NFL Player News

The Ravens announced Wednesday they have reached an agreement with exclusive rights free agent running back Fitzgerald Toussaint. The Ravens needed to make a contract offer before free agency opened or Toussaint would have become an unrestricted free agent.

Toussaint saw limited action last year for the Ravens, with six carries for 12 yards and three receptions in the regular season, and two rushes for five yards in the divisional playoffs in New England.

Toussaint will provide depth at running back with Bernard Pierce signing a deal with the Jaguars.

Cowboys running back Joseph Randle will not face felony domestic abuse charges as the Sedgwick County, Kansas District Attorney cleared him in allegations made by his ex-girlfriend, per the Dallas Morning News, due to a lack of evidence.

Randle was involved in an incident with Dalia Jacobs, on Feb. 3 at a hotel in his hometown of Wichita, Kan. Jacobs accused Randle of pointing a gun at her friend and the infant son she has with the running back. She also said in a police report that Randle shattered the window of a car, sending glass flying across her friend and their son.

Randle could have faced a possible six-game suspension by the NFL if he had been charged in the case for a first-time offense under the league’s personal conduct policy.

Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson followed up a promising rookie season by catching just 33 passes for 384 yards and one touchdown in 2014 while making just six starts. He feels like 2015 will be a make or break year, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

"This year is going to make me or break me, and I hope I step up and have a good role in this offense," Patterson said Monday during the second week of voluntary workouts.

Patterson worked out in San Francisco last month while many of his offensive teammates were working out in Los Angeles.

"I feel like I needed to work on something different from what those guys were doing," Patterson said. "So I went to San Francisco."

He indicated he touched up on some skills that needed refining.

"This whole offseason, I spent a lot of time just thinking to myself, 'How can I get better?' " he said. "I just want to let my game speak for itself. I just focused on the little things that really matter, and I hope this year will be way better than last year. Just route running. Growing up, I was always athletic and could just do anything. I'm in the NFL now, so I just have to focus on my craft and just work at route running, getting in and getting out of breaks and stuff like that."

Patterson could open the season as the team's slot receiver depending on how the Vikings approach this weekend's draft.

The Buccaneers have announced that running back Bobby Rainey has signed a one-year qualifying offer the team extended to him before the free agency period. He was a restricted free agent and was given an opportunity to negotiate with other teams.

Rainey will compete for playing time with Tampa Bay. He rushed for 406 yards in 2014, but faded at the end of the season with just two carries in the last six games combined.

If the Cardinals decide to draft a running back in one of the higher rounds, running back Andre Ellington would be OK with it. 

Ellington was a three-down back for Arizona last year that got plenty of touches in the running and passing games. But if the Cardinals use a high pick on a running back, that could cut into Ellington's touches. 

That's something that wouldn't bother Ellington. 

“It’s whatever will better our team,” Ellington told the team's website. “That’s most important. No one is going to hate any decisions. I’m sure those guys will make the best decisions to help the team. We’ll accept any guy who comes in.”

Another quality runner could help Ellington, who dealt with numerous injuries a year ago, in the long run. His season ended last December after undergoing hernia surgery. 

Chargers running back Branden Oliver is not resting on his laurels after a breakout season in which he contributed 853 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and through the air combined.

"My power, strength, speed and agility am focusing on," he told the team website. "I want to get better at everything. I don't really focus on just one particular thing. I like to be well-rounded and won't limit myself to one area."

Oliver was particularly effective early in the season, rushing for 272 yards and two touchdowns during one three-game stretch. He is seeking greater consistency in 2015.

"(This year) I'm more comfortable and know the offense. Now I can just go out there and ball. I'm gelling with the guys and am more open to them because I know them better. It's really just crazy to be going into my second year already. But I feel real good."

Veteran running back Chris Johnson, who was shot in the shoulder earlier in the offseason, is back working out, a TMZ video has revealed. He is shown doing sprints and pumping his arm to show that the bullet wound is no longer bothering him.

The 29-year-old Johnson is seeking employment as a free agent after a poor season with the Jets in which he rushed for less than 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. He finished with 663 yards on 155 carries for a 4.3 YPC average.

With Gary Kubiak implementing his zone blocking scheme with the Broncos, the fullback will be a part of the offense.

Without a true fullback on the 2014 roster, the Broncos will shift one of their own to the position. According to The Denver Post, Juwan Thompson will move to fullback and compete for the starting spot with recently-signed fullback Joe Don Duncan.

Thompson was Denver's fourth-string running back a season ago as a rookie, but did get some playing time when injuries occurred to Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman. Duncan played college football at Dixie State.

This would mark a change for quarterback Peyton Manning, who would run a lot more plays under center with a fullback in the offense. 

After struggling the past three seasons in Oakland, Cowboys running back Darren McFadden is ready for a bounce-back campaign. He said in an appearance on NFL Network on Friday that the world has not "seen the best of Darren McFadden."

McFadden rushed for 1,620 yards in 38 games (31 starts) over the last three seasons in Oakland before signing a two-year deal worth up to $5.85 million this offseason, with the hopes of replacing DeMarco Murray in Dallas.

McFadden expressed his lack of concern over the possibility of the Cowboys acquiring Vikings running back Adrian Peterson via trade, and revealed that the team will likely add another running back in the draft.

"It wouldn't surprise me at all," McFadden said. "I'm a guy who's been in the league seven, eight years now. A team doesn't want to just put their everything on a guy. ... I feel like they're going to take a running back, and it's not going to be something that changes how I feel about the team. I'm a competitive guy, it'll bring out the best in me."

If the Rams don't add any player through free agency of the draft, then coach Jeff Fisher appears comfortable with running backs Tre Mason and Zac Stacy leading the charge on first and second down, and with Benny Cunningham handling third-down responsibilities.

"I think that you assume...going into it now, as we finished up last year, the second half of the season, Benny became the third-down back," Fisher said, per ESPN.com. "He’s just really good out of the backfield. He’s probably the better protector of the three. That’s some work that Tre and Zac need and we’ll get that done whenever we can during the offseason. So with Benny being the third-down back, then we’ve got a one-two punch with Tre and Zac.”

Although, it appears Fisher still hopeful Isaiah Pead can also be a factor out of the backfield.

“Yes, obviously Isaiah is coming back as well," Fisher said. "You should see him on the field. So, with him included, yes we do. Tre and Benny and Zac and Isaiah coming back, it’s a good group.”