May 2015 4for4 Player News Articles

In May, in the middle of his first true NFL offseason, Bengals RB Jeremy Hill is optimistic he will perform even better this year. But with a fully healthy Giovani Bernard and a passing attack that's now significantly healthier, he may not be the workhorse back many in Who Dey Nation want him to be.

"Obviously there's going to be a balanced attack," Hill said, referencing what he thought offensive coordinator Hue Jackson's plans were for the running game. "I don't think he's got to wear either one of us out, so that way we can make it through all 16 games for a playoff push."

We're currently projecting 287 touches for Hill and 178 for Bernard, with Hill dominating the carries and Bernard seeing more than twice as many catches. In Hue Jackson's run-heavy scheme, there is room for both players to be fantasy starters, especially in PPR formats where Bernard can shine.

The job description for the Browns' quarterback is a modest one and must be embraced, not challenged. He must be willing to play within the structure of a conservative game plan. He must be content to “live for another down” and not try something daring to make a play by himself.

This is why the Browns signed Josh McCown, a 13-year NFL veteran who has played for six teams, and why McCown has been virtually anointed the starting quarterback without even the hint of a “competition” in training camp.

It is why Johnny Manziel – tortured enough by his own personal recovery from an unspecified substance abuse problem – is a fish out of water in his second season with the Browns.

Owners should expect the McCown of 2014, not the one who played under Marc Trestman in Chicago. The Browns want him to be a game manager and that doesn't lend itself to fantasy production.

Giants TE Larry Donnell's blocking had made him a liability. So the Giants pulled him from games on run downs, in lieu of better blocking tight ends Daniel Fells and Adrien Robinson. Donnell didn't start three of the last five games.

Donnell knew his weakness, had a goal and attacked.

"I was trying to refine my game so I can be better in the run game. I did some things, changed it up a little bit weight-wise and all," Donnell said this week after the Giants' first organized team activity workout. "The big problem with me is my hands used to go too wide. People used to get their hands inside of me, inside my chest and I lost a lot of battles there."

"We want to see him step up in the areas that are not natural for him, the blocking areas, for example," coach Tom Coughlin said during last season. "And obviously ball security."

Donnell had four lost fumbles, in part because he often found himself with his feet off the ground and in compromising positions. But that's more a mental mistake than physical.

So the focus this offseason was on blocking. There was a lot to fix.

Donnell averaged 82% of the snaps through the first 11 weeks, but played just 69% over the final six games. He finished the season as the #11 TE in both standard and PPR formats, but did not crack 60 yards or find the endzone in the final six games. He had the 17th-most targets (5.2 T/G) over that span, after seeing the 7th-most (6.1 T/G) in the first 11 weeks. If his blocking and ball security improve, he should see his snaps rise, and in turn his targets and production.

Saints WR Brandin Cooks' sample size was only about one-third of Antonio Brown's output. That being said, the traits between the two are strong.

The Saints wide receiver ranked second in the NFL in catch percentage among wide receivers playing in 25 percent of the snaps in 2014 by Pro Football Focus.

Drew Brees targeted Cooks 65 times with the wideout tallying 53 receptions. Only two of those missed opportunities were drops by Cooks. Brees also compiled a 110.9 quarterback rating when throwing to Cooks.

Brown's 129 catches came on 178 targets, resulting in a 72.5 completion percentage when targeted. The Steelers' stud receiver led the NFL in completion percentage when ranking the players taking at least 50 percent of the snaps in 2014.

The article discusses how Cooks has gone to Brown for advice about becoming a better wide receiver. Through Week 11, Cooks was the #22 WR in PPR formats and #25 in standard scoring systems. He caught at least five passes in seven of 10 games, and is likely to lead the Saints in targets with Jimmy Graham no longer on the roster. Solid WR2 numbers are well within reach, and Cooks could conceivably finish as a WR1 in PPR leagues.

Buccaneers WR Mike Evans exited in the waning stages of practice with an apparent right hamstring injury, but coach Lovie Smith didn't seem fazed. The second-year player injured his left hamstring during the first offseason practice last year and missed an extended period of summer work.

"He tweaked it a little bit; he'll be fine," Smith said.

Evans finished as the #11 receiver in standard formats and #13 in PPR. He should enjoy a quarterback upgrade this year and should continue to develop as a receiver. Expect more of the same from Evans, though we'd like him to be able to practice to develop a strong rapport with new QB Jameis Winston.

Jameis Winston has only been on the field for two days of Organized Team Activities, or OTAs, but Head Coach Lovie Smith already sees progress in his rookie quarterback.

“We are seeing marked improvement, like it should be,” Smith told the media on Thursday following the Bucs' OTA practice. “Going from the minicamp to now, he is feeling more and more comfort in the pocket. There is a lot you ask a rookie to do, but Jameis is picking it all up just like we thought he would right on schedule.”

Winston is a shoo-in to start immediately, so opportunity is plentiful. He has two established weapons to throw to in receivers Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, and TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins is expected to make strides in his second season. The situation from a skill position standpoint is very good, though the offensive line isn't. The Bucs did add two offensive linemen in the 2nd round, so there should be improvement up front. Rookie QBs are generally poor fantasy bets, but Winston should be a committee/streaming option in 12-team leagues.

Ravens WR Steve L Smith was one of the few offensive starters who showed up for OTA practice on Wednesday and he still looks sharp. He still runs crisp routes.

"Age comes, but football conditioning and routes and all that stuff, that doesn't change with age," Smith said. "Obviously, you probably have to start a little bit earlier. But yes, I'm 36 and I remember last year when I signed here [the media was not] expecting anything from a 35-year-old. Now, [the media] has to pick on me because I'm 36. I'm just going to play football and practice. I think I look halfway decent.

"I think there are teams that probably [are] drafting wide receivers hoping that they can get a guy fresh out of a college [who is] able to put up 1,000 yards [like] I did at 35, [and] they’re hoping a 20-something-year-old kid can do [it too]. I think age is a number, and you either show your age and that number over time … But right now, I feel good, and I’m playing well, so I think 36 is good.”

Smith was the #20 WR in standard formats and #18 in PPR, but he did most of his damage in the first six weeks of the season when he was #3 and #4, respectively. He was a fantasy WR4 the rest of the way, though he did have his moments. The Ravens can’t afford to put Smith out to pasture because they let Torrey Smith walk in free agency and the team’s receiver corps is severely lacking experience. Smith has some upside given his ADP (8th/9th round) and the arrival of pass-happy OC Marc Trestman, who should be able to figure out how to best utilize Smith’s skill set.

New, but not unnoticed. Vikings WR Mike Wallace has made a quick impression on his coaches and teammates.

“I know he’s a dynamic receiver and he’s been doing a great job of working, he’s a guy that works very, very hard,” Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer said. “He’s been catching the ball well. He’s been learning the playbook. All of these things are all different, but he’s looked good.”

Said offensive coordinator Norv Turner: “Mike looks really fast. I don’t know if he needs a double move (to create separation from defenders). He’s getting a feel for our offense. He’s a very smart guy.”

Added NFL Network’s Jeff Darlington, who lives in south Florida and has covered Wallace for all of his NFL career: “I can tell you that the speed is the real deal. This guy is as fast as advertised.”

Wallace will likely start opposite Charles Johnson with Cordarrelle Patterson and Jarius Wright battling for snaps as the team’s WR3. We're wary anytime a receiver changes teams, especially when he's not getting a promotion, which is the case with Wallace. He will have more opportunity to use his speed since OC Norv Turner likes the deep ball.

Health, injuries and surgeries. They are perhaps Jordy Nelson’s least favorite topics, so you’re not going to get much out of him. But he did admit to having off-season surgery when he talked to reporters Thursday in Green Bay after organized team activities.

“Everything is going well. We’re excited where we’re at. I continue to move forward and everything is good though,” said Nelson.

There doesn’t seem to be a timetable for his return.

“Not necessarily,” said Nelson. “We’re just going to continue to progress going forward. Like I said, we’re excited where we’re at and don’t have any worries about anything that’s of importance down the road.”

Nelson said it bothered him during the season.

“Obviously, if it didn’t bother me, I probably wouldn’t have had surgery,” said Nelson. “But – nothing major. Just an opportunity to get some things cleaned up. We did it and I think it was a good move and I feel good with where we’re at, moving forward.”

Anytime a player has surgery it raises red flags, but this doesn't sound too serious. Nelson has finished in the top 11 in standard formats in three of the last four seasons, averaging 5.0 catches for 81 yards and 0.72 TD in that span. The Packers' offense remains intact, so as long as he and Aaron Rodgers stay healthy, we're expecting more of the same in 2015.

Mike Triplett on the Saints' tight end situation:

Veteran tight end Benjamin Watson was arguably the New Orleans Saints’ player of the day during Thursday’s OTA practice – catching both short and long passes alike. Watson caught one deep pass over the middle that likely would have gone for a touchdown even if the Saints were live tackling. He broke open past outside linebacker Anthony Spencer before safety help arrived.

Of course, Watson won’t become the next Jimmy Graham in New Orleans’ offense. But at the same time, don’t sleep on the idea that the 34-year-old could play an expanded role as a pass-catcher after Graham was traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

As I wrote in my recent fantasy breakdown, I don’t think this is a case where young backup tight end Josh Hill will simply leapfrog Watson in the pecking order. Watson will likely even play more snaps than Hill because of his blocking ability.

While Watson could cause Hill owners headaches in certain situations, he's 34-years-old and is going to have a tough time playing starter's snaps ahead of Hill. HC Sean Payton continues to fawn over Hill's skillset, so we believe he's going to breakout this season, a la Travis Kelce or Jordan Cameron in recent years.

At one point, Eagles WRs Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper, and Josh Huff got reps with the 1's, with Matthews in the slot. Later in practice, it was Matthews, Cooper and Jeff Maehl, with Matthews on the outside. Matthews had previously said his role would be expanded by playing some on the outside. We saw that Thursday.

With Jeremy Maclin gone, Matthews will have to play more than the 65% of the snaps that he played as a rookie. He was the #24 WR in standard formats, so increased playing time should lead to a better finish. He won't be limited to the slot in 2015.

Just because Eagles QB Sam Bradford's left knee doesn't appear remotely close to 100 percent healthy on May 28 doesn't mean that Mark Sanchez will be the starting quarterback 109 days later.

But with each passing day that Bradford is not completely back from tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, the specter of Sanchez under center on Sept. 14 in Atlanta becomes more and more of a reality.

Bradford wore a large brace around his left knee Thursday. He was the only player who did not participate in conditioning warm-ups. He threw only during individual drills. He jogged without a limp in between the drills, but when he walked off the field after practice he was clearly favoring his left leg.

But if Bradford isn't participating in seven-on-seven drills next week, as Kelly said he expected him to, or if he isn't taking 11-on-11 repetitions by minicamp in mid-June, or if he isn't ready by training camp in early August, then how ready will he be learning a new offense in a short time? More important, where will he be mentally?

Bradford was shaping up as a sleeper, but it's not good to hear that he's still favoring the leg. We'll reassess as training camp gets started, but he needs reps to learn Kelly's offense.

Colts WR Andre Johnson's late-career change of address has reinvigorated his passion for the game. His mom hears it in his voice. His uncle sees it in his body language. HC Chuck Pagano senses it on the practice field.

For Andre Johnson, football is fun again.

Johnson will likely start opposite T.Y. Hilton. It’s a big upgrade from a quality-of-quarterback standpoint, as he has never played with one as good as Andrew Luck. His targets are likely to take a hit, however. He averaged 9.7 T/G in 2014, while Hilton and Reggie Wayne led the Colts with 8.7 and 7.7 T/G, respectively. So this looks like a case of the targets dropping but the quality of those targets increasing. After finishing in the top 10 (in PPR) in five of his previous six seasons, Johnson finished #28 in 2014. He’s turning 34 this offseason, so it may be foolhardy to expect a huge bounceback season, but low-end WR2 numbers in PPR formats seem reasonable.

Ravens QB Joe Flacco on RB Justin Forsett: 'he's going to be a huge checkdown guy for us.'

Forsett should see his PPR upside increase due to new OC Marc Trestman's tendency to use his running backs in the passing game. Under Trestman, Matt Forte caught 176 passes in the last two seasons, including 102 catches in 2014. Forsett caught 44 passes last season, and could potentially see that number double if he's the RB1 for the Ravens in 2015. However, the loss of OC Gary Kubiak is likely to hurt the Ravens’ running game. As the #8 RB in both standard and PPR formats in 2014, he’ll likely hold more value in PPR formats than in standard formats in 2015.

Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte says he will not hold out for a contract extension.

A two-time Pro Bowl pick, he says he will report to training camp on time despite the team's refusal to extend his deal. Forte is entering the final season of a four-year contract he signed in 2012.

Forte has finished in the top 4 in both PPR and standard formats in the last two years, but his usage (especially in the passing game) was up under former OC Marc Trestman. He’s likely to see a drop in targets, but should still be good for 50-60 catches under new OC Adam Gase. Provided that the holdout doesn’t continue into the summer, Forte should deliver on his mid- to late-1st round ADP.

The Redskins are expected to transition into more of a power-running scheme in 2015 under new offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

"I feel I'm better at downhill plays anyway," Alfred Morris told ESPN.com’s John Keim earlier this week. "You know what's coming. It's a knockout, drag-out style of play. I don't shy away from contact. It's right up my alley. I thoroughly enjoy it."

In his first three seasons, Morris has finished #5, #14 and #13 in standard formats. He's more of a RB2 in PPR leagues (#7, #19, #17) since he has only averaged 0.8 receptions per game in his career. Bill Callahan's arrival (as offensive line coach) should help the effectiveness of the team's running game, which in turn will help Morris's fantasy production. He's a solid value and a safe pick in the 3rd/4th round of early PPR drafts, though rookie Matt Jones may have something to say about that.

David Johnson, a third-round pick out of Northern Iowa, ranked 15th in FCS in 2014, posting 1,553 rushing yards while finding the end zone 17 times. He is expected to make a big contribution to the Cardinals offense this season, according to his position coach, Stump Mitchell.

"He's a guy who has a lot of confidence in his ability to play," Mitchell told Doug and Wolf Thursday on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. "He's coachable. He's a smart young man, he's physical. He's going to make Andre (Ellington) pick up his game when given the opportunity.

"He has excellent hands and he's a bigger target to throw the ball to. He's going to be a big piece of the puzzle before this season is said and done."

Mitchell gushed about Johnson's physicality, citing his ability to run over people as well as run around them. He also conjured a comparison to one of the NFL's most productive backs over the last five years.

"He reminds me a lot of (Chicago RB) Matt Forte," Mitchell said. "You can put him outside and use him as a receiver and he's a good runner."

The Cardinals have been trying to add a bigger back to complement Andre Ellington, and Johnson fits the bill. He does a lot of the same things as Ellington, so for now we're expecting that he'll serve in a backup capacity, but Mitchell sounds as if Johnson will play a larger role than a typical backup. We currently project him for around 147 touches.

Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford is "right on schedule" in his return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, coach Chip Kelly said Thursday. Bradford has been limited during this week's first thre organized team activities. He's able to participate in individual drills, but he's not taking part in team drills.

“He is on schedule," Kelly said. "We all think there’s three phases – there’s medical rehab, performance rehab, and prepare to play.He’s probably at the tail end of medical rehab. He’ll probably start throwing some 7 on 7 next week, and I think he’s right on schedule.”

Over the last two seasons, Philadelphia quarterbacks have averaged 16.7 passing game-only fantasy points. Bradford isn’t much of a runner, but he adds about 0.7 FP per game as a rusher. That adds up to 17.4 FP, or about what Eli Manning averaged as the #13 QB in 2014. The Eagles’ offense has lost their top receiver – DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin – in each of the last two seasons, but Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz are emerging and the team added Nelson Agholor in the draft. If Bradford does start for the Eagles, we wouldn’t expect anything more than high-end QB2 numbers, but this is a definite system upgrade due to the overall effectiveness of Chip Kelly’s offense.

Victor Cruz is getting close.

“I’m about 80 percent there. I think it’s just a matter of continuing to build the strength for the last leg of it,” Cruz told The Post on Wednesday after the Giants’ first OTA practice. “I’ve been running some routes for about two weeks now, and there’s been no pain, no swelling or anything like that, which are all good signs.”

As his teammates worked, Cruz was nearby on a side field, running routes, running hard. Then he iced his surgically repaired right knee. He tore his patellar tendon Oct. 19 in Philadelphia and nearly is all the way back.

Cruz tore his patellar tendon in mid-October, so it's no sure thing that he'll be back for the start of the season, though recent reports are positive. He's not going to get the same number of targets given Odell Beckham's emergence as a top-flight wideout. Cruz will likely play the Randall Cobb role in OC Ben McAdoo's offense, so there is some upside if he's fully healthy by Week 1.

The Vikings want to push the ball deep in Norv Turner's offense, and Mike Wallace, who was their top target at wide receiver this offseason, was the only one the team had interest in acquiring via a trade. He is playing flanker right now, but he said after the Vikings' organized team activity on Wednesday that he expects to move around the offense. Wherever he is, Wallace expects to feel more at home than he did in Miami.

"I think it's more so [like] my first four years," Wallace said. "It's a vertical offense, [rather] than a short, West Coast offense. You go down the field a lot more here, more what I'm accustomed to."

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said he has been spending extra time with Wallace each day, working on routes they ran in practice. The Vikings will use Wallace in a variety of ways -- coach Mike Zimmer has pointed out how dangerous Wallace can be on screen passes, too -- but his deep speed is probably the primary reason he's in Minnesota now.

Wallace will likely start opposite Charles Johnson with Cordarrelle Patterson and Jarius Wright battling for snaps as the team’s WR3. We're wary anytime a receiver changes teams, especially when he's not getting a promotion, which is the case with Wallace. He will have more opportunity to use his speed since OC Norv Turner likes the deep ball.

Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater made it halfway through an answer about the new guy, Mike Wallace, before interrupting himself to offer praise to Kyle Rudolph.

“I’ll tell you, what’s even a better addition is have Kyle Rudolph back healthy,” Bridgewater said. “He’s like a whole new player on the team.”

They expected big things from Rudolph last season, and the lucrative contract extension they gave him during training camp was proof of that.

“You see what my position is capable of in this offense,” Rudolph said. “I’ve proven that throughout the course of a 16-game season, when I’m out there every week, I’m one of the best players at my position.”

It has been a frustrating two years for Rudolph and his owners, as he’s missed 15 of a possible 32 games in that span. But he saw 17 targets in three games last season before going down with a sports hernia. Over the past three seasons, Rudolph has averaged 5.2 targets per game, which is about what Owen Daniels averaged in 2014. There’s some upside in OC Norv Turner’s TE-friendly offense if he can stay healthy. Granted, that’s a big “if.”

Newly-appointed Offensive Coordinator Rick Dennison will look to have a more balanced attack in 2015. A trademark of Dennison’s traditional coaching style, the Broncos will now look to rely on both the rushing and passing offense as opposed to last year’s emphasis on the passing game.

“It’s definitely different,” said Sanders. “You talk about going from a no-huddle offense to an offense that’s huddling up, to an offense that is predicated off running a football and then throwing it. It’s different.”

“It’s a totally different set up, but I tell you what, the more and more I’m in it,” said Sanders. “Because we can get the run game going and just use my vertical speed on cross routes and all these different combinations of routes is based off the play action, then I think the offense will be successful with Peyton Manning at the helm.”

“Of course obviously it’s not going to be one of those offenses, well I’m praying that it is, but obviously it’s not going to be one of those offenses where you catch it and you’re going to have two receivers catching over 100 passes,” said Sanders. “Hopefully, my goal is really to try to get a 1,000 yards to just help this team win ball games.”

The Broncos were pretty balanced last season when compared to the rest of the league. They had the 16th-highest pass/run ratio (57.8%), while new HC Gary Kubiak was running the Baltimore offense with the 22nd-highest ratio (55.3%). With Wes Welker and Julius Thomas gone, we believe that Sanders and Demaryius Thomas are still rock-solid investments in the early rounds, even when we account for a drop in pass attempts.

Cowboys writer Bryan Broaddus on the running back situation at OTAs:

Joseph Randle took the snaps with the first offense to open practice, but each back got the opportunity to show what they had with the group. If you watch our OTA Live on DallasCowboys.com, the one back that will jump out at you during the team period is Ryan Williams. Williams did not practice on Tuesday, but he took full advantage of the snaps he got on Wednesday. Williams’ best trait is his ability to explode, and he was able to display that for all to see. What I have learned about watching him play is that it doesn’t take much to get him in the open field and into the second level. He was impressive.

Williams is the dark horse in the Cowboys' backfield competition, though durability is a major concern. If he continues to outperform Randle, we'll have to adjust our expectations, but for now we believe Randle has the inside track for the RB1 job.

WR Marqise Lee did not take part in the Jaguars’ first OTA session on Tuesday because of a knee injury he suffered during one of the team’s earlier workouts. After watching nagging injuries limit Lee last year, coach Gus Bradley said that the team would take a cautious route with the 2014 second-round pick.

“Marqise banged up his knee a little bit right in the middle of Phase Two,” Bradley said, via the Florida Times-Union. “He’s more day-to-day or week-to-week. I know he wants to get back here, but we’re being smart with him. We’ll see if he makes it back before the minicamp or not.”

Allen Robinson seems to be entrenched as the team's WR1, so Lee will compete with Allen Hurns for snaps as the team's WR2. From Week 12 to Week 17, after the team's bye (and Robinson's injury), Lee played 81% of the snaps while Hurns played 78%.

Praise popped up for Dolphins WR DeVante Parker on Twitter throughout the team’s practice session. Afterward, quarterback Ryan Tannehill added his two cents.

“DeVante was great today,” Tannehill said, via the team’s official website. “We’ve been seeing [it] for the past few weeks just working on air, but today against the defense you got to see him make some tough catches with defenders on his back in traffic, and that’s what you want to see. You’ve got a guy with a big body who’s able to make strong catches with his hands in traffic. That’s when you’re able to cut it loose.”

Via Omar Kelly and Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Parker was “catching everything thrown his way,” and he was “impressive” against veteran defenders like cornerback Brent Grimes.

Parker still has a long way to go before he’s making those plays in pads against full contact, and an even longer way to go before getting it done in games against guys like Darrelle Revis. But at a time when this is the closest thing to football we’ve seen since football season ended, it’s encouraging for Dolphins fans that they may have used the 14th overall pick in the draft on a player who is poised to become a difference maker

Tis the season for puff pieces about how well draft picks are playing at OTAs, but the love for Parker seems universal and genuine. He has to beat out Kenny Stills for a starting role in Bill Lazor's offense, and he's off to a good start.

Bills RB LeSean McCoy has a neck injury. HC Rex Ryan says it's not serious. "We don't need him out there," he said. McCoy sat out team drills.

McCoy is still a fantasy RB1, though he carries more risk since the Buffalo offense could struggle to score points. OC Greg Roman didn't use Frank Gore much in the passing game while in San Francisco, but Gore recently said that was more about Colin Kaepernick and what he was seeing than it was about Roman's offense. It remains to be seen how much McCoy will be used as a receiver, but given Roman's history, we're betting that he's an afterthought in the passing game.

Vikings HC Mike Zimmer on the Adrian Peterson situation:

"Adrian, he’s really got two choices. He can either play for us or he can not play. He’s not going to play for anybody else. That’s just the way it’s going to be.“

Zimmer threw a big bucket of cold water on any potential trade rumors involving Peterson. The Vikings hold all the cards, so the only thing Peterson can do is sit out for the season or report to camp and pout his way out of town. His contract makes him virtually untradeable, so if he truly wants to leave, he should agree to a new, less-expensive contract as part of a trade to a new team. That way everyone can move on.

Steelers RB DeAngelo Williams is considered a bridge back until LeVeon Bell returns from suspension, but he shouldn't be alone on that bridge. The Steelers will need just as much from Dri Archer as from Williams, who signed a two-year, $4 million deal worth $1.13 million in signing bonus money but no incentives in 2015.

Williams is exactly what the money suggests he is -- a veteran who can get you 10-12 carries at a respectable clip and nothing more.

That's why the Steelers will need substantial contributions from Archer and possibly Josh Harris to get through September.

There's not much to love about the idea of starting Williams against the Patriots, 49ers and Rams during Bell's three-game suspension, but we believe that the team will try to get him closer to 15 carries per game. He should be healthy to start the season, and there are reasons why he only averaged 12.2 carries per game in his career -- he was splitting time with Jonathan Stewart and QB Cam Newton carried much of the rushing load for the Panthers. The biggest concern is Williams' 3.5 YPC last season, but he battled injuries the whole way. We think he'll provide low-end RB2 numbers while Bell is sidelined, provided he's healthy.

