NFL Player News

Rookie third-round pick Trey Benson is unlikely to take Conner's starting job but may eventually force a timeshare in the Cardinals' backfield, according to KC Joyner of The Athletic.

Conner has missed multiple games in each of his seven NFL seasons, though never more than six in any one year, so any competition for touches could sort itself out. His 2023 included career highs for rushing yards (1,040) and yards per carry (5.0), with the downside being his fewest targets (33) and catches (27, 2.1 per game) since he was a barely-used rookie with Pittsburgh in 2017. The lack of receiving volume was partially a product of Emari Demercado getting playing time in passing situations, and it's worth noting that the Cardinals have two other backs in Michael Carter, DeeJay Dallas with track records as passing-down specialists. That said, Conner still figures to be the starter and lead runner, with Benson being the main threat to poach carries and TDs even if other guys are in the mix on passing downs.

The Packers drafted MarShawn Lloyd in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft to join Jacobs and AJ Dillon in their remade backfield, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic report.

The decision to release Aaron Jones and sign Jacobs as a replacement likely had a lot to do with the latter being younger, larger and more capable of handling big workloads. It's nonetheless a bit difficult to project Jacobs' touch/snap counts for the upcoming season, as coach Matt LaFleur has almost always used a two-back approach when he's had his top two RBs healthy. On the other hand, there were many instances when LaFleur leaned heavily on Jones or Dillon, or Jamaal Williams before that, when one of Green Bay's top backs wasn't available, rather than giving a third-stringer a larger role. The extent of Jacobs' usage may depend on LaFleur's confidence in Dillon and/or Lloyd moreso than Jacobs' perceived ability to take on huge workloads. Dillon plodded through 2023 and has seen his YPC drop each of his seasons in the NFL, while Lloyd looks faster and more explosive but comes with glaring ball-security issues after fumbling eight times on 325 touches during his college career.

Dillon is expected to face competition from third-round rookie MarShawn Lloyd for the Packers' No. 2 running back job behind Josh Jacobs, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Dillon re-signed with the Packers on a four-year qualifying offer and isn't even considered a lock to make the Packers' 53-man roster, per Schneidman. Dillon averaged a career-worst 3.4 yards per carry in 2023, scoring just two touchdowns. He also was inactive for both of the team's playoff games due to a neck stinger. Green Bay likely hopes Lloyd shows enough to pass Dillon on the depth chart.

The Panthers took Jonathon Brooks (knee) in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, potentially giving Hubbard competition for the starting job, Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Hubbard was positioned to enter Week 1 as a starter for the first time in his pro career, and while he's still the favorite for that task, competition for snaps in the Carolina backfield just got much stiffer. The Panthers took Brooks with the 46th overall pick, making him the first running back drafted in 2024, 20 selections before Trey Benson. They also still have Miles Sanders, who was a massive bust in the first season of his four-year contract but has a guaranteed $4.02 million salary for 2024. It's a situation where Hubbard's projection as the Week 1 starter might not mean much in terms of fantasy expectations for the full season, especially if reports continue to be positive on Brooks' rehab from the ACL tear he suffered Nov. 11.

Following the NFL draft, Stevenson heads a New England running back corps that also includes newcomer Antonio Gibson, Chad Graff of The Athletic reports.

Meanwhile, Ezekiel Elliott who actually led the Patriots with 642 rushing yards (on 184 carries) in 17 regular-season games in 2023 because Stevenson (619 yards on 156 carries) missed five contests, has signed on with the Cowboys, which leaves Kevin Harris, JaMycal Hasty, Ke'Shawn Vaughn and UDFA addition DeShaun Fenwick to compete for depth slotting behind Stevenson and Gibson. Now presumably past the ankle issue that landed him on IR last December, Stevenson is poised to reclaim his role as a pivotal option in a re-tooled New England offense under the guidance of new head coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. While Stevenson remains entrenched as the team's lead back and thus seems destined to maintain enough volume to remain a fantasy factor, Gibson -- who spent the last four years with Washington -- is capable of contributing both on early downs and pass-catching situations, a scenario that should help ease Stevenson's load as the 2024 campaign progresses.

Dobbins (Achilles) said he feels 100 percent healthy heading into the offseason program, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

"I've had these injuries, and it's been a storm," Dobbins said. "But I think the storm is over with, and I think I'm going to take off now. There's going to be no setbacks, and the 'injury prone' thing will be gone out of the window." Since being drafted in the second round by the Ravens in 2020, Dobbins has missed a whopping 43 games to various significant injuries, including a torn ACL, torn LCL, severe hamstring strain and a torn Achilles tendon. To say the injury-prone label is behind him might be wishful thinking, as his body has yet to cooperate with him to this point. The 25-year-old Dobbins joined Gus Edwards in following offensive coordinator Greg Roman from Baltimore to the Chargers, so he will at least be in a familiar scheme.

Brown appears primed to work as the top backup to Zack Moss following the 2024 NFL Draft, Paul Dehner of The Athletic reports.

The Bengals didn't select a single running back across 10 picks in this year's draft, so even if the team brings in a handful of talented UDFAs, Brown looks like a notable winner for fantasy purposes. He flashed across 12 appearances as a rookie last season, and while Moss' experience with a large workload and on third downs may make him the favorite for the No. 1 role, Brown's short-area burst could make him an effective complementary option. If Brown can put together a solid offseason and push for increased touches, he could be an interesting late-round sleeper in 2024 drafts.

Moss retains his position atop the Bengals' backfield depth chart following the 2024 NFL Draft, Paul Dehner of The Athletic reports.

Moss inked with Cincinnati as a free agent back in March, and though the team will certainly add some UDFAs to the mix, he has to be considered a huge winner for fantasy after the Bengals opted not to spend a single draft pick on the running back position. Coming off a breakout season with the Colts, Moss looks primed for a high-volume role considering his experience between the tackles and on third downs, while Chase Brown could act as a more explosive complement out of the backfield. Both could be intriguing fantasy sleepers in 2024 drafts.

Sanders faces competition from rookie second-round pick Jonathon Brooks (knee) for backfield work during the 2024 season, Joseph Person of The Athletic reports.

Sanders was overtaken by Chuba Hubbard down the stretch of the 2023 season, in which he logged a career-low 129 carries for 432 yards (3.3 YPC) and one touchdown, so the arrival of Brooks could impact his opportunities. First-year coach Dave Canales said the Panthers plan to deploy all three backs, and Brooks is working his way back from an ACL tear, so Sanders' primary competition for touches could be Hubbard to begin the year. It's easy to imagine a scenario, though, where Brooks earns himself a more solidified role atop the depth chart once he's fully healthy.

Rams coach Sean McVay said Saturday that third-round pick Blake Corum reminds him a lot of Williams (hand), Stu Jackson of the team's official site reports.

McVay isn't the first to make that comparison, and while it's arguably a compliment that the Rams sought out a similar player, it also means Williams could cede more work to backups than he did last year. The comparison between the two players is imperfect, with Corum being an inch shorter yet 11 pounds heavier (based on combine measurements) and having enjoyed a far more prolific college career in terms of rushing stats. On the other hand, Williams was much more active as a pass catcher in his college days, and he's since proven to be a quality player at the NFL level, scoring 15 TDs in 12 games last season while averaging a league-high 95.3 rushing yards per game. He thus figures to remain the lead back, though he now has much lower odds to match the massive snap shares he handled last season (90 percent or higher five times, 77 percent or higher nine times). The hand fracture Williams suffered in a playoff loss to Detroit shouldn't impact his preparation for 2024.