NFL Player News

Jonas Gray burst on the scene for the Patriots last season, rushing for 201 yards and four touchdowns in a Sunday night game. Just as quickly, he was gone. 

Gray overslept and was late for practice, and coach Bill Belichick didn't give him another chance to showcase his skills. Gray was inactive for the Super Bowl. 

Gray learned his lesson. "The tough part for me was to watch it, and not participate in a matter I thought I should," he told Dan Hanzus of NFL.com. "But it's motivation going into the offseason. I just know I need to work harder, so I'll never get myself in that position again." 

Still on the Patriots, Gray believes he'll get a clean slate next season, and he's spending the offseason preparing himself for the opportunity. 

I tell them, I'm going to have a Jerry Rice/Walter Payton mentality where whatever you do isn't enough," Gray said. "I'm going to have a work ethic where I know, in my heart of hearts, I'm going to outwork everybody. That's what I hope to achieve

Broncos running back Juwan Thompson recently underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his knee to fix a knee injury, which ended his season, reports The Denver Post.

Thompson was inactive for the final game of the season and the playoffs after suffering a knee and hip injury. General manger John Elway said Thompson will compete for a fullback role in 2015.

Browns general manager Ray Farmer spoke highly of rookie running backs Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West, but indicated that Cleveland will look to adding more backs this offseason, per NFL.com. Farmer would not reveal whether he would add through free agency or the draft.

The role of both backs fluctuated during the season, especially after the team released Ben Tate. Crowell ran for 607 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns, averaging 4.1 yards per carry, while West rushed for 673 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 3.9 yards per carry in 2014.

Whether the Patriots are able to hang onto running back Shane Vereen or not, it looks like his price tag is set.

According to a the Boston Herald, Vereen is looking for a contract worth $5 million per season. Vereen apparently prefers to stay in New England, though his current price tag might force the Patriots to let him walk when March 10 rolls around.

As a running back with a specialized role in New England's offense, Vereen ran for 391 yards and two touchdowns on 96 carries and caught 52 passes for 447 yards and three touchdowns. 

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer acknowledged during his combine press conference on Thursday that the team will have to find ways of "manufacturing" touches for wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, but said that it's a "two-way street," per NFL.com.

Zimmer is seeking a bounce-back season for Patterson after a disappointing 2014 campaign. in a highly disappointing second season. In 2013, Patterson finished with 45 catches for 469 yards and four touchdowns and 12 carries for 158 yards and three touchdowns. He caught 33 passes for 384 yards and a touchdown in 2014.

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians told reporters that running back Andre Ellington's role "hopefully will expand" next season. Ellington was limited last season after he split the tendon in his left foot and couldn't practice as much as Arians desired.

"He's still the focal point of our offense and we'll try to build around him," Arians said.

Ellington, who is signed through the 2016 season, underwent hernia surgery in early December. He was limited to 12 games by a variety of injuries and finished with 1,055 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns.

Broncos coach Gary Kubiak told reporters during Wednesday's combine press conference that he met with running back C.J. Anderson and told him "you need to walk in here handling yourself like a starter," per ESPN.

Kubiak's zone-blocking offense is running-back friendly, which could benefit Anderson moving forward. Anderson started last season as the No. 3 running back on the depth chart before emerging as the top back with 849 yards rushing, 324 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in 15 games (seven starts). He will enter next season as the team's No. 1 back, though he'll have to fight off challenges from Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman.

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco told reporters he will meet with impending free agent Ryan Mathews' agent in Indianapolis during the NFL combine, per USA Today. Mathews played 16 games only once in his career, but Telesco noted that "we're a different team" when he is healthy.

Mathews, 27, signed a four-year, $18.92 million deal with the Chargers back in 2010, and has been limited during that span due to a number of injuries. Last year, he was limited to six games due to an ankle injury and only rushed for 330 yards and three scores.

Colts running back Trent Richardson reportedly missed practice before the AFC championship game against the Patriots because his wife was experiencing complications with her pregnancy, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Richardson rushed to the hospital on Jan. 17 to be with his wife during the complications and missed the morning's walkthrough without notifying the team.

Richardson, who did not play in the final two games of the season for conduct detrimental to the team, could be cut without pay for the final year of his contract, according to the report.

Former Jets running back Chris Johnson is just a little bitter about being cut by the team. Mostly, because, in his opinion, former general manager John Idzik lied to him about what his position would be with the team.

"Basically, it was a situation where I was going there to be the guy or whatever," Johnson said on the Rich Eisen Show Monday. "It was still said, yeah, both guys [Johnson and Ivory] were going to get playing time. I think it was like after the [third] game or something like that, it just switched over and I started getting less and less playing time, and not knowing where it came from."

Johnson started just six games at running back in 2014, totaling 663 yards on 155 carries. 

"I never wanted to be a cancer in the locker room, or be the bad guy, so all I could really do is take advantage of my opportunities, talk to Rex, talk to [Anthony Lynn] the running back coach," Johnson said.

He is now free to join any team that will have him.

"It just didn't jell; it just didn't work out," Johnson said. "That being said, I think it was a good thing I did my contract how I did it. Basically, I was on a one-year deal with an option of a second year. I know how I feel when I'm working out and all those types of things, so I'm just very excited to see what lies ahead.