NFL Nation: The latest on position battles, usage and injuries (2024)

NFL Nation, ESPNAug 28, 2024, 07:15 AM ET

How will the following teams distribute backfield touches?

Tandem approach in Cincy with Mixon gone?

Zack Moss and Chase Brown will receive the bulk of the carries, but how they'll be used remains to be seen. With Joe Mixon now in Houston, the Bengals have more freedom to divvy up their early-down snaps. That could leave Trayveon Williams as the third-down back. Regardless, Moss and Brown will have upside as late-round picks, especially in PPR leagues. Expect the Bengals to use their running backs often in the passing game. -- Ben Baby

Go figure, the Broncos are tough to call

Break out your decoder ring, tarot cards and lucky socks to figure it out. Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and rookie Audric Estime are projected to be the backs of choice. And coach Sean Payton has promised to give rookie QB Bo Nix a more productive run game to help with the learning curve. But the Broncos have shown no legitimate indicators as to how that will look. Williams has been the RB1 in the offseason program and camp, but McLaughlin looks poised for a bit of a breakout with his work, especially the improvement he has shown as a pass-catcher and protector. Payton likes Estime as a power red zone option. How it all shakes out may depend on down and distance and Payton's mood with the play sheet. -- Jeff Legwold

Chargers to take 'hot hand' approach

Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins will share carries in the backfield, but how that share works may change each week. "Whoever's got the hot hand" is what offensive coordinator Greg Roman said he would tell Edwards and Dobbins each week. Dobbins, at 5-foot-10, 215 pounds, is more of an elusive back than Edwards and can catch passes out of the backfield. Edwards (6-foot-1, 238 pounds) is a more physical runner and scored a career-high 13 touchdowns with the Ravens last season. The Chargers could lean on Edwards in the red zone. -- Kris Rhim

Robinson is lead back, Ekeler in pass-catch mode

This is pretty clear. Brian Robinson Jr. will be their primary running back, so expect him to get the bulk of the carries. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said of Robinson: "He's a No. 1 back in this league, there's no doubt. After this season, if he stays healthy, people will recognize what he can do in the run game." Austin Ekeler will serve as a third-down back, but he is capable of running as well. His primary duty, however, will be as a pass-catcher. -- John Keim

Harris to get majority of work?

Jaylen Warren is nursing a hamstring injury, so the Steelers will likely lean on Najee Harris and Cordarrelle Patterson early in the season. Once Warren is healthy, Harris will still likely get more carries, even if the pair have near-even snap counts. In 2023, Harris played 569 snaps to Warren's 519, but Harris had 255 carries to Warren's 149. And Harris had more rushing yards (1,035 to 784). Harris is still the Steelers' primary option on early downs, but Warren has emerged as a solid change-of-pace, third-down back with his burst and speed. Warren finished with 61 receptions on 74 targets for 370 yards last season, good for the third-most receiving yards on the team. Harris, meanwhile, was targeted just 38 times and finished with 170 yards on 29 receptions. Don't count out Patterson for goal-line and red zone work, though. He had four carries in the preseason, including a 31-yard touchdown run against the Detroit Lions. -- Brooke Pryor

Duo looks like it will split touches

Titans running backs coach Randy Jordan consistently mentions catches and carries as ways they'll count touches. Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are similar from a skill-set perspective, so they won't have a set package for each of them. Jordan is big on going with the hot hand, so their usage will likely vary from game to game. Judging from how the Titans approached preseason games, Pollard appears to be the starter, with Spears coming onto the field soon after. Spears will see a good share of opportunities in the passing game, but don't be surprised if both are on the field at the same time as well. -- Turron Davenport

How will the WR target distribution and productivity play out?

