NFL Player News

Brown participated in the Raiders' offseason program in late April.

Brown played in six games as a rookie in 2022, serving exclusively on special teams. His 2023 campaign ended abruptly after he was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed issue at the close of training camp, but he'll seemingly enter the new campaign without any lingering issues.

Hull (knee) appears set to compete with Trey Sermon for the backup role behind starter Jonathan Taylor this offseason, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Hull is back to full health after a knee injury limited him to just one appearance as a rookie in 2023, per Paul Bretl of USA Today. After Zack Moss was able to thrive as the backup to Taylor in 2023, fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on which of Hull and Sermon managers to show out better in training camp and preseason action. Sermon could have a leg up to begin the competition, but as Boyd notes, he's totaled just 78 carries in his career and isn't significantly more established than Hull.

Hines (knee) said Tuesday he expects to be available for the start of training camp, Camryn Justice of News 5 Cleveland reports.

Hines underwent surgery to repair his left ACL last August, then was released by the Bills in March after missing the entire 2023 season. Assuming he's indeed healthy by the start of training camp, Hines should compete for third-down snaps in the backfield and return work on special teams. With Nick Chubb working his way back from a serious knee injury of his own and no lock to be ready for Week 1, Jerome Ford and D'Onta Foreman are likely to operate as Cleveland's top backs to begin training camp.

Achane and Raheem Mostert gained some competition for snaps via the additon of rookie Jaylen Wright in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Achane is coming off a rookie campaign in which he rushed for 800 yards and eight scores in just 11 games, while Mostert racked up 1,012 yards and an outstanding 18 touchdowns. Both should still enter the 2024 season as Miami's clear top backfield options, but Wright brings blazing speed (4.38-second 40-yard dash time) to the table, and neither Achane or Mostert boast the size to hold up to extreme workloads. While both Achane and Mostert demand double-digit touches, it's possible that the addition of Wright could represent a cap to their respective fantasy ceilings, especially if the rookie impresses enough to eventually force his way into a three-headed backfield split.

Mostert said Tuesday he's "excited" to have rookie fourth-round pick Jaylen Wright join himself and De'Von Achane in Miami's backfield in 2024, Nick Shook of NFL.com reports.

Mostert said he's "excited to have [Wright] here and try to coach him up, try to help him out within this offense." The 32-year-old Mostert and the 22-year-old Achane are clearly the top dogs of the Dolphins' rushing attack after both had extremely efficient seasons in 2023, likely leaving Wright to begin his career as a third-string option, with veteranJeff Wilson potentially on the outside looking in. Of course, neither Mostert or Achane boast ideal profiles for a heavy workload, so Wright could find himself earning opportunities earlier than usual for a No. 3 option. All three of Mostert, Achane and Wright boast atypical explosiveness, so it's possible that head coach Mike McDaniel's scheme could manage to deploy each back relatively interchangeably.

The Panthers agreed to terms with Penny on Monday.

Penny is now 28 years old and spent last season in Philadelphia, where he appeared in just three regular-season games and was routinely a healthy scratch on game days. When healthy in Seattle from 2018-2022, he was electric with the ball in his hands, averaging a lethal 5.7 yards per carry on 337 rushing attempts, but an inability to stay on the field was his downfall. He has a history with new Panthers coach Dave Canales from their time together in Seattle, and Penny gives the Panthers backfield some more experience behind Chuba Hubbard and rookie Jonathon Brooks. There has been chatter that Miles Sanders' time may be running out with the team after just one season in Carolina.

Wilson is part of a crowded backfield alongside Raheem Mostert, De'Von Achane and rookie fourth-round pick Jaylen Wright, Omar Kelly of The Miami Herald reports.

Wilson may be a favorite of coach Mike McDaniel, but the 28-year-old nonetheless faces a difficult path to earning a roster spot if the three aforementioned RBs stay healthy this summer. With those three being roster locks, the Dolphins may end up having Wilson, Salvon Ahmed and Chris Brooks competing for one or two spots on the practice squad. Wilson agreed to a contract restructure in March, dropping his base salary to $1.12 million while guaranteeing him $400,000, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Penny plans to sign with the Panthers, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Penny's signing is expected to become official after the conclusion of Carolina's rookie minicamp, which ends May 12. The 2018 first-rounder is coming off a forgettable season with Philadelphia, where he was a healthy scratch for all but three contests and spent most of the year operating as the team's fourth running back. With the Panthers, Penny is in line to join a crowded backfield that includes rookie second-round pick Jonathon Brooks (ACL), who is expected to be ready for training camp, along with veterans Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders.

Kamara (ankle) is in a strong position to maintain his role in New Orleans' offense after the team did not pick a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft, instead signing Jacob Kibodi as an undrafted free agent.

The Saints added two running backs by this point of last offseason, bringing in veteran free agent Jamaal Williams and third-round pick Kendre Miller for depth behind Kamara. The latter running back still shouldered the majority of work out of the backfield with 180 carries for 694 yards and five touchdowns. He also played a significant role in the passing game with 75 receptions for 466 yards. This versatility speaks to Kamara's importance in what was an extremely limited offense. Williams unsurprisingly played much more sparingly as a short-yardage back, and he should function in a similar role in 2024. Taysom Hill has always been used as a Swiss Army Knife who, at times, operates as a rushing quarterback out of the shotgun. However, Hill's usage has never threatened Kamara's production in the past. Instead, his biggest obstacles to seeing another heavy workload in 2024 would be whether or not Miller starts to see more opportunities or if Kamara continues to struggle with injuries, as he did miss the 2023 season finale with a sprained ankle. The Saints added offensive lineman Taliese Fuaga with the 14th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which could help keep defenders off Kamara while improving the team's ground game as a whole.

Ali (biceps) is participating in some of the Ravens' minicamp drills and is expected to be fully recovered ahead of training camp, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

The rookie fifth-round pick ruptured his biceps tendon at the Senior Bowl back in late January, but the Marshall product is expected to be fully recovered ahead of Baltimore's training camp in August. Ali is poised to compete for a pivotal role in the backfield, as J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) and Gus Edwards are now both with the Chargers and Keaton Mitchell (knee) is still recovering after tearing his ACL in December.