NFL Player News

Cook (knee) will be a limited participant in spring drills but is expected to be a full participant in training camp, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Cook is making good progress in his rehab from a torn ACL suffered Week 4 last season, and given that he's expected to be ready for training camp, he seems to be on track for Week 1. Expect the Vikings to ease Cook into the swing of things this spring and summer, as the second-year tailback will be 10 months removed from his major injury when training camp begins in late July. With Jerick McKinnon (49ers) no longer in the picture, Latavius Murray could be busy if the Vikings decide to carefully manage Cook's workload.

The Chargers are slated to pick up Gordon's fifth-year option, a move that would keep the 25-year-old under contract with the team through the 2019 season, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Gordon logged 284 carries for 1,105 yards and eight rushing TDs in 16 games last season, while adding 58 catches for 476 yards and four receiving scores. The 2015 first-rounder remains firmly atop the Chargers' running back depth chart, with Austin Ekeler and Russell Hansbrough also under contract with the team. Given that context, it's inevitable that depth at the position will be added, either through this week's draft or via free agency, with the likes of C.J. Anderson, DeMarco Murray and Alfred Morris all still looking for new teams.

Kelley (ankle) will have a lot to prove during the Redskins' offseason program and Organized Team Activities, Rich Tandler of NBC Sports Washington reports.

Kelley earned a roster spot as an undrafted rookie in 2016 and emerged as Washington's lead back by the end of the year. He took a big step back in his sophomore campaign, however, managing just 62 carries for 194 yards (3.2 average) and three touchdowns in seven games while being limited by ankle, knee and rib injuries. The ankle issue landed him on injured reserve in mid-November, and while he seems to have avoided surgery and should be healthy for the offseason program, Kelley ultimately may find himself in a battle for a roster spot. Chris Thompson (leg) and 2017 fourth-round pick Samaje Perine should make the team without question, and head coach Jay Gruden has already acknowledged the likelihood that Washington uses an early draft pick on a running back. As an early-down thumper without much special-teams value, Kelley likely will become expendable if he doesn't look better than Perine during spring and summer practices.

Mixon has toned his physique, reporting to the offseason program at about 225 pounds, per Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site.

Mixon recalled that he weighed 238 pounds when he landed in Cincy as a second-round pick last year. In an effort to "get a step quicker," he's devoted his first full offseason as a professional to working out, instead of traveling the pre-draft circuit. He worked his way up the depth chart during his first campaign, leading all Bengals running backs in yards from scrimmage (913) and rushing yards (626) and matching Gio Bernard in total touchdowns with four. With a goal to lose five more pounds, Mixon likely hopes to improve upon a dismal mark of 3.5 yards per carry, and the departure of Jeremy Hill to the Patriots in free agency should give him enough extra touches to surpass the output from his rookie year. The Bengals traded for left tackle Cordy Glenn in an effort to upgrade an offensive line that was woeful last season, but the right side still looks like a major weakness, one that could be addressed during the upcoming NFL Draft.

The Broncos are releasing Anderson, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Scheduled for a $4.5 million cap hit this upcoming season, Anderson didn't have any guaranteed money remaining on the four-year, $18 million contract he signed in March 2016. The Broncos nearly traded him to Miami in mid-March, but they were unable to find another deal after the Dolphins backed out. Anderson now will be free to pick his next team, becoming the top running back on the open market after producing his first 1,000-yard rushing season in 2017. He likely will be disappointed by the offers he receives, as most teams that need a running back will have their eyes toward the draft. The Broncos figure to draft at least one runner to join 2016 fourth-round pick Devontae Booker and 2017 sixth-round pick De'Angelo Henderson.

Abdullah has had a full offseason to train for the first time in his career, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports. "Definitely ready for a big year," the running back recently said. "My body feels as good as it's felt since I've been here, so I think that's the most important thing. I've had an unfortunate streak of two injuries in a row. Coming back from those have been tough in their own respect, but I'm glad I'm all the way back."

