NFL Player News

Hightower was signed by the 49ers on Saturday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Hightower, who is set to turn 31 in May, has spent the past two seasons in a backup role with the Saints. The 49ers now have five running backs on the depth chart, having re-signed DuJuan Harris earlier in the week. Carlos Hyde (knee) is the clear-cut starter heading into the 2017 season, but Hightower will have a chance to compete with Harris, Mike Davis, and Raheem Mostert for snaps.

The Bucs remain noncommittal about Martin's (suspension) future with the team, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports. "Who knows what's going to happen?" head coach Dirk Koetter said to reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix on Wednesday. "Are we going to add a running back in the draft? Is Doug going to continue down the path of good health? And we have other guys we like at the position, too. I don't know what's going to happen, as I sit here today."

As has been reported previously, Martin's suspension frees the Bucs from having to pay him $7 million in guarantees, making his release completely conceivable if the team felt that it could adequately replace him and/or if they remained unconvinced that he had fully overcome the issues that led to his four-game ban. The former Pro Bowler will be eligible to participate in OTAs, minicamps, training camp, and all preseason games but would have to then sit out the first three games of the regular season to complete the suspension. There are some intriguing possibilities available to fill Martin's shoes, as marquee names Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles remain on the free-agent market for the time being. The Bucs also re-signed Jacquizz Rodgers to a two-year contract on March 9 and have Charles Sims (pectoral) returning for his fourth season. Meanwhile, Tampa could certainly opt to take a running back with their 19th pick in the first round, a selection that could possibly net them names like Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, or Christian McCaffrey. If Martin does remain on the team into the summer, Koetter will be faced with the dilemma of how much playing time to afford him knowing he won't be available for the first three games of the season. "I'm a Doug Martin fan, we would love to have Doug on our team. But when a guy's been a Pro Bowl running back, you know you're not gonna have him for the first three games of the year, how do you do the reps?" Koetter asked. "It's almost like he'd be on PUP for coming back for Game 4, but we don't know what we're gonna do Weeks 1-3 yet."

While he still believes Abdullah can be a workhorse-type running back, Lions head coach Jim Caldwell suggested the team is trying to upgrade the position, DetroitLions.com reports.

Coming off a season-ending foot injury suffered in Week 2, the 23-year-old running back has been cleared to participate in Detroit's offseason program, though it's possible he'll have some limitations early on. Passing-down back Theo Riddick (wrist) is also returning from surgery and isn't quite as far in the rehab process, but his training camp availability doesn't seem to be in question. Of greater concern than either player's health is the possibility Detroit signs or drafts a highly-regarded running back to challenge Abdullah for carries. While Riddick's pass-catching role should be secure, Abdullah may have already missed out on his chance to prove he can shoulder a lead-back workload. The Lions have been mentioned as a possible destination for Adrian Peterson (knee) in addition to some of the top running backs in the upcoming draft. The Detroit running game should be much improved regardless of who gets the carries, as the team made an offseason splash by signing Rick Wagner and T.J. Lang, two of the top offensive linemen on the free-agent market.

Head coach Mike Zimmer said he doesn't necessarily know if Murray (ankle) is a three-down back, Chris Tomasson of The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Murray is a strong pass blocker with good size and solid hands, but he's never been particularly explosive or evasive and doesn't break nearly as many tackles as one would expect of a 225-pound running back. While capable of staying on the field in any situation, he's essentially a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. The Vikings would ideally want to pair their offseason addition with a more explosive runner -- perhaps even hoping Jerick McKinnon can be that complement. If not McKinnon, the team could address its backfield in a draft that's strong at the position, though the offensive line is a more pressing concern. Signed to a three-year deal in mid-March, the 27-year-old Murray is expected to miss Minnesota's offseason program after having surgery last week to remove bone spurs. He should be back to full strength for the start of training camp, and he's a clear favorite to take the team's first snap of the season.

Head coach Bruce Arians confirmed that Ellington will start the offseason program working as a wide receiver, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic reports.

