, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The GM's comment is backed by a drastic gap in per-touch production between the two running backs, though it's easier to understand LaFleur's stance after accounting for Jones' issues with durability and Williams' solid work as a pass blocker. While Jones is still the far superior asset for dynasty leagues, it seems the new coaching staff will evaluate multiple options in the backfield, potentially including additions via free agency and/or the draft.

New coach Freddie Kitchens said Chubb won't back down from any backfield competition that arises in 2019, Keith Britton of Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan Cleveland reports.

Kitchens was responding to inquiries about the recent signing of Kareem Hunt, who is expected to serve a lengthy suspension before he can suit up for his new team in a regular-season game. It was an unexpected move from a franchise that already has Chubb and Duke Johnson in the backfield, especially after the former produced 5.2 yards per carry and 10 total touchdowns in 2018. Despite the brilliant rookie-year performance, the addition of Hunt creates some worries about Chubb's workload for the second half of the 2019 campaign.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that he expects McKinnon (knee) to handle the lead role in the 49ers' backfield in 2019, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

It's an odd comment given that McKinnon has yet to play a game for the team, and especially after Matt Breida (ankle) finished fourth in the NFL with an average of 5.3 yards per carry in 2018. The 49ers signed McKinnon to a four-year, $30 million contract last offseason, but the structure of the deal makes it relatively painless to release him after 2019. With all reports suggesting McKinnon is on or ahead of schedule in his rehab from a preseason ACL tear, the most likely scenario features the former Viking competing with Breida for top backfield duties during training camp. Shanahan may view McKinnon as the early favorite, but it should be an interesting battle to track all summer, with both players ultimately expected to handle significant roles.