NFL Player News

Williams could have a chance to unseat Carlos Hyde (knee) from the lead role before Week 1, CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco reports.

New head coach Kyle Shanahan made a strong push convincing the San Francisco front office to draft Williams, who was ultimately selected in the fourth round at No. 121 overall. General manager John Lynch initially planned to avoid the Utah product, but Lynch changed his mind when he learned that Williams' brief retirement from football during his senior season at Utah was motivated by the running back's need to deal with continuing grief from his sister's death. Williams rejoined the team after a month-long absence and proceeded to run for 1,332 yards and 10 touchdowns in only seven games, producing at a clip of 7.1 yards per carry. He then ran a 4.41 40-yard dash at 5-foot-11, 210 pounds at the Combine, where he also had strong marks in the broad jump (125 inches) and 20-yard shuttle (4.19 seconds). Meanwhile, the oft-injured Hyde is entering the final season of his rookie contract, having missed 14 of a possible 48 games through three years. Hyde has mostly done strong work as an early-down runner when he's been healthy, but the rebuilding 49ers may still prioritize Williams' development if both players prove to be deserving of roles. Offseason addition Tim Hightower also figures to take on some snaps -- particularly on passing downs -- as Williams only caught nine passes during his senior season, and Hyde has never been much of a receiving threat.

Head coach Bill O'Brien said Foreman needs to do some work to get into ideal football shape, The Houston Chronicle's Aaron WIlson reports.

Listed at 249 pounds for his final collegiate season, Foreman checked in at 233 pounds at the combine -- still tied for the second-heaviest among running backs -- and then ran a 4.45 second 40-yard dash at the University of Texas pro day. His pre-draft workouts likely emphasized dropping weight and improving his 40 time, and while the Texans surely are glad to have a slimmed-down version of the young running back, they probably want him to shift his focus toward improving his strength and stamina. Foreman just recently turned 21 years old and only caught 13 passes in his college career, but his impressive combination of size and speed should give him an immediate shot to unseat Alfred Blue as the top backup to Lamar Miller. The third-round selection (No. 89 overall) could also be in the mix for short-yardage and goal-line work.

Kelley's (knee) offseason work has impressed the Redskins, making it likely he'll be the team's top running back entering this season, Rich Tandler of CSN Mid-Atlantic reports.

Kelley, who dethroned Matt Jones over the course of last season to become Washington's starting tailback, approaches the upcoming campaign coming off a January surgery to clean up his knee. The 24-year-old's progress through rehab has garnered praise around the Redskins' facility, as has his work in the weight room. While the endearing nickname "Fat Rob" caught on last season, Kelley is expected to be more muscular version of himself this time around, which figures to help stave off competition for touches. Rookie fourth-rounder Samaje Perine is thought to be Kelley's biggest threat on that front, particularly in short-yardage situations, but Kelley's positive strides this offseason should see him keep the Redskins' starting gig ahead of Week 1.

Williams signed his restricted free agent tender with the Dolphins on Thursday, Chris Perkins of The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Williams contract is worth around $1.8 million for the 2017 season. He held out from signing for two months after he was initially tendered, but it doesn't appear as though he had any better offers. He figures to be in the backup mix in Miami behind Jay Ajayi this season.

Mathews (neck) is still likely to be released, PhillyVoice.com's Jimmy Kempski reports.

Mathews was cleared to resume working out around the time of the draft, and while he still hasn't passed a physical, the Eagles likely expect him to do so before the start of training camp. The team apparently intends to release him with an injury settlement even if he can't pass a physical, ready to move forward with a backfield led by Wendell Smallwood (knee), Darren Sproles and fourth-round rookie Donnel Pumphrey. Philadelphia could look to add some size to its backfield through free agency or a trade, as LeGarrette Blount remains unsigned and a few teams appear to have at least three or four competent runners.

Michael visited with the Patriots on Wednesday, ESPN.com's Field Yates reports.

Given the current state of New England's running back depth chart, Michael probably wouldn't be an option for the team unless he's still unsigned during training camp and other players suffer injuries. The 2013 second-round selection was released by Green Bay shortly after the conclusion of the 2017 draft.

Williams signed a contract Wednesday with the Bengals, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com reports.

Williams, who went undrafted out of Kentucky, joins a crowded Cincinnati backfield in his move to the pro ranks. Standing at just 5-foot-7, Williams is a small, elusive back that managed to run for 1,170 yards for the Wildcats lat season. He'll be behind at least Jeremy Hill, Giovani Bernard and second-round pick Joe Mixon on the depth chart, but Williams could carve out a role as a special teamer and depth back in 2017.

West signed his $1.797 million restricted free agent tender Monday, ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley reports.

West was given an original-round tender, which meant any team signing him to an offer sheet would've been required to give Baltimore a third-round pick if the contract wasn't matched. No team was going to give up a third-round pick for the right to hand West a multi-year deal, even in the wake of a 2016 campaign in which he set career-high marks across the board. Already tabbed by coach John Harbaugh as the No. 1 back on Baltimore's current depth chart, West got a silent vote of confidence when the team opted not to draft any running backs in April. With Kenneth Dixon suspended the first four games and Danny Woodhead (knee) likely to get most of his playing time in obvious passing situations, West is in line to open the season as Baltimore's unquestioned primary ball carrier. He still has limited long-term upside, as the Ravens presumably hope to eventually have a three-headed backfield, with Dixon potentially usurping West for the lead role.

Magee was released by the Seahawks on Tuesday, Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio KJR reports.

Magee was one of 11 running backs on the Seahawks' roster to begin the day but now heads into the market along with fellow back George Farmer as part of an eight-player release by the team. Magee, who signed his exclusive rights tender almost a month ago, joined the team in late December and made two appearances at the end of the 2016 season. Just 24, the back will look to sign on to another roster during training camp in the hopes of locking down a spot on the 53-man roster.

Mixon could get a heavy dose of playing time from the outset, ESPN.com's Katherine Terrell reports.

Widely regarded as a top-20 talent, Mixon fell to the second round of the 2017 draft (No. 48 overall) due in large part to a 2014 incident in which he punched a female Oklahoma student. His landing spot comes as no surprise, with the Bengals in need of a running back and already possessing a long history of taking chances on players who bring negative PR backlash. Mixon shouldn't have much trouble earning some kind of role by Week 1, as Giovani Bernard is recovering from a torn ACL and Jeremy Hill fell shy of 4.0 yards per carry in both 2015 and 2016. Mixon seemingly combines Bernard's quickness and pass-catching skills with Hill's size and power, giving the Bengals a potential three-down threat in the backfield.