NFL Player News

New Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith plans to lean on running back Doug Martin this season, reports the Tampa Bay Times. Martin is expected to be 100 percent recovered from last year's shoulder injury.

"We're going to lean on one guy, but I like the rotation," Smith said of Martin, Mike James and Bobby Rainey. "I think you have to have a bell cow. He's ours. At the running back position, there are enough reps to go along. We want three guys we feel comfortable with. Two will play, but it's not a rotation that where every series we're going to have a different guy in there."

While the Tennessean speculated the Titans' Chris Johnson would end up in Atlanta, a source told Pro Football Talk the Falcons have no interest in the 28-year-old running back. Tennessee is expected to release Johnson before offseason workouts start April 7, PFT said.

The Tennessean expects Titans running back Chris Johnson, who could be released soon, to end up with the Falcons. In Atlanta Johnson would team with Steven Jackson in a very experienced but declining backfield.

Reports indicate the Jets also might pursue Johnson upon his release. Johnson averaged a career-low 3.9 yards per carry last season.

Buccaneers running back Doug Martin, who's coming back from a torn labrum, said his shoulder is quickly getting back to normal.

"I feel great, my arm is about to get cleared this week," Martin told the Tampa Bay Times. "I'm just getting my strength back. It's been too long since I've been out of the game."

Ravens running back Bernard Pierce said his surgically-repaired rotator cuff is improving and that he'll be ready for training camp, reports the Baltimore Sun. Pierce averaged just 2.9 yards per carry last season following an impressive rookie year in which he averaged 4.9 yards per tote.

Buccaneers running back Doug Martin expects to be medically cleared in time for the start of organized team activities next week, after recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum that ended his season.

Martin was struggling even before the injury last season, rushing for 456 yards one 127 carries in six games. He is expected to remain the top running back on the depth chart for the 2014 season.

A need for speed in the backfield could motivate the Jets to pursue running back Chris Johnson if he is released by Tennessee as anticipated, according to ESPN.

Johnson would not serve as the featured runner, but would provide a nice complement to power back Chris Ivory. He has exceeded 1,000 yards rushing every season since 2008, but took a step back last year by averaging a career-low 3.9 YPC.

The Titans "very likely" will release running back Chris Johnson next week, reports CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora. Johnson would draw strong interest as a free agent, the report said, despite averaging a career-worst 3.9 yards per carry last season.

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians expounded this week on his plan to build the offense around second-year running back Andre Ellington.

"He is still not a guy who you will pound up the middle 30 times a game and survive," Arians said at the NFL owners meetings. "He can run the football 30 times a game if you do it correctly, but you'd rather have him have 10 catches and 20 carries and let Stepfan Taylor or (Jonathan) Dwyer have the rest of the carries."

As excited as he is about Ellington, Arians said the offense must be diverse.

"You've got to watch that you don't create too much stuff and then he sprains an ankle and you don't have any offense because you put too much in one basket," Arians said. "You still have to have your cinch-it-up, grind-it-out football.”

Titans running back Chris Johnson plans to be at all of the team's offseason workouts, even if the team doesn't have him in their plans for the upcoming season.

"Yeah, I plan on being there," Johnson told The Tennessean Tuesday. "If I haven't been traded or released by that time, I will show up in Nashville and be ready to go from day one with the team. There's been a lot of speculation about the future, and where I'll be. But I am under contract with the Tennessee Titans. That's my team. And whatever team I am with when the offseason program starts, that is where I am showing up."

Johnson has been the subject of numerous trade rumors, and the Titans are reportedly considering parting ways with him even if a trade cannot be found. Johnson is due $8 million next season, with two years remaining on the contract worth $15 million after that.

The Titans are still exploring their options with Johnson, and aren't planning to rush the decision after having failed to find a suitor so far. Johnson is recovering from surgery to repair a torn meniscus, and was able to run for the first time Monday as part of his recovery.

"I don't know what’s going to happen," Johnson said. "Right now I am focusing on getting back to 100 percent and being ready."