NFL Player News

The Chiefs signed Atkinson to a reserve/future contract Monday, freelance NFL writer Howard Balzerreports.

Atkinson spent the preseason with the Raiders and flashed as both a runner and pass catcher in the preseason finale, rushing nine times for 60 yards and catching two passes for another 33 yards. However, he was cut prior to the season opener only to sign with the Chiefs' practice squad shortly thereafter. The Notre Dame product, who was clocked with a 4.48-second 40-yard dash at the 2014 combine, possesses explosive measurables but will likely need to impress on special teams in order to stick with Kansas City into the 2018 campaign.

Dayes -- who was mostly used on special teams -- rushed five times for 13 yards in 2017.

The rookie out of NC State made the Browns roster out of training camp as the team's third-string running back, but was mainly limited to special teams duty, which included serving as the kickoff returner. Dayes returned 18 kicks for 437 yards, with his longest return going for 71 yards. Isaiah Crowell is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and isn't expected to return. His departure may open up more opportunities for Dayes, though his likelihood of making any kind of significant impact in 2018 remains miniscule.

Smith had three receptions for 27 yards in five games for the Dolphins in 2017.

Smith was signed to Miami's 53-man roster in late November and did not register a carry on the season. All three receptions came in the Dolphins' Week 17 loss to the Bills, allowing the 23-year-old to finish his rookie season on a high note. Smith is under contract with Miami through next season, but will likely need to make quite an impression in training camp to garner consideration for a potential offensive role.

Titans head coach Mike Mularkey confirmed Sunday that Henry would likely start at running back in Tennessee's divisional-round matchup with New England on Jan. 13, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports.

While Mularkey isn't ruling DeMarco Murray (knee) out for the showdown with the Patriots after the veteran running back sat out the team's playoff-opening win over the Chiefs last weekend, Henry will be in line for the lead role again after producing 191 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 25 touches in the upset victory. Murray, who is dealing with a Grade 3 MCL tear, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, is considered day-to-day at this juncture and will likely only be available in a supporting role for the divisional round if he shows enough progress with his recovery during practices this week. Though the top-seeded Patriots are heavy favorites in the matchup, Henry's status as the unquestioned top option out of the backfield makes him a solid DFS building block against a New England rush defense that ceded 4.7 yards per carry during the regular season, the second-worst mark in the NFL.

McCaffrey finished with six rushes for 16 yards and caught six of eight targets for 101 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 31-26 NFC wild-card loss to the Saints.

McCaffrey was kept under wraps until he exploded for a 56-yard, catch-and-run touchdown during the fourth quarter. That play marked the longest gain of McCaffrey's rookie season, giving him a second career 100-yard receiving game in the process. Overall, McCaffrey's biggest impact this term came through the air, where he finished the regular season with an impressive 80 receptions on 113 targets for 651 yards and five scores. In comparison, he managed just 435 yards and two touchdowns on 117 carries. So while last year's eighth overall pick has already emerged as one of the league's best receiving tailbacks, in his second season he'll aim to improve his efficiency on the ground to become even more dynamic. Although quarterback Cam Newton and veteran Jonathan Stewart still figure to consume carries, McCaffrey could take his stock to the next level by making more use of his, which despite any durability concerns linked to his size, should only increase going forward.

Kamara finished with 10 rushes for 23 yards and a touchdown, and caught one of three targets for 10 yards in Sunday's 31-26 NFC wild-card win over the Panthers.

Kamara was bottled up by Carolina's stout defense, accounting for the lowest yardage of any game he completed this season. Although the rookie's playoff debut didn't go according to script, he still managed to make a significant impact via a two-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter. That score ultimately proved to be the difference in Sunday's tilt, allowing the Saints to advance to the divisional round next weekend, when they'll travel to play the Vikings.

McNichols spent two games on the 49ers' active roster but did not see a snap on either offense or special teams this year.

The 49ers snagged McNichols after the Buccaneers surprisingly cut their fifth-round pick following training camp despite having an obvious need for running back depth. Whatever the case may have been, the rookie stayed out of trouble on San Francisco's practice squad and was officially promoted to fill Raheem Mostert's (knee) vacant spot on the depth chart near the end of November. McNichols didn't see the field, not even in a special teams role, at any point this season. The Boise State product posted gaudy totals in college, so there is potential for fantasy utility if he were to ever find himself with a significant role. That role won't surface for the 22-year-old at the beginning of next season with Matt Breida, Joe Williams and Carlos Hyde's potential return all standing in his way.

Henry rushed for a career-high 156 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries and caught both of his targets for 35 yards in Saturday's 22-21, wild-card round win over Kansas City.

Henry thought he had a one-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter, but it was called back on a false start. He made up for it with a 35-yard scoring scamper early in the fourth, slashing his team's deficit to five points. After Tennessee finally took the lead later in the frame, the power runner sealed the victory by earning first downs with runs of 12 and 22 yards. He had a close call on that final drive with a near-fumble that was taken to the house by the defense, but review conclusively showed that Henry was down before the ball came out. Henry's outplayed DeMarco Murray (knee) on a per-carry basis all season and will likely be leaned on next week regardless of his veteran teammate's status.

Zenner rushed 14 times for 26 yards and one touchdown over eight games during the 2017 season.

After losing his grip on the short-yardage role in training camp to Dwayne Washington, Zenner re-entered the fold in Week 3 once Washington was lost to a thigh injury. However, even as injuries piled up in the Detroit backfield, Zenner was never given more than three carries in any one game throughout the entire year and ended the season as a healthy scratch in each of the final three outings. His future is now up in the air, as Zenner is set to be a restricted free agent and is no guarantee to be retained as a member of the Lions.

Washington appeared in five games during the 2017 season and rushed 20 times for 44 yards while securing both of his targets for 14 yards. He also logged 31 yards on two kickoff returns.

Washington supplanted Zach Zenner in training camp as the Lions' No. 3 running back behind Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick, but he injured his quadriceps in Week 2 and everything went downhill from there. In fact, he appeared in just three more games thereafter, then missed time with a hip injury, and finished the season as a healthy scratch in each of the Lions' final five games. Washington, who remains under contract with Detroit in 2018, enters the offseason buried on the depth chart and will likely need to show progress as a kick returner in order to keep his hold on a roster spot.