March 2014 4for4 Player News Articles

The Texans will draft one quarterback and "maybe two," HC Bill O'Brien told fans.

Although the Texans reportedly have been dangling the No. 1 overall pick in trade talks, the Houston Chronicle's John McClain has maintained they will draft a quarterback with their top selection.

O'Brien was speaking at a town hall meeting. The team recently signed Ryan Fitzpatrick and still has Case Keenum and T.J. Yates under contract. O'Brien worked miracles with Matt McGloin at Penn State in just a year, so the potential is there for him to turn any of the younger guys into a usable fantasy QB.

The St. Louis Rams have signed former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt to a one-year, $1.4M deal, including $550,000 guaranteed, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The maximum value of the deal is $2.9 million, the source said.

Drafted 30th overall in the 2009 draft, Britt wowed the Titans with his ability to get off the press at the line of scrimmage. He caught 42 passes in each of his first two seasons, with nine touchdown catches in 2010.

But he's spiraled downward from there, suffering a torn ACL early in 2010. He has also caused the Titans headaches with multiple off-field incidents that drew police attention.

He looked primed for a big contract year with a solid training camp in 2013, but with early drops and penalty issues he became a non-factor, playing little once he lost his confidence and not dressing for three of the final four games.

It's a deal that's been rumored for a while. Britt has fantasy sleeper potential this season, but most owners have likely grown tired of waiting for that by now. Still, he could very well lead the Ram WRs this year if things work out. As the story points out, since 2010 he suffered a torn ACL, had multiple off-field incidents that drew police attention and last year had early drops and penalty issues which eventually moved him down the Titans depth chart.

Rams HC Jeff Fisher expressed confidence WR Tavon Austin would take the next step in 2014 and the team would have a better idea of ways to best use him.

“We’re not disappointed in what his production was last year at all," Fisher said. "One of the things that was misleading was he had two or three returns called back -- one against Dallas --and then he got hurt. I think another year in the program, in the offense, OTAs, training camp, you’ll see more production. I think we’ll do a better job of using him now that we know what he’s capable of doing. Kind of looking forward to see him improve from year one to year two.’’

For the most part, Austin was a fantasy disappointment outside of a couple of games. He broke 50 receiving yards just one time last year, and that was his two-catch, 138 yard, 2 TD performance against the Colts. He had a rushing TD for 65 yards and another rush for 56 yards that didn't go for a TD, plus one kick return for a touchdown. He has a good chance to build on that this year assuming Fisher is correct about realizing how to use him.

After nearly 5 months of rehab from a torn right ACL, Browns QB Brian Hoyer is ready to prove himself yet again to a new coaching staff led by Mike Pettine and general manager Ray Farmer, knowing full well that they are considering replacing him with a rookie quarterback in May.

Hoyer threw for five TDs in two-plus games before getting hurt for the season. The Browns had liked him heading into last year, but needed to give Brandon Weeden a chance as the starter. But when Weeden got hurt, Hoyer moved past QB2 Jason Campbell on the depth chart to start against the Vikings in Week 3. Hoyer threw 3 TDs that game but also 3 INTs. However, there's a new coaching staff in town and the Browns appear poised to draft a QB in April, so the former Tom Brady backup is going to have to earn the job.

The Steelers are committed to Le'Veon Bell as their feature back -- as they should be -- and the former second-round draft pick will get the majority of the carries assuming he builds on a stellar rookie campaign.

Blount does provide the Steelers much-needed insurance behind Bell.

With another ball-carrier who packs a punch, the Steelers can reduce some of the wear and tear on Bell by incorporating Blount into the running game.

That could prolong Bell’s career, and in the short-term it would allow the Steelers to wear down defenses by hammering them with two big running backs.

At this point, Blount looks like a solid handcuff to Bell. He could also get short yardage and goal line touches like he did at times in New England, taking away a little of Bell's fantasy value - but that remains to be seen. Blount isn't without his risks and can still turn the ball over, but the signing gives the Steelers a solid option if something should happen to Bell.

Bucs RB Doug Martin announced he's been medically cleared from a torn labrum that cost him the entire second half of the 2013 season.

Martin confirmed in a tweet that he's officially cleared. Head coach Lovie Smith added over the weekend the team will lean on Martin this season, but also likes the other backs - as Mike James and Bobby Rainey both proved worthy in their time last year and will probably take away some work. Martin will likely slip a little from his top-three RB ranking a year ago, but should fall in the low-end RB1, high-end RB2 area.

Jets whiffed on top free agent RB choice: Donald Brown. Missed out Maurice Jones-Drew too. NYJ has some level of interest in Chris Johnson if available.

CJ2K was linked to Atlanta just a few days ago, however the Falcons have since denied interest. But, it seems to be a given the Titans are going to release Johnson sometime soon, seemingly giving Shonn Greene the first crack at the job.

Unless they pull a 180, the Jets won't be a factor in the DeSean Jackson sweepstakes -- a smart move. He's not a fit for them.

They held internal discussions on Jackson, with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg giving his blessing. Mornhinweg, who coached him with the Philadelphia Eagles, told people in the organization that Jackson -- known for his bad-boy reputation -- wouldn't be a problem in the locker room. That apparently wasn't enough to sway Idzik, who reportedly hadn't reached out to Jackson's agent as of Saturday.

Jackson is scheduled to visit Monday with the Washington Redskins. The Oakland Raiders might be interested as well. It's also been reported Sunday that the Bills are looking into Jackson. In another update, the Chiefs are reportedly out of the sweepstakes. Interesting that those with perhaps the closest ties to Jackson, like the Chiefs with Andy Reid and Jets with Michael Vick and Mornhinweg, seem to have distanced themselves from the WR...

Barring a setback, Jake Locker will be the starter at QB for the Titans. Former Chargers backup Charlie Whitehurst replaces Ryan Fitzpatrick. Tyler Wilson is under contract. Rusty Smith is a free agent.

The Titans are unlikely to pick up the option year on Locker's contract, so this is probably his make-or-break season. If he makes great strides, the Titans will try to re-sign him to an extension, but they need to protect themselves by developing another quarterback.

Locker began to show promise last year but got hurt. The author thinks the Titans could take a QB later in the draft, but either way, this will be a key year for Locker.

Saints beat writer Mike Triplett answered a question about the team's WRs.

There’s probably a good chance the Saints will add another veteran. They showed interest in free agent Sidney Rice, and they could always re-sign Robert Meachem, whom they like for both his downfield speed and blocking ability. But those moves would be for depth. They’re certainly not in a panic over the top jobs right now. They’re very comfortable with Marques Colston and Kenny Stills as their two starters.

The Saints still have plenty of weapons, assuming they sign TE Jimmy Graham. There's also Pierre Thomas out of the backfield. The piece also says the team is comfortable with Nick Toon and Joe Morgan, and with a deep WR draft there's no need to panic.

Ravens RB Bernard Pierce said his surgically-repaired rotator cuff is getting better, will be ready by training camp.

Bucs RB Doug Martin says he's "about to get cleared" regarding his shoulder injury. Should be good to go for OTAs on April 7.

WR DeSean Jackson has a business decision. Curious to see if his heart makes it. Pre-release he put word out to Raiders of his interest in them.

As many as 6-7 teams are reportedly interested in Jackson, and we can make direct links to at least three of them - Jets, Chiefs and Raiders. Whichever team gets him lands a WR coming off a 1,300-yard season with 9 TDs and great speed, but it's the off-field issues that obviously got him to this point.

As he continues to compose his team’s new playbook and decide how he will utilize quarterback Robert Griffin III, Redskins Coach Jay Gruden is striving for balance.

During his extensive review of video of Griffin’s games the past two years, Gruden has come to the conclusion that the young dual-threat quarterback has the capability to execute almost any type of scheme.

“It’s fun to have a guy like Robert because I think there’s really not much that I can throw at him that he can’t do. I think he can do it all,” Gruden said.

Gruden says Griffin will have a degree of involvement in the planning of the offense this offseason. He wants his quarterback to have the greatest comfort level possible, because comfort leads to confidence, which leads to better execution. That doesn’t mean the coaches will not challenge Griffin to expand his game and sharpen his skills, however. And that doesn’t mean Griffin will have a full say on the offense.

Bucs kicker Connor Barth said he is completely healed from an Achilles injury that cost him the 2014 season. "I'm making 61-yard field goals," he said.

The Dolphins now have a full group of tailbacks that includes Knowshon Moreno, Lamar Miller, Daniel Thomas, Mike Gillislee and Marcus Thigpen. Not all five tailbacks are going to make the 53-man roster.

The most the Dolphins would keep is four running backs. Moreno and Miller, last year's starter, are locks. Thigpen has versatility as Miami's primary kick returner and also experimented a little at wide receiver. Position flexibility is important to Miami third-year head coach Joe Philbin, and that could help Thigpen stick.

Most likely, Miami would have to choose between Thomas and Gillislee.

Thomas is a former draft bust who never lived up to his potential. He was a second-round pick by former Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland in 2011. But Thomas' career high is 581 rushing yards during his rookie year. Gillislee didn't get to show much his rookie year in 2013, but there is always that potential factor that he would have going for him.

About five weeks into the season last year, Carson Palmer approached coach Bruce Arians to talk about rookie running back Andre Ellington.

“Let’s make him a wideout,” Palmer said.

“No,” Arians responded. “We can use him as a wideout as a running back.”

“He is still not a guy who you will pound up the middle 30 times a game and survive,” Arians said. “He can run the football 30 times a game if you do it correctly, but you’d rather have him have 10 catches and 20 carries."

That would be 30 touches, which is a far different tune than the Cardinals sang with Ellington last year as they tried to limit him to about 15. He's shaping up to be a very desirable player, especially in PPR leagues.

Titans very likely to release RB Chris Johnson next week after failed trade attempts. Would draw strong interest as FA as DeSean Jackson did.

Johnson was linked to the Falcons by some Titans beat writers. Shonn Greene and Jackie Battle are next up on the Titans depth chart.

LeGarrette Blount has agreed to a two-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to league sources.

Blount should still be behind Le'Veon Bell which means he falls into handcuff status in Pittsburgh. In New England, the workload is down to Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen and Brandon Bolden. We all know the problems Ridley had keeping the ball, so it will be interesting to see if he's once again given the job to earn the early-down carries. Vereen will continue to take away limited rushes while being a major contributor in the passing game.

The Eagles dropped a bombshell Friday afternoon when they released wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who was coming off a Pro Bowl season in which he caught 82 passes for 1332 yards and 9 TDs. The Eagles reportedly explored compensation from other teams around the league via trade, but Jackson’s outright release comes as a surprise.

"After careful consideration over this offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles have decided to part ways with DeSean Jackson. The team informed him of his release today," the team said in a statement.

This move has been rumored for quite some time now, but still comes as a bit of a surprise. It's unlike the Eagles to not get anything in return for a player who is just 27 and coming off perhaps his best season, which means there was not a lot of interest from teams to deal for him and his large contract. News also came out today about Jackson's ties to a gang in Los Angeles. Obviously, way too many red flags eventually forced the Eagles decision here. Jackson had been tied to several teams via trade, like the 49ers and Patriots, and the Jets came out and said they were interested in Jackson, but wouldn't give up a pick. Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper now emerge as the team's top receivers. It also means the Birds will likely address the WR position early in the draft next month.

In his media session Wednesday at the NFL owners meetings, New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin spoke of the departure of free-agent wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, and when the conversation turned to the question of replacing Nicks, the first name Coughlin mentioned was that of third-year wide receiver Rueben Randle.

"We have high expectations for Rueben," Coughlin said. "Rueben has to continue to develop, continue to become a better pro -- focus, concentration, production on the field, consistency, day in and day out. Practicing. You’ve seen the plays the guy can make. He’s made great plays ... We have a lot of belief and stock in his development."

But he also struggled at times to get on the same page as quarterback Eli Manning, and some of their difficulties in that regard led to interceptions.

Randle is a former second round pick and is poised for a huge leap in production this year if he can win that WR2 job. As the story points out, he delivered at times last year with six TDs to lead the team. But he also struggled at times to get on the same page as QB Eli Manning, and that led to interceptions. This year's Giants offense is expected to be more simple, which could also help Randle's cause.