As for Jordan Reed, he did not respond to a text message as of Tuesday evening but Chris Cooley shared on his ESPN 980 radio show "The Drive" that several people in the Redskins organization had mentioned to him that Reed had not looked good in recent weeks. Not sure at all what that means, but obviously it is something to be concerned about.

When healthy, Reed has averaged 10.5 fantasy points in PPR formats over the past two seasons. This extrapolates to low-end TE1 numbers and he's certainly a worthy start when he's healthy enough to play. His ADP is currently in the 13th/14th round, so he's a low risk pick. If he can't play, Niles Paul becomes a streaming option.

Oft-injured tight end Jordan Reed missed the practice because of knee soreness, Coach Jay Gruden said.

“He just had a little bit of knee soreness, so we sent him down to get checked,” said Gruden, who later downplayed the significance of it.

The severity of the injury was unclear. But given the 24-year-old’s history it certainly bears watching.

When healthy, Reed has averaged 10.5 fantasy points in PPR formats over the past two seasons. This extrapolates to low-end TE1 numbers and he's certainly a worthy start when he's healthy enough to play. His ADP is currently in the 13th/14th round, so he's a low risk pick.

Dorial Green-Beckham strained his hamstring at the team’s rookie minicamp earlier this month and missed last week’s workouts before returning to the field on Tuesday. His return was a brief one, however, as Green-Beckham again tweaked the hamstring and left the field.

“He felt a little pull,” Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt said, via the Tennessean. “You walk that line of saying, `OK, get back in there.’ But if you pull it, you lose him for all the OTAs. You don’t want him missing any more time because you want him in there. We pulled him, but I think he’ll be all right.”

If Green-Beckham picks up things quickly and proves he’s not as raw as his detractors say, he could certainly start early in the season opposite Kendall Wright, since it seems that Justin Hunter is on the outs with the current coaching staff. If he sees starter’s snaps, he should be fantasy relevant as a rookie, though he'll have to prove he's ready for the mental side of the game. Long-term, he has a chance to flourish if both he and Mariota are the real deal.

Anquan Boldin and newly acquired Torrey Smith will likely assume the top two receiving spots on the depth chart, but the No. 3 job appears to be an open competition. The list of pass-catchers competing includes Quinton Patton, Jerome Simpson, Bruce Ellington, Chuck Jacobs and the 49ers five undrafted free agents.

A few months back, Patton seized the opportunity to train with Kaepernick in Arizona.

Chemistry is key for quarterbacks and receivers, especially for a pass-catcher trying to become a staple in the 49ers offensive game plan.

“It benefited me just to know that we were throwing the ball together,” Patton said. “He was telling me what he was seeing and I was telling him what I was seeing and just knowing where to be. He worked on everything he needed to work on, and I worked on everything I needed to work on. It worked hand in hand.”

The 49ers haven't thrown the ball that much in recent years so it's difficult to see a WR3 in this system having much of a fantasy impact. But if either Boldin or Smith suffer an injury, Patton may be able to capitalize.

Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot on the team's running back situation...

I think (Duke Johnson), the Browns' third-round pick out of Miami, will definitely press Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell for playing time, and might even win the job. More than likely, however, I think the Browns will mix and match the backs depending on the opponent. One might start one week and another one the next. At the very least, I think Johnson will see action early on as a third-down back, running and catching passes out of the backfield. He'll also return kicks and make an impact right away.

Last year, HC Mike Pettine was handing out playing time based on practice performance each week, so this is shaping up to be a giant headache for fantasy owners.

Ravens writer John Eisenberg was asked, "Who backs up Justin Forsett?"

The Ravens’ running back piled up 235 carries during his breakout 2014 season, but the team’s other backs combined for 167 carries, which is a lot. Forsett can expect the same load in 2015, but plenty of opportunity exists behind him. Lorenzo Taliaferro moved piles at times as a rookie in 2014 and could be a short-yardage option, but my eyes are on rookie Buck Allen, who totaled almost 2,000 rushing and receiving yards for Southern Cal last season.

We don't project Forsett to see as many carries as he did in 2014 under then-OC Gary Kubiak. His new coordinator, Marc Trestman, favors a pass-heavy approach, and over the past two seasons, Trestman's Bears only averaged 380 carries. Conversely, the Ravens racked up 448 carries last season. If Forsett sees the same share (52.5%) of the Bears' two-year average, it works out to 200 carries. We project the Ravens for around 408 carries, since the team has said it hopes to keep Kubiak's rushing principles in place and HC John Harbaugh is an offensive-minded coach who can ensure that happens. The Ravens drafted Javorius Allen to contribute, so we believe Forsett's share of carries drops to around 42%, which yields 170 carries. However, we project Forsett to set a career high in catches (61.8) since Trestman loves to use his running backs in the passing game. This makes Forsett a good 3rd round value, especially in PPR formats.

Cowboys site writer Bryan Broaddus on the team's WR2 competition:

Devin Street is going into his second season and the coaching staff hopes that there will be a significant jump that would allow him to compete for more of a role in the offense. I don’t see Street taking snaps from Cole Beasley and his role, but could he push Terrance Williams to the point where Williams is no longer the guy looked as the opposite of Dez Bryant? Hopefully for Street, he can use these practices to set himself up in Oxnard to really give Williams a battle. Depending on whom you talk to in the organization, there is a thought that Street is talented enough to take that job.

Williams has finished in the top 20 in fantasy points per target in each of his two seasons, but he doesn't see enough targets to be a reliable fantasy option. In fact, his targets dropped from 74 as a rookie to 66 in his sophomore season even though his snaps jumped 18.5% year over year.

Cowboys site writer Bryan Broaddus on the team's running back situation:

When practices are open to the media on Wednesday, I believe that you will see Joseph Randle running with the first offense while Darren McFadden, Ryan Williams and Lance Dunbar will serve as the main backups. Randle will get the nod over McFadden for the simple reason that he was the backup to DeMarco Murray last season. McFadden appears to be motivated to take this job, and with the target on Randle’s back, I am wondering if he in fact can hold McFadden off for the job? If you asked me who I felt was the most complete back for the job, I would say that it is McFadden. Randle is talented for the scheme but the question will always be is if he mature enough to not let the pressure of trying to win the job affect how he performs. We will be able to see how serious he really is about the job and responsibility now that DeMarco Murray is no longer in the picture.

McFadden is going ahead of Randle in early drafts, but we view Randle as the better bet. He was highly effective (6.7 YPC) in 2014 and is reportedly showing more maturity after several off-the-field issues. He's not going to see a DeMarco Murray-type workload, but 225-250 carries is feasible if he wins the lead back job.

When Adrian Peterson skips this week's organized team activities for the Minnesota Vikings, he will attempt to send an unmistakable message to the franchise: He wants to be traded.

That's what a source within the star running back's inner circle told Yahoo Sports on Sunday night. Despite months of overtures by the Vikings, Peterson has not wavered privately about his wish to continue his career with another franchise. Indeed, the source said Peterson believes he already made ownership and the Vikings' front office aware that he wanted a trade in face-to-face meetings this offseason.

The source, who has been a longtime Peterson confidant, told Yahoo Sports that the running back intends to sit out all of the team's offseason workouts, an act that would cause him to forfeit a $250,000 workout bonus. The longtime confidant said Peterson has not yet made a decision about sitting out of the team's mandatory minicamp in June or training camp in late July.

As it stands, Peterson does not have remaining guaranteed money on his deal. But Peterson's confidant told Yahoo Sports that this has evolved into a far more personal issue between the player and the team and is not a matter of finances. The source said that for Peterson it has "never been about the money," and that the running back is adamant about playing elsewhere.

Throwing out his one-game season in 2014, Peterson never finished outside of the top 6 on a per game basis in standard formats (or outside the top 11 in PPR) in his previous seven seasons. He's now on the wrong side of 30, but his legs should be fresh after taking a full season off to deal with his criminal case last season. He and the Vikings have had a tumultuous relationship over the past eight months, and Peterson has made inferences that he'd like to play somewhere else in 2015. For their part, the Vikings say they want him back, and his contract makes him a very difficult player to trade. This is a situation to monitor closely heading into the summer, but Peterson should be a first round pick no matter where he lands.

HC Gary Kubiak said the Broncos have had internal talks about the possibility of adding a two-point specialist and added that he plans to carve out time in practice to work on two-point attempts and the defense of those plays.

"I think it will change a great deal," Kubiak said, according to ESPN.com.

The Broncos went for two just twice last season, converting both attempts. The Competition Committee expects there to be a 93 to 94 percent conversion rate on extra points in 2015. How often coaches roll the dice on two-point plays has become one of the more intriguing subplots of the new season.

From a fantasy point of view, this could enhance the value of players who are considered two-point specialists, though it won't be clear which teams will utilize this strategy until the season starts.

Falcons beat writer Vaughn McClure:

The running back position became compelling when the Falcons drafted Indiana’s Tevin Coleman in the third round. Coleman, a 2,000-yard rusher last season, boldly claimed he was ready to take over the starting job. Problem is, the Falcons have expressed plenty of faith in second-year player Devonta Freeman, who told me he wants to take his game to another level and maybe be in the MVP conversation one day. Freeman and Coleman will push each other daily, which should only benefit the Falcons going into the 2015 season. Freeman has impressed the new coaching staff with his pass-catching skills, while both players have to show the ability to consistently block when it comes to pass protection. I anticipate a two-back system with equal reps as the Falcons make a concerted effort to bring more offensive balance with a stronger run game. And don’t count out the contribution of explosive Antone Smith, who could be back to his old self once he fully recovers from a broken leg.

We currently project Coleman for 248 touches and Freeman for 160, with Smith seeing 68 touches if his leg is fully recovered. This could be a fairly ugly committee, though the overall production could be solid with Kyle Shanahan running things.

Pat Yasinkas on the Buccaneers running back situation: The Bucs will have two position battles that I find especially compelling. First, there's running back. Doug Martin has been the starter the past three seasons. But he's coming off a disappointing season and the coaching staff and front office don't seem sold on a player they didn't draft. They did draft Charles Sims last year and the coaches are very high on him. Sims could end up beating out Martin.

Sims averaged 2.8 YPC on 66 carries last year but fared well in the passing game (19 catches for 190 yards). The best running back on the roster last year was Bobby Rainey, but no one seems to think he's a threat for a major role as long as Sims and Martin stay healthy.

Redskins beat writers Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir on the team's running back situation:

Tandler: The change from the zone-blocking scheme that Alfred Morris rode to over 3,600 yards rushing over the last three years to more of a power scheme represents a change that Morris needs to start to figure out. The coaches seem to be confident that he can make the adjustment but learning to hit the hole as opposed to looking for a crease, planning a foot, and cutting will take some time. The Redskins could be trying to make one of the biggest third-down backs in the league out of rookie Matt Jones. He will spend a lot of time catching passes and doing what he can to master pass protection, although the real work on blocking will have to wait until the pads go on in Richmond in July.

El-Bashir: My gut tells me Jones is going to have a bigger role in 2015 than some are anticipating. Sure, Morris is the starter. But Jones is big, powerful and, most important, has good enough hands to be a threat out of the backfield. The question right now is how quickly can he grasp the playbook?

Morris has worked on his pass-catching skills but hasn't had much of an opportunity to shine in that area. If Jones wins the job, Morris will continue to be a dicey week-to-week play in PPR formats.

NESN's Doug Kyed on the team's passing-down running back competition:

Shane Vereen’s departure leaves the third-down role wide open, and James White is the favorite to win that job.

The Patriots’ running back competition will be fascinating to watch in training camp. Travaris Cadet will be another player to watch in the third-down mix.

Kyed also mentions Cadet, whom the Patriots went out and signed to a three-year deal. We would have thought White had the inside track as well, but that doesn't explain why the team signed Cadet. Whoever wins the job will become instantly relevant in PPR formats.

As Donte Moncrief pointed out last season, young Colts receivers are at a slight disadvantage compared to other rookies because they must learn the X, Z, slot and the inside (F) spot in Pep Hamilton's offense rather than concentrating on one position.

"I've been all over the place," Phillip Dorsett said. "Basically, playing receiver here, you can't just learn one position. You've got to learn them all."

So far, so good. Dorsett believes he's picking up Hamilton's scheme quickly.

After dialing up a few deep throws to his new weapon, Andrew Luck noted that "it's definitely not too big for him. ... He fits in very, very well."

Long-term, Dorsett is in a good situation, but he’s going to have a tough time getting on the field as a rookie with T.Y. Hilton and Andre Johnson locked in as the team's top two receivers. Dorsett will have to compete with Moncrief for snaps at WR3. It sounds like he's off to a good start, so the Dorsett/Moncrief competition will be one to watch this summer.

