The Buffalo Bills and RB CJ Spiller have been mentioned in trade rumors this summer with the running back heading towards free agency and if a contract extension is not worked out, the team could look at trading him and teams like the Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, 49ers or NY Giants could be interested before or during the season.
The Bills love what Spilled brings to the table in their offense, but the team also gave itself some insurance, signing Fred Jackson to an extension and also trading for Bryce Brown from the Eagles. According to NFL.com, Spiller said that he has heard the rumors and understands why they have come up, but that he hopes to stay with the Bills. Spilled had a strong year in 2-12, but regressed a bit in 2013 and now he could be moved at some point for the Bills if they fee; it's a worthy deal.
The Bills were one of the best rushing teams in the league last season, but they don't want to be hamstrung by a large contract and that is why they made sure they have some backups for Spiller. Jackson has dealt with injuries over the past couple years, but he has been very productive and he likely would take over the starting position if Spiller was moved. Spiller has great talent and he has explosive speed and he is a dual threat, as he can go between the tackles and he also can catch the ball out of the backfield as good as anyone.
The Giants could be an option after they lost David Wilson and while the team doesn't usually make trades like this, Spiller isn't the type of player that is usually on the market. The team would be able to use Spiller like they had planned on using Wilson, as he was expected to be the change of pace back and one that could make catches in space. Wilson was considered to be an electric speedster and in the new offense from Ben McAdoo there are tons of screen passes and other ways for him to show off his speed.
Last season Spiller had a down year and he was still productive, rushing for nearly 1,000 yards, but he lost over a yard from his yards per carry average from the season before. Spiller had over 1,200 yards in 2012 and averaged six yards per carry and he also added 43 catches that season for another 459 yards and now he is looking to get back to that production. Last season Spiller was still very solid, but it wasn't up to what he did the season before.
EJ Manuel needs all the help he can get and if Spiller is playing well, the Bills should be better for it. Having depth at the position will be a benefit and whether or not he gets traded, Spiller looks ready to have a big season. The Bills had a down season in 2103, but they have plenty of potential and with Sammy Watkins coming in, the offense really could blow up.
