Tag: Royce Freeman

Browns sign ex-Broncos running back to practice squad

The Browns have signed former Broncos running back Royce Freeman to their practice squad.

The Cleveland Browns have signed free agent running Royce Freeman to their practice squad, the team announced Tuesday. Freeman will provide depth behind fellow Browns running backs Jerome Ford, D’Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong.

Freeman (6-0, 238 pounds) entered the league as a third-round pick out of Oregon with the Denver Broncos in 2018. He rushed for 1,187 yards and eight touchdowns in three seasons with the Broncos while adding 69 receptions for 409 yards and another score as a receiver out of the backfield.

Since being cut by Denver in 2021, Freeman has spent time with four NFL teams, most recently going to training camp with the Dallas Cowboys this summer. He’ll now get a chance to continue his career in Cleveland.

Elsewhere, a Broncos division rival is also adding a running back. The Kansas City Chiefs are signing Kareem Hunt after losing Isiah Pacheco to an ankle injury. Hunt spent the first two years of his career in KC and he has totaled 386 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns in five career games against Denver.

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Is there hidden fantasy value among Dallas Cowboys running backs?

Is Zeke totally washed? Can Rico Dowdle emerge? Will Deuce Vaughn shine?

As the NFL’s top scoring offense last year, the Dallas Cowboys finished 14th in rushing (112.9 yards per game), led by running back Tony Pollard, who signed with the Tennessee Titans during the offseason. It was a swift fall from grace for the Memphis product after he was anointed RB1 following a tremendous 2022 campaign while splitting time with running back Ezekiel Elliott. Thrust into the primary role, he never recaptured that form.

Even with Pollard moving on, the Cowboys elected to invest zero draft capital at the position, instead handing out a pair of one-year deals in free agency, one to journeyman RB Royce Freeman and the other to Elliott, who returns after a season with the New England Patriots. They join last season’s No. 2 back, Rico Dowdle, and preseason darling Deuce Vaughn.

On paper, it’s a suspect unit, made doubly so by head coach Mike McCarthy’s well-established love of the passing game. Still, that doesn’t mean there won’t be fantasy value to be found. With that in mind, let’s look at Dallas’ backfield options for 2024.

Cowboys expected to sign free agent RB Royce Freeman

From @ToddBrock24f7: Freeman spent his first 3 pro seasons in Denver, then bounced around before playing 2023 with the Rams.

The Cowboys have made a free agency addition to their roster just nine days before the first round of the 2024 draft, signing running back Royce Freeman.

The 6-foot 238-pounder will reportedly join the team on a one-year deal.

Freeman, 28, was a third-round draft pick out of Oregon in 2018. Originally with Denver, he amassed 1,187 rushing yards over three seasons as a Bronco while splitting time with Phillip Lindsay and, later, Melvin Gordon.

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Freeman signed with Carolina as the 2021 season began, but he lasted just eight games with the Panthers before being released. Houston signed him to finish off the season and then re-signed him for 2022, though he stayed mostly on the practice squad. He was most recently with the Los Angeles Rams, compiling just over 300 yards in 14 games.

The Cowboys are in obvious need of depth at the running back position after the recent departure of Tony Pollard. Freeman will join Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke, Malik Davis, and Snoop Conner as the team’s ball carrier platoon.

Freeman’s signing comes a month after running backs ranging from Saquon Barkley to Derrick Henry agreed to big deals with new teams. Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook, and J.K. Dobbins are among the rushers still available on the market.

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Dallas has been widely expected to look closely at running backs in the upcoming draft, using official visits on the likes of Jonathon Brooks (Texas), Trey Benson (Florida State), Bucky Irving (Oregon), and Braelon Allen (Nebraska).

Freeman has averaged 3.8 yards over 471 career carries, scoring 10 touchdowns. He’s added 532 receiving yards on 86 catches.

The Cowboys pulled off a similar RB signing last year, inking veteran Ronald Jones II to a deal in late March. He was released in mid-September without ever seeing the field.

