Nyheim Hines Placed On Active/Non-Football Injury List
Cleveland Browns running back Nyheim Hines (knee) was placed on the Active/Non-Football Injury list on Wednesday. Hines has been working his way back from a torn ACL suffered before 2023's training camp in a jet ski accident. Once passing a physical, Hines should be in line to compete for a role as a returner and pass-catching specialist. Hines has a shot to get real work with the Browns' backfield up in the air. Nick Chubb (knee) began training camp on the PUP list and the team has Jerome Ford and D'Onta Foreman slated for backfield work as Chubb recovers. If Hines can earn a role in the Browns offense, he would be somebody to watch on fantasy waiver wires. For now, monitor Hines and his recovery.
Cleveland Browns running back Nyheim Hines (knee) is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered during a jet ski accident last summer, but the team believes he could compete to be their third-down back and primary kick returner if healthy, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Specifically, Jackson notes that Hines could compete with Jerome Ford and D'Onta Foreman for the backup role if Nick Chubb (knee) is cleared for Week 1, but that would put Chubb well ahead of schedule. If Chubb needs more time to recover, Ford would likely handle early downs while Hines rotates in on third down. Hines specialized as both a returner and pass-catcher during his first four years in the league with the Indianapolis Colts, ultimately catching 103 passes for 792 yards and four touchdowns between 2020 and 2021. He played more of a special teams role after being traded to the Buffalo Bills in 2022 but did still show an ability to catch passes. Despite this new optimism about Hines' recovery and role for the upcoming season, he's still not a very intriguing name in fantasy football leagues. His ceiling is the backup role with pass-catching upside, but his floor is likely No. 4 on the depth chart (and a heavy dose of special teams snaps) once Chubb returns. This uncertainty keeps him off the fantasy radar in most redraft leagues, where he currently sports an ADP of 526 (134th among running backs).
Nyheim Hines Expects To Be Ready For Training Camp
Cleveland Browns running back Nyheim Hines (knee) said that he expects to be ready to go for training camp in late July despite having surgery to fix a torn left ACL last August. As long as Hines doesn't have any setbacks with his surgically repaired knee, he will be in the mix for snaps on third downs, especially with Nick Chubb coming off a devastating knee injury of his own last year. The 27-year-old Hines will have a low floor and ceiling, though, in PPR fantasy leagues with Jerome Ford and D'Onta Foreman also competing for backfield touches in Cleveland. The former fourth-round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in 2018 out of North Carolina State has a total of 240 receptions (309 targets) for 1,778 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his five NFL campaigns. Hines hasn't appeared in an NFL game since 2022.
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said he is "not sure" when running back Nyheim Hines (knee) will practice with the team for the first time. The 27-year-old is rehabbing from a torn ACL that he suffered off the field last offseason as a member of the Buffalo Bills. Despite that, the Browns signed him to a one-year, $1.15 million deal after free agency began. Since being traded to the Bills in the middle of the 2022 campaign, Hines has rushed for negative three yards and caught five passes for 53 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Cleveland has Nick Chubb (knee), D'Onta Foreman, and Jerome Ford on the roster. That said, it'd be surprising if Hines has a role in the offense this season, but he could be a factor in the kick return game if he can work his way back from the unfortunate injury.
Free-agent running back Nyheim Hines (leg) is signing a one-year deal worth up to $3.5 million with the Cleveland Browns, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The 27-year-old missed the entire 2023 season with the Buffalo Bills after suffering a major leg injury during the offseason. Hines entered the league as a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft via the Indianapolis Colts, where he was utilized as a receiving back behind Jonathan Taylor late in his tenure. In 72 games for the Colts, he caught 235 passes for 1,725 yards and seven touchdowns. He was traded to the Buffalo Bills at the 2022 deadline but only logged 11 touches for 50 yards thereafter. Hines will need to get past the leg injury, but he's a dynamic kick returner and could be in the mix as a change-of-pace back in Cleveland's backfield when he's fully healthy.
The Buffalo Bills plan to release running back Nyheim Hines (knee) this week, according to a source. Hines most likely will be back for training camp this summer after injuring his ACL last summer, but he'll be doing it with a different team. Hines injured his ACL during a jet-ski accident last July and was forced to miss all of the 2023 season as a result. The 27-year-old former fourth-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2018 out of North Carolina State spent the 2022 season with the Bills and Colts, carrying the ball just 24 times for 33 yards and a touchdown while adding 30 receptions for 241 yards and another score through the air in 16 games (five starts). At this stage of his career, Hines will most likely be competing for a complementary pass-catching role with whichever team he lands with next.
Buffalo Bills running back Nyheim Hines (knee) suffered a significant knee injury away from the team and is expected to miss the entire 2023 season, according to sources. Hines was acquired from the Indianapolis Colts at the trade deadline last year, but he had a small role in Buffalo's backfield in nine games (one start) with only six carries for minus-three yards and five receptions for 53 yards and one touchdown. The 26-year-old's absence for the entire season will ensure more work for all three of James Cook, Damien Harris and Latavius Murray in Buffalo's backfield, especially in the passing game. Obviously, fantasy managers can now scratch Hines off their fantasy cheat sheets before their drafts.
Buffalo Bills running back Nyheim Hines was traded to the Bills from the Indianapolis Colts midway through last season, but he had just 11 touches in nine games in Buffalo down the stretch. However, he could have a much bigger role in his first full season with the team, with running backs coach Kelly Skipper saying that Hines "can function in anything we do." The 26-year-old is mostly a pass-catching threat and has 240 catches in five NFL seasons, but it's still unlikely that Hines sees a big enough workload to make him fantasy relevant on a weekly basis with James Cook, Damien Harris and Latavius Murray also in the picture. The best bet is that Hines continues to make more of an impact for the Bills on special teams as a return man.
Buffalo Bills running back Nyheim Hines is in the process of reworking his deal to stay with the team, according to sources. He will convert part of his base salary in 2023 to a signing bonus to provide some salary cap relief for the Bills. Incentives added to his deal will give him a chance to earn more than his previously scheduled $4.79 million this year. Hines was traded from the Indianapolis Colts to the Bills in the middle of the 2022 season, and he lost basically all of his fantasy appeal with the move. In nine games (one start) for Buffalo last year in the regular season, he saw only six carries for minus-three yards and caught five of nine targets in the passing game for 53 yards and one touchdown.
Buffalo Bills running back Nyheim Hines has been unable to make much of an impact since being traded from the Indianapolis Colts. Mainly, Hines has served as the punt and kick returner, but has done very little on offense. On Saturday, Hines hauled in his lone target for a 10-yard touchdown in the win over the Miami Dolphins. It was nice to see Hines score, but he still is barely used in this offense. The expectation is that his role isn't going to grow much with Devin Singletary and James Cook healthy and playing well. There really isn't any streaming value for Hines heading into the Week 16 matchup against the Chicago Bears.