On the field for the first day of OTAs (organized team activities) Tuesday, Andre Ellington proclaimed himself healthy and ready to go.

"I'm not limited in anything," he said. "I'm out here running, running around, feeling good."

None of Ellington's injuries were the type that would keep him out long-term or inhibit him going forward. Once healed, he would essentially be the same player he was prior to getting hurt.

The Cardinals drafted David Johnson to lighten Ellington’s workload, and a reduction in touches may actually help his effectiveness, though it's unlikely to help his per game fantasy production. Ellington averaged 22.0 touches per game, but only managed 3.3 YPC after averaging 5.5 YPC in his rookie season.

Lions beat writer Kyle Meinke on Theo Riddick's role in 2015:

HC Jim Caldwell has already said he expects Riddick to be a bigger part of the fold this year. But I think it could end up being mostly as a pass-catcher. I could see a scenario where many of his reps came out of the slot.

Think of it this way: Detroit's running game was awful last year, finishing 28th. Reggie Bush struggled with ankle injuries for a couple months. And the Lions still gave Riddick only 20 touches on the ground.

If Detroit didn't think Riddick could help on the ground under those circumstances, I have a hard time seeing how it happens this year after adding Ameer Abdullah. Unless Riddick totally remakes his game, which I guess is possible. I'm just not banking on it.

Riddick averaged 5.0 catches for 53 yards for 13.2 fantasy points in PPR formats in the five games that Reggie Bush missed last season, but the Lions’ decision to draft Ameer Abdullah throws cold water on Riddick’s chances of becoming a dependable PPR back.

Panthers second-year receiver Kelvin Benjamin strained his hamstring last week, a team spokesman confirmed. As a precaution, he likely won’t participate in next week’s activities, though he has been with the team on the field and in the locker room recently.

Benjamin had a strong rookie season, finishing as the #15 WR in PPR formats and #16 in standard leagues. However, after his team’s Week 12 bye, Benjamin was just the #42 WR the rest of the way. Benjamin admitted to suffering from mental fatigue as a rookie, which is understandable given how much he was asked to do in his first year.

49ers running back Carlos Hyde declined to elaborate on a cryptic message he posted on social media. Just prior to practice, Hyde tweeted: “Trust in God's timing.”

Hyde did not practice on Thursday. Coach Jim Tomsula said the second-year running back is being held out due to an undisclosed leg injury.

“He’s working through the leg. It’s nothing," Tomsula said. "We want you 100 percent. We’re doing this offseason thing and we’re doing things fast and we’re doing all those things, so we’re not going to push. It’s not the season, so we’re trying to treat that the right way.”

Tomsula's "it's nothing" comment is as encouraging as Hyde's tweet is discouraging. Hyde is expected to take over as the team's primary ball-carrier, with Reggie Bush assuming the passing down role. Given Bush's presence and Hyde's 4.0 YPC during in his rookie season, Hyde is probably being overdrafted as he's been going in the middle of the 3rd round of early PPR drafts. Expect 250 or so carries and a limited role in the passing game.

In all, Cardinals WR John Brown played the role of burner about as well as one could have, though he thinks he could emerge as the team's top option in the passing game this year.

"Coach Bruce Arians does a great job of calling plays, and it's actually designed for anybody to make plays and be that guy," he said. "Because it's just when the ball is in the air, you have to get it.

"And I think I'll be used more in underneath routes trying to turn and beat (the defense)."

Brown was the #49 receiver as a rookie and that's about where we have him ranked heading into the 2015 season. The main concern is his opportunity to find consistent playing time and targets behind Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, though he did lead the team in targets (103) and averaged a solid 6.7 T/G with Carson Palmer in the lineup. Fitzgerald averaged 6.8 T/G while Floyd averaged just 5.0 T/G in those six games.

Falcons running back Antone Smith, who suffered a fractured right leg while covering a punt against Carolina on Nov. 16, has started running during his rehabilitation.

“The recovery is going pretty good,” Smith said on Tuesday. “I’m up and running. I’m almost full force, but not quite where I need to be. In time, that will take care of itself.”

Smith is not likely to be cleared when the Falcons open their organized team activities on Tuesday.

Smith believes that he’s a fit for the team’s new outside-zone blocking scheme.

“It’s a fit for my skill set, but it’s a fit for anybody that wants to run the ball,” Smith said. “They want to run the ball here and that’s the biggest thing. They want to run the ball. I don’t care who’s the running back you want to be in this scheme right here. I’m happy for this scheme.”

Along with Devonta Freeman, Smith is a reason we're tepid about rookie Tevin Coleman. It's possible that Coleman wins a feature job in the Falcons' backfield, but Freeman showed some pass-catching chops as a rookie and Smith has racked up 518 yards and seven touchdowns on 44 career touches.

Shane Vereen caught 124 balls in 29 games over the past two years. His presence will undoubtedly be missed.

No single player on the Pats roster will fill his void. So here's what may happen: The Patriots have more talent at the No. 2 tight end spot than they did a year ago, so that position figures to command more targets while the running backs figure to command less.

The pass-catching role out of the backfield could be filled by a combination of Travaris Cadet, James White and Brandon Bolden.

Of that group, Cadet, a free agent signee from New Orleans, is the most intriguing. He has great receiving skills, as you'll see here, and seems comfortable splitting out wide and running routes, a rare trait for a running back.

If any single back wins the Patriots' pass-catching role outright, he'll suddenly be a factor in PPR formats. Vereen averaged 4.3 catches per game over the past two years (including the postseason). That projects to 68.8 receptions over a full 16-game season.

The tight end position is one of great intrigue as the Patriots enter 2015. Ever since Aaron Hernandez was cut, the Pats have been looking for that No. 2 tight end to pair with Rob Gronkowski.

Scott Chandler isn't a "move" tight end, though. At 6-foot-7, 260 pounds, he's similar to Gronk. He's a massive in-line tight end and a matchup problem for all safeties.

The addition of Chandler could mean more snaps at wide receiver for Gronk. The Pats offense was particularly effective a year ago when both Gronk and Julian Edelman were split together on one side.

Keep an eye on Fred Davis here, too. In the midst of the Deflategate madness, the Pats signed the troubled tight end to a one-year deal. It's a flier, for sure, but Davis is a "move" tight end with plenty of talent and plenty of past off-the-field issues.

Chandler is no slouch. He produced in spots for the Bills and while he doesn't fit the profile of a typical "move" TE, the Pats could elect to use Gronk in that role while leaving Chandler inside.

While Bills running backs coach Anthony Lynn would like to see LeSean McCoy’s workload stay the same, he’d prefer if Fred Jackson’s was scaled back. Jackson played 548 snaps last season, a number Lynn said he’d like to see cut in half.

“I think he wore down a little bit at the end of the season,” Lynn said. “If we could take half of that off his plate, I think you’re going to see a fresher Fred Jackson and a more explosive Fred Jackson.”

We currently have Jackson projected to touch the ball 114 times after he racked up 207 touches in 14 games last season, so Lynn's expectations mostly jibe with our projections. As for McCoy, he's going to have a tough time matching the 340 touches he had in 2014 due to the potency and pace of the Philadelphia offense compared to the Buffalo offense. We do have McCoy projected to see 329 touches since OC Greg Roman and HC Rex Ryan both love to run the ball. Just don't expect McCoy's receptions to increase; Roman barely used the very capable Frank Gore in a pass-catching role while calling plays in San Francisco the last few seasons.

Jets OC Chan Gailey on the team's quarterback situation: “Right now, Geno’s the starter…That’s the way it sits and that’s the way we expect it to be.”

Ryan Fitzpatrick is a safe fallback option if Geno Smith doesn't pan out. Neither player is a particularly good fantasy option at this point in the offseason, but the team has a couple of good receivers in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, and an up-and-coming tight end in Jace Amaro. It's not inconceivable that the Jets' starter is stream-worthy at some point this fall.

Question: It seems to me that there is a growing perception that Joseph Randle is the lead for most carries among the committee of running backs. This seems to be a reasonable assumption based on his one-cut skill set aligning better to the Cowboys running scheme as opposed to the other backs. Would you agree with that assessment?

Cowboys beat writer Rainer Sabin: Yes. I agree with that. Plus, he has played more regularly in this particular system and behind this line before. And he has experience as a starter. Don't forget that as a rookie he replaced DeMarco Murray as the primary running back in 2013 when Murray was injured.

Darren McFadden is going ahead of Randle in early drafts, but Randle may be the better bet. He was highly effective (6.7 YPC) in 2014 and is reportedly showing more maturity after several off-the-field issues. He's not going to see a DeMarco Murray-type workload, but 225-250 carries is feasible if he wins the lead back job. Don't forget about McFadden's struggles when the Raiders' moved to a zone-blocking scheme in 2012.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had breakfast with wide receiver Lance Moore last Tuesday after he passed the team physical.

In 2015, the Lions hope a veteran like Moore can help Stafford feast on opposing defenses as he brings plenty of familiarity with offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi's scheme.

"He seems like a great guy," Stafford said last week at Taste of the Lions. "He obviously has knowledge of the system. It's changed a little bit. We talked about that, but not too much to where it's going to be tough for him to learn it."

Moore is turning 32 this summer and it's not clear how much he has left in the tank. He was only targeted 26 times last season as the Steelers' WR4, but he does seemed to be a handpicked choice for Lombardi's offense. He could serve as the team's WR3 if he has a good summer.

Eagles beat writer Sheil Kapadia on the team's receiving roles:

One thing I know about Chip Kelly: He believes in making rookies earn playing time. So don't be surprised/alarmed if Nelson Agholor starts out with the second or third team. But given how advanced Agholor seems to be from a mental standpoint, he could be the exception.

Riley Cooper's role is one we probably haven't discussed enough here. There's a scenario where the Eagles settle on Jordan Matthews, Josh Huff and Agholor as the top three receivers, leaving Cooper on the sideline. ... But Huff will have to prove he's a more reliable option in his second year to earn those snaps.

As for Matthews' role, my guess is he plays a lot more outside in 2015. I didn't think his size was a huge advantage in the slot last year, even though he was highly productive in that role, and Agholor may be better suited to play inside as a rookie.

Matthews will have to play more than the 65% of the snaps that he played as a rookie. He was the #24 WR in standard formats, so increased playing time should lead to a better finish. We're more interested in just how much Agholor, Huff and Cooper will play.

Raiders QB Derek Carr has right ring finger injury that may require surgery. OTAs in question but optimistic about training camp, per source.

We'll see how this plays out, but if Carr has to go under the knife, it's going to impact his ability to prepare for the season. If he were a five-year vet, it may not matter, but he can use all the practice he can get as he enters his second season.

Ravens WR Breshad Perriman enters a very favorable position to put up some big numbers in his rookie season. He is the decided favorite to begin the season as a starter over Marlon Brown, Kamar Aiken and Michael Campanaro. He has a shot to become the Ravens' No. 1 receiver because coach John Harbaugh talked about how he wanted to reduce Steve L Smith's snaps to save on his wear and tear. And Perriman's speed is the perfect complement to Joe Flacco's strong arm.

Perriman probably won't make many short lists for rookie of the year before the season, because he's considered a more raw prospect than some of the wide receivers taken in the first round. He has to improve his route running and consistency catching the ball, which is why he fell to the Ravens at No. 26 overall.

"We got a guy with a tremendous amount of talent who’s only going to get better," assistant general manager Eric DeCosta said. "I’m not going to say he’s 'elite' or this or that, but he’s a very talented guy. He’s motivated, he’s smart, it’s important to him, comes from a football family, and he’s on the come [up], and we’re going to get the most out of him as we can."

The interesting takeaway here may be that the team would like to limit Smith's snaps, though that may not be easy given the team's situation at receiver. Harbaugh recently talked up Brown, so perhaps he's planning to play Brown over Smith in some situations.

Philly.com's Zach Berman on the Eagles' new running backs:

Last season was the first time DeMarco Murray played 16 games, and he had 392 carries. That was the most by any running back since Larry Johnson in 2006. Johnson never had another 1,000-yard season.

Don’t expect Murray to near that carry total this season. He will no doubt be the featured running back, but coach Chip Kelly wants carries to be shared. That’s where Ryan Mathews comes in.

Mathews appeared at first to be the consolation prize to missing out on Gore, but the Eagles still signed him. The former first-round pick is a talented rusher who has twice topped 1,000 yards, but injuries have also been an ongoing issue. He had a career-low 330 yards last season while playing on six games. I wouldn't count on him carrying the ball more than 220 times like he did in his 1,000-yard season (unless Murray gets injured), but he can find a sweet spot in the mid-100s.

