NFL Player News

Foreman is seen as someone who can spell starter Lamar Miller, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Miller lugged the ball a career-high 268 times in 2016, a workload that took its toll on Houston's lead running back. Cognizant of that, head coach Bill O'Brien plans to monitor his workload and incorporate a second back more often. Thus, the Texans selected Foreman out the University of Texas in the third round (89th overall) to be part of the backup running back mix. He's a big back who was a productive inside runner for the Longhorns and is seen as a first- and second-down back. His selection is not a good sign for either Alfred Blue or Kenny Hilliard.

The Steelers selected Conner in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, 105th overall.

The Pittsburgh product never had to leave town, and the Steelers get a fine off-the-bench power runner behind starter Le'Veon Bell. It's possible that they could even groom Conner (6-foot-1, 233 pounds) for some fullback looks to get both players on the field at once. Conner overcome Hodgkins lymphoma and a torn MCL from 2015 to return to the field in 2016, and he came back with a leaner build and improved pass-catching skills. Conner doesn't look like a standout talent and won't have much opportunity to produce behind Bell, but he's probably talented enough to produce if Bell should miss any time. Conner finished his Pittsburgh career with 3,733 yards (5.6 YPC) and 52 touchdowns in 39 career games.

The Texans selected Foreman in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, 89th overall.

Foreman (6-foot, 233 pounds) is a big running back with excellent speed, breaking into the 4.4-second range at the Texas pro day, and he'll be a very nice off-the-bench piece behind Lamar Miller. If Miller's durability troubles persist, Foreman will prove a far superior backup than the recent likes of Alfred Blue or Jonathan Grimes. After running for 2,700 yards (6.5 YPC) and 20 touchdowns in 21 games at Texas, Foreman makes for a fine dynasty asset and could be a worthwhile handcuff in some redraft scenarios.

The Saints selected Kamara in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, 67th overall.

Kamara (5-foot-10, 214 pounds) doesn't have the build of a traditional starting running back, and the presences of Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson assure he won't see such a role anytime soon in New Orleans. Kamara is an explosive and quick runner with superb balance, and he should carve out an immediate part-time role as a pass-catching and hurry-up specialist. That role might not be big enough for fantasy relevance in 2017, but Kamara should force his way to more snaps by 2018.

The Bengals selected Mixon in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, 48th overall.

A clear first-round talent who fell this far due to a 2014 incident when he punched a female Oklahoma student, Mixon's landing spot is not terribly surprising. That the Bengals took him in the second round indicates that they're prepared to give him playing time despite the PR backlash it might bring. So long as he's getting snaps, Mixon (6-foot-1, 226 pounds) should quickly establish himself as Cincinnati's top running back. There's no need to exercise caution on this -- Jeremy HIll and Gio Bernard (ACL) cannot produce at the level Mixon can. That much is true, though it's fair to question how much playing time the Bengals may be willing to give him off the bat. With standout pass-catching skills and breakaway athleticism on a workhorse frame, Mixon has uniquely high fantasy upside despite any risk he might still carry.

The Vikings selected Cook in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, 41st overall.

Questions about his past and concerns over his Combine workouts pushed Cook this far. He was a feared and incredibly productive runner in college, totaling 4,464 yards (6.5 YPC) and 46 touchdowns in 38 career games. More likely than not, he'll emerge as a standout NFL starter despite his disappointing Combine. Quick and explosive with excellent balance, Cook should be a three-down player early in his career thanks to his standout pass-catching potential. Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon don't appear capable of keeping Cook on the bench, though an initial committee approach could limit Cook's 2017 fantasy ceiling. If he gets a big workload, though, expect strong production.

The Redskins are shopping Jones, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports.

Selected in the third round of the 2015 draft on the strength of his workout numbers, Jones has thus far displayed some big-play ability but without any kind of consistency. He has 243 career carries for 950 yards (3.9 YPC), with six lost fumbles in 20 games. Undrafted rookie Robert Kelley usurped Jones for the lead role in Washington's backfield last season, with Chris Thompson handling the obvious passing downs. Regardless of what the Redskins do in the draft, Jones likely will have to compete for a roster spot. He's unlikely to fetch anything more than a sixth- or seventh-round selection in a trade.

The Panthers selected McCaffrey in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, eighth overall.

McCaffrey (5-foot-11, 202 pounds) may technically remain behind Jonathan Stewart on the depth chart for the duration of 2017, but in terms of touches and almost certainly in terms of production from scrimmage, McCaffrey should function as Carolina's top running back going forward. If not his talent, then the magnitude of the investment in him made by the Panthers all but dictates this. After totaling 5,128 yards and 31 touchdowns from scrimmage in 37 career games, demonstrating truly rare pass-catching ability in the process, McCaffrey is set to make a significant Year 1 impact for the Panthers. Particularly in PPR scoring, he could land in the RB2 category by the time 2017 fantasy drafts fire up.

Mostert (undisclosed) didn't participate in Wednesday's minicamp practice, CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco reports.

Mostert reportedly sustained some sort of soft-tissue injury, but the details of the affliction aren't clear. The 49ers have issued no timetable for Mostert's return to full activities.

Murray (ankle) doesn't have a timetable for a return, but the running back is aiming for participation at the start of training camp, Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Within a week of signing with the Vikings in March, Murray had bone spurs removed from his right ankle. At the moment, he's a far cry from taking part in on-field drills, as he was seen on a stationary bike on the sideline during Tuesday's offseason session, according to Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Brought in to fill the shoes of the departed Adrian Peterson (knee), Murray is fair as both a runner and pass catcher, boasting 2,278 rushing yards and 91 receptions (on 119 targets) during the first three seasons of his career with the Raiders. Fortunately for Murray, he'll only have to fend off Jerick McKinnon in Minnesota, once he achieves full health.