NFL Player News

Toussaint will re-sign with the Steelers, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Toussaint will reprise his role as a depth option behind star back Le'Veon Bell and 2017 third-rounder James Conner. In limited work with the Steelers last season, Toussaint carried six times for 25 yards and added two catches for nine yards, while suiting up for six games.

The Lions didn't tender Zenner a contract for the 2018 season Wednesday, making him an unrestricted free agent, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

Zenner was often a healthy inactive during his three seasons in Detroit, only seeing the field when injuries hit tailbacks above him on the depth chart. The South Dakota State product finished the past campaign with only 26 yards and one touchdown on 14 rushing attempts, though his abysmal 1.9 yards per carry is likely a reflection of his deployment as a battering ram in short-yardage situations. The 26-year-old could draw interest from a number of teams in need of a goal-line bruiser.

Henry could get some competition for touches out of the backfield in 2018 after the Titans agreed to terms on a contract with Dion Lewis on Tuesday, Jason Wolf of The Tennessean reports.

Henry's breakout performance in the postseason suggests he'll likely still receive the bulk of early down work, but the versatile Lewis should nearly monopolize the snaps on passing downs. While the 6-foot-3, 247-pound Henry's powerful running style still makes him the heavy favorite to lead the team in touchdowns, the bell-cow workload owners were hoping for Henry to take on in the wake of DeMarco Murray's release is unlikely to materialize following Lewis' signing.

The Seahawks didn't tender Rawls a contract for the 2018 season Wednesday, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Rawls becomes an unrestricted free agent and will likely have to settle for a backup role or an opportunity to compete for a starting assignment at most wherever he lands next. He burst onto the scene with 830 rushing yards on 147 carries as an undrafted rookie in 2015, but was utterly ineffective (3.0 yards per carry on 167 totes) the past two seasons, never regaining his pre-injury form. The Seahawks also non-tendered Mike Davis, leaving only Chris Carson (ankle/leg), C.J. Prosise (ankle) and J.D. McKissic in the backfield.

McKinnon agreed Wednesday with the 49ers on a four-year, $30 million contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

McKinnon was set to be a second or third option if he returned to the Vikings with Dalvin Cook (knee) set to return in 2018 and Latavius Murray still in the fold, but now he'll at least have a shot to compete for the primary job in the San Francisco backfield. The size of the contract suggests McKinnon will enter camp as the favorite for lead-back status, ahead of Matt Breida, Joe Williams, Jeremy McNichols and Raheem Mostert (knee). Of course, there's still time for the Niners to supplement their running-back stable in free agency or the draft.

The Jaguars placed a second-round tender on Grant, a restricted free agent, John Oehser of the Jaguars' official site reports.

Grant went undrafted back in 2015, which means the Jaguars wouldn't have received compensation if they'd used an original-round tender and failed to match an offer sheet. The $2.9 million second-round tender seems like a lot to pay for a third-string running back, but it makes sense after accounting for Grant's value on special teams, where he's been particularly useful on trick plays from the punt protector spot. He's also done well with his limited opportunities on offense, perhaps setting him up to challenge T.J. Yeldon for backup work now that Chris Ivory is out of the picture.

The 49ers have tendered a one-year contract to Mostert (knee), an exclusive-rights free agent, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Primarily a special teamer, Mostert had six carries for 30 yards in 11 games last season, ultimately landing on injured reserve in late November due to a knee injury. He should be back to compete for a spot at the bottom of the depth chart, but there's not much reason to think he'll be a factor in the backfield, regardless of what happens with impending free agent Carlos Hyde.

Ekeler's broken left ring finger has healed, allowing him to go through a daily offseason workout regimen while completing his degree at Western State Colorado, ESPN.com's Eric Williams reports.

Signed as an undrafted rookie last year, Ekeler earned a role on passing downs in October and made the most of his limited opportunities from that point on. He finished with 47 carries for 260 yards (5.5 average) and two touchdowns and caught 27 of 35 targets for 279 yards (8.0 YPT) and another three scores, despite being limited to special teams work while nursing a broken finger Weeks 16 and 17. Melvin Gordon has proven to be a useful receiver in his own right, but Ekeler figures to enter the offseason as the favorite for playing time in obvious passing situations. Anything more feels like e a stretch, given that Chargers coach Anthony Lynn recently mentioned he'd like to add another running back to help alleviate Gordon's workload on the ground, Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times reports. Ekeler's efficient work last season may not have been enough to convince the Chargers that he can develop into something more than a passing-down specialist.

Martin made a good impression in a recent face-to-face meeting with Raiders coach Jon Gruden, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Martin had two huge seasons and four clunkers in his six years with Tampa Bay, plagued by a mixture of off-field issues and on-field inefficiency. He managed just 2.9 yards per carry and three touchdowns on 138 carries last season, eventually losing the lead-back job to Peyton Barber down the stretch. As expected, the Bucs released Martin in February, allowing him to negotiate with other teams before the start of the free agency period March 14. It's no surprise that he remains unsigned, as back-to-back ugly seasons leave him somewhere in the middle of the crop of available running backs. Gruden apparently has some interest, but he's also expressed a desire to retain incumbent Marshawn Lynch. It's hard to see how the two would fit together, unless Martin were merely brought in on the cheap as a clear backup. The 29-year-old presumably hopes to find a team that will give him a shot to compete for its lead role. Oakland would become a strong fit if Lynch were to retire or be released in the coming weeks.

With news that the Titans will release DeMarco Murray, Henry is in line to head the Titans backfield in 2018.

Henry now tops a running back depth chart that also includes David Fluellen and Khalfani Muhammad, with the Titans likely to add further depth at the position in free agency and/or the draft. With Murray no longer around to contend with, Henry -- health permitting -- should easily eclipse the 176 carries (for 744 yards) that he logged in 2017. At 6-foot-3, 247 pounds, the 2016 second-rounder should have no problem handling the added workload in store. With the increased opportunity now at hand, Henry's fantasy prospects are clearly on the rise in advance of the coming NFL season.