Who Should I Start? Ke'Shawn Vaughn or Tony Jones Jr.

Tuesday, December 3, 6:22 PM

The San Francisco 49ers claimed running back Israel Abanikanda off waivers from the New York Jets on Tuesday and also signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn to their practice squad, according to a source. In corresponding moves, the Niners officially placed both Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle) on Injured Reserve, meaning they'll be out for at least the next four games. CMC has a PCL sprain and will need six weeks to recover, so his season is essentially over unless the Niners make a run to get into the playoffs. Abanikanda didn't play in a single game for the Jets this year but could serve as the team's No. 3 down the stretch behind rookie Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor. Vaughn also hasn't seen the field in 2024 after averaging 3.7 yards a carry in four previous seasons with Tampa. They can both stay on the waiver wire in most fantasy leagues.

Wednesday, December 18, 2:24 PM

The Arizona Cardinals signed veteran free-agent running back Tony Jones to the practice squad on Wednesday, according to NFL.com. The 27-year-old was on the team's preseason roster but was released just ahead of the regular season. With Emari Demercado (back) on Injured Reserve and Trey Benson (ankle) dealing with an ankle injury, the Cardinals running back rook behind James Conner is beginning to get thin. DeeJay Dallas would likely operate as the RB2 behind Conner against the Carolina Panthers this weekend if Benson can't play, but Jones could be elevated to the active roster and back him up. Jones has rushed 93 times for 274 yards and two touchdowns in 25 career games with the Saints, Seahawks, and Cardinals.