We currently project Mathews for 132 carries for 561 yards, which jibes with the numbers that Berman had in mind. We project Murray for 285 carries (for 1,279 yards), which is a far cry from the 392 totes he saw last season. Berman went on to say that the team "needs to get" Darren Sproles more involved, but that may be tough since the team replaced LeSean McCoy with two new running backs.

The Miami Dolphins announced Monday they've signed Ryan Tannehill through the 2020 season.

It’s a four-year, $77 million extension on top of the two years and $18.255 million Tannehill had remaining on his rookie deal, a person informed of the contract's details told USA TODAY Sports.

The deal includes $45 million in guarantees, said the person, who was not permitted to speak publicly since the team did not release financial details of the contract.

In his first three seasons, Tannehill finished #24, #16 and finally #9 in quarterback scoring. That’s a nice trend. The Dolphins spent the offseason trying to upgrade his weapons, and ended up with Jordan Cameron at tight end to go along with Kenny Stills, DeVante Parker and Greg Jennings at receiver. Sure, they traded away Mike Wallace, but that trio (and the emerging Jarvis Landry) should be able to offset that loss. If healthy, Cameron should also be an upgrade on the departed Charles Clay. Tannehill has a good coordinator in Bill Lazor and host of weapons to utilize. He looks like a very safe pick in the 9th round.

One of the top reasons the Ravens selected rookie running back Buck Allen (a.k.a. Javorius Allen) in the fourth round of the NFL draft was his ability to catch passes out of the backfield.

"We've seen Buck catch passes, we've seen Buck pass protect, so we know he can do it," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "He has done it out here and looks very smooth doing it. He's running the ball well. We haven't had any surprises."

Allen will likely learn behind Justin Forsett, who just signed a three-year deal after having a career year under former OC Gary Kubiak. With OC Marc Trestman in the fold, we're expecting Forsett (and eventually, Allen) to be very active in the passing game.

Cowboys TE Jason Witten said he’s excited to see what Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden, Lance Dunbar and Ryan Williams can do with their opportunities behind Dallas’ talented offensive line.

“More than anything it’s competition,” Witten said. “That’s what Coach Garrett has tried to do a good job of bringing in competition and having us compete. That’s a position I think we’re all excited to see where it’ll go.”

When asked specifically about Randle, who was arrested twice in the last year, Witten said he thinks the third-year back has learned from his experiences and “decided to kind of embrace this opportunity.”

“He’s had good workouts,” Witten said. “I could tell he’s focused, he’s locked in. I think he sees the opportunity he has in front of him. I think he wants everybody to have that trust in him that he can be the guy.”

The Cowboys' running back competition will be one of the most closely watched camp battles in the league. Whoever wins the job has RB1 potential running behind the team's talented offensive line. Randle is the most intriguing back in the group given the 6.7 YPC he posted last season. If he can prove he can be trusted (after a host of off the field issues), he could be a breakout player in 2015.

Jaguars beat writer Mike DiRocco: "T.J. Yeldon will win the starting job and become the Jaguars' feature back. Denard Robinson will still have a significant role in the offense and Toby Gerhart will get work, too, but the Jaguars are counting on Yeldon to revitalize a run game that hasn't finished higher than 21st in the NFL since the 2011 season."

Toby Gerhart struggled with injuries last season and may play more of a fullback/H-back position this season. Denard Robinson was solid in stretches, but apparently the Jaguars don’t view him as an every-down, feature-type back. Yeldon’s upside will depend heavily on the growth of QB Blake Bortles and the entire Jacksonville offense, which suddenly has a young and talented receiving corps (Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns) and a weapon at tight end in Julius Thomas.

Ravens beat writer Jamison Hensley: "I'm ... under the assumption that tight end Dennis Pitta and safety Terrence Brooks will begin the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list."

If Pitta starts the season on PUP, he won't be eligible to play in the first six games. It's not often that rookie tight ends are fantasy relevant. It's a tough position to learn and since it's a "onesie" position in most fantasy leagues, there isn't a ton of demand. Maxx Williams has a chance to be a factor at the position given the opportunity he has for playing time in Marc Trestman's pass-happy offense. Under Trestman, Martellus Bennett finished as the #10 and #5 TE in both PPR and standard formats in the last two seasons. If Williams has a great summer, he may be TE2-worthy in fantasy drafts.

In hopes of complementing Alfred Morris with their first true big running back since Stephen Davis left after the 2002 season, the Redskins drafted Florida's 6-2, 226-pound Matt Jones in the third round this month.

"Alfred's a darn good halfback," Redskins coach Jay Gruden said Saturday on the second day of Washington's three-day rookie minicamp. "In order to take carries off of him, you gotta show a lot. "So far, Matt's taken the right steps to take a little bit of the load off of Alfred (who had 85 percent of the carries by Washington's running backs the past three seasons). If you want to commit to running the football, you gotta have a couple guys that can tote it."

By hiring offensive line coach Bill Callahan, who helped make Dallas the NFL's top rushing offense in 2014, and using three of their first five draft choices on Jones, tackle Brandon Scherff, and guard Arie Kouandjio, new Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan has shown how committed the Redskins are to a power running game. McCloughan called Jones "a physical player and as tough as crud." And yet, Gruden raved about the rest of the rookie's game.

"You think of him as a big, power-type back, but Matt's done some things out in space that have been very, very impressive, making moves on the second level, in the passing game, running some option routes on linebackers," Gruden said. "He's got natural hands."

Jones only had 19 catches in three years at Florida, but it sounds as if he may compete for third down duties now that Roy Helu is no longer locking down that role. Morris has caught 68.5 percent of his targets, which is a higher rate than what Shane Vereen and Jamaal Charles posted last season, but he has yet to make much of an impression in the passing game.

Conceding that they can't count on Vick Ballard in the featured back role, the Colts signed Frank Gore and drafted tackle-shedding Josh Robinson in the sixth round to go with holdover Boom Herron.

General manager Ryan Grigson isn't making any promises to a healthy Ballard.

"Two years is a long time not to play football, there's no doubt about it," Grigson said. "The only thing he needs to do is get a devil-may-care mindset. Because if you think about getting hurt, or you're concerned about getting hurt again, then you probably will."

Ballard realizes training camp could be his final shot at a roster spot in Indianapolis.

This further underlines Gore's value as the team's feature back. Dan Herron will get some work in a backup capacity, but Ballard is just fighting for a roster spot at this point.

Via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego, the Chargers RB Melvin Gordon is already making an impression a day after signing his contract, even though teams aren’t able to do much resembling football at the moment.

“He did a nice job,” Chargers head coach Mike McCoy said. “We weren’t really going full speed out there, just really an introduction to make sure everyone’s got a hat on hat and guys are running to the right spot.

“But he makes a few of those moves and cuts, you understand why we took him where we did.”

The Chargers traded up to get Gordon, so we’d expect they’ll use him early and often in 2015. In fact, GM Tom Telesco used the phrase "impact player" 11 times in Gordon's introductory press conference. Ryan Mathews is gone, so it’s Gordon’s job to lose. He doesn’t have a lot of experience as a receiver, so we'd expect that Danny Woodhead still gets a lot of work on third down while Gordon establishes himself as a good weapon out of the backfield. Given Todd Gurley’s ACL recovery, we'd also expect that Gordon will be the first rookie running back off the board.

It’s still too early to know exactly when TE Dennis Pitta will be back on Sundays, but he’s back alongside his teammates at practice and feeling pretty good. Those ruling him out for 2015 should take pause.

Asked point blank whether he’ll play this season, Pitta rolled his eyes and chuckled.

“I’m optimistic,” he said. “I feel good. But obviously it’s a process. I have an idea in mind of where I’d like to be in a couple months, but at the same time you don’t know. I know what it felt like to do this one time. I’ve never known what it felt like to do it twice.”

In terms of the injury being healed, Pitta is 100 percent. In terms of him being back in football shape, he’s not there yet. He can run and cut, he said. He’s running routes and catching passes.

“I’m certainly encouraged by what I’m able to do on the field,” he said. “Being out there, running routes, catching the football, that’s what I love to do. So it’s fun to be able to do that a little bit.”

We're going to wait and see how Pitta's offseason progresses before counting him in for 2015. His potential recovery will have a big impact on Maxx Williams' playing time and upside in Marc Trestman's pass-happy offense.

"I'm happy with Breshad," Flacco said, per the team's official website. "He looks really good. He looks big, powerful, runs well."

At 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds, Perriman gives Marc Trestman's offense good size along with insane 4.24 speed. Viewed as a replacement for the departed Torrey Smith, the rookie out of Central Florida also arrives with questions about his hands after too many drops in college. Flacco, though, insists that hasn't been an issue in Baltimore.

"His hands look like they're really good. He looks like he has big, strong hands," Flacco said. "He snatches the ball out of the air."

The Ravens needed a receiver to replace Torrey Smith and Perriman fits the bill. He has great speed, so he’ll complement Steve L. Smith’s intermediate game. Throw in a pass-happy OC Marc Trestman and a solid quarterback in Joe Flacco and it all adds up to potentially heavy snaps and targets for Perriman, presuming he can pick things up quickly as a rookie. It's obviously an upgrade for Flacco, considering how the receiving corps was shaping up prior to the draft.

Seattle running back Robert Turbin had surgery recently on his hip, the team has confirmed. FoxSports.com first reported the news.

But the expectation is that Turbin will be ready for the 2015 season, and likely ready for the beginning of training camp in late July.

Turbin should continue as Marshawn Lynch's backup, much to the chagrin of Christine Michael owners.

Mike DiRocco predicts that T.J. Yeldon will start for the Jaguars at running back.

I originally had Denard Robinson here, but general manager David Caldwell said he's going to work as a kick returner in 2015. He fits more as a change-of-pace back, anyway. So the job goes to the second-round pick from Alabama. The Jaguars like his patience, running style and anticipation.

Toby Gerhart is also in the mix, but he's rumored to be slated for more of a fullback/H-back role for the team in 2015. As a team, the Jaguars averaged a healthy 4.5 YPC last season, which was 9th in the league. Unfortunately, they were last in the league in points scored, so rushing touchdowns may be tough to come by. The entire offense needs to take a step forward for Yeldon to post solid fantasy RB2 numbers.

“The running game nowadays, you need to have a couple of guys that can tote it,” Redskins HC Jay Gruden told Kevin Sheehan and Thom Loverro on ESPN 980 earlier this week. “Sixteen games is a long time, that’s a lot of games, a lot of carries, that’s a lot of hits on these running backs.”

Gruden said that he would like to split up the carries more than he did last year, when he went with what was mostly a one-back attack. Alfred Morris had 265 rushing attempts. The other tailbacks on the roster, Roy Helu, Silas Redd, and Chris Thompson, combined for 59 rushing attempts. That is 82 percent of the carries for Morris, 18 percent for the rest.

In his three years as the offensive coordinator with the Bengals, Gruden spread the workload in different ways in different seasons. In 2012 he had BenJarvus Green-Ellis take 80 percent of the tailback rushing attempts. But in 2011 it was a 70-30 split between Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott. And in 2013 Cincinnati drafted Giovani Bernard and gave him 170 carries to 220 for Green-Ellis (that’s a 56-44 split in percentage terms).

So maybe splitting up the running back carries isn’t so much a matter of philosophy for Gruden as much as doing things the way the quality of his stable of running backs dictates. He told Sheehan and Loverro that he will see who can earn the carries that Morris won’t get.

“I think you give Alfred the bulk of [the carries] and then Matt Jones comes in there, it could be Chris Thompson, it could be Silas Redd,” he said. “We’ll see how camp goes to see who deserves the carries, who’s going to get the carries. They have to prove then can protect the ball, No. 1, and prove they can pick up blitzes, No. 2 and then they will get some carries behind Alfred.”

We're still expecting Morris to see the vast majority of the carries, but this is something to keep in mind if another back flashes in the preseason. In his first three seasons, Morris has finished #5, #14 and #13 in standard formats. He's more of a RB2 in PPR leagues (#7, #19, #17) since he has only averaged 0.8 receptions per game in his career. Bill Callahan's arrival (as offensive line coach) should help the effectiveness of the team's running game, which in turn will help Morris's fantasy production. He's a solid value and a safe pick in the 3rd/4th round of early PPR drafts. He should go in the 2nd/3rd in standard leagues.

