NFL Player News

With the 69th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Buccaneers selected West Virginia running back Charles Sims .

Considered a bit too upright a runner but still versatile, Sims found a way to post big numbers in college, rolling for 1,095 yards on 208 carries with 11 touchdowns last season, adding 401 more yards and three more scores on 45 receptions. His versatility is a big plus for him as it is for the Bucs, who can use him as a passing downs back or as a jack-of-all-trades backup to starter Doug Martin.

Josh McCown had great success in 2013 with the Bears when he stepped in for the injured Jay Cutler in part because of his receiving corps with Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery.

He doesn't have that same talent with the Buccaneers, but he might not be far off following the NFL Draft. The Bucs drafted Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans at No. 7 overall, and he will join Vincent Jackson as the starters in Tampa Bay.

Now, this doesn't elevate McCown to a starting Fantasy quarterback, but it definitely helps his outlook. Jackson will remain a solid No. 2 Fantasy receiver, and Evans has plenty of sleeper appeal with a late-round pick in seasonal leagues.

The Bucs are going to be run-first with Doug Martin, but now they have a legitimate receiving corps, including quality tight ends in Timothy Wright and Brandon Myers.

In dynasty leagues, plan on drafting Evans with a first-round pick, and he will likely be selected in Round 8 or later in re-draft formats.

The Vikings could draft a running back in the NFL Draft to help take the load off Adrian Peterson, reports the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

The report says the team is looking for a replacement for the departed Toby Gerhart and give Peterson a rest from time to time.

"He's getting to the point where you don't have to give him the ball 50 times a game for 16 games," said general manager Rick Spielman. "Adrian's the face of our franchise, but Norv (Turner) has a history of having two backs to keep him fresh, because I think it's very important as you go through the season that they're still strong in Week 16 and they're still strong when you get into the playoffs."

Minnesota doesn't have a surefire No. 2 back on the roster. Matt Asiata filled in for the injured Peterson and Gerhart in two games last December and performed admirably with 166 yards on 44 carries (a 3.8 average). But Asiata, entering his third season, is still raw.

After that, Minnesota has just Joe Banyard and Bradley Randle on the roster. They've mostly been practice squad players.

Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson is hoping to do more this season after getting off to a slow start as a rookie, reports ESPN.

Patterson finished 2013 with 45 catches for 469 yards and four touchdowns and 12 carries for 158 yards and three touchdowns, with most of that production coming in the final five games of the year.

"This year my whole mindset is, 'Remember everything. Do better than you did last year,'" Patterson said. "I think I was kind of bad last year. This year will be way better."

New offensive coordinator Norv Turner is counting on Patterson having a better year. General manager Rick Spielman said at the NFL scouting combine that Turner already had 10 plays designed for Patterson, and Turner moved Patterson around in the Vikings' offense plenty during the team's voluntary minicamp this week.

"I think you've always got to hold that judgment in terms of how a guy handles it," Turner said. "We've had guys who have been very productive players, extremely outstanding players I would say, and they lined up and played one position. We've had a bunch of other guys we've moved around. We've moved Cordarrelle around quite a bit this week and he seemed to handle it pretty well, so we'll see how much he can handle?"

Patriots running back Shane Vereen said his previously broken left wrist still isn't back to the point where it was before the injury last September, reports ESPN.

"It's not going to feel great tomorrow, it's not going to feel awful. It won't be 100 percent probably for a while, but it's good enough and I'm working on strengthening it and getting it back," Vereen said via the team's official website.

Vereen suffered a broken bone in the wrist in a season-opening victory against the Bills on Sept. 8 and had surgery that sidelined him until a Nov. 18 game against the Carolina Panthers. He said that his wrist feels good and "through most of the end of the season, I was fine with it." 

If you project Vereen's stats over 16 games he would have finished with 88 carries for 408 yards and two touchdowns and 94 catches for 854 yards and six touchdowns.

Echoing the sentiments of teammate Greg Jennings, Vikings wideout Cordarrelle Patterson referred to the team's new offense as "tough." Minnesota hired long-time play caller Norv Turner to run the offense, bringing his aggressive downfield approach with him. 

"[I]t's totally different than last year," Patterson said. "It's going to be tough, but us guys we are going to work together and we are going to be with each other. We'll have to come early in the morning and leave late after practice. We are going to be with each and we're going to get it done."

Patterson said he's spoken to receivers who have played in the offense including Josh Gordon, who was a superstar last season with the Browns. The second-year player said he's focusing far more on improving his work ethic after being disappointed with it last year. 

The Bears plan to add a running back either through the draft or free agency to help ease the workload for Matt Forte, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

No running back in the NFL touched the ball more than Forte in 2013. He had 289 carries and 74 receptions, setting career highs with 1,339 rushing yards and 594 receiving yards.

This offseason, the Bears cut Michael Bush, but all they have now behind Forte is Shaun Draughn, who had four rushes last season, to join Michael Ford, who spent his rookie year on special teams.

The reports says that either through the draft or with a late free-agent pickup, the Bears need a complementary piece, but one who, were Forte to be injured, could carry the load.

Broncos running back Montee Ball is projected as the starting running back this season ahead of C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman, but he's not taking anything for granted, reports ESPN.

"I know for a fact they're not going to hand it to me, they're going to make sure we all get our opportunities throughout camp and throughout OTAs … but it's going to be who's the most productive," Ball said. "But for me, my mentality is that it is my job."

Denver can still add a running back between now and the draft to challenge Ball, but he's prepared to be the starter come Week 1.

"I don't want them to bring another running back in," Ball said. "I want it to be my job and that’s how I'm approaching it, in the most humble way possible. Like I said, I understand they’re not going to hand it to me, but I'm going to work really, really hard to contribute."

Chargers running back Ryan Mathews isn't upset in the least that the team signed Donald Brown this offseason. In fact, he's welcoming it with open arms.

"I can't wait," Mathews said about playing with Brown, per U-T San Diego. 

Mathews is coming off of a career season but an ankle injury kept him limited down the stretch. While it's expected that Brown will help shoulder the load a little bit -- Mathews has been called the "bell cow" numerous times by general manager Tom Telesco -- Mathews anticipates that if he wants to play 16 games and break the 1,255 yards he had last year, he'll need Brown to fill in for him. 

"I (want to) make it more than 16 games," Mathews said. "That was a big goal last year: 'Alright, let's get him through 16 games.' We did that. Now the goal is to keep me healthy, keep running after 16 games. The coaches did a good job of getting another guy like Donald to help me out. It's going to be fun."

Colts running back Trent Richardson, who joined the team via trade early last season, apparently is gaining a lot from the offseason program.

"Just to get back at it and just to be out here with my teammates, it’s a blessing," he said. "To be taking everything slow and to know the real concept of the plays, not just going week to week and just really knowing why the quarterback is doing this or why they’re thinking that or why do we got these audibles set up in this play or why the offensive line is making this call, not just if they make this call, I go that way and make sure I block this person. It’s way different. It’s much easier and it’s slowing down a lot so it’s making the game much better for me."

Richardson called the offseason workouts "very important" in terms of building chemistry with the offensive line and quarterback Andrew Luck.

"To know the real actual plays, what they’re meant for, what’s the real concept," he said. "Knowing the concept of a play is the biggest thing because when it comes down to it, if you just remember what you’re doing, that’s not good enough. I felt like I remembered the playbook last year. I know it now but I remembered the playbook last year but I’m learning a lot this year. If you can really break that down, I’m learning a lot this year. As much as I’ve learned in this last week, much more than I learned last year."