NFL Player News

The Bills did not draft a running back with any of their six picks to compete with Williams or other veterans for the backup pecking order behind LeSean McCoy.

The No. 2 role looks like Williams' to lose. He served as the No. 3 back as a rookie, and the Bills failed to match the Patriots' offer for Mike Gillislee. Williams slipped in the 2016 draft due to some injury issues, but he was a strong runner for Arkansas and made a decent impression in his young pro career following an offseason incident involving alcohol during his post-draft summer. He might end up being one injury away from a major role in a run-heavy offense, as neither Joe Banyard nor Cedric O'Neal offers anywhere near Williams' athletic ability.

Brown-Dukes was released by the Steelers on Tuesday, Dale Lolley of The Observer reports.

The Steelers trimmed down their roster with four cuts Tuesday, including Brown-Dukes. The Mercyhurst product was a long shot to make the team given that Pittsburgh has one of the most crowded running back rooms in the league at this point in the offseason. He could land with a team looking to add some running back depth during training camp.

Rodgers will face competition from 2017 fifth-round pick Jeremy McNichols in the coming season, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

Rodgers was a pleasant surprise last season after signing with the Bucs following a preseason release from the Bears, compiling a personal-best 560 rushing yards while carrying the ball a career-high 129 times. He re-signed on a cap-friendly two-year deal this offseason, but McNichols represents serious competition in terms of playing time. The rookie brings the entirety of Rodgers' skill set to the table but in more spectacular fashion, having logged more "explosive" pass plays of 16 or more yards than any other running back in his draft class outside of Tennessee's Alvin Kamara, according to Thomas Bassinger of the Tampa Bay Times. McNichols also has 3,205 rushing yards (5.6 YPA) over 34 college games and solid pass-blocking skills, making him a younger and higher-ceiling version of Rodgers. However, with questions still surrounding No. 1 back Doug Martin (suspension) -- as well as his guaranteed absence for the first three weeks of the season -- Rodgers offers the Bucs the security blanket of a veteran back who is also intimately familiar with head coach Dirk Koetter's system.

Sims (pectoral) will have competition for his pass-catching role from 2017 fifth-round pick Jeremy McNichols, who snared 103 receptions for 1,089 yards and 11 touchdowns in his college career, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

Sims has primarily cut his NFL teeth through the air, having compiled 94 receptions across 31 games over his first three seasons. However, McNichols brings virtually the same pass-catching acumen while also offering a much more impressive track record than Sims as a runner. Head coach Dirk Koetter emphasized that he views McNichols, who started his college career as a receiver, as a "three-down guy" and an above-average blocker in the backfield. While Sims has proven valuable to the Bucs during his tenure, he's also missed 17 games over his three campaigns with an assortment of injuries and has limitations in the ground game. A strong training camp and preseason from McNichols could thus lessen Sims' potential usage this season, particularly if Doug Martin (suspension) resumes his role as the top running back after serving his ban over the season's first three weeks.

McNichols (shoulder) is already highly familiar with Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter's offense, having played under the same system at Boise State, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "Jeremy's going to walk in there and be football intelligent. He's going to know protections and speak the language," said Boise State coach Bryan Harsin, who played quarterback for Koetter at Boise State. "He'll understand what they're teaching, and that's a carryover from my time with Dirk."

While his pre-training camp preparation will be compromised to an extent by his recovery from post-Combine labrum surgery, the fifth-round pick will at least have a solid knowledge base to carry with respect to the offense he'll be playing in. In addition to playing quarterback under Koetter when the latter helmed the Broncos' program, Harsin also served as the team's offensive coordinator from 2006-10 before returning as head coach in 2014. His play-calling tenure included four seasons coaching Bucs running back Doug Martin, a Boise State alumnus to whom he compares McNichols favorably in terms of power and elusiveness. McNichols can largely erase the stigma of his draft freefall by mirroring the path of former college teammate Jay Ajayi, who rushed for 1,272 yards and eight touchdowns with the Dolphins in a breakout 2016 campaign after dropping to the fifth round in 2015 . "I feel like he was as ready as Jay when he came out," Harsin said. "Jay went through some of that, too. He dropped a little bit from what people expected, and look where he's at now."

Richardson was waived by Jacksonville on Monday, the team's official site reports.

Richardson has bounced around plenty during his small NFL tenure so he could find a new home relatively soon depending on fit. His best season came back in 2012 when he rushed for 475 yards for the Rams.

Hill was waived by the Jaguars on Monday, the team's official site reports.

Hill appeared in just three games for the Jaguars last season in his first season out of Eastern Michigan. His departure was said to have helped open up room for several undrafted free agent signees.

Barner or Branden Oliver (Achilles) could be in line for more touches as a complementary running back to starter Melvin Gordon (knee), Jack Wang of the Orange County Register reports.

After losing Danny Woodhead (knee) in free agency over the offseason, the Chargers opted not to draft a running back in the 2017 NFL Draft, opening up an opportunity for Barner to jump in as the team's change-of-pace back. While Gordon filled in admirably as a third-down back in 2016, the team has been vocal about reducing his workload in an effort to keep him healthy for an entire season, meaning Barner, Oliver, or even Kenneth Farrow (shoulder) could see more snaps in 2017. While neither of the trio is expected to see a significant enough boost to earn fantasy relevance out of the gate, the competition for the backup job will be an interesting one to note, given Gordon has missed five games in the last two years due to injury.

Oliver (Achilles) and Kenjon Barner are expected to compete for the "change-of-pace" running back position behind Melvin Gordon (knee), Jack Wang of the Orange County Register reports.

The Chargers opted not to draft a running back in the 2017 NFL Draft, meaning that Oliver, Barner, and, to some extent, Kenneth Farrow (shoulder) will all be competing for the affection of new head coach and former running back coach Anthony Lynn. "I do like the backs that we have on the roster," Lynn said. "We have to get better, but I think these guys are working at it. I think they will get better. I didn't want to reach for a guy." After losing Danny Woodhead (knee) in free agency, there remains some discussion as to who will take over his role as a nifty, change-of-pace threat out of the backfield. Oliver, who missed all of last year after tearing his Achilles, doesn't seem to fit the profile, as the 25-year-old has primarily been used as a one-cut-and-up-the-field type of player, but that role could expand should he gain the confidence of Lynn.

Michael is expected to be released by the Packers, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Michael joined the Packers amid a backfield crisis during the second half of last season and finished with 114 yards and one touchdown in six games for them. Although he re-signed with Green Bay in March, the team's selection of three running backs during Saturday's portion of the draft has apparently made him and Don Jackson, who was released Monday, expendable. The 26-year-old will now look to land elsewhere ahead of training camp.