The Atlanta Falcons, they made their big pickup last offseason by signing Steven Jackson to a three-year, $12 million deal. Jackson had eight-consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the St. Louis Rams before joining the Falcons.

He averaged a career-low 3.5 yards per carry in his first season with Atlanta as a hamstring injury limited him to 12 games and poor offensive line play hampered his effectiveness.

But Falcons head coach Mike Smith expressed faith in Jackson moving forward, although Jackson turns 31 before the 2014 season.

"Unfortunately, Steven was injured last year and we didn't really get a chance to see what he was capable of doing until the last four or five games," Smith said. "But you've got to have a big back when you have to get the two or three yards. Especially late in the season, you've got to be able to run the football."

Jackson injured his hamstring in a Week 2 win over his former team, the Rams. He missed four games and couldn't get into a rhythm immediately. He finished the 2013 season with six touchdowns in the last six games, the story points out. But, he's clearly on the decline and many think the Falcons will address the position in the draft.

Packers Myles White hopes he's a candidate to make the team as at least a fourth wide receiver in 2014. The spry speed demon added 10 pounds this off-season — up to 190.

Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson will be one and two with Jarrett Boykin likely stepping into the WR3 role. Boykin was very impressive in his time last season with all the injuries to wideouts. The way it looks now, White may be worth a later-round flyer especially if injuries creep up again. In the Green Bay offense, the WR3 can be a decent fantasy play in deeper leagues.

Maurice Jones-Drew has agreed to terms on a contract with the Raiders, according to a report late Thursday night by CSN Bay Area.

Jones-Drew, according to the report, is scheduled to have a physical on Friday morning. The report, citing two unnamed league sources, said a contract will be signed later in the day if no issues arise.

Jones-Drew, a De La Salle product, gives the Raiders a viable option in case oft-injured Darren McFadden stumbles.

Jones-Drew has been more durable and reliable than McFadden. He's missed just 14 games during his nine-year NFL career - 10 of those came in 2012 as a result of a foot injury, the story points out. But from a fantasy prospective, this makes the RB situation a bit of a mess in Oakland, because it's hard to imagine one taking on a pure backup role.

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was indicted by a grand jury Thursday on third-degree aggravated assault for allegedly striking his fiancée unconscious last month.

Rice was arrested and charged with simple assault-domestic violence on Feb. 15 after a physical altercation with his fiancée, Janay Palmer, at the Revel Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J. Palmer also was charged with simple assault.

Conviction of a third-degree crime in New Jersey carries a potential prison sentence of at least three years and up to five years, and a fine that could be up to $15,000.

Earlier Thursday, Rice's attorney Michael Diamondstein told The Press of Atlantic City that neither Rice nor Palmer wants to move forward with the case. "We vehemently deny that Mr. Rice committed an aggravated assault," he told the paper. "Both Mr. Rice and Miss Palmer are together, they are happy and they're in counseling."

Former Broncos RB Knowshon Moreno reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins, per league source.

At least for the moment, Moreno will join Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas in Miami to help bolster one of the weaker running attacks in the league from 2013. Moreno's departure seems to leave Montee Ball in a good position in Denver, with Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson also in the mix. But, the Broncos had a hard time trusting all three of those guys last year right into the Super Bowl. They could again address this position in the draft with a slim free agent crop left. Adam Schefter has since reported the Broncos believe in Ball and that it's his time to shine.

Titans quarterback Jake Locker continues to make strides on the comeback-from-injury trail.

The fourth-year pro recently had surgery to remove the hardware in his right foot, which was surgically repaired following a Lisfranc injury last season. He’s out of a walking boot and has moved into a different stage in his rehabilitation.

“Surgery went really well. Foot feels awesome and rehab is up and rolling,” Locker said Thursday via text. “Doctors were happy with how things looked so (I’m) just continuing to follow that trend.”

Former Jets starting quarterback Mark Sanchez has agreed to terms with the Eagles on a new deal and will officially sign with them today, according to a source.

He will back up Nick Foles this season and provide a more veteran presence than Matt Barkley. The Eagles have had success over the years turning project QBs into value, and that could end up being the case here with Sanchez as he gets to work with HC Chip Kelly. Sanchez is coming off a right shoulder injury that kept him out last season.

Redskins coach Jay Gruden called RB Chris Thompson “one of the most exciting backs” while at Florida State. But he also wondered about his durability.

“He’s a guy who has to stay healthy and do his best to get on the field so we can see what he can do,” Gruden said. “Interesting guy. He’s very, very exciting when he gets the ball in his hands, but it’s hard to get the ball in his hands when he’s not out there.”

Roy Helu probably has the edge on Thompson to be the pass-catching back to Alfred Morris, but it's something to watch. In a more pass-heavy offense, whoever wins this job could have some deep, PPR league fantasy value.

Scott Brown, who covers the Steelers, was asked about their wide receivers:

"They seem committed to Markus Wheaton – or at least giving him every opportunity to win a starting job."

Brown made it seem like there is no interest in bringing back Santonio Holmes. He also said the draft is WR heavy that it makes more sense for the Steelers to draft one rather than bring in another veteran.

Prior to free agency, coach Mike McCarthy suggested wide receiver Jarrett Boykin's emergence would make it easier for the Green Bay Packers to move on from James Jones.

Now that Jones is returning home to Oakland, McCarthy said he "fully expects" Boykin to "step up."

"I can't say enough about Boykin," McCarthy told reporters at the NFL Annual Meeting on Wednesday. "The young man is a heck of a player, he's done it the right way, special teams, he's performed every opportunity he's given."

Boykin has a great chance to be a valuable fantasy player this season playing the role of James Jones. Jones had a career-high 14 TDs in 2012 and last year had a career-high in receiving yards with 817 - a lot of that coming without Aaron Rodgers at QB, but also without Randall Cobb. Still, in the Green Bay offense, Boykin could have WR3 or WR4 potential in just about any format.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed free agent receiver Louis Murphy.

Murphy spent for the first three years of his career with the Oakland Raiders after being selected in the fourth round of the 2009 draft. He was traded to Carolina in 2012 and played for the New York Giants last season.

Bills RB C.J. Spiller is optimistic about how his ankle has come around since the end of the 2013 season.

“The ankle has been responding pretty well since the offseason started being able to plant and cut so I definitely feel that explosion coming back to how I was in 2012,” he said.

Spiller, of course, dealt with a high ankle sprain for most of last season and lacked his trademark burst and elusiveness. He turned out to be a big disappointment for where he was likely drafted in fantasy leagues. Spiller's value is down compared to last year and we have him 15th in our early season rankings.

QB Shaun Hill has agreed to terms on free-agent deal with Rams.

A timetable for Terrelle Pryor’s departure from the Raiders is starting to emerge.

According to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports, teams have put “feelers” out regarding Pryor to gauge the trade market value for an athletic, albeit inconsistent quarterback who wants out of Oakland.

The Raiders are in no rush with no team activities in the near future, not until April 21. But the team wants him out before that so he's not a distraction. He could end up being released. Pryor ranks below newly-acquired Matt Schaub and Matt McGloin on the depth chart.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher, on RB Zac Stacy's evolving role with Rams: "I think over time, he'll probably be that 70-percent of the carries guy."

The Rams rushed 426 times last year, which means Stacy would get 298 of those carries if the numbers are similar next season. That would have put him third in the league in 2013 behind just LeSean McCoy and Marshawn Lynch, and just ahead of Matt Forte, Ryan Mathews and Eddie Lacy ... so the company is pretty good.

Saints agree to terms on a 1-year deal with QB Luke McCown.

Colin Kaepernick claimed to have a hangnail on the “pinkie toe” of both feet early last season.

And while 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh did not get into any specifics Wednesday at the NFL owners meetings, he certainly did not minimize his quarterback's undisclosed early-season foot injury.

“I noticed it, especially in practice,” Harbaugh said. “I think anytime you have a foot, a hand or a finger, it affects you throwing and running.”

The 49ers did step in, Harbaugh admitted, to reduce the number of times the 49ers called plays in their quarterback-driven run game early in the season. Kaepernick rushed 94 times for 524 yards during the regular season. He added 243 yards on 26 rushing attempts in just three playoff games.

“We weren’t calling those plays as much early in the season,” Harbaugh said. “We didn’t want to see Colin get hit 12 times a game. Four or five, maybe, and that’s it. That was a conscious effort.”

Kaepernick never missed a practice or a game. According to the story, in early November, he was no longer listed on the injury report with the foot injury.

Running back Frank Gore has one year remaining on his contract, but 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh believes the nine-year veteran has a future well beyond this season.

“I really think Frank has three more good years,” Harbaugh said Wednesday at the NFL owners meetings. “I truly believe that. But we’re in a game of taking it one year at a time.”

As the story points out, Gore rushed for 1,128 yards and nine touchdowns last season. He is the 49ers’ all-time leading rusher with 9,967 yards. He has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in seven of his nine NFL seasons. The nine-year veteran has played in all 16 games and eclipsed 250 carries and 1,100 yards all three seasons since Harbaugh took over as head coach in 2011. He's had a lot of work the last three years so it may be a bit of a stretch for him to keep up this pace.

Redskins HC Jay Gruden says he'd like RB Alfred Morris to be more of a pass catching threat. Hopes he can get 20-25 catches. Says not natural hands.

Morris' fantasy value was a high-end RB2 last year when the Redskins were a run-oriented team. But, with a possible switch to a more pass-heavy game plan, well, that may not be good news for Morris, who has never really got involved in the passing game. Roy Helu could benefit by more passes.

Bucs new head coach Lovie Smith says their offense is a running attack that can pass the football. RB Doug Martin will be the bell cow, but they will have backup help.

Looks like Martin could bounce back this year, but previous owners will likely use caution after high expectations with Martin likely cost them in 2013. In our Never-Too-Early RB rankings, John Paulsen has Martin 12th.

Saints HC Sean Payton said WR Marques Colston dealt with foot soreness throughout the season last year, and will have to monitor his practice time this season.

That's not a good sign... But the good news is after a slow start, Colsten came on pretty strong in the second half. From Weeks 5-8 Colston didn't go over 20 receiving yards and then missed Week 9. But from Weeks 10-17 he was under 63 receiving yards just twice and collected two 100-yard games and four TDs in that span.

Falcons coach Mike Smith said wide receiver Julio Jones is running and is ahead of schedule at the owner’s meeting in Orlando today, the team said.

Jones should be back to being one of the top-ranked fantasy receivers in drafts this summer, but he's coming off his second foot injury already.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin: "I'm planning that [David Wilson] is there until they tell me different." Said it may just be in different capacity.

Wilson is coming off a neck injury and it seems like the team could turn to Rashad Jennings as their lead back. Turnovers, injuries and bad luck have really changed the outlook of the once-promising Wilson...

Giants coach Tom Coughlin says the more they watched RB Rashad Jennings, the more they liked.

The tweet noted that the team thinks he's an 'all-purpose player' and that he's very good at screens, which leads us to believe he could potentially be a three-down back. That's something Peyton Hillis is not, and David Wilson, who is coming off a neck injury, has yet to prove. Jennings could be in store for a big workload in 2014.

Saints HC Sean Payton suggested that third-year pro RB Travaris Cadet could take on "a little more of that role" that runner/receiver Darren Sproles has played in the Saints' offense over the past three years.

It may be a little misleading to associate Cadet with Sproles, because the Saints have a pretty crowded backfield with Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson. But, it's a situation to keep an eye on...

Among new Lions head coach Jim Caldwell's most pressing tasks will be fixing QB Matthew Stafford, the promising quarterback who has tumbled into mediocrity the past two years.

At the center of many of his problems is a decline in accuracy, which sank all the way to 58.5 percent last year. That was 30th in the NFL.

"Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely, without question," Caldwell said, when asked if accuracy could be taught. As the story points out, Caldwell has a pretty good resume with QBs: He worked with Peyton Manning for nearly a decade in Indianapolis, and took him to a Super Bowl in 2009, and later rode Baltimore's Joe Flacco to a Super Bowl in 2012. He has a reputation around the league for knowing the fundamentals of the position, and just how to impart them.

