NFL Player News

Johnson agreed to terms on a contract with the Cardinals on Tuesday, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports.

The writing was on the wall for the veteran to reunite with the Cardinals after star tailback David Johnson suffered a dislocated left wrist in the season opener Sunday that will require surgery, likely sidelining him for 2-to-3 months. With the Cardinals expected to move Johnson to injured reserve later this week, the team will bring back the elder Johnson -- who was previously waived by the team at the end of the preseason -- in a corresponding move to fill the opening on the 53-man roster and provide Arizona with some additional depth in the backfield. Johnson's familiarity with the playbook after having appeared in 15 games with Arizona over the last two seasons should allow him to dress for the team's Week 2 tilt with the Colts, but coach Bruce Arians already confirmed that Kerwynn Williams would serve as the top running back in David Johnson's absence, while Andre Ellington will likely see most of the third-down snaps. That may only leave short-yardage work available for Johnson initially, though he could also see snaps on occasions where Williams is in need of a breather.

McKinnon had three carries for five yards and had three receptions for 32 yards in Monday's win over the Saints. He also returned four kickoffs for an average of 27 yards.

Although Dalvin Cook dominated the touches at running back, McKinnon played more snaps on offense (11) than Latavius Murray (3). While Murray may be the backup should Cook get hurt, McKinnon may have a more regular role in the offense. However, McKinnon's value is mostly going to be on special teams as long as Cook is healthy.

Murray had two carries for six yards and lost a fumble on his first carry in Monday's win over New Orleans. He played just three snaps on offense.

It was an overall terrible game for Murray's fantasy value. Losing a fumble won't install confidence with his new team and he had the third most touches in the backfield. Dalvin Cook played 51 snaps and McKinnon played 11 snaps. It was thought Murray could maybe split playing time at running back at the start of training camp or at least have a third-down role. However, now it looks like Cook will get almost all the touches with some hope Murray could still carve out a goal-line role.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday it remains a close competition between McFadden and Alfred Morris for the top backup running back job, Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

After being inactive for the Cowboys' season-opening win over the Giants on Sunday, McFadden remains behind Morris on the depth chart, but Morris didn't do much to create separation in the battle for backup duties behind starter Ezekiel Elliott, as he logged just eight snaps and gained one yard on four carries. While neither McFadden nor Morris will be in store for a bounty of snaps in any given week while Elliott is healthy, the two players could take on greater importance later on in the season in the event that Elliott ends up having to serve a portion or all of the six-game suspension the NFL initially handed him in August. Elliott received a preliminary injuction last week from a Texas district court that will allow him to continue playing while the legal process unfolds, but the NFL's recent decision to appeal the injuction could result in Elliott's status being somewhat uncertain from week to week until a resolution is reached.

Oliver picked up 10 yards on four carries in Monday's loss to the Broncos.

While Oliver was used sparingly as a runner, Austin Ekeler did not receive a carry, though he caught a pair of passes in the losing effort. Barring the addition of outside competition, don't be surprised if the two backs remain engaged in a battle for snaps behind Gordon throughout the early part of the season. If the Week 1 distribution of touches is any indication, Gordon is in line to be a workhorse for the Chargers this season.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that he expects Elliott, whose preliminary injuction was appealed by the NFL on Monday, to suit up in the team's Week 2 matchup with the Broncos, but wouldn't predict that the running back would be available all season, Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News reports.

It initially appeared Elliott would be in line to serve a six-game suspension this season after arbitrator Harold Henderson upheld the NFL's ban in a Sept. 5 decision, but Elliott's outlook brightened days later when a Texas district court granted a temporary restraining order on Henderson's ruling. The TRO and preliminary injuction was expected to keep Elliott available until at least November or December, if not the entire season, but it's no longer clear if that's still the case after the NFL appealed the injuction. No matter what ultimately holds up as the final decision regarding any suspension, it's unlikely that a resolution will come before Sunday, putting Elliott in line to play again after he submitted a typically strong all-around performance in the Cowboys' Week 1 win over the Giants, during which he accrued 104 yards on the ground and 36 more through the air.

Kamara gained 18 yards on seven carries and another 20 yards on four receptions (six targets) in Monday night's loss to the Vikings.

Kamara saw a lot of playing time in his NFL debut, as the rookie was the preferred pass-catching option in the New Orleans backfield. In fact, his 31 offensive snaps (50 percent) were more than both Mark Ingram (26 snaps) and Adrian Peterson (nine snaps). While Kamara's substantial reps can likely be attributed to game flow -- the Saints were playing from behind most of the night -- it's clear that the University of Tennessee product will have a significant role in the Saints offense in his rookie campaign, even if his week-to-week production may be sporadic. A home tilt against the Patriots looms in Week 2.

Gordon rushed 18 times for 54 yards and caught five of his six targets for 25 yards and a touchdown during Monday's loss to Denver.

It's difficult to critically judge Gordon's performance because of how strong the Denver defense looked for the majority of Monday's game. He showed tackle-breaking ability on a number of carries but also got wrapped up at and behind the line a handful of times. It's definitely important to note that Gordon fared well in the passing attack, which is an encouraging sign for PPR owners. Overall, considering this was a daunting on-paper matchup, Gordon's status as a go-to running back remains intact following a solid Week 1 showing.

Anderson rushed 20 times for 81 yards and caught one of three targets for seven yards during Monday's win over the Chargers.

The 26-year-old back showed promising burst and hit the holes provided to him well early on. Anderson doubled Jamaal Charles' rushing attempts, so it's clear that Anderson is the lead back. While Charles also ran well (10 attempts for 40 yards), he also fumbled in the fourth quarter. It's worth noting that Anderson had a red-zone touchdown run called back because of an illegal-shift penalty, too. His fantasy value is on the rise with so many committee backfields around the league, and the Denver offense showing well for the majority of Monday's game. Charles' costly fumble also strengthens Anderson's stranglehold of top position on the depth chart.

Cook rushed 22 times for 127 yards and caught three of five targets for 10 yards in Monday night's win over the Saints.

Cook's impact grew as the game unfolded, with the rookie ripping off two runs of over 30 yards during the fourth quarter. In doing so, he provided the type of big-play running threat the Vikings sorely lacked following Adrian Peterson's injury last season. While Peterson watched Minnesota's running game revival from the opposing sideline, Cook proved plenty deserving of his old job going forward. In fact, the Vikings' next two running backs, Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon, garnered just five carries combined. While McKinnon matched Cook's catch total and finished with 22 more receiving yards, the second-rounder put together one of the best tailback performances of Week 1. Next up, he'll look to find the end zone while sustaining his success versus the Steelers.