Brown could complement Slaton in short yrd situations

Aug 18, 2009

At 6-foot-3 and 234 pounds, Chris Brown could be the big back the Texans need to complement starter Steve Slaton in short-yardage situations.

He showed that skill on a 2-yard touchdown run in Houston's preseason opener. Now the Texans are hoping they can count on him in that role this season after a back problem kept him out all of last year.

"I think it made the whole team feel very good," coach Gary Kubiak said of Brown's performance against the Chiefs. "He wants to finish his career the right way — playing good football. I think our guys are rooting for him because he's very well-liked in the locker room and very respected."

Slaton established himself as the starter by rushing for more than 1,200 yards as a rookie last season, but the Texans are looking for another back to ease his workload this year.

Brown is Houston's biggest back by far, a full six inches and almost 20 pounds bigger than Slaton. If Brown can contribute, he should be able to help Houston's offense near the goal line, a place where Slaton struggled last season.

Fantasy Impact:

yesterday

Chargers to sign RB J.K. Dobbins on one-year deal

Tom Pelissero

yesterday · 7:45 PM EDT

Former Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins is planning to sign with the #Chargers on a one-year deal. Electric when healthy, Dobbins — who averages 5.8 yards per carry in his career — reunites with OC Greg Roman and can hit the market again in March.

Related Players: Gus Edwards

Fantasy Impact:

Dobbins has had poor injury luck in his career, but has only managed 234 total rushes since being drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. This is a low-risk, high-reward move by the Chargers and might give them a runway to wait a little longer in the '24 Draft before they address the position.

Apr 16

Cowboys sign RB Royce Freeman

Todd Archer

Apr 16 · 8:15 PM EDT

The Cowboys have signed running back Royce Freeman to a one-year deal. Freeman had 319 yards on 77 carries with 2 touchdowns last year for the Los Angeles Rams. He was 3rd round pick of Denver in '18.

Related Players: Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn

Fantasy Impact:

Freeman hasn't rushed for 500 yards since 2018, his rookie season. This shouldn't have any impact on the team drafting at the position and/or bringing back Ezekiel Elliott.

Apr 15

Eagles sign WR DeVonta Smith to three-year extension

Ian Rapoport

Apr 15 · 10:45 AM EDT

The Eagles have paid another big-time, rising player. This time, WR DeVonta Smith gets a 3-year, $75M contract extension that includes $51M guaranteed.

Related Players: A.J. Brown, DeVante Parker, Parris Campbell

Fantasy Impact:

Great news for Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense as a whole. Smith will continue his 1b role in which he finished the 2023 season as fantasy's WR22.