Jaguars coach Gus Bradley went into some detail Tuesday about how much work newly signed running back Toby Gerhart could receive in 2014. And from the sound of it, Gerhart could get a good deal of the reps.

“He has the ability to play all three downs,” Bradley said Tuesday, according to a transcript from the Pro Football Writers of America. “How many carries he gets — we would like to run the ball over 40 percent of the time. There might be 28-30 carries in a game and there aren’t more running backs that carry more than 20 times a game."

Gerhart continues to get high praise after signing with the Jags. He has the potential to be a solid RB2 option this fall. Bradley's comments fall in line with what we expect, anywhere from 15-20 carries a game. In limited games, Gerhart has excelled with a big workload.

Bengals HC Marvin Lewis believes in QB Andy Dalton. And he'd prefer an extension done. Soon.

"We are hopeful we can get a deal done that works and Andy can put it behind him," Lewis said. "He can get back focusing on football. He doesn't have to go into the season and worry about this contract thing, every week someone is going to ask him a question … all those things that come into play later on. Let's get it behind us."

Despite some early playoff exits, the Bengals are committed to keeping Dalton around. However, he's still a QB2/committee-type of fantasy QB.

The Cowboys continue to insist there are no worries when it comes to Tony Romo’s rehabilitation from back surgery for a herniated disk.

“He is ahead of where we expected him to be,’’ owner Jerry Jones said.

The plan is for Romo to take part in organized team activities in at least a limited capacity, something he was unable to do last year after having a cyst removed from a different area of his back. Those sessions begin April 21. Jones added that Romo is performing the throwing motion, but has yet to actually throw. Still, things look good and we have Romo ranked as a higher-end QB2 at this point in the offseason. Things look a little brighter with new passing coordinator Scott Linehan coming over from Detroit, too. Romo could be a nice, later-round grab in fantasy drafts.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said that rookie RB Johnathan Franklin is still recovering from a neck injury that landed him on injured reserve late in the year.

McCarthy added that Franklin did not undergo surgery and he only knows a limited amount about his rehab because he hasn't met with the doctors lately. Franklin is still third on the depth chart behind Eddie Lacy and resigned James Starks.

Bengals HC Marvin Lewis also said he envisions a second-year growth similar to Ray Rice from RB Giovani Bernard. Says offseason big for growth.

We currently have Bernard as an RB2 ranked 14th, so we think there will be progress, too. But the concern will be getting him consistent touches, something that didn't happen until about halfway through the season.

Adrian Peterson is getting hit too much, and Mike Zimmer vows to do something about it.

After watching plenty of film on Peterson since taking over as Vikings coach in January, Zimmer said the team needs to do more to get the star running back into the open field.

“He’s such a great player, a hall of fame player, one of the best ever,’’ Zimmer said Tuesday in an interview with ESPN at the NFL owners’ meetings in Orlando, Fla. “I think you always got to use those kind of guys. We’d like to run him into a few less bodies, so there’s not 11 of them meeting him at the (line of scrimmage).’’

Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards in 2012, the second most in NFL history. However, last year he fell off to 1,266 yards and missed two games in December due to injury. Peterson underwent surgery on his groin in January, but general manager Rick Spielman recently said he will be “fine’’ once offseason workouts get underway in April. He's still going to be a top fantasy RB on our board, but it would be nice if the Vikes could get him some help on offense.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said team is still considered signing a free agent tight end, possibly Owen Daniels.

Bringing back Ed Dickson is also under consideration, according to the tweet. Daniels would be a TE2 behind Dennis Pitta, but would bring a little more offensively to the table than Dickson should something happen to Pitta.

Bills HC Doug Marrone says QB EJ Manuel's knee will be ready to go for all offseason workouts.

Jets coach Rex Ryan on QBs Geno Smith and Michael Vick: "It's going to be interesting to see the competition, but Geno is going to be hard to beat out."

Ryan doesn't want to just hand the job to Vick at this point, but it would be hard to imagine Vick not being the favorite to win the competition. We like Vick as a possible QB2.

QB Mark Sanchez is expected to sign with the Eagles, pending a physical.

Sanchez will likely serve as Nick Foles' primary backup. He will have a chance to revive his career under HC Chip Kelly.

The Matt Schaub trade is good news for Brian Hoyer, who has every intention of being the Browns' starting quarterback in 2014, and is confident he can beat out a rookie for the job. (The Browns were interested in acquiring Schaub.)

The Browns are studying all of the top quarterback prospects, but general manager Ray Farmer said he won't necessarily draft one with the No. 4 overall pick. The Browns also have the No. 26 overall pick in the first round.

Now, Hoyer can focus on coming back from his torn ACL -- he's ahead of schedule -- and trying to pick up where he left off last season, when he went 3-0.

Hoyer is currently penciled in as the starter, but the draft may change things. With Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron as potent weapons in the passing game, whoever is quarterbacking the Browns will have some fantasy upside.

The reigning offensive rookie of the year who rushed for a Packers' rookie record 1,178 yards last season, Eddie Lacy will be the workhorse back once again. In fact, he could be on the field even more than he was last season, when he played 60.5 percent of the offensive snaps. Packers coach Mike McCarthy said at last month's scouting combine that he wants Lacy to become a three-down back. Last season, he often gave way to fullback John Kuhn on third down.

Lacy finished as the #7 RB in his rookie season and did it in essentially 14 games. Removing Week 2 (where he was concussed and only carried the ball once), Lacy averaged 14.9 fantasy points, which is the 6th-best average, just behind Adrian Peterson. He is a great talent and plays in a potent offense that should be even better in 2014 with a (hopefully) healthy Aaron Rodgers under center.

An NFL source said the Seattle Seahawks failed tight end Jermichael Finley on his physical during his recent visit to the team.

Finley is barely more than four months removed from neck surgery performed Nov. 14 to fuse his C-3/C-4 vertebrae. He made a free-agent visit to the Seahawks during the first week of free agency so the team’s medical staff could assess his recovery.

The source didn’t know whether the Seahawks will bring Finley back for a re-check. Though Finley has said he expected his surgeon to proclaim the bone in the neck fusion healed this month, that doesn’t mean NFL teams will clear him to play football, at least for now.

Time will tell if Finley will be cleared to play in time for the 2014 season. He's not expected to be cleared for another month or two at least.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Williams is at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa after a spokeswoman with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says Williams was stabbed in the thigh at his exclusive home in the gated community of Avila at 17027 Candeleda De Avila.

Cristal Bermudez Nunez says it happened Sunday afternoon and the football player's brother is suspected of stabbing him. Nunez is not releasing the brother's name at this time but says they are looking for him this evening.

Update: Williams was released late Sunday.

The saga of Mike Williams continues. Hopefully he'll make a full recovery, but we are never optimistic about a player with this many off the field issues.

Is adding an experienced running back important, given no one on the roster has NFL carries except for LeVeon Bell? “I felt good about (the meeting with free agent Maurice Jones-Drew). We are open to it (adding an experienced back). I’ll stop short of saying ‘have to,’ but we need to add quality depth to that position, whether it’s through free agency or the draft,” Tomlin said. “LeVeon Bell is a talented player but a young player. It would be good to get a been-there, done-that type of guy in the room to maybe help him with growth and development. But I don’t view it as a necessity, quite honestly, because Le’Veon is a very grounded and humble young man and is open to getting better, and is a good listener.”

It sounds as if the Steelers just want some depth at RB but still view Bell as their bell cow back.

Marc Trestman said the Chicago Bears are not "anointing" Marquess Wilson as the No. 3 receiver in the offense, but the coach hopes the second-year player can develop like Alshon Jeffery did a year ago.

Wilson apparently will get the first shot at replacing Earl Bennett, who was released Tuesday after declining to take a pay cut. It creates a sizeable void in the offense. Bennett was only fifth on the team in receptions with 32, but he was on the field for 51.2 percent of the snaps.

That means the Bears must replace Bennett’s playing time with a new wide receiver or make a subtle shift in the offense and not rely on three-receiver sets as often. Wilson, a seventh-round pick last year from Washington State, has a wide-open opportunity.

“I think he showed that we can work with him and develop him,” Trestman said Sunday at the NFL owners’ meeting. “He’s got the football intelligence that we’re looking for and the ability to be flexible within the offense. He was consistent. So we’ll see how it goes. We’re not anointing people at this point in time. He’s going to have a chance to compete and be a part of what we do after Alshon and Brandon (Marshall). We’ll see how it goes. We’ve got a long way to go but we like (Wilson) and we’re excited about him to develop him and work him.”

Bennett wasn't much of a fantasy factor, and there probably aren't enough targets to go around to make Wilson fantasy-relevant (top 60) in 2014, though he looks like a good prospect in dynasty formats. He'll be a good handcuff for either Brandon Marshall or Alshon Jeffery in deeper leagues.

The Pittsburgh Steelers quickly filled the void left by Jerricho Cotchery's departure, signing former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Lance Moore to a two-year contract Friday.

Moore visited the Steelers earlier this week, and signing him became a priority after the Carolina Panthers lured Cotchery away with a two-year, $5 million contract.

Along with Markus Wheaton, Moore will replace Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery. He may be fantasy relevant, though he's not likely to see enough targets to be a full time fantasy starter.

Jets gave former Eagles QB Michael Vick a one-year, $5 million deal, per source.

Brian Costello reported that Mark Sanchez has been released.

The Jets seem to be in "win-now" mode and it looks like Vick may have the inside track to start over sophomore Geno Smith. Vick will have the newly acquired Eric Decker to throw to. If he's starting, he'll be a QB2 in Marty Mornhinweg's offense.

Colts GM Ryan Grigson: Vick Ballard looks great, fantastic. Right on track. Felt good about Ahmad Bradshaw after talking with doctors. Good stable of RBs

Ballard will be in the mix behind starter Trent Richardson. Ahmad Bradshaw re-signed, so this could devolve into an ugly RBBC in 2014.

Tiquan Underwood has agreed to terms with the Panthers, according to a league source.

Underwood did well with the limited number (46) of targets that he saw in 2013, posting the #10 FP/target in the league (1.48). He's a 4.31 speedster and a good athlete, but hasn't done much in his five seasons in the league. There should be plenty of opportunity in the Carolina offense due to the lack of playmakers in the receiving game. Underwood could be fantasy relevant in 2014 if he sees starter's snaps. At a minimum, Underwood should be this year's Ted Ginn, who was the #53 WR in standard formats.

The Oakland Raiders will trade a late-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft to the Houston Texans in exchange for quarterback Matt Schaub, a league source told ESPN.

Schaub, who has a $14.5 million salary-cap figure and a $10 million base salary for 2014, became expendable when the Texans signed former Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to a two-year deal Thursday night.

Not long after Houston acquired Fitzpatrick, Oakland made its final move on Schaub.

The Cleveland Browns had expressed some interest in Schaub, who could have been reunited with former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. But the Raiders wanted Schaub even more, according to a source.

The trade between Oakland and Houston, two teams scheduled to pick in the top five, could impact the 2014 draft and how high quarterbacks will be selected.

Given Schaub's play in 2013, he's hardly a savior at QB, but the Raiders now have a stopgap option as they try to find a franchise passer. Consider this a boost for Denarius Moore, Rod Streater and the freshly signed James Jones.

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is signing with the Texans, source said.

Former Jets CB Antonio Cromartie reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals, per ESPN source.

Former Browns QB Jason Campbell reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Bengals. Now reunited with Hue Jackson.

The Bengals made it clear that Campbell is not a threat to starter Andy Dalton.

Devin Hester is heading to Atlanta.

Hester, who became perhaps the best return man in NFL history during his eight years in Chicago, has agreed to a new contract with the Falcons. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, it’s a three-year deal.

Jared Allen is working on final details of a contract with the Seattle Seahawks. Barring unforeseen issues, he could sign today.

Jerricho Cotchery was choosing between the Steelers and Panthers, and he’s chosen Carolina. Final details being hammered out.

Ideally, the soon-to-be 32-year-old Cotchery would be the WR3, but the Panthers are in a tough spot and he may see WR2-type snaps and targets in 2014, likely making him fantasy relevant. Cotchery was the #31 WR in standard formats in 2013 thanks to a career-high 10 TDs. He's not likely to repeat that kind of scoring production, though he could see a bump in targets.