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Zack Moss agrees to deal with Bengals, what that means for Colts

Zack Moss is heading to Cincinnati. What does that mean for the Colts?

Indianapolis Colts pending free agent running back Zack Moss found a new home in free agency, agreeing to a two-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals late Monday night.

It was expected that Moss could have outpriced himself in the market for the Colts after his impressive showing during the early portion of the 2023 season while Jonathan Taylor was absent between an ankle injury and a contract dispute.

Now, the Colts have to find a new backup running back to supplant Moss’ role as a change-of-pace option.

Losing Moss isn’t a massive deal in terms of the on-field impact. He’s a good player, of course, but there are plenty of running backs capable of filling the void behind Taylor, who will continue to be the starter.

Moss will be missed in the locker room, though, and there’s a good chance he works his way into the starting role in Cincinnati, especially after the team cut Joe Mixon.

Where the Colts go from here will be interesting. They can look to free agency to add a veteran backup. If they do, we shouldn’t expect them to go after any big names or sink any significant salary-cap space into the position.

Maybe they re-sign Trey Sermon, who served in a depth role during the 2023 season. They’re expected to get 2023 fifth-round pick Evan Hull back from a knee injury that claimed his entire rookie season, but it isn’t clear how the Colts view his outlook.

They could also go after a bruiser like D’Onta Foreman or opt for cheaper options like Rico Dowdle and Royce Freeman.

There’s a chance the Colts use another draft pick at the position, but that likely wouldn’t come until Day 3.

Either way, the Colts have another backup position to fill this offseason after Moss got a well-deserved contract with the potential to be a starter.

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5 RBs the Colts should target in 2024 free agency

Some intriguing free-agent RBs for the Colts to consider.

The Indianapolis Colts have plenty of positional needs entering free agency in 2024 and even though the running back position isn’t at the top of the list, some depth could be added.

With Jonathan Taylor returning in the first year of his new contract extension, the Colts know who the leader in the backfield is and should be. Zack Moss, who was impressive during his stint as a starter, is set to hit the market. They also have second-year back Evan Hull, but he missed his rookie season due to a knee injury.

Re-signing Moss is certainly an option the Colts should entertain, but they shouldn’t be willing to overpay. Moss may be seeking a chance to compete as a starter, but we also know the running back market is extremely down right now.

So for this article, we’re taking the mindset that Moss walks in free agency, and the Colts would need to find his replacement.

Here are five running backs the Colts should target in free agency:

Disclaimer: We should note that we understand a handful of these players won’t even hit the market, but we’re working under the hypothetical scenario that they become available, regardless of how slim the chances are.

Fantasy football waiver wire: Week 13 free-agent forecast

Check out the top waiver wire targets for fantasy football in Week 13.

With just a few more weeks until the playoffs arrive, it’s crunch time in the majority of fantasy football leagues. The waiver wire should be busy entering Week 13.

After no teams had a bye in Week 12, managers will get hit hard in Week 13. Six teams will be on a bye, including some major firepower. Those six teams include the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders.

We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!

We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Oregon kicker Camden Lewis becomes all-time leading scorer in Ducks’ history

Oregon Ducks kicker Camden Lewis made history on Saturday, becoming the all-time leading scorer in school history, passing Royce Freeman.

With an extra point on Saturday against the Arizona State Sun Devils, Oregon Ducks kicker Camden Lewis made history, officially becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer.

With the made kick, Lewis now has a total of TK points in his career at Oregon, passing Ducks’ legend Royce Freeman, who previously held the record for most career points with 384.

Freeman’s record had stood since the end of the 2017 season, created by 60 total rushing touchdowns and four receiving touchdowns.

Contrarily, Lewis has gotten to that historic number by making 250 extra point kicks, and 46 field goals. The next highest-scoring kicker on the list is Aiden Schneider, who had 365 total points for the Ducks from 2014-2017.

