NFL Player News

Zenner (chest) could experience an uptick in usage next season, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

The release of Joique Bell on Tuesday whittled down the Lions' backfield situation to Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, and Zenner. Assuming the status quo remains after free agency and the draft, Abdullah seems to be the leader in the clubhouse for the top gig, but Riddick's pass-catching prowess leave the door open for the versatile Zenner to have a regular role in the offense. In the preseason, Zenner led all players with 183 rushing yards, and he followed it up with 17 carries for 60 yards and two catches for 11 yards in six regular season contests before his rookie campaign ended when he sustained cracked ribs and a partially collapsed lung in Week 6.

Hillman rushed for 863 yards and seven touchdowns on 207 carries in 2015, adding 111 yards on 24 catches. He fumbled three times during the regular season. In the playoffs, he rushed for 54 yards on 32 carries and added a seven-yard catch.

Hillman entered 2015 with just two career 100-yard games, but managed four such performances as he emerged as the lead in he and C.J. Anderson's duo for much of the season. The speedster, seldom a sure thing in short-yardage situations or pass protection early in his career, improved in both areas on his way to a career year. Hillman's grip on the featured role in Denver's running attack slipped during the playoffs, however, as he saw fewer touches week to week, resulting in just five carries for no yards in Super Bowl 50. Hillman showed promise in Gary Kubiak's zone attack, but may find himself on a new team in 2016 with Anderson tenderable and attentions turned on keeping Von Miller, Malik Jackson, Brock Osweiler and others in orange.

Anderson rushed for 720 yards and five touchdowns on 152 carries in 2015, adding 183 yards on 25 catches. He fumbled twice. During the playoffs, Anderson carried the ball 54 times for 234 yards and two scores and added 39 yards on nine catches.

Anderson's strong second half to 2014 made him a popular early-round pick in fantasy drafts to start 2015. He failed to live up to expectations, however. From Week 6 through the end of the regular season, Anderson saw fewer touches than fellow back Ronnie Hillman in eight of the 10 games they played with one another (Anderson missed one game with an injury). Come playoff time, however, Denver leaned heavily on Anderson, giving him 63 touches to Hillman's 33. Head coach Gary Kubiak's zone running game relies on backs who are more shifty than fast and are patient and decisive when hitting the hole. Those traits are more in line with Anderson's strengths than Hillman's slash-and-speed abilities. Hillman, an unrestrict free agent, is likely to find better offers elsewhere as Denver attempts to keep its defense intact. Anderson, a restricted free agent, would then become a prime candidate to tender and take on a heavier workload in 2016, potentially living up to the promise he failed to live up to in 2015.

Hillman ran the ball five times, but was held to no yardage in Sunday's Super Bowl victory over Carolina.

Hillman never moved more than three yards beyond the line of scrimmage and three of his five carries went for negative yardage. Running up against the likes of Kawann Short and Luke Kuechly will do that to a back, but Hillman's counterpart, C.J. Anderson, managed to collect 100 total yards. For the playoffs, Anderson totaled 273 yards and nine catches while Hillman was held to 61 total yards and one catch. Both are free agents this offseason and Anderson made the better final impression on Sunday.

Anderson gained 90 yards on 23 carries and scored a rushing touchdown, while also securing four of four targets for 10 yards in Sunday's 24-10 Super Bowl victory over the Panthers.

The third-year pro was named the starter heading into the game and was the clear-cut workhorse on the day, earning 90 tough yards against a talented Panthers front seven. The 23 carries were by far a season high for Anderson, who tallied 234 yards over three postseason games. He ripped off his game-long 34-yard run in the second quarter on the second play following a Mike Tolbert fumble, and impressively muscled his way into the end zone late in the fourth quarter for the deciding touchdown following Von Miller's strip sack of Cam Newton. Anderson was once again productive in 2015 as part of a timeshare in the Denver backfield, and likely goes into the offseason set to compete with Ronnie Hillman for starting duties in 2016.

Anderson will start Super Bowl 50 against the Panthers, Mike Klis of 9 News Denver reports.

Anderson has been far more effective than Ronnie Hillman over the past month, notching at least 72 rushing yards in four straight games. Overall, Anderson has racked up 55 carries for 312 yards, seven receptions (on 11 targets) for 32 yards, and three touchdowns during that span.

Artis-Payne (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's Super Bowl versus the Broncos.

Artis-Payne dropped the ball in the divisional round against the Seahawks, but his relegation to the inactive list the past two games has more to do with the relative health of the backfield than any other factor.

Rawls (ankle) expects to return to full health in time for training camp, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Rawls' season came to an abrupt end in Week 14, when he sustained a broken ankle, but not before notching 147 carries for 830 yards, nine receptions (on 11 targets) for 76 yards, and five touchdowns. He was afforded seven starts with Marshawn Lynch on the mend often, powering his breakout with four 100-yard performances. Still in the early stages of his recovery, Rawls requires a scooter to move about, as his foot remains in a cast. With Lynch's future with the Seahawks, let alone football, up in the air, though, Rawls may have a starting gig locked up in the not too distant future.

Gordon (knee) said Thursday that his rehabilitation is "going well" and believes he'll be healthy in "two months," the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Gordon missed the final two games of his rookie campaign due to a knee injury, which was remedied via surgery with noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews on Jan. 5. While neither the nature of the ailment nor the procedure were revealed, Gordon is on pace to be ready for the opening of the offseason program in April. Once the fall arrives, he'll be aiming to bounce back from a subpar season in which he posted 184 rushes for 641 yards (3.5 YPC), 33 catches (on 37 targets) for 192 yards, and no touchdowns.

Hill was signed to a future/reserve contract with the Bengals on Tuesday, Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune reports.

After being released by the Bills in September, Hill was picked up by the Saints and finished out the year on their practice squad. The Eastern Michigan product could have a tough time cracking Cincinnati's roster purely as a running back given the team's depth at the position.