Even with the signing of Donald Brown to a three-year, $10.4 million deal that includes $4 million of guaranteed money, Telesco said that Ryan Mathews still is San Diego’s every-down running back.

“We know Ryan is our bell cow,” Chargers GM Tom Telesco said. “He’s our No. 1 back. He had an excellent year last year. And we all know what Danny Woodhead can do in his role. We saw that for 16 games last year. And we think Donald can come in and add to that, too, and give us some different options. And a different style, too. The more weapons we can have for Philip Rivers, the better.”

Mathews finished as the #12 RB in standard formats, which is the second time in three seasons that he has posted RB1-type numbers. He'll be a risk/reward pick in 2014 given his injury history. He is currently going in the middle of the 5th round and will be a nice value there if he can stay healthy.

Darren McFadden is regarded as the lead back for now, with second-year player Latavius Murray and third-year players Kory Sheets and Jeremy Stewart in the mix for backup spots.

Murray will be an attractive pick in the later rounds given his potential and the chances that McFadden gets injured again during the course of the season. A McFadden/Murray combo should be a fairly cheap way to fill the RB2 spot on draft day, though there's no guarantee that the team's running game will be as productive now that Rashad Jennings is gone. He carried the load down the stretch in 2013.

The Lions signed Jed Collins to fill the traditional blocking fullback role. That follows the signing of tailback Joique Bell to a three-year deal worth $9.3 million.

But the cash-strapped Lions also would not be making these investments if they were not serious about actually featuring all these backs in the offense. Team president Tom Lewand confirmed as much this week.

"You're going to see some more two-back sets," Lewand told a small crowd this week at the TAP restaurant in the MGM casino in downtown Detroit. He added that they would mimic what New Orleans has done with deploying a multitude of tailbacks.

"It's a very adaptable offense, and they want to use the talent and the guys that we have, not just one back at a time because that's what the personnel group calls for."

The Lions wanted to use more two-back sets last year after signing fullback Montell Owens, but Owens played only one offensive series due to a pair of knee injuries. Bell and Bush were occasionally featured on the field at the same time, though those formations usually split Bush out at receiver.

The Lions are paying Bell about the same as what Ben Tate and Toby Gerhart signed for, so it's starting to look like Bell will play the Pierre Thomas/Mark Ingram role in the Lions offense with Reggie Bush returning to more of a Darren Sproles-like role as a receiving specialist. Bell's stock is up while Bush's is down.

Eagles beat writer Nick Fierro gives his take on the ongoing DeSean Jackson saga:

Various people close to Jackson and/or the Eagles' front office believe that there's at least a chance he's gone long before training camp.

"There is no way he's an Eagle this year," yet another person close to Jackson told The Morning Call. "However it leaked out, it leaked out, and now this is what you have."

In the meantime, for what it's worth, here's what my spidey senses tell me: Jackson is out of here for sure, and long before the NFL draft too.

Too bad, because his statistical contributions might be able to be replaced, but his overall impact on the offense might not be, at least right away.

More as this develops, and there's strong sense here that it will.

This is quite the turn of events, especially with Jackson coming off of his best receiving season as a pro (82-1332-9), which put him in the top 10 at his position for just the second time in his career. Perhaps the Panthers should give the Eagles a call. Jackson wants more money, but it's unlikely he'll get a new deal with the way he played in 2012. Plus, he's slated to make $10.5 million in 2014 and $9.75 million in 2015.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton underwent surgery on Wednesday afternoon to repair ligament damage in his left ankle.

The full recovery process is four months, which would take Newton until the start of training camp. However, he could be freed to throw on a limited basis before then.

"Dr. (Robert) Anderson did not find anything unexpected in the procedure and the surgery went well," Carolina head athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion said in a statement.

This is the second red flag in Newton's offseason, the other being the Panthers' woeful WR situation. They cut Steve L Smith and let both Brandon LaFell and Ted Ginn walk as well.

When Robert Griffin III returns to the field next season, the Redskins quarterback intends to do it minus the bulky brace many blamed for blunting his speed and agility in 2013.

This should help his speed and agility. He's a bounceback candidate after a subpar sophomore season. The Redskins are likely to throw more under new HC Jay Gruden.

WR Andre Roberts said that QB Robert Griffin III was one of the main reasons he signed with the Redskins:

“When you have a guy that talented, that’s that motivated and willing to work, the sky’s the limit. Being a receiver, having a quarterback like that, that’s what you want, especially in a passing offense which we will be in now for the most part. When you have a quarterback that’s motivated and coming off the year he had with a chip on his shoulder, that’s what you want as a receiver.”

A passing offense? The Redskins were more run-oriented the past two years (or wanted to be; trailing so often last season altered those plans). Roberts said he based that comment on knowing Gruden’s style with Cincinnati and also after talking with former Arizona quarterback John Skelton, who spent last offseason and preseason with the Bengals.

We know Gruden likes to throw the ball, so Alfred Morris's stock is taking a hit. He'll still be a solid RB2 in standard formats, but since he doesn't do much in the passing game, he'll need a heavy rushing workload to reach RB1 status again.

Panthers confirm Cam Newton having ankle surgery tomorrow in Charlotte.

Update: The Panthers' official Twitter reported that "The surgery will be done by Panthers team physician Robert Anderson and will require a recovery of approximately four months."

Newton was dealing with an ankle injury late last season but didn't miss any time. A four month timetable would put Newton's return in late July. Given the current state of the Carolina receiving corps, Newton will not have an ideal offseason heading into his fourth year in the league.

Bengals not matching Browns offer sheet for WR Andrew Hawkins.

Hawkins is good in the slot and he'll likely start there since Davone Bess is no longer with the Browns.

WR Mario Manningham has agreed to a one-year deal with the Giants, according to an NFL source.

Manningham's arrival could impact the potential upside of Rueben Randle and Jerel Jernigan, who are expected to see an uptick in playing time with Hakeem Nicks signing elsewhere. We'll have to wait and see where Manningham lands in the depth chart. We'd expect him to play behind Jernigan, but there are no guarantees at this point.

Jaguars signed WR Tandon Doss, played 15 games last year for Baltimore.

Even by bringing Julian Edelman back and adding Brandon LaFell, the Patriots probably aren’t done adding bodies at receiver. They still brought in former Titan Kenny Britt for a visit on Monday, a source told the Globe, and have checked out names such as Jason Avant and Lance Moore in the past week.

Edelman is a roster lock, while Danny Amendola, who just had $2 million in base salary guaranteed last week, and Aaron Dobson, last year’s second-round pick, should be safe, while LaFell (6-2, 210) gives the Patriots a big presence in the slot.

Meanwhile, it looks like the Patriots want to hold a derby for the fifth receiver spot between fourth-round pick Josh Boyce, who was inactive for seven games and only caught nine passes last year, undrafted rookie Kenbrell Thompkins, who did not catch a pass in the team’s final six games of the season, a veteran such as Britt, and perhaps a few rookies.

It's interesting that beat writer Ben Volin believes that LaFell will play in the slot, even with Edelman and Amendola in the fold. Dobson is coming off of foot surgery, but figures to start outside if he's healthy. It sounds as if Thompkins or Boyce may be on the chopping block if the team adds another receiver in free agency or the draft.

Free agent running back James Starks has re-signed with the Green Bay Packers on a two-year deal, a source confirmed late Monday night.

Late last season, he was used in tandem with rookie Eddie Lacy, a 1-2 punch the Packers would probably like to continue into 2014. Starks finished the 2013 season with 493 yards on 89 attempts, good for a whopping 5.5 average.

Starks likely backs up Lacy again in 2014. He was effective as a change-of-pace back last season and can carry the load in short stints when called upon.

Raiders reached agreement with former Packers WR James Jones, per ESPN source.

This is not a particularly good landing spot for Jones, who seems to have had a chilly reception in free agency. The Raiders don't have a solid QB and it's not clear how Jones will fit in with incumbent starters Rod Streater and Denarius Moore. We'll have to wait to see how the Oakland depth chart shakes out before determining if Jones is even draftable heading into 2014.

The Cowboys have signed QB Brandon Weeden to a two-year deal, per source.

CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie reached agreement with the New York Giants on a five-year deal, per source.

The Seahawks agreed to terms with productive kicker Steven Hauschka on a 3-year deal worth $9.15M, including $3.35M guaranteed, source says.

Perhaps whatever incentives are in Hakeem Nicks's contract will do their job and remind him to put forth more effort than he did when the Giants needed him so badly in 2013. Perhaps what happened with Nicks in 2013 had more to do with the overall collapse of the Giants' offense, and the pass-happy Colts and Andrew Luck will pump his numbers back up and he'll get his big deal next year, when the salary cap is expected to rise significantly again.

Perhaps the one-year deal is merely a stepping stone to a longer deal, and if the Colts like him he could continue talks and sign an extension during the season.

Nicks has failed to score a TD in 17 straight games and his knees are a concern. Still, it's a low-risk move for the Colts, who are likely trying to look for a long-term replacement for Reggie Wayne (torn ACL). The signing puts a small dent in T.Y. Hilton's upside, while Wayne's stock takes a bigger hit. As for Nicks, he has finished outside of the top 50 at his position for two straight seasons, but he's still just 26 years old and still has time to turn his career around, assuming he's fully healthy. His ADP in early drafts is in the 9th round and it might rise a bit with this change of scenery.

Denver has exercised its 2014 option on Wes Welker, who will make $8 million (including bonuses) at age 33 this fall, and then become a free agent for what might be one final (minor) payday in 2015.

How the Broncos likely will line their receivers up in 2014: Julius Thomas tight to the formation, either left or right; Demaryius Thomas split wide, either left or right; Welker most often in the slot; and Emmanuel Sanders mostly opposite Demaryius Thomas. But here’s the changeup: Sanders started in the slot 11 times for Pittsburgh in 2012 before moving mostly outside in 2013. One of the things offensive coordinator Adam Gase likes to do is move Welker around so he doesn’t get beat up too much in the slot, so don’t be surprised to see Sanders learning all the spots.

Welker should post similar numbers in 2014 if he can stay healthy. He was #20 in standard formats and #21 in PPR. On a per game basis, he was #16 and #17, respectively.

From a pure build standpoint, Brandon LaFell has some Aaron Dobson in him. But while Dobson holds the speed and upside edge, LaFell is more sturdily built and played a different role in Carolina. Given the presence of Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and even Josh Boyce, LaFell may wind up playing more of a perimeter receiving role. His size, field awareness on the sideline, and ability to use his reach to out leverage defenders make him a possibility to start at the “X” or split end position.

We're expecting Dobson to start in that spot if healthy, but he's coming off foot surgery, which may have prompted this signing by the Patriots.

Going on 35 years old, Steve L Smith has no illusions of grandeur.

The five-time Pro Bowler knows he’s not a No. 1 wide receiver anymore.

Smith made that clear to reporters Friday after signing, relaying how he sees himself fitting into new Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak’s system, and pulling back the curtain on what their conversations may have sounded like.

“I don’t see myself in Coach Kubiak’s system like [Texans wide receiver] Andre Johnson],” Smith said. “I see the complementary dude of [former Texans wide receiver] Kevin Walter.

“I see how he contributed and how he was instrumental in getting Andre the ball but also getting his own opportunities.”

Smith will likely see the third- or fourth-most targets behind Torrey Smith, Dennis Pitta and perhaps Marlon Brown (or even Ray Rice). Anquan Boldin finished #34 and #30 as the Ravens' WR2 in 2011 and 2012, respectively, so that's probably near the high-end of projected production for Smith as he joins a new team.

Ravens RB Ray Rice wasn’t the same dynamic, elusive, consistent playmaker that he had been during his first five seasons with the Ravens.

Rice strained his hip flexor in Week 2. He only missed one game. But his trainer, Kyle Jakobe, said Rice was still noticeably bothered by the hip when he showed up to begin his offseason workouts in early January.

“I don’t think a lot of people understand the magnitude of the injury that he was dealing with and how much pain he was actually in,” Jakobe said.

