NFL Player News

Bill Voth of the Panthers' official site compares the offseason addition of Anderson to the team's signing of Stephen Davis in 2003.

That comparison is probably pushing things, considering that Davis rushed for 1,444 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games in his first season for Carolina. Still, Anderson is a useful back, who is capable of running hard between the tackles as well as catching the ball out of the backfield. With 2017 first-rounder Christian McCaffrey also in the mix, Anderson isn't likely to log abundant targets in the Panthers' passing game, but he should at least fill the sort of early down role that Jonathan Stewart handled last season en route to averaging 3.4 yards on 198 carries. Meanwhile, Anderson logged 1,007 yards on 245 carries (4.1 YPC) for the Broncos in 2017. While the presence of McCaffrey limits Anderson's fantasy ceiling, the 27-year-old should earn enough of a workload to maintain a modest weekly floor, which would of course spike in the event of an injury to McCaffrey.

Rawls will enter training camp on the roster bubble, NJ.com's Daryl Slater reports.

Now three years removed from his only productive season, Rawls settled for a one-year contract without any guaranteed money. He managed just 3.0 yards per carry on 167 attempts the past two years in Seattle, looking nothing like the player who rumbled for 830 yards on only 147 carries (5.6 YPC) as an undrafted rookie in 2015. Rawls likely will enter training camp fourth or fifth on the depth chart, with no assurance of making the team even if the Jets decide to carry four running backs. Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell figure to get most of the first-team work, with Rawls, Elijah McGuire and rookie sixth-round pick Trenton Cannon splitting snaps with the backup units.

Kelley (ankle) returned healthy for offseason practices and saw extended reps with the first-team offense, Stephen Czarda of the Redskins' official website reports.

Kelley likely will share first-team work once training camp begins, and it isn't even a sure thing the third-year back will make the 53-man roster. Derrius Guice and passing-down maven Chris Thompson (leg) are obvious roster locks, and Samaje Perine's status as a 2017 fourth-round pick could give him an edge over Kelley. Even if the Redskins ultimately decide to carry four running backs, they might prioritize special teams over offense for the No. 4 spot. Kelley averaged just 3.1 yards on 61 carries last season before an ankle injury ended his campaign after seven games.

Mostert (knee) participated in the 49ers' June minicamp, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee reports.

Mostert missed the final five weeks of last season with a knee injury after logging 15 snaps on offense and 204 on special teams in 11 games. Joe Williams and Jeremy McNichols are more interesting in terms of potential value in the backfield, but Mostert is probably a better bet to make the 53-man roster thanks to his value on special teams. With Jerick McKinnon and Matt Breida already locked into the roster, Mostert will compete with Williams, McNichols and undrafted rookie Jeffery Wilson for one or two spots.

McNichols is listed at 205 pounds, down from 214 as a rookie last season, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee reports.

The 2017 fifth-round pick was cut by Tampa Bay at the end of the preseason, but the 49ers signed him to their practice squad and eventually promoted him to the 53-man roster for Weeks 13-17. McNichols was only active for two games and didn't get any snaps, stuck behind Carlos Hyde and Matt Breida in the backfield. With Breida still around and Jerick McKinnon signed to replace Hyde during the offseason, McNichols is left to compete with Raheem Mostert (knee), 2017 fourth-round pick Joe Williams and undrafted rookie Jeffery Wilson for one or two roster spots. Williams and McNichols do offer some intrigue, considering McKinnon is unproven as a lead back, Breida is undersized at just 190 pounds and Mostert is primarily a special teams player. McNichols' slimmer frame might help him regain some of his explosiveness from Boise State, where he had 3,046 rushing yards, 934 receiving yards and 53 touchdowns between the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

Ellington, an unrestricted free agent, believes he's currently in the best physical shape he's been in since his rookie year, David Shelton of The Charleston Post Courier reports.

The 29-year-old has spent much of his career battling injuries, though he's still managed to play at least 10 games in each of his five NFL seasons. Likely just a pass-catching specialist at this point in his career, Ellington is hoping for a chance to compete for a roster spot. The free-agent market hasn't been friendly to passing-down backs, with Charles Sims settling for $200,000 guaranteed while Shane Vereen and Lance Dunbar also remain unsigned.

Vereen remains unsigned, NJ.com's Ryan Dunleavy reports.

Vereen should eventually find a chance to compete for a roster spot, but he's unlikely to secure much in the way of guaranteed money after averaging just 3.6 yards per carry and 5.8 yards per reception last season for the Giants. The 29-year-old passing-down specialist hasn't done much of note since 2015.

Williams (shoulder) was restricted to individual work during the Chiefs' offseason program, Pete Sweeney of 610 Sports Radio reports.

Williams is bouncing back from offseason surgery to repair a separated left shoulder that cost him the final five games of the 2017 season. He may be ready for training camp, but it's far from certain. Once healthy, Williams will compete with Spencer Ware (knee), Charcandrick West and Kerwynn Williams for depth slotting under Kareem Hunt (hamstring).

Clement expects a larger workload this season, though he acknowledged there's a lot of competition in the Philadelphia backfield, Paul Domowitch of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Clement caught on with the Eagles as an undrafted rookie last year and ended up with a surprising role as the team's third-down back late in the season, highlighted by four catches for 100 yards and a score in the Super Bowl. He only caught 29 passes in 39 college games while playing at around 225-230 pounds, but he developed a new skill set after losing 10-15 pounds last offseason. While he may cede the third-down role to Darren Sproles (knee, arm), the 23-year-old has a strong case to handle some of LeGarrette Blount's vacated rushing workload, after taking 74 carries for 321 yards (4.3 YPC) and four TDs as a rookie. Jay Ajayi is a superior athlete and thus figures to fill the lead role, but he has a history of issues with his right knee and hasn't done much as a pass catcher in the NFL. Between the concerns surrounding Ajayi and those related to Sproles' rehab and age (35), it won't be at all surprising if Clement sees a large increase from last year's regular-season total of 84 touches.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera won't be surprised if McCaffrey reaches 200 carries this season, ESPN.com's David Newton reports.

McCaffrey ranked third on the Panthers with 117 carries as a rookie, while his 113 targets tied Devin Funchess for the team lead. Carolina signed C.J. Anderson as a replacement for Jonathan Stewart (Giants) this offseason, and while CJA may actually be an upgrade, that doesn't mean he'll take on all of Stewart's 198 carries from last year. Rivera and new offensive coordinator Norv Turner seem to think their second-year back is ready for a larger rushing workload, with Rivera pointing to McCaffrey's success running between the tackles at Stanford. Anderson and Cam Newton seem like better bets for goal-line and short-yardage work, but it won't come as any surprise if McCaffrey pushes for 10-15 carries per game without sacrificing many targets, if any. There is some cause to doubt his efficiency, considering he managed just 3.7 yards per carry last year and the Panthers lost standout LG Andrew Norwell to Jacksonville during the offseason.