NFL Player News

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.

Murray underwent ankle surgery Wednesday, the Vikings' official site reports.

Per the Vikings, the issue was revealed during Murray's physical prior to signing with the team last week. The extent nor the severity has been revealed, but he's expected to be ready by the start of training camp, thereby wiping away a large portion of the implementation of the offense due to his absence from the offseason program. Nonetheless, Murray isn't expected to be a true workhorse in the vein of the player he's slated to replace -- Adrian Peterson -- but the 27-year-old boasts steady receiving skills, reeling in 91 of 119 targets during three seasons with the Raiders. With the knowledge of Wednesday's surgery, expect the Vikings to tab another RB in next month's NFL Draft.

The Packers signed Michael on Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

After the departure of Eddie Lacy (ankle), the Packers don't have a legitimate three-down option out of the backfield, but Michael will nonetheless serve as a depth option to wide receiver-turned-running back Ty Montgomery (ribs). Of course, the front office may address the position during April's NFL Draft, which could relegate Michael to third on the depth chart. In any case, he's averaged 4.3 YPC and made eight end-zone visits during his four-year career, so he can produce when called upon.

Michael visited the Packers on Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

For a 26-year-old, Michael is well-traveled, spending time with the Seahawks, Cowboys, and Packers. In 2016, he notched 469 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns with the Seahawks before he was waived in favor of C.J. Prosise (shoulder) and Thomas Rawls. Quickly snatched up by the Packers, Michael managed 47 carries for 172 yards and one TD across the rest of the way as a late-game alternative to Ty Montgomery. If Michael returns to Green Bay, he'll likely hold down a similar role with Eddie Lacy (ankle) officially out of the picture, depending on how the Packers proceed with the backfield as the offseason unfolds.