In an interview on Bills flagship station WGR Sportsradio 550, Bills QB E.J. Manuel said his commitment to the quarterback position has reached a point of singular fixation, and attributes it to the adversity he faced last season when he was benched after just four starts.

“I think what I went through that’s just what made me grow up. That was true adversity in my playing career,” Manuel said. “As far as the competitive edge I have now, it’s crazy. It’s almost an obsession now as far as mastering this position and mastering this offense and mainly the fundamentals and mechanics of the game. Why not spend all my time doing that? There’s really nothing else to do right now. The main thing is just being all in and investing in yourself.”

Manuel insists his throwing accuracy is much improved after working for four months this offseason with former NFL QB Steve DeBerg. He credits DeBerg with eliminating the wind up in his throwing motion that compromised his accuracy. His throwing motion is much more compact now and he feels his accuracy is much improved.

The team acquired Matt Cassel in the offseason and he's likely to start unless Manuel is able to make big strides. There are a lot of weapons in Buffalo, but under new OC Greg Roman the team is likely to utilize a run-heavy approach (with LeSean McCoy and Fred Jackson) and rely on its defense to win games.

At last check late last month, Giants WR Victor Cruz was doing straight-line running. He hadn't yet reached the point of cutting, even though he claimed to be close. There were "zero doubts" about whether he would be ready for the season opener in September.

Now into early May, Cruz has begun cutting. He's running routes against air (no defenders) and trying to rebuild strength and confidence in the right knee where his patellar tendon tore in an October game against the Eagles.

"We got [to cutting]," Cruz said Tuesday night prior to the 22nd annual United Way of New York City Gridiron Gala at the Hilton in Manhattan. "We started running some intermediate routes on air and stuff like that. It's feeling good. It's feeling tood so far. I think I'm 75-80 percent right now. It's just a matter of building it."

GM Jerry Reese, coach Tom Coughlin and Cruz's teammates all are confident he'll be back for the start of the season. There has been nothing to this point that has indicated otherwise.

Cruz tore his patellar tendon in mid-October, so it's no sure thing that he'll be back for the start of the season, though recent reports are positive. He's not going to get the same number of targets given Odell Beckham's emergence as a top-flight wideout. Cruz will likely play the Randall Cobb role in OC Ben McAdoo's offense, so there is some upside if he's fully healthy by Week 1.

The Lions announced they agreed to a one-year deal with veteran WR Lance Moore.

Moore is turning 32 this summer and it's not clear how much he has left in the tank. He was only targeted 26 times last season as the Steelers' WR4. At this point, he's competing for a roster spot, not a major role in the passing game.

Confirmed via AP, Jaguars WR Justin Blackmon did apply for reinstatement and was denied.

It does not appear likely that Blackmon will play in 2015. The Jaguars will go into the season with Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns as their top three receivers.

Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter praised the rookie quarterback, citing Jameis Winston's recall and football intelligence during the draft process as reasons he impressed the organization.

Koetter added that coming from a pro-style system at Florida State has prepared Winston to play right away.

"Florida State was probably installing more stuff per day than we do," Koetter said, via ESPN.com. "I've known about (FSU coach) Jimbo Fisher and his style of offense for a long time. They truly do run an NFL-style system. They ask a lot of their guys mentally. Jameis is as well-prepared as most any guy could be right now."

Winston is a shoo-in to start immediately, so opportunity is plentiful. He has two established weapons to throw to in receivers Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, and TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins is expected to make strides in his second season. The situation from a skill position standpoint is very good, though the offensive line isn't. The Bucs did add two offensive linemen in the 2nd round, so there should be improvement up front. Rookie QBs are generally poor fantasy bets, but Winston should be a committee/streaming option in 12-team leagues.

HC Jay Gruden called QB Robert Griffin III the Redskins’ starter this offseason and said Monday that he’s already seen a positive difference from Griffin when it comes to film study. Gruden expects to see the same kind of growth from Griffin on the field now that he’s more familiar with the scheme.

“Going into Year 2 in this system should be a big jump, you know,” Gruden said, via the Washington Post. “You’re not really thinking about who’s where, what’s my footwork. Everything should come a lot more natural for you, and hopefully, we see that transition from year one to year two in this system with the terminology and knowing where to go with your footwork and anticipation of getting the ball out quicker. Hopefully, that comes.”

RG3 averaged 12.0 fantasy points in the six games that he started (and finished) in 2014. That's what Blake Bortles averaged as the league's #24 fantasy quarterback. We know Griffin is capable of more, but he hasn't been the same player since his rookie season. Specifically, he's not running the ball as often or as effectively. If Gruden is right and the offense clicks in Year 2, then Griffin could be a nice value in the later rounds.

The NFL took deflate-gate very seriously, hammering the New England Patriots with unheard of punishment in the matter of deflated footballs.

The league announced Monday that quarterback Tom Brady was suspended four games, the team was fined $1 million and will lose its 2016 first-round draft pick and a fourth-round pick in 2017.

If Brady doesn't win his (probable) appeal, his fantasy value will take a huge hit. The Patriots have a Week 4 bye, so he wouldn't be available to owners until Week 6. Jimmy Garoppolo will likely get the start in his place. One potential strategy would be to stream the position until his return, but it depends on how far his ADP falls. With a four game suspension, he won't be ranked in the top 25 in our initial projections. This will be a case of where his season-long ranking won't jibe with what he'll produce on a per game basis upon his return. The loss of Brady for four games will negatively impact the entire New England offense, though they have survived before without him (in 2008 with Matt Cassel). Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell all take a small hit.

Former Redskins franchise TE Fred Davis and New England Patriots have reached agreement on a one-year deal, per source.

Davis was suspended in 2014 following multiple off-the-field incidents. The Patriots have been aggressive at the tight end position this offseason by signing Scott Chandler and now Davis. It appears the team would like to get back to more of those two-TE sets they ran with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The 29-year-old Davis has receiving chops -- he caught 59 passes for 796 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games in 2011, and had a 48-509-6 season in 2009.

Cowboys beat writer Todd Archer on the team's running back situation:

"I wouldn't write anything down yet with the running back spot. It's too fluid. I made a bold prediction - well, I thought it was bold - that Joseph Randle will run for 1,200 yards in 2015. So that should tell you who I think gets the "bulk" of the carries this season. The Cowboys will go with a committee approach at running back. I don't think you will see a guy come close to 300 carries. It could work out better for Darren McFadden to be a committee guy. He's not been able to stay healthy for most of his career. To me Randle is a better fit for the scheme and showed in small doses he has a feel for the Cowboys' scheme. There is a lot more to playing the position than just running the ball, but to me Randle should be the guy."

McFadden is going ahead of Randle in early drafts, but Randle may be the better bet. He was highly effective (6.7 YPC) in 2014 and is reportedly showing more maturity after several off-the-field issues. He's not going to see a DeMarco Murray-type workload, but 225-250 carries is feasible if he wins the lead back job.

Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo's intro to Johnny Manziel has been encouraging.

"Johnny's been great,'' DeFilippo said after the second rookie camp practice Saturday. "He's been fantastic. What he wants to talk about, before he stepped foot back in this building is his business. All I know is Johnny the football player, and he's been awesome. He's been working hard, very hard with myself and (quarterbacks coach Kevin O'Connell), and doing what we want him to do on the field."

Hard enough to become a successful NFL quarterback?

"All I know is this: From the moment he stepped in this building from the last two weeks, he's been nothing but a consummate professional,'' DeFilippo said. "He's spent every hour that he's been allowed to spend in this building. We give them worksheets every Tuesday and every Friday, and they're done to the unbelievable detail that we need an NFL quarterback to do. From that standpoint, like I said I can't predict the future, but all I can do is tell you right now Johnny Manziel is putting himself in a position to be a quarterback in the NFL."

There is certainly opportunity in Cleveland for playing time, but it isn't a great situation for a young quarterback given the unexciting receiving options (namely Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline, who combined to catch two touchdowns last season). By all accounts, it does appear that Manziel is on his way to turning his career around. He finished a rehab program, moved to the suburbs and has earned praise from his teammates and coordinator.

All of Giants QB Eli Manning’s statistics trended upward in 2014 after a sub-par 2013, with room for more growth.

“Usually when you put in changes or change the system or address fundamentals, it usually shows up in Year 2,’’ OC Ben McAdoo said. “I like the look in his eye. I am excited for what is on the plate this year.’’

Manning finished the season as the #10 fantasy quarterback, but was #2 over the final six weeks, when OC Ben McAdoo said that the team finally played the way it wanted to play. In Odell Beckham, Manning finally has a stud receiver. The free agent signing of receiving specialist Shane Vereen and the return of a (hopefully) healthy Victor Cruz give Manning two more weapons to utilize in the passing game. He looks like a great value for those who want to wait on the position until the 9th or 10th round.

Browns coach Mike Pettine revealed Saturday that fourth-round receiver Vince Mayle will undergo surgery after rookie camp on his broken right thumb.

"It should not be an issue in the fall,'' Pettine said after day two of rookie camp. "We wanted him to come out, just see how it was, test it. Found out real quick yesterday that there's still some lingering pain there. So, we're going to go ahead and get it corrected."

Mayle, the only receiver among the Browns' 12 draft picks, injured the thumb during Senior Bowl week in January, but didn't realize it was fractured until he had X-rays at the NFL combine in late February.

The Browns knew about the injury when they drafted Mayle, but were hoping it would heal on its own.

Mayle has a chance to emerge as a contributor if he can pick things up quickly.

The Cowboys placed the franchise tag on WR Dez Bryant this off-season, but he has yet to sign it. It’s likely that Bryant won’t practice with the team until training camp starts in late July.

OC Scott Linehan said Saturday that Bryant’s absence gives young wide receivers like Terrance Williams and Devin Street opportunities to work at the other receiver positions.

Linehan: “I’m not worried about Dez, he’ll be ready to rock and roll when it’s all said and done, I’m sure of that.”

Last season, Bryant was the #3 WR in standard formats and #4 in PPR. It was the third consecutive season that he finished in the top 7 in both formats. He is one of fantasy’s most dependable receivers. The only concern heading into the season is whether he’ll be distracted by his ongoing contract negotiations.

Cardinals RB Andre Ellington on his recovery from a foot injury: "I'm close to doing a lot of things I've done in the past. Just (this week) I was able to do all my cuts and put a lot more pressure on my foot."

Ellington felt the opposite of threatened when the Cardinals drafted running back David Johnson in the third round last week. If Johnson, from Northern Iowa, is what the Cardinals think he is, he will lighten Ellington's load.

"I don't see why not," Ellington said when asked if he would be helped by the addition of Johnson. "It allows me to have more rest time, and it should keep the offense upbeat."

The Cardinals drafted Johnson to lighten Ellington’s workload, and a reduction in touches may actually help his effectiveness, though it's unlikely to help his per game fantasy production. Ellington averaged 22.0 touches per game, but only managed 3.3 YPC after averaging 5.5 YPC in his rookie season.

Denver's third-round pick, TE Jeff Heuerman, suffered a torn ACL today and is expected to miss the 2015 season, per the Broncos.

It was unlikely that Heuerman would have been fantasy relevant as a rookie, but we'll never know. If he can pick up the mental side of the game as he rehabs his injury, he should be ready to go in 2016.

Former OC Adam Gase said that Broncos RB C.J. Anderson wasn't in great shape last season:

“In Denver — Anderson would hate me for saying this — but he got tired and was a little chubby sometimes,” Gase said. “I mean, he got worn down quick and then we had to rotate backs in last year.”

Anderson's fatigue might have something to do with the 24.0 touches he averaged over the final eight games. Over that span, he averaged 132 total yards and 1.3 TD, and was the #1 fantasy running back. If the Broncos commit to Anderson, he should thrive under new HC Gary Kubiak, who just coaxed a career year out of journeyman Justin Forsett.

Jaguars RB T.J. Yeldon exhibited many of the characteristics Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell and coach Gus Bradley talked about after drafting him.

“T.J. looked pretty smooth,” Bradley said. “A lot of the same things that we saw on tape. His ability to make quick decisions, spontaneous decisions, his instincts. One play really jumps out at me and it’s the same thing we saw on tape.”

Yeldon showed off his agility and acceleration during 11-on-11 work.

Toby Gerhart struggled with injuries last season and may play more of a fullback/H-back position this season. Denard Robinson was solid in stretches, but apparently the Jaguars don’t view him as an every-down, feature-type back. Yeldon’s upside will depend heavily on the growth of QB Blake Bortles and the entire Jacksonville offense, which suddenly has a young and talented receiving corps (Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns) and a weapon at tight end in Julius Thomas.

