NFL Player News

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday that Mitchell (knee) won't be ready for the start of training camp but is "on schedule" in his recovery from an ACL tear sustained Week 15 last season, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Harbaugh said Mitchell isn't expected to be ready until "sometime during the season." That's unsurprising given the timing of Mitchell's injury, but fantasy managers should brace for the eventuality that the second-year back isn't available Week 1, or at least not at full strength. Derrick Henry will work as Baltimore's clear No. 1 backfield option, but given that he's 30 years old, the team could want to keep him from the sort of league-leading workload he's handled in the past. If Henry ends up headlining a committee rather than serving as a true workhorse, more opportunities could be available to Mitchell, once healthy. At least to begin the regular season, Justice Hill and rookie fifth-round pick Rasheen Ali (biceps) may serve as the primary complementary options to Henry.

Williams, who is dealing with a foot injury that he sustained while training this spring, per Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register, won't take part in the Rams' offseason program, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

That said, Barshop adds that coach Sean McVay has downplayed Williams' foot issue, noting that it's "nothing to worry about. He'll be ready to go for training camp." As the coming season approaches, the 2022 fifth-rounder remains atop the Rams' RB depth chart, with rookie third-rounder Blake Corum, Boston Scott, Ronnie Rivers and Zach Evans providing the team with backfield depth. Of the aforementioned backups, Corum could be the most notable threat to the 2024 workload of the 5-foot-9, 194-pound Williams.

Coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that Jacobs (hamstring) isn't practicing but should return to the field before too long, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Jacobs was limited during OTAs on Tuesday, but it doesn't sound like the Packers are too concerned about his health. In the meantime, rookie third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd and returning veteran AJ Dillon will get extra backfield reps until Jacobs is ready to go. Jacobs at least worked on the side Tuesday, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, so he's already getting acclimated to his new offense.

Robinson (ankle) is on schedule to be ready for the start of the veteran minicamp June 10, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Robinson suffered an ankle injury during OTAs last Tuesday, but he's only dealing with a minor issue and will be back on the practice field June 10-12. In the meantime, Tyler Allgeier should take most of the starting reps in the backfield, while rookie Jase McClellan (foot) could benefit from expanded opportunities if he's able to get healthy before Robinson. With Kirk Cousins (Achilles) now at the helm of Atlanta's offense, Robinson will be a popular Year 2 breakout candidate in 2024 fantasy drafts.

The Steelers signed Ward to a one-year contract Tuesday.

Ward mainly played special teams across eight regular-season appearances with the Titans in 2023. He'll get a chance to compete for a similar role in Pittsburgh, where Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson stand above him on the backfield depth chart.

Vaughn (ankle) is a candidate to earn more work out of the slot this offseason, Reid Hanson of USA Today reports.

Vaughn only suited up for seven games as a rookie before landing on IR, across which he totaled just 80 yards from scrimmage without a touchdown. Now presumably healthy, the 5-foot-6 running back could have a clearer path to backfield opportunities with Tony Pollard having moved on to Tennessee, even with Ezekiel Elliott now back atop the depth chart. The slot could be a more natural fit for Vaughn, though to emerge as an actual fantasy contributor in Year 2, he'll need to earn more than the occasional designed play.

Perine was waived by the Chiefs on Friday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Kansas City is parting ways with Perine after he rushed for 77 yards on 22 carries while adding three catches for 33 yards in 2023. The 2020 fourth-round draft pick of the Jets spent his first two seasons in New York. Perine will look to latch on with another team prior to training camp.

Harris' trainer said Friday the running back has dropped to around 235 pounds this offseason after playing at 242 during the 2023 season, and that he's increasingly motivated after the Steelers declined his fifth-year option, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

Harris is heading into the final season of his rookie deal with Pittsburgh, so there's no doubt about his motivation to log a productive year and earn sizeable payday for 2025. Playing at a lower weight could help Harris' efficiency metrics, and there's also some reason to be optimistic that he now finds himself in a better scenario than 2023, when he set new career-high marks with eight rushing touchdowns and 4.1 YPC. Rookie first-round pick Troy Fautanu should represent an upgrade to the O-line, and while there are question marks surrounding Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, both have the potential to command a more effective offense than Kenny Pickett did. Harris is capable of handling 20-plus touches but also dependent on volume to produce, making the emergence of Jaylen Warren the biggest threat to his fantasy prospects.

Jefferson (undisclosed) was on the field last week for the start of Detroit's offseason program.

Jefferson finished the 2023 campaign on Lions' practice squad injured list after sustaining an undisclosed injury in late January. The nature of the 24-year-old's issue was never revealed, though he appears to have moved past the injury over the past few months. Jefferson hasn't seen any regular-season NFL action since 2021, as he's spent both of the past two campaigns on Detroit's practice squad.

Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show on Monday, Lions GM Brad Holmes said he "definitely would expect" Gibbs to "see more of the load" out of the backfield in 2024.

Holmes added that he thinks Gibbs will also be even more involved in the passing game in his second season. Only seven running backs saw more targets than Gibbs' 71 in 2023, and his 52 catches were tied for the ninth-most at the position. Backfield mate David Montgomery out-carried Gibbs, 219-182, but Gibbs had a commanding edge in the pass game with 47 more targets than the veteran. There's reason to believe Gibbs' touches will rise in 2024, but Montgomery isn't going away. This backfield will remain a one-two punch, and Montgomery is the favorite for carries when the Lions are trying to kill the clock when they have a lead. Gibbs' fantasy ceiling remains extremely high due to the overall explosive nature of Detroit's offense.