NFL Player News

The Cowboys drafted Oklahoma State running back Joseph Randle with the 18th pick in the fifth round on Saturday. The Dallas Morning News reports that with Felix Jones no longer on the roster the Cowboys were looking for a back to compliment DeMarco Murray. Randle rushed for 1,417 yards and 14 touchdowns last season and 1,216 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2011. The 6-0, 200-pounder, who started 31 of 39 games at Oklahoma State, was also a valuable receiver, catching 108 balls for 917 yards and three touchdowns. “The NFL is a two-back system now so guys need other guys to come in and you don’t want to drop the tempo off much,” Randle said of playing with Murray. “I think we’ll work well together.”

The Cardinals have added a second running back in the draft, selecting Clemson's Andre Ellington in the sixth round. Arizona used its fifth-round pick on Stanford's Stepfan Taylor and followed up by getting Ellington with the 187th overall pick. The 5-foot-9, 199-pound Ellington was first-team All-ACC after finishing with 1,081 yards rushing, 232 more receiving and nine total touchdowns. Though undersized, he has good quickness and speed, and has shown an ability to run inside. "Andre brings a different style to the table," general manager Steve Keim said. "His play style is different than the other three backs on our roster."

The Chiefs drafted Arkansas running back Knile Davis with a compensatory pick in the third round Friday night, grabbing a bulldozer to take some of the load off Jamaal Charles. Davis has a nice blend of size and speed, resulting in comparisons to former Razorbacks star Darren McFadden. But the knock on Davis - and one of the big reasons he fell late into the third round - is that he's dealt with a number of injuries throughout his career. He's struggled with ankle trouble going back to high school.

The Seahawks have selected Texas A&M running back Christine Michael with the 62nd overall selection, and final pick in the second round of the NFL Draft. The selection was another surprise move by the Seahawks, who were thought to be focused on improving the line of scrimmage and linebacker early in the draft. Instead, they picked up a bruising back to join Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin. The Seahawks held the 56th overall selection but traded with Baltimore to drop back six spots and also picked up additional fifth- and sixth-round selections. The 62nd overall pick was the latest selection in Seattle's draft history. Michael saw limited action his senior season with the Aggies, but still rushed for 12 touchdowns. In 2011, Michael rushed for 899 yards in nine games before suffering a torn ACL.

The Vikings traded up to take Tennessee wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson with the 29th selection overall in the NFL draft. Patterson is considered to be among the most potential-laden receivers in the draft thanks to his big size (6-foot-2, 216 pounds) and speed (4.33 in the 40-yard dash. He came to the Volunteers in 2012 as one of the top junior college prospects in the nation after setting 13 program records during his time at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. He proceeded to put together a first-team All-SEC coaches selection resume in 2012 after becoming the first NCAA player since 2008 to record a touchdown four different ways in the same since. Patterson set an SEC single-season record with a combined kickoff and punt return average of 27.6 yards, and set a Tennessee record with 1,858 all-purpose yards. Patterson caught 46 passes for 778 yards and five touchdowns on offense last year.

Tennessee has made it clear this offseason its dedicated to the run. After signing Andy Levitre and Robert Turner in free agency the Titans drafted Alabama road grader Chance Warmack with their first-round pick. This means the Titans will lean heavily on their rush attack, led by Chris Johnson, who has been very inconsistent behind a mediocre interior line for two consecutive seasons. The moves should culminate in Johnson (and Shonn Greene, also a new addition to Tennessee) putting up some solid stats.

The Fantasy potential of Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman took a hit Monday when team executive vice president John Elway told the media that his second-year running back was "a 190-pounder change-of-pace type guy." Elway also spoke positively about veteran Willis McGahee, calling him "our big back right now." Speculation is that the Broncos will draft a running back within the first three rounds of the NFL draft.

Raiders running back Darren McFadden told the Contra Costa Times that he loves the power-run scheme that new offensive coordinator Greg Olson has committed to. "That's one of the things I like about it. I'm the type of guy I like to get going downhill, so I'm looking forward to it. I think it's going to be a great fit for our team," McFadden said. "It's a great feeling that they have that confidence in me, so I just want to go out there and prove to them on the field that I can do it, and show them I'm the type of player they think I'm capable of being."

A couple of days ago it sounded like Browns running back Trent Richardson would still have to deal with a rib injury suffered last season in 2013. But Richardson told the official team website that he's feeling great. "100 percent," Richardson said. "I'm out there flying around. I finally feel skinny. I don’t have all these big pads on me right now. It's way easier to breathe. I can sleep at night. It’s a fresh breath. It just seems like all that hard work I put in last year is really starting to pay off and bring my game to the next level, where I need to be this year. I've been flying around and moving. Everything I do, I don't feel anything is wrong with me at all, and I feel better than ever."

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Browns running back Trent Richardson, who played through broken ribs as a rookie in 2012, will likely always have to deal with some lingering pain, but said he'll be 100 percent by training camp. Coach Rob Chudzinski stressed that Richardson won't have to carry the load by himself this year and that the club will change it up with Montario Hardesty, Chris Ogbonnaya and now newcomer Dion Lewis.