Abdullah, who entered the league in 2015, needed surgery to repair a torn labrum after his rookie year and then missed a good chunk of the 2017 offseason recovering from a Lisfranc injury he suffered two games into the 2016 campaign. Abdullah's also the owner of a career 3.8 YPC mark and has likely fallen to No. 3 on the depth chart after starting 2017 in the lead role. It's impossible to know if his professional struggles relate to his lack of offseason availability, but it's at least obvious that a rehabilitation-free offseason is better than the alternative. The Lions haven't totally given up on the running back, as general manager Bob Quinn recently indicated that Abdullah remains in the team's plans. However, Detroit's addition of LeGarrette Blount, coupled with the likelihood that Quinn invests in this year's deep draft class of running backs, makes Abdullah's exact role uncertain.

Williams is slated to sign a one-year deal with the Chiefs, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Williams joins a crowded Kansas City backfield that is headed by Kareem Hunt and at least for now also includes Charcandrick West, Spencer Ware, Damien Williams and Akeem Hunt. The 26-year-old Kerwynn Williams logged a career-high 120 carries for 426 yards and TD to go along with 10 catches for 93 yards in 16 games for the Cardinals in 2017, but in his new context, Williams' path to touches is unclear in the absence of future roster trimming/fellow running back injuries.

Drake relayed Friday that he has added five or 10 pounds since the 2017 season ended, the Palm Beach Post reports. "So I'm about 215 right now," Drake noted. "I know as I run around I'll probably lose that weight. But maintaining it is definitely something I want to do. Get to that weight to begin with, sustain it during the offseason program. Then when training camp hits, I might lose five pounds, but I'll still be at an optimal weight for the season."

While we won't read too much into Drake's modest weight gain, his comments support the notion that he's prepping himself for a large workload this coming season. The 24-year-old had 133 carries for 644 yards and 32 catches for 239 yards (four TDs) last year, with the bulk of that production coming in December as he eventually moved into a high-volume role following the trade of Jay Ajayi to the Eagles. The Dolphins added steady veteran Frank Gore instead of re-signing Damien Williams (Chiefs), but the more explosive Drake still figures to lead the way in Miami's 2018 backfield.

Mack is trying to gain a little bit of weight to prepare for the possibility of an increased role in his second NFL season, Andrew Walker of the Colts' official website reports.

A fourth-round pick, Mack was feast or famine in his backup role as a rookie, averaging only 3.8 yards per carry despite taking six of his 93 totes for 20 yards or more. For context, fellow rookie Aaron Jones was the only player with a higher percentage of carries going for 20-plus yards (min. 50 attempts) and he averaged 5.5 per carry. Mack displayed a similar mixture of potential and inconsistency when the Colts threw the ball, impressively averaging 10.7 yards on 21 receptions but struggling with his pass blocking and catch rate (63.6 percent). He's left atop the depth chart after Frank Gore signed with the Dolphins, though the Colts likely will add competition during the upcoming draft. Mack's pass blocking will be of particular importance, as the Colts don't want Andrew Luck (shoulder) to take the kind of beating Jacoby Brissett was subjected to last year. Their current group of running backs may be the league's worst, with Mack joined by Robert Turbin, Christine Michael, Josh Ferguson, Matt Jones and George Winn.

Patterson said head coach Bill Belichick informed him that the Patriots informed him they believe they get can the most out of his potential, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

Belichick's comments hint at an important role on offense for Patterson, who was acquired from the Raiders earlier this offseason in exchange for a swap of late-round draft picks. The minimal compensation suggests the 27-year-old may need to compete for a roster spot, a notion that's supported by the team's recent addition of Jordan Matthews (knee, ankle). Patterson has led the league in kickoff return average three times in five professional seasons, but his $3 million salary (per OverTheCap.com) nonetheless could make it tough to justify keeping him if he doesn't prove worthy of a key role in the New England offense. He'll need to compete with Jordan Matthews, Malcolm Mitchell (knee), Phillip Dorsett and Kenny Britt, all of whom should slot in behind the leading duo of Chris Hogan and Julian Edelman (knee). The 2013 first-round pick has 163 catches and 44 carries in 80 career games, averaging 10.0 yards per reception, 6.3 per target and 10.3 per carry.