The other issue was Rice’s weight.

Rice has already dropped around 15 pounds in the last two months or so.

At just 26 years old, it was surprising to see Rice's production fall off the way it did, but he was dealing with hip and quad injuries throughout the season. He was also coming off of a Super Bowl run the previous year, which likely wore him down. GM Ozzie Newsome said he expects Rice to return to Pro Bowl form, but HC John Harbaugh said after the season that the team could take more of a committee approach at running back, which would limit Rice's upside. Still,he is a bounceback candidate in Gary Kubiak's offense, assuming his offseason legal issues don't impact his availability.

Texans RB Arian Foster (back) tweeted that he's been medically cleared by his physician.

Foster's health is obviously a concern. He has missed 11 games in the last three years, but did play a full season in 2012 and no longer has Ben Tate to worry about. After finishing in the top 2 in fantasy points per game from 2010 to 2012, he was #19 in that category in 2013. There is a new regime in Houston, so Foster's usage is a bit up in the air. Still, he has been one of the most productive RBs in the league when healthy and is a candidate for a bounceback season.

The Patriots have reached agreement on a three-year deal with former Panthers WR Brandon LaFell, per source.

LaFell produced in spots for the Panthers, but they elected not to re-sign him despite major holes at receiver. He'll compete with Aaron Dobson, Kenbrell Thompkins and Josh Boyce for snaps outside, but we think Dobson will progress enough to win the job.

Neither team nor player's agent will confirm, but Broncos are expected to sign former Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders, per league sources.

Sanders will likely replace Eric Decker in Denver's three-WR set, so Andre Caldwell probably sees spot duty as the team's WR4. Sanders was #35 in standard and #32 in PPR, and we'd expect that to be his floor playing with Peyton Manning in the Broncos' potent offense.

Patriots and WR Julian Edelman just reached agreement, per source. Back to New England.

This is a best case scenario for Edelman's value. He's likely to be the Patriots' top targeted wideout in 2014, assuming he stays healthy. Edelman finished #18 in standard formats and #14 in PPR. Barring an unforeseen addition to the Patriots' receiving corps, we'd expect similar (WR2) numbers for Edelman again in 2014.

Saints beat writer Mike Triplett was asked if Tarvaris Cadet could be used to replace the Darren Sproles role in the offense:

"That’s entirely possible. I probably haven’t mentioned Cadet as much as I should while writing about how much depth the Saints still have at running back. Obviously there is no way anyone should expect Cadet to replicate what Sproles has done the past three years. But coach Sean Payton did mention Cadet a handful of times late last season as someone the Saints tried to get on the field for a few snaps here and there. Now they’ve got a little more room to do so (even though he’s still fourth on the depth chart)."

Suspended Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon was involved on a single-vehicle accident early Saturday morning on Interstate 295 in Jacksonville.

The Florida Highway Patrol report said Blackmon was not injured, was wearing a seat belt and alcohol was not involved.

The report said Blackmon’s 2009 Denali was traveling south on I-295 when the right rear tire blew out – the car left the road and collided into a guard-rail.

Source: Julius Peppers has agreed to terms with the Green Bay Packers on a 3-year deal.

The Packers' defense needs talent, so they are rolling the dice that Peppers still has enough juice to provide pass rush in a part-time role.

The Browns are expected to sign free agent running back Ben Tate on Saturday, according to a report.

Tate, who's been in Cleveland since Thursday night, should be under contract today as long he passes his physical, John Telich of Fox 8 News tweeted Saturday morning.

Tate is coming off broken ribs and has battled other injuries in his four-year career, including a broken ankle that sidelined him his entire rookie season.

Update: Adam Schefter reports that the deal is complete.

Tate wants to be a feature back and it looks like he'll have his chance in Cleveland if the team's doctors give him medical clearance. Tate has averaged 4.7 YPC in his career and has touched the ball at least 15 times in 13 career games, averaging 94.5 yards and 0.54 TD in the process. That equates to 12.7 fantasy points, which is about what Chris Johnson averaged as the #9 RB in 2013. Touchdowns are going to be tougher to come by in Cleveland than they were in Houston, but as a likely feature back, Tate's ADP will probably settle somewhere in the 3rd to 5th rounds depending on the quality of his backup.

Emmanuel Sanders has been crisscrossing the country visiting teams this week, but the former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver might not get the kind of contract he covets because of medical concerns, a source told ESPN.com.

Sanders has a screw in each foot, stemming from injuries he sustained in the Super Bowl following the 2010 season, and teams might be leery of signing the four-year veteran to a long-term deal.

Sanders hasn't missed a game in the last two seasons, but teams are understandably concerned about the screws in his feet.

Josina Anderson: CB Brandon Browner told me he's agreed to join the Patriots. "I'm taking a 3-year deal to play for New England."

The Colts have signed WR Hakeem Nicks to a one-year deal, per source.

Nicks has failed to score a TD in 17 straight games and his knees are a concern. Still, it's a low-risk move for the Colts, who are likely trying to look for a long-term replacement for Reggie Wayne (torn ACL). The signing puts a small dent in T.Y. Hilton's upside, while Wayne's stock takes a bigger hit. As for Nicks, he has finished outside of the top 50 at his position for two straight seasons, but he's still just 26 years old and still has time to turn his career around, assuming he's fully healthy. His ADP in early drafts is in the 9th round and it might rise a bit with this change of scenery.

Ravens and WR Steve L Smith reached an agreement.

After finishing in the top 20 at his position in seven of of his eight seasons from 2005 to 2012, Smith was the #43 WR in 2013, losing a step due to his age (34). He should be able to help the Ravens, who are still trying to replace Anquan Boldin. His arrival puts a dent in the upside of Marlon Brown, who posted 49-524-7 as a rookie. From a fantasy standpoint, Smith is likely a WR4/WR5 heading into the 2014 season.

The Titans have officially informed QB Ryan Fitzpatrick he's been released

The Titans have signed Charlie Whitehurst to back up incumbent starter Jake Locker.

Packers NT B.J. Raji has accepted a deal to return to Green Bay, according to a source. Expected to be a one-year deal.

WR Jerome Simpson signed a one-year deal with the Vikings.

Jonathan Dwyer, a 2010 sixth-round pick of the Steelers who has played his entire career in Pittsburgh, has signed with the Cardinals.

Again, the Titans are expected to release QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to clear way for Charlie Whitehurst. Has a $500,000 roster bonus due in coming days.

Fitzpatrick is a solid real-world backup and spot starter, so he probably won't have a tough time finding a new home.

Brandon Pettigrew is a bit of a relic in today’s NFL, a tight end who’s just as comfortable blocking as he is catching the ball.

For the Detroit Lions, that versatility was a part of their offense they couldn’t bear to lose.

Pettigrew agreed to a four-year, $16-million deal with the Lions on Thursday that includes $8 million guaranteed.

After back to back top 12 seasons in 2010 and 2011, Pettigrew finished #21 in 2012 and #31 last year. He's a low-end TE2, at best. His return puts a big dent in any sleeper potential that Joseph Fauria will have heading into next season.

Bears re-signed tight end Dante Rosario.

The Titans have agreed to a 2-year deal with QB Charlie Whitehurst.

The Chargers agreed to terms with QB Kellen Clemens, former Rams backup.

Free-agent TE Scott Chandler is re-signing a two-year deal with the Buffalo Bills.

Chandler is a fantasy TE2. He has finished in the #13 to #22 range in three consecutive seasons.

The Cardinals signed WR Ted Ginn to 3-yr deal.

Ginn will likely serve as a primary kick returner and the 3rd or 4th receiver on offense.

After giving the Giants a chance to improve their offer, DE Justin Tuck is accepting a two-year, $11 million deal with the Oakland Raiders.

Packers announced they officially have re-signed LB/DE Mike Neal and TE Andrew Quarless.

Quarless took over for Jermichael Finley after Finley went down in Week 7. From Week 8 through the Packers' playoff loss to the 49ers, Quarless averaged 2.6 catches for 27 yards and 0.20 TD, or 3.9 fantasy points per game. That's about what Brandon Pettigrew and Tyler Eifert scored in 2013, so it's not terribly promising. Moreover, his two best games -- back to back 6-66-1 outings against the Falcons and Cowboys -- came with Matt Flynn under center, so it's not clear what kind of rapport he has with Aaron Rodgers. According to Mockdraftable, he most resembles Todd Heap athletically, though it's tough to make that case using the eye test. Still, if he's starting, Quarless will be an intriguing TE2 option playing in Green Bay's high-octane offense. 

Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt said he thinks of McCluster more as a running back, but with the capability of doing many things. Look for him to be a passing target out of the backfield and from the slot as the offense plays up his mismatch potential.

“He has a body of work for four years now that you have evidence of what he can do,” Whisenhunt said. “He has lined up in the backfield and had success, he’s lined up in the slot and had success. He’s been a very good returner in the league. Those are three pretty strong components of a resume right there. I know he is versed in all of those things, and how he fits specifically … we’ll see.”

It appears that Whisenhunt does want McCluster to play a similar role as Danny Woodhead did in San Diego in 2013. McCluster carried the ball 114 times for 516 yards (4.5 YPC) in 2011, and at this point the Titans are only expected to have Shonn Greene as competition for carries. He could be an intriguing late-round pick, especially in PPR formats.

Tight end Garrett Graham has agreed to a deal with the Texans.

Once the team parted ways with Owen Daniels, re-signing Graham became much more feasible. After Daniels went down, Graham was the #11 TE from Week 6 to Week 14 before getting injured himself. He could be a baseline fantasy option at TE, but Gary Kubiak's TE-friendly offense is gone and it's not clear how much new HC Bill O'Brien will feature the tight end. While at Penn State, TE Jesse James was second on the team in receiving yards (333) in 2013, while TE Kyle Carter was second in 2012 (453 yards), so Graham could have a sizable role in the offense. Time will tell.

On Thursday, the Bears agreed to terms with former Lions defensive end Willie Young on a three-year contract and former Broncos, Giants and Panthers receiver Domenik Hixon on a one-year deal.

So, what does the Darren Sproles trade mean for the other Eagles on the roster? LeSean McCoy played the second-most snaps of any running back in the league last year. He was fantastic as a receiver, catching 52 balls and averaging 10.4 yards per reception. Given how productive McCoy was in this offense in 2013, it's unlikely he sees a significant decrease next season.

McCoy is still a top tier fantasy RB. Sproles will get some work in the slot since the Eagles let Jason Avant walk.

Running back Darren Sproles, who Wednesday expressed a desire to be released by the New Orleans Saints, will be traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, a league source tells ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The Saints will receive a fifth-round draft pick from the Eagles in return, the source said Thursday.

The thought of Sproles playing for Chip Kelly is intriguing, but snaps will be an issue playing behind LeSean McCoy. Sproles spent a good amount of time in the slot while in New Orleans, so he and McCoy could play together if Kelly decides to go that route. He'll still be a factor in PPR leagues, though his days of being a PPR RB1 are probably behind him. In New Orleans, the Saints will run with a trio of Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson, but Travaris Cadet could become a poor man's Darren Sproles in Sean Peyton's offense.

Unable to find a trade partner, the Panthers will release WR Steve L Smith today, officially ending his 13-year career with the club.

Smith's cap number is too much for the Panthers to swallow, though the team is not in a position to be throwing away talent at wideout. Smith is past his prime, but he can still play and he won't have a problem finding a new team assuming the price tag is reasonable.

Jets are giving former Broncos WR Eric Decker a 5-year, $36.25 M deal, including $15 M guaranteed, per source.

Decker was expected to command as much as $9 million per season, so this seems like a reasonable deal. Decker is a solid receiver, but it remains to be seen if he can produce when drawing the attention of the defense's top corner. The Jets don't have a Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker or a Julius Thomas to occupy the defense. He's also seeing a downgrade at quarterback from Peyton Manning to Geno Smith, which is like going from Chipotle to a Taco Bell Dumpster. Still, he'll have decent value as a real-world WR1. It's doubtful that the Jets will be able to do any better this offseason.

CB Darrelle Revis and the New England Patriots have reached agreement on a one-year, $12 million deal, league sources told ESPN.

