NFL Player News

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.

Green could remain a part of the Lions' backfield mix in 2018, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

An undrafted rookie last season, Green make his NFL debut until December, at which point he took 42 carries for 165 yards and two touchdowns over the final five weeks of the season. The Lions likely hope to find an upgrade in the backfield during the offseason, but it isn't out of the question that they devote resources to other positions and simply allow Green, Ameer Abdullah and Dwayne Washington to compete for carries in training camp. The 220-pound Green is more powerful than Abdullah, but Green's lack of pass-catching skills will make it tough to earn anything more than a bit role in the Detroit offense.

Gillislee may be a cap casualty for the Patriots during the offseason, Jake Levin of NBC 10 Boston reports.

Signed to a two-year, $6.4 million contract last April, Gillislee opened 2017 as the Patriots' lead runner and scored four touchdowns the first two weeks, but averaged only 3.7 yards per carry on the season and mostly served as a healthy scratch from October onward. The 27-year-old does have a couple things working in his favor, with his front-heavy contract carrying a modest 2018 cap charge of approximately $2.2 million, while teammates Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead are set to become unrestricted free agents. Even if both players head elsewhere and Gillislee is retained, the Patriots likely will find a draft pick or free agent to provide competition for carries. James White is locked in as the Patriots' pass-catching specialist and is signed through 2020.

Ogunbowale was waived by the Redskins on Tuesday.

Ogunbowale spent the final two weeks of the regular season on Washington's 53-man roster but was not active for either game. The former Wisconsin Badger will look for a new landing spot heading into his sophomore professional season.

McCaffrey likely will have a new backfield partner in 2018, though he could see more touches as a result of Jonathan Stewart's recent release, Max Henson of the Panthers' official website reports. "I think you do need to have that in the NFL today," Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine. "It's tough to have one guy that just dominates a game. You have to have guys that have similar characteristics but also do something special that can separate them."

McCaffrey had nearly as many targets (113) as carries (117) in his rookie season, with 59.9 percent of his 1,086 scrimmage yards and five of his seven touchdowns coming through the air. His mark of 3.7 yards per carry may not seem to beg for an expanded role in the rushing attack, but he at least was more effective than the recently released Stewart, who managed just 3.4 yards per tote. The Panthers likely want McCaffrey to take on a portion of Stewart's vacated carries, with the rest going to Cameron Artis-Payne, a draft pick or a free-agent signing. The No. 8 overall pick from last year's draft figures to take on more work in Year 2, but a regular three-down role shouldn't be assumed.

Abdullah will need to prove himself to the Lions' new coaching staff, ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein reports.

Lions general manager Bob Quinn seemed to acknowledge that Abdullah isn't a special talent, but Quinn nonetheless is hopeful the 2015 second-round pick can be a productive part of the team's 2018 backfield. Abdullah managed just 552 yards on 165 carries (3.3 average) and 162 yards on 25 catches (6.5 average) last season, but he at least managed to play 14 games after logging just two appearances the previous year. With Theo Riddick locked in on passing downs, Abdullah could find his roster spot in jeopardy if the Lions bring in an early draft pick or pricey free agent to compete for early-down work. The team did retain offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, who has done excellent work with Matthew Stafford despite failing to establish a respectable running game.

Jones (knee) pleaded no contest Wednesday to one of the three charges from a traffic stop on Oct. 1, Jeff Bollier of USA Today reports.

In the midst of his rookie campaign, Jones was thrust into the justice system, with the most serious charge a citation for driving with a controlled substance (marijuana) in his system. As part of a plea deal, the other two charges were dropped, with Jones receiving a six-month suspension of his license, an order to pay a fine and court costs, and an ultimatum to undergo an alcohol assessment. With his legal woes behind him, there's a possibility the NFL weighs in with a fine, suspension or combination thereof under the league's substance-abuse policy. In the meantime, Jones will continue to focus on his recovery from a sprained MCL in his left knee in anticipation of the offseason program.

Williams underwent surgery following the season to repair a separated left shoulder, which had prevented him from playing in the Dolphins' final five games, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post reports.

Williams sustained the injury Week 12 against the Patriots and was initially hopeful to play through the issue the rest of the season, but the Dolphins' team doctors refused to clear him. The running back said that by opting for surgery, he'll be at less risk of separating his shoulder again, though the procedure will likely result in him facing some restrictions or being unavailable entirely until minicamp opens. It remains to be seen if Williams, who will become an unrestricted free agent March 14, will return to Miami next season, as he may prefer to join a team with a more unsettled running-back situation that would give him a legitimate chance to compete for a starting job. Kenyan Drake seems to have a stranglehold on the No. 1 role in Miami after amassing 851 total yards and four touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry in the Dolphins' final nine games of 2017.

Broncos general manager John Elway was noncommittal Wednesday when asked if Anderson would return to Denver in 2018, Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post reports. "I'm not saying [Anderson will] be back for sure, but I'm not going to say [he's] gone," Elway said.

Anderson was one of the few bright spots for the 4-12 Broncos last season, finishing with a career-best 1,007 rushing yards and recording four touchdowns over 16 games. Despite Anderson's improved health and quality production, the Denver offense was still a disaster due to poor play at quarterback, a position the team plans to upgrade this offseason, likely through free agency. In order to free up the money necessary to make a serious run at one of the top quarterbacks on the market, the Broncos may opt to release Anderson, who carries cap hits of $4.5 million for the next two seasons. While those figures aren't totally unreasonable for Anderson, the team has younger, cheaper backup options on hand in the form Devontae Booker and De'Angelo Henderson, both of whom might be able to handle larger roles in 2018 without the Broncos losing much effectiveness on the ground.