Coming off a season in which he only logged 150 offensive snaps, Ellington is presumably open to any kind of change that could get him on the field more often. He's displayed solid pass-catching skills out of the backfield throughout his career, but he rarely got to put those talents to use last season while fighting with Chris Johnson for whatever scraps were left behind by three-down workhorse David Johnson. Even if the elder Johnson -- currently a free agent -- doesn't return to Arizona, a transition to wide receiver might provide Ellington with his best shot at a consistent role in the offense. It is still possible the team will move him back to running back if he fails to impress out wide, but the most likely scenario features Ellington playing a mixture of the two positions. How much of each he plays will be determined not only by his own performance in offseason workouts and training camp, but also by what the Cardinals do in the upcoming draft.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said West is at the top of the team's running back depth chart, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Harbaugh's proclamation doesn't mean all that much, as Kenneth Dixon is suspended for the first four games of the season and Danny Woodhead (knee) is mostly a passing-down back. West is a clear favorite to take Baltimore's first offensive snap of the season, but Woodhead and Dixon also figure to have key roles in the backfield once they're available. The team might also add another running back during a draft that's strong at the position, though the offensive line and receiving corps are greater areas of need.

Harris will re-sign with the 49ers for the 2017 season, his agent, Andy Simms, reports.

Harris was one of the Niners' restricted free agents entering the offseason, but the team decided against extending him a contract tender, which effectively released him to the open market. However, coming off a season in which he averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, the diminutive running back likely didn't find many suitors rushing to secure his services for the upcoming campaign. Fortunately for Harris, he's now set to return to a San Francisco roster that is less crowded at the running back position than it was last season, considering the incumbent No. 2 runner, Shaun Draughn, recently latched on with the Giants. Thus, Harris is positioned to compete with only Mike Davis and Raheem Mostert for the backup role to starter Carlos Hyde this summer, although a rookie could certainly join the mix via the draft.

The Chargers agreed to a contract with Oliver (Achilles) on Thursday, Adam Caplan of ESPN reports.

Oliver sustained a devastating Achilles tear near the end of the preseason slate, missing the entire 2016 campaign as a result. The injury was one of many to the Chargers' backfield, which lost Danny Woodhead (torn ACL) and Melvin Gordon (knee/hip) at various points during the season. After Woodhead bolted to the Ravens this offseason, the Chargers don't have an experienced hand behind Gordon on the RB depth chart. No matter, some combination of Oliver, Kenneth Farrow (shoulder), and recent pickup Kenjon Barner is seemingly capable if called upon in brief bursts.

Vereen (triceps) agreed to reduce his 2017 base salary from $3.15 million to $2.15 million, NJ.com reports.

With Vereen coming off a season-ending triceps tear while entering the final year of his contract, there was some question if the Giants intended to keep him around. The question was answered when the team paid him a $500,000 roster bonus March 13 -- likely doing so with the understanding that Vereen would eventually accept a reduction in his base salary. The Giants did recently sign Shaun Draughn, who has done his best work on passing downs in recent years. Draughn is probably an insurance policy more so than legitimate competition, but it's something to keep an eye on in training camp. Paul Perkins currently slots in as the lead back, with Vereen likely handling most of the work on obvious passing downs, assuming his triceps heals as expected. The Giants could still add another running back during the upcoming draft, but such a move would probably be more of a concern for Perkins than for Vereen.

Murray's ankle surgery was related to bone spurs, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Less than a week removed from signing with the Vikings, Murray went under the knife Wednesday for an issue that became known during a mandated physical. He's expected to be healthy in time for training camp, but his absence from the offseason program could put him behind the eight ball as he attempts to build a rapport with quarterback Sam Bradford and the rest of the offense. Throughout three seasons with the Raiders, he averaged 4.2 YPC and gathered in 91 of 119 targets (76.5 percent). Typically, sure hands would indicate that he's poised for a three-down role, but Jerick McKinnon has experience within the system, while the Vikings are a candidate to select a running back in April's draft, two factors that may place a damper on Murray's expectations.