NFL Player News

Rodgers' agent will meet with the Bucs at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week to begin gauging the possibility of the running back's return in 2017, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Rodgers took on a much larger role with the Bucs last season than originally expected, as he finished the campaign with a career-high 560 yards rushing on a solid 4.3 YPC. He logged five starts overall due to injuries and an eventual suspension of Doug Martin and was able to demonstrate an ability to handle a lead back's workload. General manager Jason Licht has conceded that the team "really likes Jacquizz" and would ideally want him back, particularly in light of Martin's suspension and generally uncertain future with the club. However, due to the fact that Rodgers, a six-year veteran, is a minimum salary benefit player, the Bucs are not able to work out a deal with him until free agency officially kicks off, rendering any discussions this week purely exploratory in nature.

Martin (suspension), who met with Bucs officials in Tampa last week, is reportedly doing well and will prepare for the offseason program over the next several weeks in California, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports. "We've checked in with Doug," general manager Jason Licht said at the combine. "His well-being is very important to us right now. We don't have to make a decision right now. We've got time, so there's no point in coming out and saying what we want to do and what we plan on doing. We're going to let the process play out and it's good for both parties."

The Bucs reconvene in mid-April for the start of OTAs, and, as of now, Martin remains a part of their plan. His suspension doesn't prohibit him from practicing with the team in any way during the offseason, but it does allow Tampa to void a guarantee of $7 million for this coming season and release him. However, the Bucs are understandably keeping their plans close to the vest for now, while also trying to leave open the possibility of their former Pro Bowl running back returning to the team in 2017 and playing a prominent role, as he has in the past. While they'll keep their options open with respect to Martin, the front office and head coach Dirk Koetter are firmly in lockstep with respect to their goal of solidifying the running back position this offseason. "We don't have to make that decision right now," Koetter told reporters Wednesday at the NFL combine. "Doug's under contract right now and no decision has to be made on that right now. So we don't have to rush it. We can just work through it as we go. But that's one of the things high on our list is what's going to happen with our running back situation?"

Johnson (groin) will seek out the best fit as an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Alex Marvez of the Sporting News reports. "I feel at this point in my career if it's not a situation where a team wants to bring me in to be a starter, I definitely need to be somewhere where I have a role," Johnson said on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday. "I need to be involved. At this point in my career, I don't want to sit on the sideline. I want to get in the game."

After back-to-back injury-altered campaigns with the Cardinals, Johnson sees the writing on the wall in a backfield populated by a workhorse like David Johnson, who handled 73.4 percent (293 of 399) of the team's carries in 2016. At this point in the former's career, he won't contribute much, if anything, as a pass catcher, so a between-the-tackles gig is likely at the top of his list. Johnson will be entering his age-32 season in the fall, so landing atop a depth chart out of the gate isn't really in the cards. Rather, a complementary role could be his best-case scenario, whether he sticks in Arizona or heads elsewhere.

Henry is expected to play second fiddle to DeMarco Murray (foot) out of the Titans' backfield next season. On Wednesday, head coach Mike Mularkey confirmed as much, calling Murray "the guy," according to Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Despite admitting that he played through a torn plantar plate in his right foot in 2016, Murray still gobbled up 81 percent of the Titans' offensive snaps, which translated to 20-plus touches in 11 of 16 games. Meanwhile, Henry's earned 25 percent of such snaps, churning out 490 yards and five touchdowns on his 110 carries. The Titans' run-first mentality should afford him a similar workload in his second season, but a serious injury to Murray may be the only way Henry is truly unleashed.

McFadden played in only three games in 2016 due to an elbow injury, finishing with 24 carries for 87 yards and catching three passes on five targets for 17 yards.

He topped 1,000 yards rushing in 2015 for just the second time in his career, but his injury, combined with the addition of Ezekiel Elliott, prevented McFadden from making any kind of meaningful impact last year. He's a free agent this offseason, but it's not out of the question for the Cowboys to bring him back as veteran depth behind Elliott if the market for his services is soft.

Kelley (knee) is currently projected as the Redskins' starting running back in 2017, CSN Mid-Atlantic reports.

Kelley, an undrafted rookie last year, started Washington's final nine games of the season after Matt Jones failed to impress to begin the campaign. In those appearances, Kelley finished with 601 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Although a knee problem that required a small surgery this offseason slowed him toward the end of that stretch, Kelley showed enough to project as the Redskins' top tailback heading into next season. With his numbers as a starter, that role could see Kelley eclipse 1,000 yards in 2017, but he'll need to continue to prove he's the team's best option to have that opportunity.

Richardson (knee) was arrested last Thursday on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in the third degree, WRBC.com reports.

Handed plenty of opportunity to stick in the NFL, Richardson hasn't taken the field in season since 2014 and during preseason play since August of 2015. His woes have now extended off the field due to an alleged incident with a female in Hoover, Ala. While the legal system works itself out, there's no indication that the NFL will come calling in the short or long term.

Abdullah (foot) remains on track to return by the start of offseason workouts in April, the Detroit Free Press reports.

On the mend from an unspecified injury to his left foot, Abdullah said in early January that he anticipates being ready for the start of OTAs in April. His recovery remains setback-free and it doesn't appear as if it'll be much longer until he returns to full strength. The former second-rounder showcased his progress Friday by posting a video of himself on Instagram sprinting on a treadmill. With well over a month until the start of team workouts, Abdullah certainly appears on track to be ready. Of greater concern to his 2017 outlook than a potential delay to his offseason preparation is the Lions stated intent to upgrade the running game this offseason. This doesn't necessarily imply they want to specifically add another running back, but then again GM Bob Quinn didn't rule out such a possibility either.

New head coach Anthony Lynn believes Gordon (knee, hip) could rise to another level in his third season, ESPN's Eric D. Williams reports. "He did a hell of a job from his rookie year to his sophomore year," Lynn said. "And I told him we can take this to another level. We're going to do some things running-wise that I can think can help him."

It's interesting to note that Lynn did not discuss Gordon's burgeoning receiving skills, instead opting to discuss what he could improve while running the ball. Given Danny Woodhead's impending free agency, it remains to be seen if the Chargers view Gordon as a three-down back or if they'll prefer to utilize him strictly in the ground game. Regardless, it's clear Lynn and the rest of the Chargers' staff took notice of the Wisconsin alum's breakout 2016 campaign. Assuming he recovers from a hip strain and a knee sprain that caused him to miss the final three games of the regular season, Gordon should certainly be considered one of the top fantasy running backs entering the 2017 season.

The Buccaneers aren't expected to make a decision on Martin (suspension) for the foreseeable future, Roy Cummings of FloridaFootballInsiders.com reports.

Handed a four-game suspension in December for a violation of the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, Martin missed the final game of the 2016 season and promptly entered a treatment facility. Prior to the ban, he was a workhorse in the eight games in which he was active, averaging 18 carries per contest and corralling 14 of 16 passes. However, he also missed six outings in the early going due to a hamstring injury and was inactive in Week 16 for an undisclosed reason. The impetus was soon revealed, though, at which point his campaign was over. If Martin is still a Buccaneer next season, the backfield will be entrusted to holdovers Charles Sims (pectoral), a veritable pass catcher, and Peyton Barber for the first three games, while unrestricted free agent Jacquizz Rodgers, exclusive rights free agent Russell Hansbrough, and a draft pick or two may also be in the fold.