NFL Player News

Williams is signing a one-year contract to stay with the Bengals.

There was some discussion last offseason about Williams potentially replacing Samaje Perine as Cincy's No. 2 running back, but the 2019 sixth-round pick mostly continued to play special teams. Williams' 156 snaps on offense were easily a career high, but that equated to only 14.4 percent of the team total, whereas on special teams he took 64.2 percent of available snaps (294 overall). He has 77 touches for 381 yards and no touchdowns in 51 career games, and he'll likely be the third-string RB again in 2024.

The Raiders re-signed Abdullah on Friday.

Abdullah has spent the last two seasons with the Raiders, and he'll now remain with the team for the immediate future. The 2015 second-round pick has appeared in all 34 of the Raiders' games since signing with the team, recording 451 yards from scrimmage on 63 touches. The veteran running back is expected to serve as a depth piece in Las Vegas' backfield once again in 2024.

The Bills released Hines (knee) on Wednesday with a non-football injury designation.

Adam Schefter of ESPN previously noted that Hines, who suffered a torn ACL last July and missed the entire 2023 season, will likely be ready to take the field by training camp. Assuming he experiences no setbacks as he finishes up his recovery from knee surgery, Hines should get the chance to compete for a change-of-pace role out of the backfield with another team in 2024.

Jacobs was not among the players that received the franchise tag ahead of Tuesday's deadline to do so, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

The same applies to Saquon Barkley of the Giants, which sets the stage for the pair of high-profile running backs to be able to explore their options in free agency next week. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, tagging Jacobs would have cost the Raiders $14.1 million, so it's not surprising that the franchise didn't go in that direction. With the likes of Derrick Henry, Austin Ekeler, Tony Pollard and D'Andre Swift also eligible to become free agents in the coming days, it remains to be seen what sort of contract awaits Jacobs in a crowded RB market, and with that in mind it's still possible he could end up re-signing with Las Vegas.

The Giants don't intend to use the franchise tag on Barkley ahead of Tuesday's deadline, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter report.

Tagging the running back for a second straight year would have put the Giants on the hook for a $12.1 million salary in 2024. Barkley, who turned 27 last month, will become a free agent in the coming days as a result. In his sixth campaign with the team that selected him second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, Barkley carried the ball 247 times for 962 yards and six TDs to go along with 41 catches on 60 targets for 280 yards and four receiving scores over 14 contests in 2023.

The Vikings officially released Mattison on Monday.

Mattison initially was informed of his release by the team in late February, and he's now officially a free agent after having signed a two-year, $7 million deal with the team last offseason. The veteran back is coming off a solid season from a volume perspective, with 700 yards on a career-high 180 carries across 16 games, but those stats were marred by a lack of explosiveness (3.9 YPC) and turnovers, with three total fumbles, two of which were lost. Mattison has turned in three straight seasons averaging less than 4.0 YPC. In the meantime, Minnesota should be in the market for backfield options to join Ty Chandler.

The Bills plan to release Hines (knee) during the upcoming week, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Though Hines is expected to attain full medical clearance ahead of training camp while he nears the finish line in his recovery from the ACL reconstruction surgery he required last August, he'll have to find work elsewhere while Buffalo looks to utilize his 90-man offseason roster spot on another player. After being acquired from the Colts in November 2022 in exchange for running back Zack Moss and a 2023 fifth-round draft pick, Hines appeared in just nine regular-season games for Buffalo, carrying six times for minus-3 yards to go with five catches for 53 yards and a touchdown while also contributing two scores as a kickoff returner. If teams are satisfied with where Hines stands in his ongoing recovery from knee surgery, he could have an opportunity to battle for a third-down role out of the backfield and/or a return job at his next stop.

Corum ran a 4.53 in the 40-yard dash and added a 35.5-inch vertical jump during his workout at the 2024 NFL Combine.

The Michigan product wasn't expected to test as a superior athlete based on his tape, but his workout won't cause his stock to slip much by any means. He placed 12th out of 21 running backs in the 40 while having a dense, 5-foot-8, 205-pound frame. His agility proved to be solid as well considering his cone (6.82) and shuttle times (4.12) were among the best among his position group. His strength was on display with a running back-leading 27 reps on the bench, too. Corum had gaudy production over his final three seasons at Michigan with 56 rushing touchdowns in that span, highlighted by 27 in his senior season. He doesn't have any standout traits but is a solid all-around runner who can contribute on all three downs. Corum can handle a heavy workload and pick up the blitz, and his pass-catching numbers (51 catches, 64 targets, 338 yards) check out as workable for the next level. He may no longer be the consensus No.1 running back in the class after this weekend as other backs did manage to post impressive workouts, but Corum should be among the first three backs taken in April.

Chandler is projected to serve as the Vikings' top running back after Alexander Mattison was released Thursday, Dane Mizutani of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Mattison accounted for 180 carries in 2023, while Chandler played a complementary role with 102. Chandler showed flashes of brilliance with the ball in his hands, tallying three rushes of over 20 yards while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. For now, it appears that Chandler will be set for a bigger role in 2024, though the Vikings will almost certainly add to their backfield either through the draft or free agency.

The Vikings have informed Mattison that they will be releasing him, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Mattison took over as the primary running back in Minnesota after Dalvin Cook was released last offseason. He had a good season from a volume perspective, logging a career-best 180 carries while also racking up 30 receptions. However, Mattison lacked explosiveness, which was evident from the fact that he had just one rush over 20 yards. He'll likely be looking for a short-term deal as a complementary rusher this offseason.