A day after losing Aqib Talib to the Broncos, the Patriots replace him with Revis on a relatively affordable, low-risk one-year deal. He'll certainly help the defense, which has struggled against the pass in recent years.

Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith, when asked if Josh McCown is his quarterback: "Yes, he is."

So much for any potential QB battle that was brewing in Tampa. Mike Glennon, the best rookie QB of his class, will apparently back up McCown in 2014.

Seahawks sign WR Taylor Price.

The Browns have released QB Jason Campbell.

Jaguars HC Gus Bradley talked about Toby Gerhart as a back that could regularly see between 15-20 touches a game.

Bradley said he likes Gerhart’s toughness and that it was great Gerhart is an experienced pro with limited career carries.

“He seems like a guy that the more he handles the ball the stronger he gets,” Bradley said. “He’ll pop one. He can make people miss. He has a toughness you can count on, can catch the ball and he’s great on third downs. He’s going to have a great opportunity.”

Toby Gerhart has touched the ball 15+ times in seven career games and has averaged low-end RB1 numbers (12.6 FP) with that type of workload. The former Heisman candidate will likely start for the Jaguars, though Jordan Todman could offer up some competition (assuming Maurice Jones-Drew signs elsewhere). Gerhart has fantasy RB2 potential as a lead back.

The Baltimore Ravens announced Wednesday they've agreed to terms on a four-year contract with wide receiver Jacoby Jones.

Jones struck the deal with Ravens while visiting the New York Giants. The Ravens are trying to arrange a train for him to come back to Baltimore to sign the contract.

Jones had a few good games as a receiver in 2013, but only caught 37 of his 67 targets, which is not a good catch rate (55%). At this point, he's expected to platoon with (or back up) Marlon Brown, who showed some flashes as a rookie.

The Browns will release 2011 first-round draft pick Brandon Weeden on Monday, according to a league source.

Bucs are cutting Darrelle Revis, per source.

Revis immediately becomes the top corner available and there will be no shortage of teams interested in his services.

WR Golden Tate just agreed to a 5-year deal with the Lions.

Tate finished as the #35 WR in 2012 and #29 last season, so he's a proven commodity that should remedy the Lions' WR2 issues. His FP/target numbers (4th-highest in 2012, 29th in 2013) indicate that he should thrive in a bigger role. He's joining an offense that has 1,374 pass attempts in the last two seasons, which is nearly 67% more than the Seahawks have attempted in the same span. He obviously won't be the top target in Detroit, but if he sees the usual 18% of targets (typical for a WR2), it would result in 123 targets, a 25% jump from his 2013 totals. The Lions may run a bit more this season, but Tate's arrow is certainly pointing up. In Seattle, Tate's departure currently leaves Percy Harvin, Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse atop the depth chart. The news is certainly good for Baldwin and Kearse. Once Sidney Rice went down, Baldwin emerged as a productive starter, averaging 3.6 catches for 55 yards and 0.45 TD in his final 11 games (including the postseason). Those are solid fantasy WR3 numbers.

Pending a physical, former Cowboys DE DeMarcus Ware reached agreement with Broncos on 3-year, $30M contract including $20M guaranteed.

No one can blame the Broncos from going "all in" given how close Peyton Manning is to the end of his career.

According to agent Mike McCartney, the Buccaneers have signed QB Josh McCown to a two-year deal.

HC Lovie Smith has been lukewarm about incumbent Mike Glennon, who was the best rookie QB of his class in 2013. McCown wanted to have a chance to start, so he'll likely get that opportunity in Tampa. A QB competition is brewing.

Cutting Miles Austin opens the door for rookie receiver Terrance Williams to enter the starting lineup. The Cowboys were pleased with his production and development last season. Williams — a Dallas native who played at Baylor — was the Cowboys’ No. 3 receiver last season and had 44 catches for 736 yards and five touchdowns.

With Austin gone, the Cowboys also could pursue a veteran receiver in free agency who could help Williams and a young group of Dallas receivers in their development.

With Miles Austin basically sidelined from Week 4 to Week 10, Williams was the #12 WR in fantasy, racking up 24 catches for 438 yards and five TDs in that seven-game span. In four games where he played at least 80 percent of his teams snaps, he averaged 11.0 FP (#15 WR numbers). In eight games where he played at least 70 percent of the snaps, he averaged 9.0 FP (#22 WR numbers). He faded upon Austin’s return to starter’s snaps, but showed enough in his rookie season to make him an intriguing middle-round pick in 2014. The Cowboys figure to throw a lot under new OC Scott Linehan, who was pass-happy while in Detroit. With Austin gone, the path is clear for a breakout season from Williams.

Agent Lamont Smith says that Pierre Thomas will remain with the Saints on a two-year extension.

Thomas racked up 224 touches for 1,062 yards and five TDs as the lead back in the 2013 version of the Saints’ committee at running back. With Darren Sproles (and his 71 receptions) likely to be moved via trade, Thomas’s catches aren’t likely to take much of a hit. The team has shown signs of moving to Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson more in the running game, so PT is not likely to push 150 carries again in 2014. Still, he’ll be a regular part of the rotation in a potent offense and should be a good value in the later rounds. In PPR formats, he has finished in the top 30 in PPG in five of the last six seasons.

Bengals plan to match 4-yr, $12.2M offer sheet that includes $5.3M guaranteed that Cincinnati RFA WR Andrew Hawkins signed with Cleveland.

It sounds as if Hawkins will be returning to the slot in Cincinnati. He showed playmaking ability in his second year (51-533-4), but struggled with a foot injury in 2013. He's already 28 years old.

Paul Kuharsky of ESPN discusses the potential role of Titans WR Dexter McCluster:

In Dexter McCluster, Tennessee gets a player who will be cast in a role for which many of us thought Darren Sproles would be a great fit.

I imagine he will be like Danny Woodhead was for Ken Whisenhunt last season in San Diego, when Whiz was offensive coordinator and Woodhead caught 76 passes for 605 yards and was very much an extension of the running game as a pass-catcher.

McCluster is a listed as receiver, not a running back. Like Woodhead, McCluster is 5-foot-8. At 170, he’s 30 pounds lighter than Woodhead.

McCluster may fill Woodhead's role in the passing game, but it's highly doubtful that he'd hold up to 75-100 carries in the running game given his slight frame. Woodhead is an underrated runner and does a good job of avoiding and absorbing contact without getting injured. McCluster's ceiling is probably as a flex type in PPR formats.

The line in front of Eli Manning will undoubtedly be stronger after a miserable season that saw him constantly under pressure. And the rebuilding of the line should also thrill the soon-to-be 29-year-old Rashad Jennings, who gained 733 yards in 15 games (eight starts) with the Raiders last season. He figures to take over as the No. 1 back — a role he’s never had for a full season in four years in the NFL — and will split time either with David Wilson, if he recovers enough from neck surgery, or Peyton Hillis, who agreed to re-sign with the Giants on Tuesday for two years and $1.8 million.

Rashad Jennings was the #6 RB from Week 9 to Week 15 (when he was playing starter’s snaps for the Raiders) and that included a missed game against the Jets in Week 14. The team still believes in David Wilson, but Jennings is fully capable of winning the RB1 job outright. The Giants had a very difficult time running the ball in 2013, so they need to sort out the offensive line as well.

Donald Brown is signing with the Chargers, per source.

This is a strange signing considering the Chargers already have Ryan Mathews (who played well in 2013) and Danny Woodhead. Brown will likely serve as depth behind Mathews. He'll hold handcuff value this summer.

The Broncos have reached agreement on a 6-year, $57 M deal that includes $26 M guaranteed with CB Aqib Talib, per sources.

The Broncos signed T.J. Ward earlier in the day, and now they're adding Talib. The secondary should be much improved in 2014.

The Cowboys have released DE DeMarcus Ware.

The two sides have the understanding that the team will have a chance to match whatever offer he gets in free agency.

On a day with few surprises relating to the signing of free agents, here’s a fairly big one.

The Saints have announced that former Bills safety Jairus Byrd has signed a six-year deal.

Buccaneers just agreed to terms with CB Alterraun Verner.

Jaguars just reached agreement with former Minnesota Vikings RB Toby Gerhart, per source.

Gerhart has touched the ball 15+ times in seven career games and has averaged low-end RB1 numbers (12.6 FP) with that type of workload. The former Heisman candidate will likely start for the Jaguars, though Jordan Todman could offer up some competition (assuming Maurice Jones-Drew signs elsewhere). Gerhart has fantasy RB2 potential as a lead back.

Saints still haven’t released RB Darren Sproles and now plan to trade him due to heavy interest, per ESPN source. Not being released, though.

It sounds as if the Saints have enough trade interest to hold onto Sproles for now.

Defensive end Julius Peppers became a Bears salary cap casualty on Tuesday.

The Browns have struck 4-year deal on an offer sheet with Bengals WR Andrew Hawkins, source says. He's a restricted free agent, so Bengals can match.

Hawkins is good in the slot and he'll replace Davone Bess there, assuming the Bengals don't match the Browns' offer. He may be a factor in PPR formats.

The Dallas Cowboys have also decided to part ways with veteran wide receiver Miles Austin and will designate him as a post-June 1 cut, according to a source.

Releasing Austin saves the Cowboys $5.5 million against the cap, but they don’t get the credit on those savings until after June 1. That money will likely go toward the Cowboys signing their draft picks this year.

Struggling with injuries, Austin has been a shell of his former self last season. He will garner some interest in free agency, likely as a WR3.

Colts re-signed K Adam Vinatieri.

The Falcons have officially released tight end Tony Gonzalez.

Colts re-sign RB Ahmad Bradshaw to a one-year deal, per league source.

With Trent Richardson and Vick Ballard likely back, Bradshaw will join what could turn into an ugly committee. The team wants Richardson to carry the load, but it doesn't appear that he's capable of doing so. Bradshaw is a solid talent and it would not be surprising if he wins the starting gig like Donald Brown did a year ago. Speaking of Brown, this move indicates that the Colts won't be re-signing him.

New York Jets kicker Nick Folk got his wish -- a long-term contract.

Two weeks after being slapped with the franchise tag, Folk signed a multiyear deal Tuesday with the Jets, the team announced.

Broncos GM John Elway: Excited to announce we've agreed to terms with strong safety T.J. Ward. He'll bring energy and toughness to our secondary.

Rashad Jennings has apparently agreed to terms with the Giants: "Flying to the Big Apple tonight! Looking forward to signing the dotted lines with Giants."

Rashad Jennings was the #6 RB from Week 9 to Week 15 (when he was playing starter’s snaps for the Raiders) and that included a missed game against the Jets in Week 14. The team still believes in David Wilson, but Jennings offers terrific insurance. It wouldn't be a shock if he wins the RB1 job outright, though the Giants had a very difficult time running the ball in 2013. Jennings' ADP will be somewhat dependent on Wilson's status.

Jaguars traded QB Blaine Gabbert to the 49ers for a 6th round pick.

TE Jake Ballard re-signed with the Cardinals.

Bills announced they have re-signed K Dan Carpenter.

Former Chiefs WR/KR Dexter McCluster reached agreement on a 3-yr deal with the Titans, per ESPN league sources.

McCluster could play the same role for the Titans as he did for the Chiefs. We don't expect him to have too much fantasy value outside of the occasional spot start in PPR formats.

Former Giants TE Brandon Myers reached agreement on a 2-year, $4 million deal with Bucs, per sources.

New HC Lovie Smith said that he wanted to upgrade at TE from converted wideout Tim Wright. Apparently, Myers is that upgrade. He could start for the Buccaneers, but isn't much of a fantasy option at this point. Wright's value takes a big hit.

Return man Leon Washington is re-signing with the Titans.

Lions re-sign WR Kevin Ogletree to one-year deal.

The Redskins have re-signed WR Santana Moss. One year deal.

This indicates that the Redskins are expecting Andre Roberts to play outside.

Per source: Looks like Darren McFadden will sign/agree to Raiders' 1 year offer.

This is surprising, as the general consensus was that McFadden would sign elsewhere while the team would focus on re-signing Rashad Jennings, who was the far superior runner in 2013. There is no reason to believe that McFadden will return to his 2010/2011 form under the current regime.

