NFL Player News

The Panthers tendered a contract to Blackshear on Monday.

Blackshear was an exclusive rights free agent, so the Panthers secured his rights with this move. The running back played sparingly on offense in 2023 and accrued 91 scrimmage yards on 14 carries and six receptions, but Blackshear also served as the team's kickoff returner on special teams.

Hill will likely handle a secondary role in the Baltimore backfield in 2024 after Derrick Henry agreed to a two-year contract with the Ravens on Tuesday, Brian Wacker of the Baltimore Sun reports.

Though they allowed Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) to reach free agency, the Ravens moved quickly to add a true No. 1 running back in Henry, whose size and power will complement Lamar Jackson's elusiveness. After Dobbins went down with a season-ending injury Week 1, Hill stepped into an elevated role out of the backfield and finished with career highs in carries (84) and rushing yards (387) while scoring three times on the ground. The addition of Henry will make it tough for Hill to replicate that rushing workload, though his pass-catching skills should make him the Ravens' clear top option on passing downs, at least until Keaton Mitchell (knee) completes his recovery from the torn ACL he suffered in December.

Ahmed (foot) agreed Wednesday with the Dolphins on a one-year contract, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

The 25-year-old running back has played in 38 games over four seasons since catching on with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2020, taking 163 carries for 593 yards (3.6 YPC) and five touchdowns and adding 40 catches for 274 yards and another score on 57 targets. Ahmed mostly saw playing time in obvious passing situations in 2023 before a foot injury ended his season in November. The Dolphins haven't provide an update on his recovery or revealed whether he needed surgery. In any case, Ahmed will compete for a depth role during training camp and the preseason.

Pierce looks slated to work as the backup to Joe Mixon, DJ Bien-Amie of ESPN reports.

Pierce will no longer have to compete with Devin Singletary, who won the starting job down the stretch in 2023 before leaving in free agency, but he now faces a stronger obstacle to touches in the form of Mixon, who had 257 carries for 1,034 yards and nine TDs last year and boasts a true three-down skillset. As a rookie in 2022, Pierce burst onto the scene with 939 rushing yards, but he disappointed in Year 2 with just 416 yards on the ground. The 2022 fourth-round pick could bounce back if he can better adjust to the running scheme introduced last offseason by offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, but the team could also add more competition to this backfield ahead of Week 1.

Chandler is poised to back up Aaron Jones, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Chandler briefly stood atop Minnesota's depth chart following the release of Alexander Mattison, but the addition of a veteran with true three-down capabilities in Jones likely returns him to a complementary role. That said, the 29-year-old Jones has battled injuries in recent years, playing just 11 games in 2023, while Chandler flashed some upside in limited opportunities last season while averaging 4.5 YPC. He remains an interesting stash for fantasy purposes, though the Vikings could also add further depth to their backfield in free agency or the draft.

Brown bumps up to the No. 2 spot on Cincinnati's depth chart behind Zack Moss, with Joe Mixon in line to be traded to the Texans, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN reports.

Brown earned a larger role in Cincinnati's offense during the second half of his rookie season, securing the No. 2 gig for himself during the final six games of the campaign, but he ended the year with just 44 carries for 179 yards, plus 14 catches for 156 yards and a score. Though Moss is coming off an impressive season in Indianapolis, Brown could offer him real competition for touches, depending on what other additions the Bengals make to the running back depth chart.

Dallas is set to sign a contract with the Cardinals, Jordan Schultz of BleacherReport.com reports.

Dallas will stay in the NFC West after a four-year start to his career in Seattle. The 25-year-old is better known for his work as a return man than in the backfield and likely will be working to hold down return duties in Arizona.

White is situated as Las Vegas' top running back entering the new league year, with Josh Jacobs slated to ink a four-year, $48 million contract with the Packers, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

White is facing real opportunity atop the Raiders' depth chart after an impressive end to the 2023 campaign in which he averaged 114.3 yards from scrimmage per game across the team's last four contests, as Jacobs was sidelined. While Las Vegas still could add significant backfield competition via free agency or the 2024 NFL Draft, White currently has few established names behind him aside from special-teams ace Ameer Abdullah, whom the Raiders opted to re-sign. White's final numbers across 17 regular-season appearances in 2023 came to just 104 rushes for 451 yards and one touchdown, plus 15 catches for 98 yards on 19 targets, but the 2022 fourth-round pick has a clear path to a significantly increased workload looking ahead to the 2024 campaign.

Gainwell is poised to operate as the backup to Saquon Barkley, who slated to sign a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles, Eric Edholm of NFL.com reports.

Gainwell looks set to remain Philadelphia's No. 2 running back, but instead of backing up D'Andre Swift (who is set to join the Bears on a three-year, $24 million contract), he'll look to complement an established, true three-down workhorse in Barkley. That could spell less opportunities for offensive touches for Gainwell, who tallied career-high marks with 84 carries for 364 yards and two scores in 2023, but he should retain quality value as an insurance option behind Barkley. Gainwell's versatility makes him a solid depth option for Philadelphia, though the team could still add further reserves to the backfield.

Johnson is re-signing with the Jaguars on a one-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Johnson operated as the team's No. 3 running back for the majority of last season, seeing limited opportunities behind Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby. It likely didn't help that the South Florida product averaged just 2.6 yards per carry on 41 attempts across his 17 appearances. He'll likely head into the Jaguars' offseason program working to hold onto his third-string role in 2024.