Cowboys RB coach Gary Brown broke down the team's backfield:

Darren McFadden:

“I just admired him from afar, watching him on tape. I think he’s big, strong, incredibly fast, tough guy. He’s buying into our system. He wants to be here. He’s doing everything I ask him to do. I’m looking forward to seeing him in pads. … I’ve been out here watching him run. He looks very fast. We’re just looking forward to seeing him in pads in our system.”

Joseph Randle:

“I think Joe really has to make sure he takes care of everything on and off the field. We want to trust Joe, we like Joe, but we want to make sure he’s going to be with us at all times. I think he’s maturing up and he’s getting better and he understands the opportunity he has in front of him and I think he’ll take full advantage. I think those days are behind him and we’re looking forward to working with Joe. … Just being around him these last few weeks, he seems to be more mature to me. He and I have sat down and had one-on-one conversations about his future and I think he wants to go in the right direction.”

Lance Dunbar:

“I envision [him getting more opportunities]. I think he’s a hell of a football player, we’ve got to try and get him more involved and I think coach Linehan is going to do a great job doing that. … [He didn’t get more carries last season] because I think the run game was so explosive and DeMarco was running so well. It’s just like anything in life, you’ve got a guy who is hot, you want to ride that guy and make sure he gets his touches and I think we did the right thing by getting him his touches. Obviously with, what was it, 1,800 yards and 13, 14 touchdowns, whatever it was, I think we made the right decision.”

Brown later said he might have been premature not also mentioning Ryan Williams with that group.

The soon-to-be 28-year-old McFadden hasn't cracked 3.5 YPC since the 2011 season, when he ran for 614 yards on 113 carries (5.4 YPC) in seven games. That's the rub with McFadden -- fantasy owners haven't been able to count on his durability. He has missed roughly a quarter of his team's games since entering the league. Randle averaged 6.7 YPC behind the Dallas offensive line last season, but has had a host of off-the-field issues. Dunbar is more of a third down back, while Williams is a former second round pick who has been unable to stay healthy. The team has insinuated that it still may trade for a running back or sign a free agent (like Chris Johnson or perhaps Ray Rice), so the backfield is far from settled. McFadden is currently the first Dallas running back off the board in the 7th round.

Dolphins GM Dennins Hickey said “we were very excited” that running back Jay Ajayi “was still there in the fifth round. He brings the ability to play all three downs. He’s a power back but yet still has elusiveness.”

Ajayi dropped in the draft because of concerns his knee, but he’s a first or second round talent and an all-around back that will complement Lamar Miller well in Miami. It’s a good spot for Ajayi, and the physical player from Boise State will be considered a prime sleeper candidate this year as a tandem back if his knee holds up. Miller is still an attractive RB2, but it's clear that the Dolphins haven't fully committed to him.

The Raiders signed veteran Michael Crabtree from San Francisco on April 13 and then used the No. 4 overall pick on Alabama receiver Amari Cooper in the first round of the draft last Thursday night. Cooper and Crabtree are both expected to start.

Crabtree hasn't been himself since his Achilles injury, but there is opportunity in the Raider receiving corps. The problem is that he's not markedly better than Andre Holmes or Rod Streater, so Crabtree could end up anywhere from second to fourth in the pecking order by the time preseason rolls around.

So what comes next for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots?

That's up for the NFL to determine. The Wells Report didn't find absolute evidence that the Patriots tampered with footballs. It found reason to believe they did.

ESPN's Adam Schefter appeared on WEEI Thursday morning to offer his take.

"If I had to guess, and I want to emphasize this is a guess, my guess is that Tom Brady is going to get some sort of suspension, a short suspension," Schefter said, via WEEI.com. "He's going to appeal it. He's going to have grounds to appeal it. He may even waive the appeal and this whole thing about air pressure in footballs continues to go on and detract from a sport and a defending world champion in a completely unnecessary way."

Obviously, Brady's fantasy stock will take a hit if he's suspended. It will also impact the Patriots skill position players (e.g. Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell) to a lesser degree.

Eagles QB Mark Sanchez believes he'll be able to compete for the QB1 job:

“Really just talking with Coach Kelly and knowing I’m coming with the opportunity to compete for the starting job,” Sanchez said, via CSN Philly. “That was important to me. There were some other opportunities out there, but I didn’t want to switch systems again. On a one-year deal, it’s different for maybe a defensive player then for an offensive player, especially a quarterback. You’ve got to learn a whole new language again. I started to feel real comfortable and I felt like to be honest, personally, there’s some unfinished business we left out there. I know I can play a little bit better than that. I know we can get this team in the playoffs. I think we have the talent to do that.”

We believe that it's Bradford's job to lose. Over the last two seasons, Philadelphia quarterbacks have averaged 16.7 passing game-only fantasy points. Bradford isn’t much of a runner, but he adds about 0.7 FP per game as a rusher. That adds up to 17.4 FP, or about what Eli Manning averaged as the #13 QB in 2014. The Eagles’ offense has lost their top receiver – DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin – in each of the last two seasons, but Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz are emerging and the team added Nelson Agholor in the draft. If Bradford ends up starting for the Eagles, we wouldn’t expect anything more than high-end QB2 numbers, but this is a definite system upgrade due to the overall effectiveness of Chip Kelly’s offense.

Dallas Cowboys site writer David Helman on how the team will use OTAs to evaluate the RB corps:

"Ever since the draft ended, we’ve heard the Cowboys say that they aren’t ruling out the possibility of adding another running back before the season. If I had to take an educated guess, I’d say they’re going to use OTAs and minicamp to take a hard look at the guys on the roster. Those practices should give them a better idea of how well they can handle it. If they aren’t confident in those four by the end of OTAs, I bet they’ll go add another guy this summer."

This is just a reminder not to fall in love with any of the current backs (Darren McFadden, Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar or Ryan Williams) as a clear-cut featured back. The team could pony up and trade for Adrian Peterson or sign a street free agent like Ray Rice or Chris Johnson.

WR Dorial Green-Beckham gives the Titans a high-upside target, but his off-the-field issues at Missouri led one NFC personnel man to tell NFL Media's Lance Zierlein that the wideout "couldn't keep himself out of trouble, had no structure growing up and didn't take coaching at Missouri," adding: "He's tall and fast and has good hands, but he can't be trusted."

From another AFC coordinator: "We had him in for a visit and put him on the board and he was completely lost. Whoever takes him better have a plan for him because it could be rough early on."

The Titans added Green-Beckham to shore up the receiving corps for their new quarterback, Marcus Mariota. The pick certainly is a long-term boost for Mariota, who now has a dangerous downfield threat with which to work. If he picks up things quickly (which is a big "if," considering the above comments) and proves he’s not as raw as his detractors say, Green-Beckham could certainly start early in the season opposite Kendall Wright, since it seems that Justin Hunter is on the outs with the current coaching staff.

With Dirk Koetter running the offense in 2015, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally will be able to unleash their pace plan.

"A guy that just, you know, he loves, loves fast tempo, loves to get the ball up field," offensive tackle Demar Dotson said of Koetter, via JoeBucsFan.com. "He loves to go a lot of no-huddle. That's going to be something that's more different than what we're used to. So it's going to be a lot of up-tempo stuff. You know, so that's something he loves doing. It's got its ups and downs, but I'm looking forward to being a part of it."

Last season with the Atlanta Falcons, Koetter ran the sixth-fastest offense in the NFL, per Football Outsiders' pace stats.

While both Koetter and Smith want to play fast in 2015, their ability to perform with pace will be dictated by how quickly Jameis Winston picks up the system.

If the team is successful in running an up-tempo offense, it should further boost Winston's fantasy value as a rookie. Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson and Austin Seferian-Jenkins would also benefit, along with whoever is running the ball in Tampa. But it's one thing to want to play fast and another to successfully do so.

Las Vegas oddsmakers have made running back Melvin Gordon the favorite to with the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The sportsbook Bovada.com lists Gordon's odds at 13 to 2.

Quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, drafted first and second, are next at 7 to 1.

Behind them are three other players drafted before Gordon: receiver Amari Cooper 15-2, running back Todd Gurley 8-1 and receiver Kevin White 10-1.

All six players were first round picks. We agree that Gordon has the best chance to shine among the running backs, especially since Gurley is coming off of an ACL tear.

Cardinals TE John Carlson has retired from the NFL.

Carlson, who was going into his eighth year, wasn’t in training camp, but he had been a daily attendee of the Cardinals’ strength and conditioning program and was on the field Monday when the team opened up Phase 2 on-field workouts. In a statement released by the team, Carlson did not indicate a specific reason for his decision.

"After much thought and consideration, my wife Danielle and I know that this is the best decision for us," Carlson said.

Along with Rob Housler's departure via free agency, the Cardinals will be without the two tight ends that played the most in 2014. Darren Fells and 2014 draft pick Troy Niklas sit atop the team's depth chart.

The last time we checked in with Victor Cruz before the draft, he said he had "zero doubts" that he would be ready for the season opener in Dallas. Giants GM Jerry Reese said there is no reason to believe that won't happen, but that they are taking a cautious approach with Cruz's rehab.

"We feel really good about Victor, he's working hard every day," Reese said. "I was down there watching him work out a couple of days before the draft. He's excited, he's jumping up on boxes as tall as he is, almost, so he must be doing pretty good for me. We think he's probably 85, close to 90 percent right now, but they're taking him at a snail's pace just so he won't have any setbacks."

It's important to note that Reese is not a medical professional, so he might have gotten a little over-excited with the "85-90%" comment. Cruz said before the draft that he had only been running in a straight line so far, and that he hoped to progress to cutting soon.

But the fact that Cruz has not had any setbacks so far is encouraging, and the box drills that Reese referred to are an indication that he's trying to regain some of the fast-twitch explosion that he would have lost from the injury.

Cruz tore his patellar tendon in mid-October, so while these reports are encouraging, it's no sure thing that he'll be back for the start of the season. Even if he's fully healthy, he's not going to get the same number of targets given Odell Beckham's emergence as a top-flight wideout. Cruz is currently going in the later rounds.

Raiders beat writer Jerry McDonald on expectations for WR Amari Cooper: "Anything less than 70 receptions and 1,000 yards receiving from Cooper will be a disappointment, considering his skill set, experience as a route-runner and status as the fourth pick in the draft."

Adding five touchdowns to the mix would give Cooper about 200 fantasy points in PPR formats, or about what Eric Decker scored as 2014's #26 receiver. Cooper is currently going #22 in early best ball PPR drafts.

The Bengals drafted a pair of tight ends over the weekend, but it doesn’t look like concerns about Tyler Eifert’s recovery from shoulder and elbow surgeries was the impetus to double down on the position.

Eifert said Monday that he’s waiting to get full clearance to return from his shoulder injury, a torn labrum that he had repaired after dislocating his elbow in the first game of last season. He expects to get that clearance before the start of training camp and is working to rebuild his strength until then.

With Jermaine Gresham out of the way, Eifert should be a nice late-round pick provided he can stay healthy. He has good size and speed, and showed pretty good hands as a rookie. He only played about 60 percent of the snaps in 2013, and averaged 0.14 FP (PPR) per snap. Extrapolate the same production to 90 percent of the snaps (which is typical for a starting tight end), and Eifert shouldn't have any problem posting top 15 numbers. With solid improvement, he could very well be this year's Jordan Cameron (2013) or Travis Kelce (2014).

Cowboys beat writer David Moore on the team's "by committee" running back situation: "They made a point of saying if they had not gotten (Darren McFadden) in free agency, they would have approached it differently in the draft. They would have felt they had to get a running back."

On Ryan Williams, Moore said, "Several teams, when he was on the practice squad last year, came after him to get him, to try to steal him, which any team can do. The Cowboys convinced him to stay. 'You have a future here, we like what you're doing.' I think you're going to see something from him."

He also discussed Joseph Randle: "And Joseph Randle, temperamentally there are questions about him, but the guy averaged 6.7 yards per carry last year. He's that big-play back that can really help them."

This is a camp battle to watch closely. Whoever emerges as the lead back should be able to post good fantasy numbers. At this point our money is on Randle (6.7 YPC last year), but McFadden could thrive behind the team's talented offensive line, providing he stays healthy. Williams is the dark horse.

Monday was an easy day for Palmer to soak in the here and now. The Cardinals began Phase II of their offseason workout program, which allowed the players to take the field and run plays for the first time. Palmer was right in the mix, participating with the first-team offense in all of the drills.