Deep corps of receivers will battle for targets

This may be the best wide receiver corps to ever play in Chicago. Between DJ Moore, who is coming off a career year, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, the Bears have three receivers who each topped 1,000 yards last season (Odunze led the FBS in receiving at Washington). It's understandable to project Moore and Allen to get a bulk of the targets early on, considering their respective NFL pedigrees, but don't expect Odunze to be eased in as a rookie. "I think he's very capable of doing all those things," coach Matt Eberflus said in regard to Odunze making contributions similar to the two veteran receivers. Shane Waldron's Seattle offense used 11 personnel (3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 RB) at the 15th-highest rate in 2023 and shifted its usage from multiple-TE sets to more three-receiver formations from 2022 to last season. Even if Odunze is the team's No. 3 receiver behind Moore and Allen to start the season, having the No. 9 overall draft pick in that spot will make a strong case for more WR targets across the board. As Moore said this offseason, the race is on to see who is the first to reach 1,000 yards in a deep receiver room. -- Courtney Cronin

Rice top option, but Chiefs will spread it around

There's no reason to believe Rashee Rice won't again lead the team's wideouts in catches. He had a strong training camp. But he won't lead by a wide margin as he did last season. The Chiefs have big plans for Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown. Worthy may not be a high-volume receiver, but he showed an ability to make big plays in training camp and the preseason. Even with fewer catches than Rice, he could lead the wideouts in yards. Brown was set back by a dislocated shoulder that could keep him out of one or more early-season games, but he will also be a big part of things once he returns. The Chiefs see him as more than just a deep threat. He should finish behind Rice among the team's wide receivers in catches. -- Adam Teicher

Love's favorite target could change week to week

If there's a receiver whom Jordan Love has the strongest connection with, it appears to be Romeo Doubs. They're almost always on the same wavelength when it comes to timing and positioning. If there's a receiver who is the most versatile, it's Jayden Reed. The biggest deep threat? That's Christian Watson. One who could benefit from the all the attention paid to the other three? Look at Dontayvion Wicks. All of this is to say, the Packers may not have a WR1, but they have four who could be such on any given day. -- Rob Demovsky

How will the Seahawks' WR production play out this season?

DK Metcalf is still the No. 1 option. He seems like a safe bet for well over 100 targets, assuming he stays healthy. The potential change in the pecking order is at the No. 2 spot, where Jaxon Smith-Njigba has a chance to overtake Tyler Lockett. Smith-Njigba has looked like a breakout candidate, and a 1,000-yard season out of last year's 20th overall pick hardly seems out of the question. Lockett, who turns 32 in September and took a pay cut in March to return to Seattle, is coming off his first season since 2017 in which he didn't top 900 yards receiving. He has been sidelined for a good chunk of the summer with a lower body issue. -- Brady Henderson

Diggs primed for targets, but Texans trio will all produce

Stefon Diggs appears to be the No. 1 in terms of targets, based on what we've seen at training camp, and he will get the most snaps in the slot between the trio of Nico Collins, Tank Dell and himself. That should make Diggs an easier target to find, which means more catches. But the overall production among the trio will be razor thin, because any of them can produce a big game in a given week based on the game plan and how the opposing defense is playing them. As quarterback C.J. Stroud said, the ball is going to whoever gets open. -- DJ Bien-Aime

Potential debuts for injured players

When will Jonathon Brooks make his 2024 debut, and how do you expect he will be utilized?

Week 5 at the earliest, as he will begin the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. While Brooks' rehab from November ACL surgery has gone well, the Panthers look at him as a long-term solution and don't want to rush him back. Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders will carry the load in the meantime, but once Brooks is ready, he'll be the lead back because his versatility best fits what coach Dave Canales wants to do. -- David Newton

When do you expect Nick Chubb to take the field, and how long before he receives a full workload?

The Browns haven't given a timeline for Chubb's return after he sustained a severe knee injury last September that required two surgeries. Chubb will begin the season on the PUP list, which means he will miss at least the first four games as he continues his rehab. The Browns expect Chubb to play at some point this season but won't rush him back. A midseason return is a safe bet, with him returning to a full workload by the final month of the season as Cleveland makes a playoff push. -- Daniel Oyefusi

When do you expect T.J. Hockenson to make his 2024 debut, and what do you expect from him upon his return?

The initial rough timetable for Hockenson's injury, which occurred Dec. 24, 2023, indicated a return some time around the first month of the season. Hockenson spent training camp on the PUP list but did some of his rehab workouts on an adjacent field in full view of the public. By the end of camp, he was running hard and changing directions often. That said, he will remain on the PUP list to open the season and thus be ineligible to play until Week 5. Based on his conditioning in August, he should be at full speed by October to resume his regular and extensive role in the Vikings' offense. -- Kevin Seifert