WR Andre Caldwell agrees to stay with the Broncos, per league source. Two years, with a max value of $3.45 million.

With Eric Decker likely on his way out, Caldwell could step into a starter's role in 2014. He'd be an interesting sleeper in the later rounds playing in Denver's high-octane offense. Consider him a WR5 type for now.

Phil Dawson, who set a 49ers record with 27 straight field goals in 2013, is returning to the team this season. Dawson, 39, broke the news himself on Twitter: "Very excited & grateful for the opportunity to return to my team & be a part of chasing the quest for six! Go niners! #itsgood."

Joique Bell will be with the Lions in the long term after signing a two-year extension on top of his restricted free agent tender for 2014.

Bell's extension is worth $7 million and will include $4.3 million in guaranteed money, a source confirmed to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Caplan.

In standard formats, Bell was the #29 RB in 2012 and #17 last year. New OC Joe Lombardi (previously with the Saints) is expected to bring more balance to the Lions' offense which means that Bell should once again have a large role alongside Reggie Bush. Bush's presence means that Bell should be a good value on draft day. In early drafts, he is the 25th RB off the board in the 8th round.

Texans released TE Owen Daniels.

The 31 year-old Daniels was a cap casualty. With Garrett Graham also hitting free agency, the Texans are left with 6th-round pick Ryan Griffin atop the depth chart at tight end. He caught 19 passes for 244 yards and one TD in 2013, posting a solid but unspectacular 1.09 FP/target on 28 targets.

The Redskins have agreed to terms with fifth-year wide receiver Andre Roberts, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

This looks like a good signing by the Redskins, who have struggled to find a consistent option opposite Pierre Garcon. Roberts lost playing time in 2013 to an emerging Michael Floyd, but was the #39 WR in standard (and #34 in PPR) in 2012 while playing starter's snaps. New HC Jay Gruden has a history of airing it out, so the entire Washington passing game should get a boost. Another top 40 season is possible for the 26 year-old Roberts, assuming he starts.

Aaron Dobson had surgery today to repair the stress fracture in his foot, per source. Early recovery timetable estimated at 2-3 months.

Dobson is an intriguing player given the opportunity available in the Patriots' offense, but it's never a good thing for a young receiver to miss out on OTAs and other offseason development.

Short of a trade in the next two days, the Buccaneers are expected to release CB Darrelle Revis by 4 p.m. Wednesday, per league sources.

This is pretty surprising given how well Revis played even though he wasn't 100 percent for most of the season. He was PFF's #1-rated cornerback.

Texans TE Owen Daniels was lost for the season during a Week 5 loss at San Francisco when he fractured the tibial plateau in one of his legs. Five months later, he said he's fine.

"It's like it never happened," Daniels said. "I feel good in that respect. I'm looking forward to coming in fresh and healthy."

Daniels said he completed his rehab by mid-January, and is looking forward to getting back on the field.

Daniels should be a decent baseline candidate but not playing in Gary Kubiak's TE-friendly offense may have a negative impact on his production.

The Panthers are attempting to trade WR Steve L Smith, per source. Given his $7M cap number and age (34), seems unlikely.

If they can't trade him, it's likely he'll be cut. It's going to be strange to see Smith wearing another uniform. With Smith likely gone, there is going to be a ton of opportunity in the Carolina passing game.

After four turbulent seasons with the New York Jets, wide receiver Santonio Holmes is looking for a new team.

In a long-anticipated move, Holmes was released Monday after a second straight injury-plagued season. His lack of production, coupled with a $10.75 million salary-cap charge in 2014, were the primary reasons behind the Jets' decision.

If he's healthy and in a good system, Holmes has the talent to be a starting-caliber (top 36) fantasy receiver, but those are two pretty big "ifs" at this point in his career. He's 30 years old and has missed 17 of his last 32 games.

Whether Pierre Thomas remains with the team or not, Mark Ingram and second-year tailback Khiry Robinson appear to be the future at running back for the Saints after successful outings in two postseason games last season.

Ingram began to shine late in the 2013 season with a bruising performance in Week 16 against Carolina with 83 rushing yards on 13 carries. He carried that forward for 97 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown in the Saints' wild-card playoff win in Philadelphia.

The Saints have apparently recognized Ingram's progression late in the season, even though Ingram's second-quarter fumble overshadowed his average of 4.9 yards per carry in the NFC divisional loss in Seattle.

If Thomas remains, the Saints will still likely use a rotation at RB as they have in recent years. If Thomas is released, Ingram and Robinson would certainly see a bump in value.

Cowboys QB Tony Romo gave ESPN’s Rece Davis an update on how his back is progressing. Romo had surgery in December to repair a herniated disk.

“It’s going good,” Romo said. “We’re getting close now. Usually it takes three months, it’s just normal kind of roundabout date that they give you and we’re right on schedule. Really ahead in a lot of ways. Just going to be ready to go here in about a month and rehab is going good, no setbacks of any kind. [My surgery] was just a normal small version of it, so I should be good to go here shortly.”

Much has been written about how Romo will thrive under new “Passing Game Coordinator” Scott Linehan. Under Linehan, the Lions threw the ball 62.2% of the time in the last two seasons. Over the same span, the Cowboys threw it 64.3% of the time, so the Cowboys may not be that much more "pass happy" under Linehan, though the number of plays they run could increase, helping the offense as a whole. The Lions have averaged 1,105 plays in the last two seasons, while the Cowboys averaged just 968 plays, so Detroit ran 14% more plays than Dallas over that span. This bodes well for Romo and Co.

In a piece for The Huffington Post, former Cardinals RB Rashard Mendenhall explains why he has retired from football.

Mendenhall's retirement is somewhat surprising. If the Cardinals do not sign or draft another legitimate running back, then Andre Ellington's stock may be out of control by the time 2014 fantasy drafts are in full swing. Ellington is probably in the same boat as Giovani Bernard — considered “too small” to be an every-down workhorse. He was the #25 RB in 2013 on 10.4 touches per game, but averaged 12.4 touches in his last 11 games. In that span, he averaged 9.3 FP, which are low-end RB2 numbers. It's a good sign that GM Steve Keim confirmed that Ellington will get more work in 2014 -- expect around 15 touches per game, though a bigger workload is possible.

Redskins beat writer John Keim: "I know the coaches think Jordan Reed will be an excellent target on deeper throws."

Reed was on pace for 80-887-5.3 (#7 TE-type numbers) prior to his injury, but didn't even crack the 50% snaps played mark until Week 6. In the five games where he played at least 50% of his team's snaps, he averaged 6.2-76-.40 or #3 TE-type numbers. The main concern with Reed is his injury history, specifically with concussions. According to NBC Washington, Reed suffered two concussions while at Florida. If he can stay healthy, he's a likely top 5 fantasy TE, but that's no sure thing.

Buccaneers HC Lovie Smith plans to run the ball, and running back is one of the few positions the team has depth with Doug Martin, Mike James and Bobby Rainey. But to open holes, Smith says he needs a run-blocking tight end. Tim Wright caught 54 passes for 571 yards and five touchdowns in 2013. But he's limited as a blocker.

"If we talk about being a running football team, we need a traditional (tight end) that can block and be a pass catcher also," Smith said. "Injuries have hurt the position. But right now, we need to upgrade the tight end position also."

It doesn't sound as if the team is counting on Wright to be their full time tight end.

Free agent Ben Tate said he will have a message for those teams who are interested in his services.

"I think I can bring you an elite running back," Tate said. "I've learned a lot being behind Arian. Definitely, when I'm healthy I think I'm an elite running back in this league, and I feel like I can show my abilities and my numbers and my play will speak for itself, and guys will be able to see that I am a guy who is a top-five running back in this league, which I believe once I get out there and get to show that on a consistent basis.

We'll have to wait and see where Tate lands before we can assess his value heading into 2014, but he's definitely a threat to move into the first three or four rounds if he gets a starting gig. Injuries have been a concern.

During four games in December after being activated, Ravens TE Dennis Pitta proved that his surgically repaired hip was structurally sound. He knocked off the rust quickly, catching 20 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown.

However, what Pitta didn't have was his trademark elusiveness after the catch, and he wasn't quite as quick or fast as in the past, which was understandable given the severity of the injury and his accelerated rehabilitation timetable.

“I’d be lying to you if I said I was 100 percent with my explosion and strength,” Pitta acknowledged during a news conference earlier this week to announce his five-year, $32 million contract that includes $16 million guaranteed and an $11 million signing bonus. “I didn’t have any pain and I felt good playing, but kind of that quickness and that explosion wasn’t all the way back, which was expected.”

Now, Pitta says he's getting closer to regaining his old form.

Pitta missed most of 2013 due to a hip injury and he was sorely missed in the Ravens’ passing game. Upon his return, he saw 33 targets in four games, putting him on pace to finish with the 3rd-most targets in the league. It’s not a solid sample size, but it’s still an indicator of what may come. (He finished with the 12th-most targets in 2012.) The big plus for Pitta heading into 2014 is the arrival of new OC Gary Kubiak who has been very TE-friendly throughout his career, specifically with the development of both Shannon Sharpe in Denver and Owen Daniels in Houston.

The Jets kicked off what promises to be a flurry of moves to improve its offense by securing one of its valued skill position players in the run-up to free agency. The Daily News first reported Friday night that the Jets agreed to terms on a three-year deal with tight end Jeff Cumberland.

The organization is bullish on Cumberland’s ability to take that next step after flashes in his first four seasons. Cumberland, who will turn 27 this summer, had 26 receptions for 398 yards and a team-high four receiving touchdowns last season. He played second fiddle to veteran Kellen Winslow early in the season.

Cumberland posted the #5 FP/target among TEs in 2013, catching 26 passes for 398 yards and four TDs.

Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram also '15 UFA's just like Sproles would have been. Going to be the Khiry Robinson show for Saints in '14.

This is an overstatement, what with Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram still on the roster. There are rumors that Thomas will be cut, but the team may hold onto him after releasing Darren Sproles. We like what Robinson brings to the table, but he was playing behind Thomas and Ingram in 2013 and that's not likely to change in 2014 if both players are still around. Travaris Cadet could also assume Sproles's old role.

Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Vikings will sign QB Matt Cassel to a two-year deal.

Cordarrelle Patterson is justifiably a popular breakout candidate, but this signing is good news for Greg Jennings, who averaged 5.9-70-.57 (fantasy WR2 numbers) in seven games where Cassel played heavy snaps. Cassel will be a sleeper/QBBC type if he's the starter under new OC Norv Turner.

The Saints are cutting RB Darren Sproles, per source.

This is not a huge shock for the cash-strapped Saints, though it may indicate that Pierre Thomas is safe since the team needs a pass-catching RB. Sproles numbers fell off a bit in 2013. After finishing #5 and #13 in 2011 and 2012 (in PPR), Sproles finished #23 in that format last season. He'll land on his feet in free agency.

The Cardinals are paying TE John Carlson $4.65M over two years, according to a source.

Rob Housler takes a hit with this news. Carlson was good (#5) for a four-game stretch from Week 10 to Week 13 after Kyle Rudolph went down, but isn't much of a fantasy option in Arizona.

A 1-year deal that didn't work out: Dustin Keller. Was tearing it up in camp before tearing ACL, though. Have heard he's on track to return.

Saints WR Lance Moore tweeted a thank you to the city of New Orleans, indicating that he has been released: "Thank you New Orleans for an amazing nine years."

Occasionally, a player breaks news on Twitter before the team's beat writers get wind of it. Moore was a solid producer for the cash-strapped Saints. Kenny Stills may see a bump as his role grows a bit longer with Moore out of the way. Stills was the #11 WR from Week 6 to Week 10, and that included a bye, so the potential for a breakout season is there.

Sidney Rice is on track to be cleared for the start of his new team's offseason program in late April, I'm told. Coming off ACL injury.

Titans RB Chris Johnson said he’s closer to 100 percent after the first surgery of his career. The procedure repaired a torn meniscus, but doctors have not yet cleared him to run. The next phase of rehab will be in a swimming pool, strengthening the muscles around his left knee.