He not only handed the ball off to the running backs, but zipped short, intermediate and deep throws to his receivers. While the action wasn’t close to replicating game-like conditions, Palmer said joining the rest of the team on the field was a big mental boost after missing the last eight games of the 2014 season.

"Unfortunately I’m not going to be able to do everything once OTAs start, but I’ll be able to do just about everything."

Palmer looks like a man possessed. His rehab is ongoing, spending extra time doing footwork drills with Drew Stanton and finishing up with a plethora of knee-strengthening activities in a near-empty weight room.

“I’m always competing against other quarterbacks in the league in my head, and there are a lot of guys not coming off injuries,” Palmer said. “I have to work that much harder, spend that much more time on it. But that part’s easy for me. I like the work. I like the feeling I have when I go home, just knowing, ‘Man, I’m done. I couldn’t have done any more reps today. I don’t even want my kids to tackle me when I walk in the door today because I’m so tired.’ I enjoy that feeling. That part’s not an issue for me.”

Palmer averaged 271 yards, 1.8 touchdowns and 0.5 interceptions in six 2014 starts, or 17.2 fantasy points per game. Those are fringe QB1 numbers, so if Palmer is good to go for 2015, he'll be on the radar as a late-round value for those owners looking to stream or form a committee at the position. His presence is also huge for Larry Fitzgerald, who averaged 5.3 catches for 81 yards and 0.33 TD in six games with a healthy Palmer under center.

In a radio interview on Monday, Browns head coach Mike Pettine said what we all knew was true: Josh McCown is the heavy favorite to be the team's starting quarterback.

Johnny Manziel is fresh out of a 10-week stay in a rehab facility. McCown is a stable veteran with a career completion percentage near 60. This wasn't difficult.

"We just look back to when he was in Chicago, when he had a pretty good supporting cast around him, and he was able to be more than functional. He had a very successful year," Pettine said on WKRK-FM, via the Beacon Journal. "When you build the team right, it minimizes the importance of the quarterback."

The problem here is that while in Chicago, McCown was throwing to Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Martellus Bennett and now he'll be targeting Dwayne Bowe, Brian Hartline and Rob Housler. That's a serious downgrade at all three positions. McCown didn't play particularly well with Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans in 2014, there's no reason to believe that he's going to make a passing game go with Bowe, Hartline and Housler.

Via Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union, Caldwell told Sirius XM NFL Radio on Monday that the team’s decision to draft two more receivers should provide an indication of the situation with Justin Blackmon.

The Jaguars added Florida State receiver Rashad Greene in the fifth round, and Monmouth receiver Neal Sterling in the seventh. There’s a chance that one, or both, won’t make the 53-man roster. Regardless, the message via the selection of two receivers is that the Jaguars are no longer holding a spot for Blackmon.

And for good reason. He last played in October 2013, and there’s no indication that he has remained clean long enough to get reinstated. There’s no indication, as recently noted by Big Cat Country, that Blackmon even wants to be reinstated.

The Jaguars already had a pretty good stable of young receiving talent in the form of Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns. The fact that they drafted two more receivers indicates that they're looking to build at the position and don't view Blackmon as someone who is going to help them anytime soon.

When the Redskins added running back Matt Jones in the third round there naturally were questions about what that means for the future of incumbent back Alfred Morris.

“Alfred won’t be affected,” said Jay Gruden soon after the team handed in the card with Jones’ name on it. “Alfred’s still the running back here. He’s had three great seasons and that won’t change, but to add another guy that can come in here and pound the rock a little bit doesn’t hurt anything. It’ll help Alfred in that regard taking some carries off of him, but for the most part, Alfred will be getting the bulk of the carries and Matt will get some too, obviously.”

Of course Morris will be affected by Jones, but Gruden's attempt to minimize the impact is encouraging for Morris owners. Jones could see a few more carries than Roy Helu did -- Helu had 40 carries in 14 games last season -- though Morris could see a bit of Helu's workload (42 catches) in the passing game. This would boost Morris's value in PPR leagues, though we've been waiting for Morris to get an expanded receiving role for a few years now. Don't count on it.

Scouts like Clive Walford’s ability to work the middle of the field, with his quickness off the line of scrimmage and good route-running ability.

“He’s a complete tight end,” Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio said. “Are you a blocking tight end or a receiving tight end? We think he’s both.”

It's difficult for a tight end to make a big fantasy impact as a rookie, especially since Walford would have to beat out Mychal Rivera, who caught 58 passes for 534 yards and four touchdowns and averaged 4.5 catches over the final 10 games. He was the #6 PPR TE in that span. One thing working in Walford's favor is that the coaching staff is new, so they have no ties to Rivera other than what they've seen on film.

T.Y. Hilton and Andre Johnson figured to get most of the snaps in the base offensive packages, with Donte Moncrief and tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen rotating in some fashion.

But the Colts didn't spend a first-round pick on Phillip Dorsett for him to sit on the bench. If he proves ready for playing time, it's likely going to come quickly. And that will have a considerable impact on certain players' snap counts and their number of targets.

Hilton's snaps figure to be safe, but if the Colts bring Dorsett along quickly, the playing time of both Johnson and Moncrief will be affected. If he plays big snaps, it could have a ripple effect on Fleener and/or Allen, assuming Hamilton calls fewer two-TE sets to get his receivers on the field. The pick is certainly a boost for QB Andrew Luck, but it's hard to see how it helps any of the other Colts receivers.

Veteran receiver James Jones is being released by the Raiders.

The team selected Alabama receiver Amari Cooper with the No. 4 overall draft pick in last week’s draft.

The Raiders also signed veteran receiver Michael Crabtree late in free agency and, with Rod Streater back healthy and Cooper in the fold, Jones became an odd man out.

The article didn't mention Andre Holmes, but he's also in the mix for snaps. Jones led the team in receptions and touchdowns, and was second to Holmes in receiving yards. The only receiver we would trust in Oakland is Cooper, since he's likely to be immediately thrust into a starting role. Crabtree, Streater and Holmes will battle for playing time.

Cardinals RB David Johnson has the makings of a player who can have an immediate impact out of a small school. He’ll enter offseason workouts with an opportunity to be a three-down running back if he can learn the Cardinals’ offensive scheme, coach Bruce Arians said.

It’s unlikely, however, that he’ll supplant Andre Ellington as the starting running back.

“I think Andre will continue his same role,” Arians said. “We’ll keep him healthy and let him continue to develop as a player, but the nice thing David can do is he can do everything Andre does, so you don’t have to change if there was an injury.”

The Cardinals have been trying to add a bigger back to complement Ellington, but it sounds as if Arians feels Johnson is more of an Ellington clone. Arians confirmed that Ellington should continue in his current role with Johnson serving as his primary backup.

The St. Louis Rams traded Zac Stacy to the New York Jets in exchange for the 224th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Stacy requested a trade after the Rams drafted Georgia's Todd Gurley in the first round on Thursday night.

Stacy will vie for playing time in a crowded Jets backfield, which also features Chris Ivory, Stevan Ridley and Bilal Powell. Similar in skill set as a downhill chain-mover, Stacy will provide insurance in case Ridley suffers a setback in his return from ACL surgery.

Touches in the Jets' backfield are seemingly up for grabs. The acquisition of Stacy looks like another vote of "no confidence" in the quite-capable Chris Ivory.

Joique Bell will open the season as the starter, but expect Ameer Abdullah to shoulder much of the rushing load early as well. Detroit would not have taken him that high if it planned on Theo Riddick being the No. 2. The powerful Bell and speedy Abdullah will complement each other, much as Bell and Reggie Bush did in previous years. Riddick probably will be used a lot like he was last year, as a receiver out of the backfield.

Most scouts seem to agree that Abdullah doesn’t project to be an every-down back, so Bell’s between-the-tackles role should be safe, at least for this season. On the other hand, Riddick’s role as the Lions’ third-down back is in serious jeopardy. If things break his way and he sees significant time on passing downs, Abdullah could ultimately post top 25 numbers in PPR formats.

Jay Ajayi is a strong runner who could be useful in short-yardage situations and in the red zone, both of which were areas of concern for the Dolphins last year.

Starting running back Lamar Miller (1,099 yards rushing) is adept at what he does best, being a fast back who can make some breakaway runs. But the Dolphins need someone to grind out some tough yards, and that’s one thing Ajayi does well.

Ajayi will likely be the favorite to assume the role of power runner without much competition in training camp.

Miller's workload is under pressure now with Ajayi in the fold. He was expected to go much earlier, so don't read too much into the cost of the pick. The Dolphins were looking for a back to complement Miller and they found one in Ajayi.

Ravens TE Maxx Williams is expected to work in tandem with returning tight end Crockett Gillmore, who’s primarily known for his blocking. Meanwhile, Dennis Pitta’s future remains in serious doubt.

“We felt like the tight end was someone we really wanted,” general manager Ozzie Newsome said. “This offense we’ll be running is very tight end friendly.”

The Ravens lost Owen Daniels to free agency and Dennis Pitta is very iffy for the season as he recovers from a bad hip injury, so Williams is a need pick. If his offseason goes well, he could start immediately in new OC Marc Trestman’s pass-happy offense. This means he could be fantasy relevant as a rookie, a rarity for a rookie tight end.

Coach Bruce Arians doesn't like the word "need", but the Cardinals were lacking a big, physical back. David Johnson will contend for the starting job, and at least should be a nice complement to Andre Ellington. Johnson is big and he ran the 40-yard dash at the combine in 4.5 seconds, which is plenty fast for a man his size.

The Cardinals have been trying to add a bigger back to complement Ellington, and Johnson fits the bill. It’s starting to look like a committee in Arizona, so keep an eye on this camp battle to see if Johnson’s able to unseat Ellington. For now, Ellington should be able to hold onto the job with Johnson serving in a change-of-pace role.

Steelers receivers coach Richard Mann on WR Sammie Coates:

"From what I saw on tape, I think we got a guy that needs some work but is a great athlete. He has good speed and can take the top off of the coverage. He’s a guy who can track the ball down field very well. He has some problems straight ahead catching a football but that’s why we have drills. With a chance to coach him up, we feel like we can make that better. The thing that you can’t coach up is his athleticism."

With Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton already established in the Pittsburgh receiving corps, Coates has a steep hill to climb to earn significant playing time as a rookie.

Chargers GM Tom Telesco on the running back position in general (and Melvin Gordon in particular):

“The really, really talented ones are going to get drafted high. A top back is going to touch the ball 15 to 20 times a game, at least, a top receiver maybe eight or nine. You’ve got to have one.

“And I’ve always prescribed to the theory that you’ve got to have more than one of them. Melvin gives us that dynamic -- he can make the big play (which Mathews, whose longest run from scrimmage was 51 yards, his second-longest 39, could not). We’ve been a long-drive offense.”

The Chargers traded up to get Gordon, so we’d expect they’ll use him early and often in 2015. In fact, Telesco used the phrase "impact player" 11 times in Gordon's introductory press conference. Ryan Mathews is gone, so it’s Gordon’s job to lose. He doesn’t have a lot of experience as a receiver, so we'd expect that Danny Woodhead still gets a lot of work on third down while Gordon establishes himself as a good weapon out of the backfield. Given Todd Gurley’s ACL recovery, we'd also expect that Gordon will be the first rookie running back off the board (in the 3rd round?).

Afterward, coach Sean Payton made it clear that Colorado State's Garrett Grayson was the only passer the team had eyes for.

"This was the one," Payton said, per The Times-Picayune. "If he wasn't available, we probably would have gone without drafting a quarterback."

He looms as a fit, with NFL Media's Mike Mayock comparing Grayson's game to Drew Brees. Payton, though, emphasized that New Orleans isn't contemplating the end of the veteran's NFL career, saying of the 36-year-old Brees: "We love our starter."

By the time Brees is ready to hang it up, Grayson should be ready to go. Payton is a good coach and Grayson should develop while he waits for playing time.

The move has the potential to be a game-changer for the Rams' offense, which took a player many consider the best running back to come out of college since Adrian Peterson. Todd Gurley should step right in and form one of the fastest, dynamic tandems in the NFL with Tre Mason, who showed flashes in his rookie season.

One player not happy the Rams added a first-round stallion to their crowded backfield is Zac Stacy. The running back who rushed for 973 yards as a rookie in 2013 tweeted (and deleted) "yikes" after the Gurley pick.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported early Friday morning that Stacy has requested to be traded and the Rams are shopping him, per a sourced involved.

Stacy is clearly on the outs in St. Louis. He was a starter heading into the 2014 season, but lost his job to Mason and now finds himself third on the depth chart once Gurley returns from his ACL injury.