In Lewis’ career at Oregon, he has made 98.8% of his extra points, and 72.6% of his field goals. That five-year career is highlighted by three seasons with 100% PAT accuracy (2020, 2022, 2023), and an impressive 2022 season where he his 87.5% of his field goals (14-of-16).

The season is not over just yet, of course, so we will continue to see how far Lewis can push this record, and what the final number will be when all is said and done.

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Rams could be viable landing spot for RB Michael Carter following Jets release

The Jets released RB Michael Carter, who could be a good addition to the Rams’ backfield

Kyren Williams is still a week away from returning to the field as he recovers from an ankle injury suffered in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals, but even when he does come back, the Los Angeles Rams could use a complementary player in the backfield.

One potential option just became available on Tuesday when the Jets waived running back Michael Carter, a third-year player and former fourth-round pick. Carter has been the Jets’ No. 3 option behind Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook, primarily working as a receiving back on third downs and obvious passing situations. This season, he only has eight carries for 38 yards, but he’s caught 15 passes for 68 yards as a receiver.

The Rams don’t necessarily need a new workhorse to replace Williams, but Carter wold make a lot of sense as a third-down back. Not only would he be an upgrade over Darrell Henderson Jr. and Royce Freeman, but he also has experience with Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.

With LaFleur as the Jets’ play caller the last two years, Carter caught a total of 77 passes for 613 yards. He was utilized as a pass catcher out of the backfield, which is the same role he’d have in Los Angeles.

While not the biggest or fastest running back, he was a big-play weapon at North Carolina. As a senior in 2020, he rushed for 1,245 yards on only 156 carries (8.0 yards per carry) and averaged 10.7 yards per catch as a receiver. He split the backfield with Javonte Williams, but both players were highly productive.

The Rams just waived Myles Gaskin from the active roster and could stand to move on from Henderson, too. That would open the door for Carter to back up Williams in Week 12 and take some of the work off of his plate. After all, it’s unsustainable for Williams to play the number of snaps he was playing before getting injured.

The Rams are seventh in the waiver order so there aren’t many teams ahead of them if they want to put in a claim for Carter. For a running back with one year left on his contract, he’s worth trying to bring in.

Sean McVay says the Rams expect Kyren Williams back in Week 12

Sean McVay shared that the Rams are expecting Kyren Williams to be back in action in Week 12 vs. the Cardinals.

Ever since Kyren Williams was placed on injured reserve, the running game of the Los Angeles Rams has been less effective. With the Rams entering their bye week in Week 10, Sean McVay revealed that Williams is expected to make his return in Week 12 versus the Arizona Cardinals.

Williams suffered a sprained ankle in Week 6 against the Cardinals after he recorded a career-best 158 rushing yards and a score on 20 attempts in the win. Besides Williams’ production on the ground, he was productive as a pass catcher, and his reliability in pass protection was valuable.

In the three weeks that Williams has been on injured reserve, Darrell Henderson Jr. and Royce Freeman have split the backfield workload. Considering the Rams enter their bye week in Week 10 — and bye weeks don’t count as an accrued week on injured reserve — the earliest Williams can return is Week 12.

From Weeks 1 through 6 (when Williams was starting), the Rams were sixth in rushing EPA (0.012) and fourth in rushing success rate (45.3%). Meanwhile, the Rams have been 18th in rushing EPA (-0.171) and seventh in rushing success rate (42.9%) in the three games Williams has missed.

While the offense of the Rams has sputtered in recent weeks, Matthew Stafford could return in Week 11 and Williams is projected to be back in action in Week 12.

Fantasy football waiver wire: Week 9 free-agent forecast

Here are the top waiver wire targets for fantasy football in Week 9.

Week 8 of the fantasy football season offered plenty of fireworks with a full slate of games, and now we’re back to sifting through the waiver wire amid bye weeks.

Entering Week 9, there will be four teams on a bye, and all four teams have some serious star power who will be sitting on the bench.

Teams on a bye in Week 9 include the Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers.

We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!

We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.