Johnson was injured in the Week 3 win against the Chargers but said he never considered having surgery during the season. He’s rarely missed a practice in six seasons as a pro.

“I have never been a guy to sit out when something was hurt. The only way I would sit out is if there was no way possible I could play. If I can work through it, I want to play. I want to be out there to help my team win, and that’s the way it’s always been,” he said.

“I am not going to make excuses, but you can talk to anybody who’s had a torn meniscus and they know how it affects you. I’m not going to sit here and tell you if I wouldn’t have had a torn meniscus I would have had 1,600-1,700 rushing yards last year, but my teammates know what I was going through.”

Johnson is a bounce back candidate if he lands in a good environment. He obviously blames the knee (at least partially) for his struggles in 2013, but it's not like Shonn Greene (3.8 YPC) was any better. The Titans struggled in run blocking and that hurt Johnson as well. The issue now is his salary, and he has already said he's not going to take a pay cut.

The 6-2 Rueben Randle, who led the Giants with six receiving TDs in 2013, seems Nicks’ heir, but he has a history of miscommunicating with Manning. GM Jerry Reese gave Randle a lukewarm endorsement last month, saying that “the jury is still out” on him.

The story refers to Randle's inability (at times) to get on the same page with his QB, mainly on the option routes in the Giants' offense. Randle still projects to start, so his early ADP is in the late 6th round.

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice and his fiancée, who were involved in a domestic violence incident last month, plan to attend a couples seminar, coach John Harbaugh told reporters Wednesday.

Rice and Janay Palmer were both arrested for simple assault at a casino in Atlantic City, N.J., on Feb. 15. The two remain engaged to be married, according to Harbaugh.

"I've talked to Ray a lot, and really nothing to add other than what's been said already: The facts will determine the consequences, and we'll see where it goes," Harbaugh said at a news conference to announce the five-year, $32 million deal signed by tight end Dennis Pitta. "I haven't seen anything different, just like you haven't seen anything different. Ray has told me his side of it, and everything we've seen so far is very consistent with what he said."

A suspension could be forthcoming, but that will depend on the facts of the case, and those aren't entirely clear at this point. The Ravens seem satisfied with Rice's truthfulness.

In the days preceding the Super Bowl, Packers tight end Jermichael Finley told PFT Live that he hopes to get clearance in the coming weeks following neck surgery.

The clearance has not yet come. Per a league source, it could be coming very soon.

Finley’s primary doctor and his neurosurgeon currently are out of the country, but they will return on Friday. The goal is to get Finley cleared by Tuesday, so that he can participate in free agency when it opens.

The Buccaneers weren’t at any risk of losing running back Bobby Rainey because he was set to be an exclusive rights free agent, but the team decided they wanted to enter into a longer relationship with a player who flashed some ability late last season.

The Bucs announced that they have signed Rainey to a two-year deal designed to keep him in Tampa through 2015.

From Week 10 to Week 17, Rainey was the #11 RB in standard formats, gaining 559 total yards to go along with six TDs (5 rush, 1 rec) in eight games. He'll likely serve as the primary backup to Doug Martin and is a good handcuff for Martin owners.

Vikings have tendered exclusive rights free agent running back Matt Asiata at third-year minimum salary.

The Browns announced this morning they were releasing troubled wide receiver Davone Bess.

The Titans have made plenty of changes this offseason, but it’s become clear that the starting quarterback position is Jake Locker’s job to lose.

He still has a ways to go in his recovery from the surgery he had shortly after suffering the Lisfranc injury in a Nov. 10 game against the Jaguars.

Locker’s right leg was placed in a cast after surgery. He discarded his crutches in January and his foot was placed in a walking boot, which he must wear for a few more weeks. He still can’t put any weight on the foot.

Later this month, he’ll have a procedure to remove the hardware that was inserted during surgery. He hopes to start running shortly thereafter and take part in organized team activities in June. Doctors have been “encouraged” with his recovery, Locker said.

The Broncos believe it's time to take the training wheels off their kid running backs, Montee Ball and C.J. Anderson.

A first-round draft pick in 2009, Knowshon Moreno is a free agent, and the Broncos appear willing to let him go in exchange for pushing second-year backs Ball and Anderson up a notch.

The Broncos want to give Ball the first chance at becoming their No. 1 running back in 2014.

If Ball does indeed take over the starting job in Denver, his stock is going to shoot into the 2nd or 3rd round by the time draft season is in full swing. Moreno was a top 5 back in 2013, and there's no reason that Ball can't post similar numbers. The RB depth chart was fluid early in the season, and Ball has had a tendency to put the ball on the ground since entering the NFL (though he cleaned that up down the stretch).

After a spectacular NFL Rookie of the Year finalist season, Bengals RB Giovani Bernard is only going to get more work and no doubt is going to border on 300 touches.

Bernard saw 226 touches in 2013 and finished as the #16 RB in standard formats. If he produces fantasy points at the same rate, 280 touches would put him in Eddie Lacy territory (and in the top 10). We're skeptical that the diminutive Bernard will see 300-plus touches, but 260-280 seems reasonable.

Vikings will cut TE John Carlson, per source. Sides had been talking about a restructure but couldn't reach an agreement.

Carlson had a nice stretch after Kyle Rudolph went down, posting #5 TE numbers from Week 10 to Week 13. He missed the last three games of the season due to a concussion. It's possible that the Packers could be interested in his services as he should be a cheap option in free agency.

Giants WR Victor Cruz, who had season-ending knee surgery in December, said that his knee is fully healthy now, and he started lifting in the gym a week-and-a-half ago. He’s focused on weight training now, he said, but he’s hoping to hit the field and run routes by the end of March.

If he can get (and stay) healthy, Cruz should have a bounce back season under new OC Ben McAdoo. In the article, Cruz compared himself to Randall Cobb, who has been very productive in the slot since entering the league.

Wide receiver Anquan Boldin, the 49ers MVP in his first season with the club, will be back for a second year with the organization.

Boldin announced via Twitter that he is officially back with the team. The deal is a two-year extension, a source told CSNBayArea.com, and is worth $12 million, according to multiple reports.

This is a smart move for the 49ers. Early in the season, Boldin carried the passing game at times but he actually increased his production upon Michael Crabtree’s return. Boldin averaged 4.7-66-.45 without Crabtree and 5.7-83-.43 with Crabtree, so the potential is there for another top 20 season. Boldin finished #15 in both standard and PPR formats. Removing Week 1 (his huge game against the Packers), he was #19 and #20 in standard and PPR, respectively. The signing is probably bad news for Vernon Davis, whose targets dropped from 6.1 per game pre-Crabtree to 4.9 T/G after Crabtree's return.

The Broncos have received further assurance there is nothing wrong with Peyton Manning's neck as he passed his physical examination Monday morning.

There is a provision in the five-year, $96 million contract Manning signed with the Broncos in March 2012 that requires his surgically repaired neck to pass medical inspection each year before the team guarantees his salary.

This isn't a surprise, but it's still good news for 2013's #1 QB. He'll enter the season as a top 3 pick at his position.

Raiders RB Latavius Murray appeared in one preseason game, the exhibition opener against the Dallas Cowboys, and finished with 29 yards on eight carries. It was his only action as the 6-foot-3, 230-pounder was placed on Injured Reserve on Aug. 27 with an ankle injury. “He was never fully healthy,” coach Dennis Allen said at the recent NFL combine. “And every time he got healthy, the ankle reared its ugly head again and he was back down. There were a couple of plays in there ... the Dallas game, maybe, where he got a run over on the sideline and was able to lower his shoulder and really finish a run off really well. So there are plays in there I can think of that are exciting and encouraging to me. But, again, he’s got very limited experience and limited exposure.”

Big things are expected out of a healty Murray, especially with Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. “I think Latavius is one of those guys that we’re anxious to see be healthy and get out there and play,” Allen said. “He’s a big back that’s got excellent speed and excellent size. He runs tough ... we’ll find out a lot more about Latavius Murray as we go through the offseason program and into training camp.”

While the Raiders are expected to re-sign Rashad Jennings (who was excellent as a starter), McFadden is expected to walk in free agency. Murray could become Jennings' primary backup or even become the starter if Jennings signs elsewhere. The versatile Marcel Reece will have a role as well.

At 6-feet-3, TE Mychal Rivera made up for his relative lack of height with an uncanny athleticism as a pass catcher. Technically, he started only three games but played in all 16. He became a go-to pass catcher for Raiders quarterbacks in the second half of the season as 27 of his 38 catches and three of his four touchdown receptions came after Week 8.

Unless the Raiders go out and get Jimmy Graham, Rivera should be the Raiders' starting tight end in 2014. An offseason of refining his blocking techniques should be in order for Rivera, who would be lethal were he two inches taller. He was already the Raiders' best pass-catching tight end as he averaged 10.7 yards per catch but also had six receptions of at least 19 yards.

As a rookie, Rivera was the #17 TE from Week 11 to Week 17.

The stress fracture in Aaron Dobson’s left foot has stunted his progress in the first full offseason of his NFL career, as the Patriots wide receiver awaits a more definitive diagnosis that will come down within the next two weeks.

To this point, Dobson has been prescribed a heavy dose of rest that eliminated running from his offseason regimen at home in West Virginia, according to a team source. But Dobson returned to the Foxboro area within the past few days and will continue his workouts at Gillette Stadium before the medical staff determines if his foot has healed. He has been able to strengthen his upper body in the meantime.

In the next 10-14 days, Dobson will find out if the rest worked as a recovery method or if he’ll need surgery to repair the foot, according to the source. It’s unclear how long the recovery period would be, but it sounds unlikely he’d be cleared in time for the April 21 launch of the Patriots’ offseason program if he needs the procedure.

If healthy, Dobson would be a breakout candidate in his second season. He saw 10 targets in three of his first five games and has one of the best QBs in the league throwing him the ball. However, the injury is worrisome, especially since the Patriots are so tight-lipped about injuries.

The 49ers expect Marcus Lattimore to be a contributor in 2014.

“Whatever role they want me to do, I’m ready,” Lattimore said Saturday in a phone interview from Columbus, Ohio, where he is working with EAS Sports Nutrition. "The rehab is over.”

Lattimore and teammate Kendall Hunter are a threat to eat into Frank Gore's touches. Gore was relatively unproductive down the stretch in 2013.

Chargers WR Malcom Floyd continues to make small steps in his recovery from a neck injury suffered last September. The 32-year-old resumed running about a month ago, he said Saturday, and spinal specialist Dr. Robert Watkins cleared him last week to participate in light weightlifting.

It is unclear whether Floyd's NFL career can continue, the possibility it cannot appearing very real. It remains to be seen to what extent he recovers from his spinal disc issue, and even then, the risk of re-injury must be assessed before the decision to play is made.

The Jaguars are hoping Denard Robinson has an impact in the running back rotation.

“I’m intrigued to see,” coach Gus Bradley said at last week’s NFL Scouting Combine. “He’s really competitive, and he’s really spirited. I think he went through last year and said, ‘OK, I don’t want to go through that feeling again.’ ”

That feeling was one of frustration. Robinson, 22, played 52 out of 1,056 snaps last year. In 10 games, he played no more than two snaps.

“I don’t think [Robinson] is a gimmick guy,” Bradley countered. “He can maybe run outside zone and get to the point where he runs north. But how can you tell off 10 runs?”

Saints slapped TE Jimmy Graham with NON-exclusive tag, creating more drama. Any team can sign Graham for two 1st round picks or Saints can match.

Graham's situation will be interesting to monitor over the next week or two. He wants to be tagged as a wide receiver and now he can negotiate with other teams as well.

NFL teams say the name of Danny Amendola has been floated in trade talks. The Patriots signed the wide receiver to a five-year, $28.5 million contract last offseason, but Amendola struggled to stay healthy and did not have the kind of impact the team envisioned him having. Amendola caught 54 passes for 633 yards with Tom Brady throwing to him. He had two better seasons when he played in St. Louis with Sam Bradford throwing to him. There has been speculation the Patriots could cut Amendola if a deal cannot be worked out.

If the Patriots are able to move Amendola, or choose to cut him, it would boost the chances that the team would re-sign Julian Edelman, who was the superior receiver in 2013.