• Right on schedule
    Ali (biceps) is participating in some of the Ravens' minicamp drills and is expected to be fully recovered ahead of training camp, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: The rookie fifth-round pick ruptured his biceps tendon at the Senior Bowl back in late January, but the Marshall product is expected to be fully recovered ahead of Baltimore's training camp in August. Ali is poised to compete for a pivotal role in the backfield with J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) and Gus Edwards both with the Chargers and Keaton Mitchell (knee) still recovering after tearing his ACL in December. Rotowire.com Today, 2:32 pm
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  • Hopeful for training camp
    Head coach John Harbaugh indicated Saturday that he expects Ali (biceps) to be good to go in time for training camp, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: Ali ruptured his biceps tendon at the Senior Bowl, but he was still selected by the Ravens in the fifth round of this year's draft. The intriguing prospect had multiple 1,000-yard seasons with Marshall, but he also missed nearly the entire 2022 campaign due to an MCL injury. When healthy, he projects to compete for a role providing depth in Baltimore's backfield behind Derrick Henry. Rotowire.com Today, 12:23 pm
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  • Keim: Commanders want to rely on strong run game
    ESPN’s John Keim reports the Commanders “want to rely on a strong defense and run game to reduce the burden” on Jayden Daniels.

    Advice: The team has not yet committed to Daniels — the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft — as their Week 1 starter, though it would be a massive upset if Marcus Mariota got the opening day call for Washington. Keim expects Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury to lean heavily on the rushing attack, which will be led by Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson. Ekeler is most likely to be the primary pass-catching back while Robinson functions as the team’s early-down back. A lack of passing volume could be an issue for Washington’s pass catchers. Terry McLaurin could still see a solid target share, however, as offenses that use lots of run-pass option plays tend to target their WR1 heavily. Rotoworld Yesterday, 10:00 am
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  • Looking good for RB2 job
    Gray is in good position to handle a bigger role in his second NFL season, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic.

    Advice: New lead back Devin Singletary is unlikely to dominate backfield snaps the way Saquon Barkley did last season, leaving more work on the table for Gray and other backups. A 2023 fifth-round pick, Gray played in 13 games as a rookie, taking 23 touches for 70 yards on 65 snaps. Competition for backup roles behind Singletary doesn't appear especially fierce in New York, with Gray joined by fifth-round rookie Tyrone Tracy, veteran journeyman Deon Jackson, fourth-year pro Gary Brightwell and a couple of young UDFAs (Jashaun Corbin, Dante Miller). Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:48 am
    Eric GrayNYG - RB
    Bye
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  • ‘Clear path’ for RB Eric Gray to have role in ’24
    The Athletic’s Dan Duggan believes RB Eric Gray has “a clear path ... to have a bigger role” in the Giants offense this season.

    Advice: A 2023 fifth round selection, Gray had just 17 carries for 41 yards as a rookie. The Giants added explosive RB Tyrone Tracy in the fifth round of the 2024 draft, but Duggan suggested Gray would have first crack at operating as the team’s RB2 behind Devin Singletary. For now, Singletary appears to be the clear lead back. Gray and Tracy would likely split backfield duties if Singletary were to miss time in 2024. Rotoworld Yesterday, 6:22 am
    Eric GrayNYG - RB
    Bye
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  • Expected to contribute this year
    GM Nick Caserio said Tuesday that he expects Pierce to be "a big part" of the Houston offense this upcoming season, Tyler Milner of Sports Radio 610 reports.

    Advice: The 2022 fourth-round pick ran for 939 yards in 13 games his rookie season but then managed just 416 yards in 14 games last year. Pierce nosedived from 4.3 YPC to 2.9, losing his starting job to Devin Singletary in the process. Singletary is with the Giants now, but Pierce nonetheless appear destined for a backup role after the Texans traded for Joe Mixon and gave him an extension. The team then waited until the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft to select a running back, taking a player (Louisville's Jawhar Jordan) who six months older than Pierce and might only be used as a kick return specialist. In other words, Pierce has a nice opportunity to keep the second spot on the depth chart despite his subpar performance last season, though Dare Ogunbowale remains a threat to get playing time in obvious pass situations. Rotowire.com Thursday, 5:11 pm
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  • Pittsburgh declines 2025 option
    The Steelers declined their 2025 option on Harris' contract, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

    Advice: This comes as somewhat of a surprise after Harris has posted three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons since being selected 24th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Most impressively, Harris has never missed a game at a position that sees so many injuries. He's been a model of toughness and durability, even if the stats haven't particularly jumped off the page with a career 3.9 yards-per-carry average. Harris, however, did rush for a career-best eight touchdowns last season, averaging a three year-best 4.1 yards per carry. Harris is now tentatively schedule to hit free agency next March, though Adam Schefter of ESPN notes that the Steelers aren't ruling out reaching a deal with the 26-year-old running back before then. Rotowire.com Thursday, 1:01 pm
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  • Steelers won’t pickup Harris’ fifth-year option
    Steelers declined the fifth-year option for RB Najee Harris.

    Advice: Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz was the first to report the decision. Harris has rushed for 1,000-plus yards in each of his first three seasons with the Steelers but has been far from the impactful back they hoped to get when they selected him with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. There’s a strong argument that Harris isn’t even the best back on his own team; after 2022, UDFA Jaylen Warren has proven far more efficient with his touches over the last two years and was more heavily utilized out of the backfield. the “Steelers are not ruling out a deal [with Harris] later on,” but given the current state of the running back market, it will be interesting to see how he’s valued heading into what will be his age-27 season in 2025. If they do move on from Harris after this season, the Steelers would be without their 2021 and 2022 first-round picks. Rotoworld Thursday, 12:59 pm
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  • Pierce will ‘be a big part’ of what Texans do
    During an appearance on SportsRadio 610, Texans GM Nick Caserio said Dameon Pierce will “be a big part of what we’re doing” this season.

    Advice: Anything is possible, but this is a tough one to buy into. In his second year in the league, Pierce lost his starting gig to Devin Singletary and finished the year with a 145-416-2 line while averaging 2.9 YPC — a number that feels almost impossible for any running back to hit. The Texans didn’t bring back Singletary, instead opting to trade for Joe Mixon on March 13th and sign him to a three-year, $27 million extension through 2026. Pierce will undoubtedly get his opportunities, but it’s hard to envision many meaningful snaps as long as Mixon is healthy and producing at the level they’re hoping for. Rotoworld Thursday, 11:01 am
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