NFL Player News

The Cowboys selected Elliot in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, fourth overall.

The fourth pick is a high selection for a running back in this era of the NFL, but Elliott is a rare prospect worth paying up for. Supremely productive in college and a standout athlete for the position, Elliott should push aside Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris in a hurry. The selection illustrates owner Jerry Jones' commitment to and faith in quarterback Tony Romo, as this looks like a 'win-now' pick. Behind the Dallas offensive line, Elliott could hardly have landed in a better setting for fantasy production. He's an elite dynasty asset and should be a prominent name in redraft leagues, too.

Martin feels like he can "hit the ground running" in 2016 under new head coach and former offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, Scott Smith of the Bucs' official site reports.

The four-year veteran is excited about the fact that he'll continue working within the same system that helped him produce his best season since his spectacular 2012 rookie campaign. Martin ran for 1,402 yards and six touchdowns in 2015, while averaging a career-best 4.9 yards per tote. "I've been through about two to three new playbooks [in my career], so it feels good to come in and not have to learn a whole new playbook and it's good to have that continuity," said Martin. "If you get a new guy and he has a whole new playbook, it's like learning a whole new language, so it's a good feeling to come here and not learn a whole new playbook. It's easy on everybody else." The 27-year-old was targeted by Koetter as a key piece of the offense upon the latter's appointment to the role of offensive coordinator before the 2015 season, and that motivated Martin to work his way into top condition for the 16-game grind. Fresh off signing a new five-year deal worth in excess of $35 million, the Pro Bowl-running back has set even loftier standards for the coming season. "I just have to set goals for myself and if I set high goals, if I shoot high, then the rest will fall into place," said Martin.

Johnson was signed by the Bucs on Monday to compete for a backup job, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 23-year-old tailback returns to the NFL after sitting out the 2015 season. Johnson was among the Jaguars' final cuts at the end of training camp last summer, after tallying 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his rookie campaign in 2014. The 5-foot-10, 216-pound back, who rushed for 1,139 yards and 14 touchdowns in his senior season at UCF, worked out for the Bucs last week. He'll likely wage a training camp battle with incumbent Mike James for the third running back spot behind Doug Martin and Charles Sims.

Richardson, who once weighed as much as 240 pounds, is now down to just 218 pounds, the Ravens' official website reports.

Cut by the Raiders during training camp last year, the former No. 3 overall pick spent the entire 2015 regular season out of the NFL. Prior to that, Richardson was a major disappointment for both the Browns and Colts, with poor conditioning and family issues reportedly playing a role. The Ravens are giving him what may be his final shot in the NFL, but even if he's vastly improved, Richardson will likely just be competing for one of the final roster spots. Justin Forsett and Javorius Allen are still expected to battle for the starting job.

The Cardinals have released Hughes.

With their offseason training program kicking off this week, the Cardinals elected to open a pair of roster spots by releasing both Hughes and fellow RB Marion Grice. Both players had spent time on the Cardinals' practice squad this past season, but never appeared in a game. Going forward, Hughes will presumably be on the lookout for a team needing an extra body as training camp nears.

Gordon (knee) recently admitted he was "terrible" during his rookie season, but he's confident that the year of experience will help him in 2016, ESPN.com reports.

The 15th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Gordon posted an ugly 184-641-0 rushing line (3.5 YPC) in 14 games as a rookie, eventually missing the final two contests with a meniscus injury. He should recover from early-January surgery before the start of training camp, and he'll likely get most of the first-team snaps, albeit with Danny Woodhead handling third-down duties. As he admitted, Gordon was a big part of the problem during his rookie season, but it obviously isn't his fault that the San Diego offensive line was ravaged by an unusual number of injuries.

Hillman has signed a one-year deal to remain with the Broncos, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.

Now that Hillman is back in the fold, he'll work in a complementary role behind C.J. Anderson, whose four-year, $18-million offer sheet (from Miami) the Broncos elected to match. Also currently on the team's RB depth chart are Juwan Thompson, Kapri Bibbs, and Cyrus Gray. In 16 games with Denver last season, Hillman logged 207 carries for 863 yards and seven touchdowns, while adding 24 catches for 111 yards in that span.

Richardson has signed with the Ravens.

Richardson had been in talks with the Ravens for most of this offseason, and after working out for Baltimore again on Monday morning, the team signed him before the start of its offseason strength and conditioning program. After getting cut by the Raiders ahead of last season, he hasn't played since the 2014 campaign, when he averaged just 3.3 YPC on 159 carries and scored three times for the Colts. A noteworthy first-round bust, Richardson will hope to revive his career by first making the Ravens' roster this season.

Rawls (ankle) is expected to be ready to play Week 1, general manager John Schneider told Seattle's KJR radio Wednesday.

Rawls suffered a season-ending broken ankle in Week 14 last year. His rehab has gone well, but Schneider said the team won't push him to return for preseason games. Week 1 is the priority. Rawls, who impressed last year as an undrafted rookie, will start this year after Marshawn Lynch retired. The Seahawks likely will bring in some camp competition, but if Rawls is healthy, he'll be the team's No. 1 RB in Week 1.

The NFL has suspended Redd indefinitely for a violation of the league's Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Bans of this variety are due to continued positive tests, which is evident as Redd has yet to serve a four-gamer for a similar violation due to his recovery from a torn ACL and MCL. Once healthy enough to return to the field, he'll have to bide his time and do his due diligence considering NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will be in charge of any reinstatement effort.