CJ Spiller continues to hear his name pop up in trade rumors despite currently sitting on top of the depth chart for the Buffalo Bills. The running back has certainly been one of the best offensive performers for the team, but with a re-tooled wide receivers unit and new backs on the roster to compete with, NFL sources believe Spiller's time could be coming to an end sooner than expected.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, the Bills might be inclined to trade Spiller while the market looks to be good while he is still young and healthy. The main reason being the Bills acquired Bryce Brown in the offseason, a player they believe could be the future of the ground game in Buffalo after impressing early. With injuries already hitting in training camp, several contending teams are looking for running backs and the return price for Spiller could be high.
As of now, Buffalo has Spiller on the top of the depth chart. However, there is still a case for trading him, mainly money. Spiller will demand a nice sized contract, something Buffalo might not be so willing to shell out. He is currently entering the final year of his contract and negotiations on an extension have not even started. That is a clear sign that Buffalo is weighing their options on what his future looks like.
This trade does not make sense because Spiller is a dynamic rusher that can easily bail out quarterback EJ Manuel in a time of need. With Fred Jackson not getting any younger, the legs of Spiller are very valuable to the Bills. He and Brown make a solid tag team on the ground. Add in Anthony Dixon for depth and that is three solid rushers. However, the Bills do not need four running backs and Spiller gets the most in a trade. So does a team make a run for him?
NFL.com suggests that the San Francisco 49ers could be a landing spot for Spiller is things get worse on the injury front. The team entered training camp with too many backs, but the first weekend knocked out Kendall Hunter for the season and LaMichael James for at least a month. The team is also waiting to see how the health of Marcus Lattimore progresses as he prepares to play again. The 49ers could easily be down to just veteran Frank Gore and rookie Carlos Hyde. Adding in Spiller would certainly make that grouping a little better.
The Dallas Cowboys could also be an option. Right now the team is banking on a good year from DeMarco Murray, but if he cannot handle the workload, Spiller would be valuable. He is an upgrade from Joseph Randle and Ryan Williams. The Cowboys have stated they intend on running the ball more and trading for Spiller could make that dream a reality.
The likelihood Spiller gets traded is slim to none. At this point, unless a team suffers a catastrophic injury, no one is going to pay the price it will be to acquire the Bills running back. Spiller is valuable and a real asset, one the Bills need to hold on to for at least another season.